Nitro Circus Brings Motorcycle Mayhem to Harley Festival

Nitro Circus, the most explosive crew in action sports, will bring its non-stop, action-packed freestyle motocross show to the Milwaukee lakefront during the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival at Veterans Park.

This daredevil circus features elite moto-athletes performing insane ramp tricks and heart-racing stunts as they push themselves to their limits. Nitro Circus performances are part of an expansive exposition of music and entertainment scheduled for July 15 and 16 to celebrate the 120th Anniversary of the world’s most-desirable motorcycle brand.

Veterans Park in downtown Milwaukee will be the epicenter of family-friendly activities and musical acts Foo Fighters (Sat., July 15) and Green Day (Fri., July 14). Also slated to perform during the weekend are Cody Jinks, Social Distortion, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Phantogram, White Reaper, and KennyHoopla. The Ives Brothers Wall of Death & Ball of Steel will also perform hair-raising stunts at the lakefront, including riding motorcycles inches apart inside a steel cage. General admission and special VIP tickets with premium benefits for Veterans Park events are on sale now at H-D.com/HomecomingTickets.

Other Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival events will take place at venues across the Milwaukee area, including the Harley-Davidson Museum where the preliminary music line-up includes headliners Hairball (July 13), The Now Band (July 14), Road Trip (July 15) and Rebel Grace (July 16). Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations and local Harley-Davidson dealerships will also be hosting Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival events.

Premier Service Team
The Harley-Davidson Premier Service Team will offer roadside assistance free of charge to all motorcycle riders in the local Milwaukee area during the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival. The service will be available July 12-17 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Lift-equipped trucks staffed by Harley-Davidson employees will transport disabled motorcycles to the nearest of six Harley-Davidson dealerships for repair, where service experts will be on hand to provide onsite technical assistance with advanced diagnostics. Go to H-D.com/Homecoming for full details on Premier Service.

Complete details on additional Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival ticketing options, venues, entertainment, scheduled events, parade participation, Harley-Davidson factory tours, and lodging are available at H-D.com/Homecoming, where visitors can also sign up for instant Homecoming updates. RC

Motorcycle News: Harley’s Ready For 2023 King of the Baggers Season

The Harley-Davidson MotoAmerica King of the Baggers racing team is prepared to open the 2023 racing season.

The season starts March 9-11 at Daytona International Speedway, site of the first two rounds of the MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers roadracing series. Kyle Wyman and his brother Travis Wyman return to ride the team’s race-prepared Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycles powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engines. The Harley-Davidson factory team will leave nothing on the track as they fight to bring the championship title back to Milwaukee.

Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycles powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engines.
Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycles powered by modified Screamin’ Eagle Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engines.

“In our 120th Anniversary year, we’re coming at it bigger and better than ever before, as we compete to win the championship and bring back the #1 plate to Milwaukee where it belongs,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO, Harley-Davidson. “Our Screamin’ Eagle factory racing team is ready for the season – and with Kyle and Travis on the track, I’m excited for what is set to be a great season of racing for our community of racers and fans alike.”

The King of the Baggers series offers exciting competition between American V-Twin touring motorcycles prepared for competition and equipped with a fairing/windscreen and saddlebags. The 2023 season will see the King of the Baggers series expanded from seven to 14 races over seven double-header weekends held in conjunction with the MotoAmerica Superbike Series.

Harley-Davidson factory team will be sporting custom designed 120th anniversary race-modified Road Glide motorcycles
Harley-Davidson factory team will be sporting custom designed 120th anniversary race-modified Road Glide motorcycles

A fan feature for the 2023 season is the Harley-Davidson 120th Anniversary VIP Ticket Package. Offered as a three-day or one-day package, these special VIP passes include admission with fan zone and paddock access, all the MotoAmerica races including the Mission King of the Baggers practice sessions, qualifying and racing action. Each pass also includes access to premium parking reserved for Harley-Davidson motorcycles on all three days of the race weekend, and participation in Harley-Davidson parade laps around the track on Friday and Saturday.

For the 2023 season, the Harley-Davidson factory team will be sporting custom designed livery, honoring Harley-Davidson’s 120th anniversary aboard their race-modified Road Glide motorcycles, Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engine. The team bikes also feature upgraded suspension components, including Screamin’ Eagle/Öhlins Remote Reservoir Rear Shocks, plus competition exhaust, race tires and lightweight bodywork.

