Source: Motorcycle Cruiser –
Defending champ Kyle Wyman won his third King of the Baggers race for Harley-Davidson, with Indian’s Tyler O’Hara right on his tail. (Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica/)As most of us knew it would, the King of the Baggers championship title all came down to the final race in the series, which turned out to be a dramatic, rain-soaked, seven-lap affair at New Jersey Motorsports Park. When the mist cleared, there were two winners: Harley-Davidson rider Kyle Wyman, who crossed the finish line first in the last race of the season, and Indian/S&S Cycle rider Tyler O’Hara, who in finishing second secured the 2022 KOTB title. Once again, we were treated to a fitting finale in what’s been an extremely entertaining series, punctuated by close finishes at nearly every race and a wild V-twin racetrack rivalry between Harley and Indian.Related: Tight King of the Baggers Series Heads to the Last RoundNegotiating 150 hp, 650-pound bikes in these conditions? Whew. Here, Kyle Wyman surfs his Harley Road Glide Special around New Jersey Motorsports Park just ahead of Tyler O’Hara’s Indian Challenger. (Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica/)Coming into the finale of the KOTB series this weekend, Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory rider Travis Wyman had been the overall point leader, followed closely by Indian’s O’Hara and then by brother Kyle. But things went differently in New Jersey: Starting from the pole position on his race-prepped Harley-Davidson Road Glide, Kyle Wyman led every lap as he navigated the rain-slicked track before bringing his bagger over the line to win the last race of the 2022 season.It was the third win of the KOTB series for the defending champion, but it wouldn’t be enough to earn him the title again; that honor went to Indian/S&S Cycle rider O’Hara, who finished 0.655 second behind Kyle, but with enough points to claim the moniker King of the Baggers. Completing the podium lineup was Michael Barnes who came in third on the Daytona Harley-Davidson/Hoban Brothers Racing Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycle.O’Hara’s second place finish earned him enough points to give him the 2022 King of the Baggers championship title. (Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica/)So what happened to point leader Travis? Unfortunately, says the Harley factory rider, he “lost the front with no warning” in the extremely wet conditions in New Jersey and slid onto the grass. Amazingly, he managed to pick up his Road Glide and finish the race, thus managing to salvage enough points to actually finish second in the overall series standings. In final accounting, O’Hara ended the season at the top of the standings with 123 points. Travis Wyman snagged second with 113 points, and teammate Kyle Wyman posted in third with 111 points.Related: Harley’s Wyman Brothers Top Round 4 of King of the BaggersAt the top of the podium in New Jersey it was Kyle Wyman, followed by runner-up (and newly crowned series champ) Tyler O’Hara on the left. Michael Barnes (right) came in third. (Brian J. Nelson/MotoAmerica/)“I think this is the first time I’ve won a race in the rain,” Kyle said. ” It’s bittersweet because Travis went down, but I’d rather have him pushing and try to win a championship than settle for third. I think we were all looking forward to a real showdown race on a dry track but anything can happen in racing.”That may be true, but even with a sloppy, soggy finale, the KOTB has once again proven itself to be a tight, competitive series and, perhaps more importantly, one that’s massively fun to watch. In any kind of racing, the fans ultimately have the last word.To recap: The Mission King of the Baggers series features race-prepped American V-twin touring motorcycles that are heavily modified with improved ground clearance, race-ready suspensions, aggressive ergonomics, and extensive engine modifications. Fairings and hard saddlebags are still included, but even those are seriously revised.For more info see: motoamerica.com.2022 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Race Results, New Jersey RacewayKyle Wyman (H-D), Screamin’ Eagle Harley-DavidsonTyler O’Hara (Ind), Mission Foods/S&S CycleMichael Barnes (H-D), Daytona H-D/Hoban Brothers RacingJeremy McWilliams (Ind), Mission Foods/S&S CycleJames Rispoli (H-D), Vance & Hines RacingBobby Fong (Ind), Roland Sands DesignTaylor Knapp (H-D), Vance & Hines RacingDanny Eslick (H-D), Nowaskey Extreme PerformanceTravis Wyman (H-D), Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson2022 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Final Point StandingsTyler O’Hara (Ind) 123Travis Wyman (H-D) 113Kyle Wyman (H-D) 111Jeremy McWilliams (Ind) 91Bobby Fong (Ind) 70James Rispoli (H-D) 70Taylor Knapp (H-D) 61Andrew Lee (H-D) 35Frankie Garcia (Ind) 30Michael Barnes (H-D) 29
