Harley-Davidson and Dorna hope to do more than just MotoAmerica’s show
Harley-Davidson’s King of the Baggers bikes on Grand Prix circuits in the future, but the nature of the growing collaboration between the two remains to be seen.
Harley CEO Jochen Zeitz was joined by Dorna Sport CEO Carmelo Izpeleta and Dorna Sport CEO Carlos Izpeleta at a brief news conference ahead of the unveiling of Moto America racers Kyle Wyman and James Rispoli on their race bikes at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
“We are very proud to continue our relationship with Harley,” Carmelo Izpeleta told reporters and guests at the event. “Obviously from our side… this is very important to us. Harley is very important in the American market and it is very important to us.
“We’re a natural fit,” Zeitz said. “We will explore opportunities to see what we can do in the racing world.”
A partnership with Harley can increase the popularity of MotoGP in the United States, and such a partnership can increase the visibility of Harley in countries where MotoGP is popular, the representatives.
However, it is not yet known what that collaboration will look like, unless it is a replica of the successful MotoAmerica races. At this time, Dorna is only talking to Harley and Harley, and has no plans to open a dialogue with other manufacturers, said Carlos Izpeleta. At Moto America, Harley competed against India in the King of the Baggers class.
On the day, Grand Prix competitors Marco Melandri, John Hopkins and Simon Crafar were scheduled to test the factory Road Glide race bikes.
Participants were quick to point out that this was not Harley-Davidson’s first foray into international Grand Prix competition. Italian Walter Villa took the Aermacchi/Harley-Davidson RR-250 to three straight 250cc Grand Prix World Championships from 1974-1976.