Kyle (left) and Travis Wyman ready to big a championship title back to Milwaukee
Kyle (left) and Travis Wyman ready to big a championship title back to Milwaukee

Harley-Davidson invites you to kick off the 2023 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers season with some adrenaline pumping action. Today, Harley-Davidson is premiering ‘Push the Limit,’ a film that shares the story of defending champion Kyle Wyman, teammate Travis Wyman and the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle race team’s 2022 championship pursuit. Check it out on Harley-Davidson’s YouTube channel.

Harley-Davidson 2023 King of the Baggers team rider Travis Wyman
Harley-Davidson 2023 King of the Baggers team rider Travis Wyman

The Wyman Brothers
Travis Wyman, the owner of Travis Wyman Racing based in Las Vegas, finished second in points during the 2022 King of the Baggers season, with one race win (Road America) and three second-place finishes. The 31-year-old racer returns for his second full season with the Harley-Davidson factory team.

“I am excited about my second season on the factory H-D team and ready for the expanded schedule this year,” said Travis. “My consistent finishes last year put me in contention for the title going into the last round. With the two-race format, if Saturday does not go well, you get another shot on Sunday rather than waiting for the next race weekend. As other teams get these bikes figured out, I expect the level of competition to be tougher this season. Our Harley team is going to need to be on its game at every race.”

Harley-Davidson 2023 King of the Baggers team rider Kyle Wyman
Harley-Davidson 2023 King of the Baggers team rider Kyle Wyman

Kyle Wyman, 33, won three 2022 King of the Baggers races (Atlanta, Monterey and New Jersey) and had two other podium appearances to finish third in season points. Wyman began racing professionally in flat track aboard a Harley-Davidson XR750 and formed Kyle Wyman Racing at the age of 21 to compete at the highest level of professional road racing in the United States. Kyle Wyman is the 2019 Daytona 200 winner. He was King of the Baggers champion in 2021, riding for the Harley-Davidson factory team.

“It will be an honor to represent the Harley-Davidson brand during this 120th Anniversary season,” said Kyle Wyman. “It is incredible to be a part of the enduring history of Harley-Davidson. I’ve spent much of the off season working with the team to further develop our Road Glide race bikes, and I have a lot of confidence going into 2023. We will continue to see lap records fall this season, and everyone on the grid will be quicker.”

Harley-Davidson king of the Baggers race team anticipate a winning season

Available Support
In addition to competing in the series, the H-D Screamin’ Eagle team continues to work directly with MotoAmerica to promote the series by supporting all Harley-Davison competitors. Select performance products developed for the 2022 factory team bikes are available to all qualified racers. Teams should reach out directly to their local Harley-Davidson dealership for availability and pricing.

Top squads expected to run Harley-Davidson bikes at the front of the field include the four-rider Team Saddlemen effort with returning veteran racers Cory West and Patricia Fernandez-West along with Frankie Garcia and class newcomer Jake Lewis, all competing on race-modified Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycles, prepared with the assistance of Hoban Brothers Racing. The Vance & Hines Racing team returns to the King of the Baggers series with proven series front runners James Rispoli and Hayden Gillim, also campaigning race-prepared Road Glide motorcycles.

Harley-Davidson is tuned to have a wheel up on the competition this season
Harley-Davidson is tuned to have a wheel up on the competition this season

MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers Contingency
Harley-Davidson will offer more than $185,000 in cash contingency for qualified Harley-Davidson racers competing in the Mission King of the Baggers series, with a contingency payout from first to 10th place in all 14 races and a $35,000 series championship bonus. Terms and conditions apply; please see www.MotoAmerica.com for full details, eligibility requirements and deadlines.

Milwaukee-Eight 131 Performance Crate Engine
The Screamin’ Eagle Milwaukee-Eight 131 is a powerful street-compliant performance engine offered by Harley-Davidson. Built from the bottom up in Milwaukee, this 131-cubic-inch (2147cc) Screamin’ Eagle crate engine delivers 131 ft-lb of torque to the rear wheel, and may be installed in 2017-later Harley-Davidson Touring models. RC

Motorcycle Reviews: Screamin’ Eagle 135ci Stage IV Engine

Harley-Davidson riders craving no-compromise performance have a thrilling new option with the introduction of the Screamin’ Eagle 135ci Stage IV Performance Crate Engine.

This complete Milwaukee-Eight Screamin’ Eagle 135ci Stage IV Performance Crate Engine for 2021- later Touring models is the new benchmark for factory-engineered American V-Twin performance. This engine offers the most displacement, and the most power, ever created by Harley-Davidson for a street-compliant crate engine.

Screamin' Eagle 135ci Stage IV Performance Crate Engine
Screamin’ Eagle 135ci Stage IV Performance Crate Engine.

