Quick turn parts from digital manufacturer Protolabs are helping Harley Davidson Factory Racing team win more podium places in the King of the Bagger series of motorcycle racing.

Touring motorcycles from Harley-Davidson and Indian form the basis of this motorcycle series that sees touring bikes adapted to race at speeds exceeding 180 mph.

Says Harley Davidson factory team racing boss Jason Kehl, “For us to be successful we need to respond rapidly to what we are learning on the racetrack and we need a partner that can bring these ideas to life in just a few days. As a digital manufacturer, Protolabs allows us to make those weekly incremental improvements that lead to season-long success.”

The production Harley-Davidson Road Glide weighs up to 960 lbs., while King of the Baggers bikes race at 620 lbs. The team relies on Protolabs’ digital manufacturing processes to implement new part designs. These changes increase speed and performance critical lean angle while maintaining race weight.

Protolabs expertise has allowed Harley-Davidson Factory Racing’s engineering team to take lessons learned from a Sunday race and translate this knowledge into new part designs. During this week the team can prototype, test, learn, iterate, and order the final part using a race-ready lightweight material before the next race.

The result has been significant improvements in race times and many podium finishes.

In one example, a 3D printed exhaust allowed the team to take tighter turns on the track to gain extra time. This is particularly complex on a Harley Davidson tourer due to its size. The design freedom of using 3D printing allowed the team to create an organic design that brings the components nearer to the bike while maintaining the foot position for the rider’s comfort.

This incremental change was crucial because every ¼ degree extra lean angle saves 1/10 of a second in a corner, with some racetracks having as many as 14 turns a lap. 

Through the season Protolabs has produced injection moulded, machined and sheet metal as well as 3D printed parts. They have also used the company’s global network of manufacturing partners for larger, complex parts.

The result has been significant improvements in race times and more podium finishes for the riders.

For more information about how digital manufacturing could help you develop parts more quickly visit: www.protolabs.com/en-gb/

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