HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERS TOOL UP FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE THIRD YEAR OF THE ‘BATTLE OF THE KINGS’ COMPETITION

Harley-Davidson® dealers across Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) are set to showcase their custom bike building skills and leadership, in a bid to be crowned the ultimate ‘Custom King’ in the third ‘Battle of the Kings’ contest. This year’s competition, hailed as the largest bike customisation contest in the industry, will be based on customising any model from Harley-Davidson’s Dark Custom Sportster® range, namely the Iron 883™, Forty-Eight® and Roadster™.

Harley-Davidson launched the 2017 ‘Battle of the Kings’ contest at Intermot, the biannual motorcycle show in Cologne, Germany, where a number of the brand’s custom creations were on display at the Harley-Davidson Dark Custom stand.

The 2017 Battle of the Kings competition takes place between October 2016 and November 2017, when staff from authorised Harley-Davidson dealerships across EMEA will compete to demonstrate their originality and creative customisation skills on a Dark Custom Sportster model. This will include a national competition to establish a winning ‘Custom King’ in each market before culminating in a head-to-head showdown between the national champions. The presentation of the esteemed award will then follow and take place at one of the most renowned motorcycle shows in the world, EICMA, in Italy in November 2017.

This year’s bikes hail from the renowned Sportster family, which have been motorcycling icons since 1957. It is one of the most popular Harley-Davidson model ranges for customisation, with its line of motorcycles including the supreme Iron 883, Forty-Eight and Roadster representing the ideal blank canvases to demonstrate the customisations skills of the Harley-Davidson dealerships.

Mike Johnstone, Director of Marketing Operations for Harley-Davidson EMEA, said: “The ‘Battle of the Kings’ contest just keeps getting bigger and better every year with 211 dealers taking part in 2016, up from 150 the year before. The inspiring customised bikes generated huge support from the public receiving over 65 000 votes for the 2016 competition and highlighted the huge breadth of custom and design talent that exists across our dealer network.

“This year we’re challenging Harley-Davidson dealersto bring their own style and flair in customising either an Iron 883, Forty-Eight or Roadster model to truly demonstrate the versatility and personalisation that can be achieved using these Dark Custom Sportster models.

“Across all of our dealerships, our technicians are the undisputed ‘Custom Kings’ and are the go-to experts for all things custom. Harley-Davidson has a rich custom heritage and is the leader in the custom scene with bikes that combine, style, functionality and attainability. With a solid network of customisation experts and access to an extensive range of 10,000 parts and accessories, we can’t wait to see what this year’s entries.”

Dark Custom is the underground, contemporary face of Harley-Davidson; stripped-down and styled with an authentic retro-inspired slant.Encapsulating a raw, authentic finish, Dark Custom bikes are for those who take a different route, allowing them to unleash their rebellion and take to the open road in style.Dark Custom bikes feature matte or blacked-out finishes, vintage cues and accessible pricing to attract new entrants to the brand.

For more information on the Battle of the Kings contest visit: www.h-d.com/customkings