Laidlaws Harley-Davidson wins the international Battle of the Kings
• Laidlaw's Harley-Davidson from the USA is named international „Battle of the Kings“ champion
• Over 300 dealers participated, including US dealers for the first time
• The finalists came from Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Harley-Davidson honors international winner at EICMA in the Customizing Contest Battle of the Kings
MILAN (November 7, 2019) – Following a global competition and the selection of national winners through online voting, Laidlaw's Harley-Davidson, USA, was crowned the overall winner of Battle of the Kings 2019 at EICMA, making it the global Custom King.
Laidlaw's Harley-Davidson from Baldwin Park, California, contributed the impressive „FXGTS Coast Glide“ to the competition.
It was created on the basis of a current Harley-Davidson Sport Glide, which was extensively modified to create a unique model that attracts everyone's attention.
The bike combines the look of the historic 1983 FXRT Sport Glide and the custom style of Southern California with the performance of modern cruisers—a design that is far more than the sum of its parts. The team at Laidlaw's Harley-Davidson has done an exemplary job of combining the full functionality of a modern, travel-ready machine with unmistakable West Coast flair.
The Battle of the Kings is the world's largest customizing contest for Harley-Davidson dealers, with dealers from the USA participating for the first time in 2019.
Year after year, the competition impressively highlights the enormous skills and high level of creativity of the customizers who work in the workshops of Harley-Davidson dealers around the globe. In 2018, the debutants from Harley-Davidson Bangkok were awarded the „Custom King“ crown for their conversion „The Prince“ based on a Street Bob.
For 2019, dealers had more choice than ever before when selecting the base bike for their conversion, as any model from the Harley-Davidson portfolio could be used, with the exception of trike and CVO types.
The conversion had to follow one of three styles—Dirt, Chop, or Race—and the rules were simple as usual: 50 percent of the parts used had to be original Harley-Davidson parts and accessories, and the customization budget could not exceed 50 percent of the base model price.
The dealers from the USA even inspired the next generation of custom bike builders by cooperating with vocational schools, whose trainees worked together with the dealers' workshop teams on developing and converting the motorcycles.
The 2019 finalists, whose custom bikes were gathered at EICMA for the final voting and the grand finale, were Calgary Harley-Davidson from Canada („Moonshine“), Harley-Davidson Querétaro from Mexico („Joe Tracker“), Thunderbike Harley-Davidson Niederrhein from Germany („Roar“), Warr's Harley-Davidson from the UK („The Crook“) and, of course, Laidlaw's Harley-Davidson from the USA („FXGTS Coast Glide“).
„Once again, Harley-Davidson dealers around the world have demonstrated their leadership in customization. This expertise in customization sets all our dealers apart and enables customers to turn their machines into unique, one-of-a-kind creations that perfectly match their own individual ideas.
We congratulate all our national and international winning teams, and especially Laidlaw's Harley-Davidson, our 2019 champion—a truly breathtaking bike and a worthy world champion,“ commented Steve Lambert, International Marketing Director at Harley-Davidson.
Further information about Battle of the Kings can be found at www.h-d.com/customkings.
