Harley-Davidson Battle of the Kings Competition Voting Underway

MILWAUKEE (April 15, 2019) – For the first time, local trade school students partnered with Harley-Davidson® dealers for a unique, real-world training opportunity: helping build the coolest custom motorcycles in the world in the “Battle of the Kings” competition.

 

Now, Harley-Davidson is calling on the public to help select the winner by voting for their favorites from April 15 to May 15 at H-D.com/BattleOfTheKings.

 

 

The “Battle of the Kings” competition highlights the endless possibilities to personalize Harley-Davidson motorcycles. It’s the largest dealer custom build bike competition in the world, showcasing Harley-Davidson’s leadership in customization. Since 2015, Battle of the Kings has created more than 500 custom bikes.

 

This year, U.S. trade school students were invited to join their local Harley-Davidson dealership for the builds, with the goal of inspiring the next generation of skilled tradespeople to join the world of motorcycling. Under the guidance of experienced Harley-Davidson mechanics, students from across the country were introduced to the creativity, customization prowess and technical precision of motorcycle customization.

“Harley-Davidson’s goal is to build the next generation of riders, and those new riders will need service technicians and customization experts to help them along the way,” said Heather Malenshek, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand. “Introducing trade school students to the unlimited possibilities of custom bike building will unlock their creativity and inspire them to think outside the box as they embark on their careers.”

 

Vote Now to Help Pick Winner

The public can vote from a selection of more than 40 rolling works of art featuring the latest in design, fit and finish created in partnership with the students of future automotive mechanics, designers and welders of America. Starting today, the first round of voting, called People’s Choice, is open at H-D.com/BattleOfTheKings.

 

See the builds from dealerships around the world by following #BattleOfTheKings on social media. For more information on the rules of the competition and to vote on the bikes, visit H-D.com/BattleOfTheKings.

 

About Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Since 1903, Harley-Davidson Motor Company has fulfilled dreams of personal freedom with custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles, riding experiences and events and a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise, riding gear and apparel. Harley-Davidson Financial Services provides wholesale and retail financing, insurance, extended service and other protection plans and credit card programs to Harley-Davidson dealers and riders in the U.S., Canada and other select international markets. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson’s Web site at www.harley-davidson.com

 

 

Feature Photo:

What is the “Name” of the BOTK bike?

Moonshine.

Which stock H-D model have you chosen for this year’s BOTK and from which platform?

2018 Sport Glide

Which bike build category did you choose and why?

RACE – We wanted to bring the iconic motorcycle of Harley-Davidson back with a modern twist. The 2018 FLSB Sport Glide aka Moonshine screams “I am back”. It gave our team the perfect opportunity to showcase what we believe the 2019 FXRT would and should look like.

Did anything or anyone provide inspiration for the design?

The inspiration for Moonshine came from the 1983-1992 FXRT Sport Glide. Its vintage club style touring is built for today’s riders and we wanted to bring it back. In order to make the bike “pop”, our design team felt it was best to use copper in place of chrome against the Harley-Davidson Vivid Black to be more visually appealing to our audience. The design was a group effort among our whole service team.

What significant changes have you made e.g. frame chassis modification, wheel change, and different tank?

Our team used mostly Harley-Davidson parts and accessories including a STAGE 1 Screamin’ Eagle pro street tuner, SCREAMIN’ EAGLE 10MM PHAT SPARK PLUG WIRES BLACK, black H-D hand control lever kit, H-D gloss black engine covers and H-D mid-controls, and H-D 7” Daymaker adaptive LED headlights. We mounted an ’84 style FXRT fairing and closed the tire gap, then painted it to match the front fairing and saddlebags. The new H-D Dominion grips, rider pegs, passenger pegs, and mirrors were refined with real copper plating and CHD Cerakote. The customization of Moonshine shows it is the true Battle of the Kings bike because it is the perfect combination of Harley-Davidson and aftermarket accessories, making it easy for anyone worldwide to reproduce.

What is your view is the most special part/change about/to the bike?

The aggressive riding position.

Are there any build details/changes that need to be mentioned to appreciate?

No major changes were done to the bike, as Harley hit a home run, the details were the biggest change on this build to amplify the great parts already on this bike.

Have any areas of the build presented challenges?

Timeline – fitting this project in along with other ongoing projects.

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