Two-time MotoAmerica King Of The Baggers Champion and S&S Cycle/Indian Motorcycle factory rider Tyler O’Hara is scheduled to compete in one of North America’s most historic racing events, the Loudon Classic. The Loudon Classic runs the opening weekend of Laconia Motorcycle Week—June 7-9, 2024—at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This year marks the 101st running of the race, which was known as the Laconia Classic until 1964.
O’Hara is a multidiscipline AMA Pro Racing National Championship winner, with experience in roadracing and flat track. The Petaluma, California-based rider is also the 2022 and 2023 Super Hooligan National Champion, which he earned on his Indian FTR 1200.
The Northern Californian will also be racing his personal Indian Challenger RR under the Indian Motorcycle of Southeastern Virginia banner in the ASRA Outlaw Baggers class. He’ll also be gridding up in the premier Loudon Classic class aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6 sourced from two-time MotoAmerica Twins Cup Champion and MotoAmerica Supersport Champion Blake Davis.
The Loudon Classic has a $310,000 purse across all classes, with the ASRA Outlaw Bagger class on June 8 offering a $50,000 purse and $25,000 going to the winner. It’s the single largest-ever bagger-class purse.
O’Hara took 3rd place in the KOTB at Road America, standing alongside S&S Cycle Indian Motorcycle teammate Troy Herfoss last weekend. Following this weekend’s racing in New Hampshire, O’Hara is headed to Brainerd, Minnesota, for the fourth round in the MotoAmerica series.
“This is going to be a great event, something a little bit different, and I’m really looking forward to the challenge of competing on two very different motorcycles,” O’Hara explains. “The goal is to show people they can race an Indian Challenger by getting a bike and the kit parts and building up their own personal bagger racebike. Make no mistake, I’m out there to win the ASRA Outlaw Bagger category. I’ll be competing on my own personal Indian Challenger RR, which is one of the 29 limited-edition models that commemorates when I won the 2022 King of The Baggers title.”
“We’ve done a bit of work to it with a new STM slipper clutch, a beautiful brand new swingarm, and we’ve re-flashed the ECU, so it is about as close in spec to my regular factory Indian Challenger you can get. It’s going to be a beast around Loudon,” O’Hara predicts.
“The $50K purse is a big deal and really legitimizes where we’re at with bagger racing right now. I’m the only racer, as far as I’m aware, that owns my own personal bagger,” O’Hara continues. “I’ve believed in this concept from the beginning, and to have the 29 replicas going, once Indian had them in production, I had to have one. I’m really happy to represent not just Indian Motorcycle but the wider MotoAmerica Bagger community, and I hope we can put on a good show this weekend.”
“I would like to thank Blake Davis of Blake Davis Racing for lending me one of his Yamaha YZF-R6s for this weekend. It’s been about 15 years since I last raced an R6, but I know this is a very well-sorted motorcycle and will give me a great chance of a podium against an extremely competitive field. My participation in the event wouldn’t be possible without the help of my personal sponsors and I hope to do them all proud with a victory or two this weekend,” O’Hare said.
As with any privateer effort, O’Hara is relying on a platoon of sponsors, including Indian Motorcycle of Southeastern Virginia, S&S Cycle, Dunlop, Parts Unlimited, Mission Foods, Drag Specialties, SBS Brakes, Pro Plates, Motul, Blake Davis Racing, Alpinestars, 6d Helmets, Klock Werks, MRP Motorsports, and Black Claw.
Practice at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is on Friday, with the Loudon Classic and Outlaw Bagger races running back-to-back on Saturday, starting at 3:15 p.m. Racing continues on Sunday with Laconia Motorcycle Week running through Sunday, June 16, in Loudon.