Its development was fueled in part by the efforts of the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory racing team competing in the MotoAmerica Mission King of the Baggers roadracing series. To simplify set up of high-performance engines Harley-Davidson offers the new wireless Screamin’ Eagle Pro Street Performance Tuner, the only tuner available to maximize performance while being emissions and warranty compliant.

Engineered and tested as a complete collection of high-performance components and assembled from the bottom up at Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, this street-tuned 135-cubic-inch (2212cc) Screamin’ Eagle Crate Engine is designed to run with a wide-open throttle at high engine speeds and provide instant passing power from cruising speed. The engine delivers 143 lb.-ft. of rear-wheel torque at 3500 RPM and 130 rear-wheel horsepower at 5500 RPM – approximately 28 percent more torque and 41 percent more horsepower at the rear wheel than a production Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine.

Screamin' Eagle 135ci Stage IV Performance Crate Engine.
Screamin’ Eagle 135ci Stage IV Performance Crate Engine.

This street-ready performance engine features premium Screamin’ Eagle components:

  • New 68mm throttle body and matching CNC-machined intake manifold, originally developed for Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory racing team engines, to maximize airflow to the engine.
  • Screamin’ Eagle Extreme CNC-ported cylinder heads provide significantly improved efficiency of cylinder filling, leading to more explosive power and increased rear-wheel torque when compared to stock. High-performance valve springs remain stable with the high-lift cam and in high-RPM operation.
  • Screamin’ Eagle Pro Billet Cam Plate and Oil Pump provides higher pressure when the oil is hot to keep pressure drops to a minimum.
  • New 10.7:1 high-compression forged pistons.
  • SE8-517 high-lift camshaft, high-performance cam bearing and high-performance tappets.
  • Patent-protected 4.31-inch steel sleeve cylinders and new 4 5/8-inch flywheel (bore x stroke is 4.31 x 4.625).
  • New high-capacity 6.8 gram/second fuel injectors.
  • Screamin’ Eagle Ventilator Extreme Air Cleaner and Screamin’ Eagle Street Cannon mufflers (each sold separately) are not required but are highly recommended for peak performance.

The Screamin’ Eagle 135ci Stage IV Performance Crate Engine is intended for bolt-in installation in an original equipment-style 2021-later Harley-Davidson Touring chassis. No special fabrication or engine-mount relocation is required. The engine is backed by up to two-year manufacturer’s warranty for unmatched confidence when dealer-installed through the Custom Coverage program.

With an MSRP of $7,999.95 the Screamin’ Eagle 135ci Stage IV Performance Crate Engine is offered in Black or Chrome finish with 135 Stage IV badging on the cylinder heads and timer cover.

Two versions of the engine will be offered: For 2021-later Touring models equipped with Air/Oil-Cooled Milwaukee-Eight engine, and for 2021-later Touring models equipped with a Twin-Cooled Milwaukee-Eight engine. The engine does not fit Trike models. Installation requires the separate purchase of Head Pipe P/N 65600177. Air-Cooled models require Oil Cooler Fan Assist P/N 62700204 or Fan for Factory Oil Cooler P/N 26800195. All models require ECM recalibration with Screamin’ Eagle Pro Street Tuner for proper installation. Does not fit California models. RC

CLICK HERE for more information about the Screamin’ Eagle 135ci Stage IV Performance Crate Engine.

Motorcycle Review: Unleashed 2023 Indian Sport Chief

Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, today unleashed its most aggressive iteration of the iconic Indian Chief with the launch of the Sport Chief.

Building upon one of the most historic and influential motorcycle namesakes of all time, the 2023 Indian Sport Chief raises the bar for American V-Twin performance cruisers through premium performance-oriented componentry and timeless, American styling.

2023 Indian Sport Chief looks mean in black smoke.
2023 Indian Sport Chief looks mean in black smoke.

Since launching in 2021, the reimagined Indian Chief has garnered incredible feedback from riders all around the world,” said Mike Dougherty, President of Indian Motorcycle. “With the introduction of Sport Chief, the 2023 Indian Chief lineup is more diverse than ever– offering a wide range of performance and styling options to meet each rider’s unique personality and riding preferences.”

“When designing Sport Chief, Indian Motorcycle set its sights on performance by utilizing the finest components from proven brands. With KYB® inverted front forks, also featured on Indian Challenger models, Sport Chief offers superior handling and ride performance. The Sport Chief’s dual-disc, four-piston, semi-floating caliper, radial-mounted Brembo® brakes deliver confidence-inspiring stopping power, while piggyback rear FOX® shocks increase travel to four-inches and increases lean angle to 29.5 degrees, compared to other Indian Chief models. The result is an Indian Chief that begs for more aggressive riding and provides the confidence and capability to take the riding experience to another level.

