“Balancing” is an ongoing part of motorcycle road racing, in general, and in MotoAmerica, specifically.

Previously, we’ve chronicled many of the balancing measures that have been instituted within the various MotoAmerica race classes. Whether it’s in our Quad Lock Superbike Championship, Supersport (i.e., “Supersport Next Generation”), Mission King Of The Baggers, Twins Cup, Super Hooligan, or Talent Cup, maintaining a “level playing field” is a near-constant process led by MotoAmerica Technical Director Tige Daane.

Race results are studied, lap times are pored over, top speeds are carefully tracked, and new technical innovations are always being looked at with an eye towards improving the state or our sport and the close, exciting racing that we bring to MotoAmerica fans.

Rev limits have been a point of emphasis during past Mission King Of The Baggers seasons, and on Friday (May 1, aka “May Day”), MotoAmerica Technical Bulletin 02-5000-26 was published.

The Bulletin stipulates that the rev limit for all Harley-Davidson Road Glides competing in Mission King Of The Baggers has been increased from 7,000 rpm to 7,200 rpm. By comparison, the rev limit for the Indian Challengers remains unchanged at 7,700 rpm. Incidentally, the reason that the Indians have a higher rev limit than the Harleys is due to the architecture of Indian Motorcycle’s “PowerPlus” engine. Plain and simple, it’s built different than the Harley, and it also produces power differently.

Now, you may be saying to yourself, “Big deal, 200 rpm. I can spin a ratchet wrench faster than that.” OK, but any increase at all in the revolutions per minute of the crankshaft and associated parts within the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Milwaukee-Eight 131R Big Twin engine is going to increase power and, in theory, the overall performance of the H-D KOTB bikes.

It’s still very early in the Mission King Of The Baggers race season, and the next round is at Road America, the home track for Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson. That and the fact that “America’s National Park of Speed” is well-known for producing some of the highest top speeds of any track on our schedule makes this 200-rpm rev limit an interesting change for MotoAmerica’s all-American Big Twin rivalry.

A top-speed disparity was evident at the first two KOTB rounds, as well as at the Dunlop Official Tire Test this season. We reached out to Harley-Davidson for comment and received the following response from their Director of Racing, Jason Kehl: “We recognize this change and support MotoAmerica’s effort to maintain competitive balance between two fundamentally different motorcycle designs. Regulatory adjustments, whether during or after the season, are not uncommon. Our focus remains on maximizing competitiveness within the rules every time we take to the track.”

As expected we will all just have to wait until May 29-31, when we’ll get to see what effect this MotoAmerica-mandated rev-limit increase has on the parity between Harley-Davidson and Indian. Join us in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, won’t you?

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