Indian partners with Vance & Hines for 2026 KotB team
After some concerns that the sale of Indian Motorcycle may end their participation in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Championship (KotB), Indian has confirmed they’ll remain in the series for 2026, while also announcing some big changes.
In addition to adding some new faces to the factory team, Indian has signed a multi-year agreement with Vance & Hines that will see them build the all-new, race-space Indian Challenger baggers for the coming season.
What was ‘S&S/Indian Motorcycle’ will be renamed as ‘Indian Motorcycle x Vance & Hines Motorsports’ for the 2026 KotB season, with the factory team to be supported by J&P Cycles, Motul, Progressive Insurance, Drag Specialties and Performance Finance.
The new-look Wrecking Crew retains 2024 KotB Champion, Australia’s Troy Herfoss, but Tyler O’Hara and Loris Baz will be replaced by 2023 KotB Champion Hayden Gillim and rising star, Rocco Landers. Both Gillim and Landers come to Indian from the RevZilla Motul Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson satellite team.
The new team will be a reunification of sorts, as Vance & Hines have been with Indian Motorcycle for most of the six years that KotB has been active. Indian says the revived partnership combines the unparalleled history and innovation of America’s first motorcycle company with the performance and race expertise of the motorcycle industry’s most respected aftermarket provider.
Mike Kennedy, the recently announced CEO of newly independent Indian Motorcycle, says 2026 will mark a new era for the company, and the first demonstration of that will be on the racetrack with the Indian Motorcycle x Vance & Hines Motorsports team.
“This partnership is a reminder of what American performance looks like when you refuse to back down,” Kennedy said. “As the leading aftermarket supplier for v-twin performance, with nearly 50 years of innovation and racing success, Vance & Hines is the ideal partner to drive the next era of Indian Motorcycle racing, and we couldn’t be more excited to get started.”
Terry Vance, Co-Founder & Owner of Vance & Hines Motorsports, added: “Indian Motorcycle is legendary. A brand built through racing, and over the past decade it’s been a fierce competitor that has pushed us to innovate, both on and off the track.
“Right out of the box, the Indian Challenger, and its liquid-cooled PowerPlus engine, bring a high-performance, reliable machine that’s capable of winning every time it lines up on the grid.
“Having witnessed its capabilities since the inception of the class, we’re thrilled to continue the development of this dynamic platform in partnership with Indian Motorcycle, as we push for another MotoAmerica King of the Baggers championship in 2026.”
The 2026 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Championship will get underway at Daytona International Speedway, Florida, on 5-7 March, 2026.
