Troy Herfoss Rose From the Ashes to Win the 2024 King of the Baggers

But I knew from day one that I would probably never become a competitive rider, not even nationally. I started riding bikes at 29, which led to two major issues. First, I've passed the age when I can easily develop my riding skill set. And two, I'm too terrified of crashing at over 150 mph to push those bikes that much. Having broken my jaw on my first official qualifying session didn't do me any good, but it made me admire the guys and girls who can give it their 100% even after suffering so many injuries.

Our passion is our strength

Because let's face it: you will fall even if you ride your bike safely on public roads. But the two-wheel life at the racetrack will likely break most (or at least a few) bones in your body. No pain, no gain, right? Given my situation, I'd rather stick to drifting. But that doesn't mean I don't yearn for the idea of being competitive on two wheels on the racetrack.

I've followed the stories of many nationally and internationally acclaimed riders in the past few years, and I was shocked upon realizing two years had gone by since my interview with Tyler O'Hara. Even though he had won the inaugural King of the Baggers race in 2020, it wasn't until 2022 that he helped Indian Motorcycle reign supreme in the series.

Kyle Wyman had won the title for Harley-Davidson the year prior. In 2023, Team HD was back in the saddle, scoring another success thanks to Hayden Gillim. Following Jeremy McWilliams' moving away from the KOTB fight, Indian Motorcycle was hunting for someone to bring balance to the force. That's how 37-year-old Troy Herfoss from Australia became part of the team.

Troy is a legend in the making in the Land Down Under, with three Australian Superbike titles to his name and a vast motorcycle racing experience to back him up. So, I was happy to have the opportunity to sit down and chat with him about his career, particularly his 2024 season in the USA. As always, I wanted to learn more about his background and what helped shape him into the top-class rider he is today.

I thought I was going to die

"I became interested in bikes as my dad was a motorcycle lover. He raced dirt track motocross and enduro but never did any road racing. I grew up watching him ride, and I first experienced life on two wheels at five. I raced flat track and supermoto bikes before road racing, winning my first national championship in 2004."

If you have been following Troy or the Australian Superbike championship recently, you may remember his crash in 2021 at the Morgan Park Raceway. A low side sent him and his bike into the barriers at high speeds, an incident he'd later describe by saying, "I thought I was going to die." He didn't let the excruciating pain and career-threatening incident stand in his way as he rose from the ashes to win his third and most recent ASBK championship in 2023.

I knew I hit a sensible chord when I asked how many bones he's broken during his career, but I thought the answer would put things in perspective for those who can't even begin to imagine how difficult it is to rise to the top in this world."Last year alone, I broke eight ribs and my collarbone."

"Two years before that, I broke my tibia, femur, humerus, and over 20 ribs. It's a bit sad when I think about it; I now have 36 screws and four plates in my body." Can you imagine recovering from something like that and going back at it with even more determination than ever before? It says a lot about Troy's passion for racing and strength of character.

Every time I talk about it, it makes me giggle

I knew we only had a limited window to chat due to living in different time zones, so I moved forward to learn more about his 2024 King of the Baggers season. "It's quite crazy; every time I talk about it lately, it makes me giggle." Riding the S&S Indian Challenger, Troy was off to a formidable debut in the USA, clinching P2 at both inaugural races in Daytona.

Even more stunning is that he was less than 0.2 seconds behind Harley-Davidson's Kyle Wyman for both events. Imagine that: first time out with a new motorcycle, a new team, new opponents, and a new track, and the X-Games Silver Medalist was already stunningly fast. His first KOTB victory came in April at the Circuit of the Americas, and with another P2 finish in that second race, he was still hot on Wyman's tail.

By the end of the year, the Indian Motorcycles star won seven races, with 15 podiums in 18 events. If that's not amazing, I don't know what is! He is the first non-American rider to win the King of the Baggers, bringing the competition between Indian and Harley again to a tie with two titles each. Looking beyond the results and points scored, I wanted to learn more about the toughest moments he experienced in 2024.

"It was a reasonably tough year, learning a new series and a new team. My Crew Chief Charlie had VISA problems and couldn't be on the spot for all the races. Working from home via phone made things quite difficult at times. Then, I also had a crash on the Super Hooligan bike, which left me with a few compressed vertebrae in my neck, with pain following me up until Laguna Seca."

Keep showing up

If you didn't already know, Troy Herfoss also raced in the Super Hooligan class this year and was one of the fastest competitors. As if that weren't enough, he also made two appearances in the Australian Superbike Championship, using a different bike than the one he had last year. It must have been quite the journey, and I wanted to learn more about his happiest moments of 2024.

"That's easy. Experiencing the banking at Daytona for the first time at about 180 mph was one of my highlights. Winning my first race at COTA is also a happy memory, as is clinching the championship at the end of the season. Kyle was my biggest opponent this year, but Rocco Landers and Hayden Gillim had their strong moments, too."

"As for my team-mate, Tyler O'Hara, we both started the year with big expectations. We're both experienced riders, always gunning for that number one spot. I realized how hard he works for every race, and I'm thankful for his support throughout the season. He certainly played a part in me winning the championship this year." Talking to Troy, I discovered his favorite track this year was Mid-Ohio for its twisty nature.

And I was shocked a few minutes later to learn that he had also raced at Spa Francorchamps in Europe over a decade ago, a track where he'd love to experience the Indian Challenger in the future. I imagine he will have a lot of fun with his new Indian FTR1200 Carbon Edition riding to the beach or anywhere else. And I had two more questions for him before calling it a day.

First, I was curious to know what part of the Challenger felt most exciting to him. "As an outsider coming in without ever experiencing a bike like that, the sheer rumble when you start it up is exhilarating. It's a big bike and slightly intimidating. But it handles phenomenally well for its size: entering corners and changing direction, I'd say it's superior to our competition."

"We were so close to superbike lap times in the last round that it's hard to think we can make it any faster." With so many years of racing behind the new King of the Baggers champion and several more up ahead, this story could have easily been much longer. And I'm certainly interested in seeing where life takes the Australian rider next. But I also wanted him to share some of his racing wisdom before wishing him the best of luck for next year. "Keep showing up and stick to the plan!"