“In 2021, we celebrated the 100-year anniversary of Indian Chief with a lineup that pays homage to the glory days of American motorcycling,” said Ola Stenegard, Director, Industrial Design for Indian Motorcycle. “With Sport Chief, we wanted to maintain the same care-free attitude and American muscle but elevate it even further with componentry that not only delivers a style and attitude that exudes performance but raises the bar entirely for performance cruisers.”

The 2023 Indian Sport Chief has a stylish quarter fairing up front.
The 2023 Indian Sport Chief has a stylish quarter fairing up front.

Featuring a simplistic steel-tube frame, Sport Chief preserves the Indian Chief’s mechanical styling. At the heart of it all, a blacked-out Thunderstroke 116 motor delivers 120 ft-lbs of torque, while a stylish new Quarter Fairing, along with new moto-style bars with machined triple clamps and six-inch risers set the Sport Chief apart from the rest of the Indian Chief lineup. With mid-mount foot controls and a solo gunfighter seat, riders are in a commanding, yet comfortable, riding position. Sport Chief features sport cast wheels wrapped in Pirelli® Night Dragon tires, a four-gallon fuel tank, bobbed rear fender, dual exhaust, LED lighting, keyless ignition, and three selectable ride modes, including Sport, Standard and Tour.

Ride-enhancing technology comes standard with Indian Motorcycle’s class-leading four-inch touchscreen powered by RIDE COMMAND. Accessible via handlebar controls or the digital touchscreen display, riders can cycle through multiple interfaces, including two different gauge configurations, bike and ride information, and turn-by-turn navigation with connected features like weather and traffic overlays. If using a wireless helmet communicator, riders can control their music within the RIDE COMMAND system once their phone is paired via Bluetooth® or USB. Riders can also access phone information, including recent calls, contacts, number pad and text message history. When connected, incoming calls will appear and can be accepted or declined directly through the RIDE COMMAND system.

For riders looking to personalize their bike, Indian Motorcycle offers an array of accessories that enhance the bike’s performance, comfort, or adds personal style.

The 2023 Indian Sport Chief comes loaded with upgraded handling and performance
The 2023 Indian Sport Chief comes loaded with upgraded handling and performance

Performance Accessories
For a smoother, more comfortable ride, Indian Chief riders can add Adjustable Piggyback Rear FOX® Shocks. Featuring 24 clicks via easy-to-operate twist knobs, riders can adjust compression and rebound damping to suit their riding preference.

Current Indian Chief, Chief Bobber, and Super Chief riders can upgrade to the Sport Chief’s stock dual exposed FOX® Pre-Loaded Chief Performance Shocks, which provide four inches of travel with increased lean angle and an aftermarket, stylish look that increases stability, and improves comfort and capability for aggressive riding.

The new Chief Pathfinder 5 ¾ inch Adaptive LED Headlight, available in chrome or black, features patented, innovative technology that monitors the bike’s lean angle and delivers optimized illumination of the road ahead. With an industry first adaptive high-beam, lighting performance is superior to that of a standard headlight, projecting light a greater distance and spread in front of the bike.

To improve air flow and add high-performance styling, riders can purchase either the Thunderstroke High Flow Air Intake or Thunderstroke Forward Air Intake.

The Indian Sport Scout looks awesome in stealth grey.
The Indian Sport Scout looks awesome in stealth grey.

Style Accessories
Indian Chief riders looking to add personal style can select from a variety of Indian Motorcycle accessories. New 10-inch Moto Handlebar Risers not only add style, but deliver a more comfortable reach. Low and Tall windscreen options are available for the Sport Chief’s Quarter Fairing, while a variety of bags, including a Solo Rack and Rack Bag, Tail Bag, and Bobber Saddlebag, complement the bike’s design.

The Sport Chief’s Quarter Fairing and six-inch Moto Handlebar Risers are available for current Indian Chief, Chief Bobber, and Super Chief riders.

Comfort Accessories
For added comfort and improved ergonomics based off height, riders can add an Extended Reach or Reduced Reach Seat. For two-up riding, Indian Motorcycle offers the Chief Syndicate Seat and a Syndicate Low Profile Passenger Backrest, which complements the Sport Chief’s aggressive design.

Pricing for the 2023 Sport Chief starts at $18,999 and is available in Black Smoke, Ruby Smoke, Stealth Gray, and Spirit Blue Smoke. Sport Chief will begin shipping to Indian Motorcycle.com dealers throughout the U.S. and Canada in March 2023. Riders can learn more at their local Indian Motorcycle dealership, by visiting IndianMotorcycle.com. RC

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Indian Motorcycle Sport Chief.