The highest-profile team in the King Of The Baggers series will get a fresh face for the 2024 season. Team leader Kyle Wyman returns to the Harley-Davidson factory team, but the 2021 champ will no longer be riding alongside brother Travis Wyman.
In his place on Screamin’ Eagle Road Glides will be James Rispoli, who finished the 2023 KOTB series second in points behind his Vance & Hines H-D teammate Hayden Gillim. He scored 10 podium finishes in 2023, including two wins and five second-place finishes on his H-D Road Glide.
Related: King Of The Baggers Championship Finale: Gillim Claims No. 1 Plate, H-D Gets 1-2-3
“I am stoked to have signed with Factory Harley-Davidson,” said Rispoli, who has signed a one-year contract. “It has been a dream of mine to be a factory rider ever since I was a little kid.”
It should be an easy transition for the racer nicknamed “Hogspoli” for his exploits aboard various Harleys, including racing an H-D XG750R to the American Flat Track Production Twins championship in 2020.
“Taking confidence and consistency paired with the backing of the factory, I know we are going to be a big threat in 2024,” said Rispoli, a former XR750 racer. “I am very excited to get to work.”
Kyle Wyman is the winningest racer in KOTB history, with 12 race wins in the 24 events since the start of MotoAmerica’s series in 2021. He tallied seven race wins in 2023, but inconsistent finishes held him back to 3rd place in the championship.
“Riding for the Harley-Davidson Factory Team has been a dream, and I’m excited to be given the opportunity to continue for two more seasons,” said Kyle Wyman. “We’ve had a lot of success in the class, but we have come up short on the championship two years in a row. Our goal is to win back the title in 2024, and I look forward to getting started with testing in the coming months.”
Remaining at the helm of the Screamin’ Eagle factory team is Jason Kehl, Harley-Davidson director of racing.
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“I want to thank Travis Wyman for his three seasons aboard the factory Harley-Davidson Road Glide” said Kehl, “and at all times being a consummate teammate. Travis joined this program mid-season in 2021 and has been invaluable in not only the development of our motorcycle but also in building a factory racing program. Travis has been one of the fastest riders to ever race a Harley-Davidson, and we look forward to his continued contributions to our brand and to this program.
“We welcome James (Rispoli) to the factory team after earning his seat riding in the King Of The Bagger series the past two seasons,” Kehl continued. “James brings with him an unrelenting desire to win for Harley-Davidson. With James now aboard, we focus on Daytona in March of 2024, kicking off the largest, most demanding, and fastest King Of The Baggers season to date.”
For those unaware of King Of The Baggers, it’s a thrilling roadrace series between American V-Twin touring motorcycles with a fairing/windscreen and saddlebags but highly modified for competition. The 2024 season expands to 16 races over eight double-header weekends held in conjunction with the MotoAmerica Superbike Series. The race action begins at Daytona on March 7-9.
