Indian Challenger lands another major result against Harley-Davidson’s Road Glide
The Indian Challenger has cemented itself as the motorcycle to beat over the Harley-Davidson Road Glide in KOTB.
After winning the 2026 King of the Baggers (KOTB) series at COTA (Circuit of the Americas) earlier this month, Indian Motorcycle added further success at the New Jersey Motorsports Park thanks to its series-leading Challenger motorcycle.
2026 was the American company’s first season working alongside Vance & Hines Motorsports, a partnership that yielded 10 wins across the season.
The historic campaign saw Vance & Hines factory rider Hayden Gillim secure the title with eight wins, which is more than Harley-Davidson’s overall win total.
After clinching the title in Texas, Indian then closed out the season with multiple podium finishes last weekend, including a clean sweep in race one.
Indian’s tally of 10 race wins was impressive in many ways, not least because of the competition it went up against.
Vance & Hines Motorsports riders Gillim and Troy Herfoss went up against the experienced duo of Bradley Smith and Kyle Wyman, both of whom competed for the Harley-Davidson x Dynojet Factory Race team.
These four riders shared all of the race wins from the 2026 season, however, Indian Motorcycle secured 10 out of the 14 victories, showing just how dominant its Challenger motorcycle and PowerPlus engine platform were.
As well as the 10 wins, Indian also broke the record for the most rostrum finishes by a manufacturer, ending the season with 24 podiums.
Speaking about this season, Indian Motorcycle CEO, Mike Kennedy, said:
“When you consider that we entered Daytona back in March with only a single testing session under our belt, it’s pretty amazing to think about what we were able to accomplish.
“When you break it all down, this season is the ultimate testament to the superior performance of the Indian Challenger and the broader PowerPlus platform, and to the collaborative power of Indian Motorcycle and Vance & Hines Motorsports. And in that respect, the amazing outcome this season comes as no surprise.”
Indian Motorcycle’s full factory Vance & Hines Motorsports team will once again feature this year's champion Gillim, and 2024 series winner Herfoss, in 2027.
Speaking about the team’s goals for next season, Kennedy went on to add:
“We’re already focused on what comes next, with a clear goal of becoming the first manufacturer to win back-to-back King of the Baggers championships. Hayden and Troy are going to be a major part of that plan.
“They’ve proven what they can do on the Indian Challenger, and with Vance & Hines Motorsports continuing to develop this program, we believe we have the people, the team and the machine to keep pushing this class. This season set a new benchmark for bagger racing, and now the focus immediately shifts to 2027.”
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
