Custom Motorcycle Building
What Is a Bagger Motorcycle? Touring Bikes Turned Custom and Racing Machines
A bagger is a big American V-twin tourer with bags and a large windscreen. See the US terms, how baggers went custom and racing, and a builder's checklist.
A bagger is a large American V-twin touring motorcycle with saddlebags and a big windscreen, most often a Harley-Davidson or an Indian. In the US the word started as a label for cruisers fitted with full sets of saddlebags or panniers, and it is now used for touring motorcycles in general. Builders have since taken the shape into the custom scene and onto the racetrack.
Part of our custom motorcycle building hub.
Key takeaways- Bagger = big American V-twin tourer with bags and a large windscreen.- Other US names for the same family: full bagger, full dresser, dresser.- Racing started in October 2020 with King Of The Baggers at Laguna Seca.- Race baggers get stronger engines, less weight, a modified chassis, racing suspension, 17-inch rims and superbike tyres.
What counts as a bagger?
There is no single rulebook. Pirelli's racing article describes baggers as the massive Harley-Davidson and Indian touring bikes with bags and large windscreens. Wikipedia's touring-motorcycle article lists the US terms bagger, full bagger, full dresser, full dress tourer and dresser, and says they once meant cruisers with full saddlebags or panniers. It adds that the words can now cover any touring motorcycle.
So the word has a narrow meaning (American V-twin tourer) and a wide one (any touring bike). When a seller or builder says "bagger", ask which one they mean.
From touring bike to custom bagger
What a custom bagger changes is the owner's and builder's decision, so this page gives you the questions to ask rather than a parts list.
Builder's checklist: what to settle before you start
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What is the bike for: show, street or track? | The answer sets every other choice. Race teams change engine, weight, chassis, wheels and tyres |
| Which parts stay stock? | Frame, engine and bags are separate decisions; ask the builder to list them in writing |
| What happens to ground clearance? | Racers must avoid hitting curbs with the bags in corners |
| Who will do the paperwork? | Registration depends on how much of the bike is new; California treats a bike built entirely from parts differently from one only modified. See how a build comes together |
| Does the builder show finished bikes that are ridden? | See how to choose a frame builder for what to check in the work |
Baggers on the racetrack
The first bagger race, King Of The Baggers, ran in October 2020 at Laguna Seca, California. Pirelli's article says it was meant as a single show and turned into a national series. The Bagger Racing League followed in 2021, with its first two rounds at Utah Motorsports Campus and Sonoma Raceway.
The Pirelli article lists what race teams change from the stock bike:
- Boosted engines, the best giving up to 50 HP more than standard
- Weight taken off wherever possible
- A modified chassis with racing suspension
- 17-inch rims in place of stock wheels
- Superbike tyres
- Care in corners so the bags do not hit the curb
These are race-team changes, not a recipe for a street bike. Check current rules and results with the series itself, because this page cites a single 2020s article.
Bagger, cruiser or chopper?
A bagger is a big touring shape with bags and a windscreen, so it sits apart from the lean custom styles. A chopper is a cut-and-welded custom with extended forks and a hardtail; for that style see what a chopper motorcycle is. For frames, hardtail vs softail frames explains why builders choose one or the other. For other custom styles side by side, see design ideas and examples, and for show-circuit examples browse custom motorcycle shows.
Riding gear for long miles
Baggers are built for distance, so gear matters. Leather Collection's riding gear covers jackets, vests, trousers and chaps, gloves and footwear; many jackets, suits, vests and trousers offer a custom size.
FAQ
What is a bagger motorcycle?
A large American V-twin touring bike with saddlebags and a big windscreen, mainly from Harley-Davidson and Indian.
What is the difference between a bagger and a dresser?
In US usage the terms overlap: bagger, full bagger, full dresser and dresser are all names for touring bikes with bags.
Is there bagger racing?
Yes. It began with King Of The Baggers in October 2020 and continued as the Bagger Racing League from 2021.
RDUKE Editorial Team
RDUKE articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.