Europe's largest motorcycle festival returns to its former glory 

Thousands of fans celebrated the Harley-Davidson® lifestyle at European Bike Week 2022 

FAAK AM SEE, September 14, 2022 For the 23rd time, Harley-Davidson celebrated Europe's largest motorcycle festival on the sunny southern side of the Alps in the Austrian province of Carinthia: 

European Bike Week® took place in Faak am See from September 6 to 11. Around 80,000 people and more than 50,000 motorcycles flocked to the town to celebrate Harley-Davidson® and the motorcycle lifestyle in a breathtaking alpine setting. This year's guest of honor was Bill Davidson, director of the Harley-Davidson Museum™ and vice president of Harley-Davidson® Motor Company. Bill is the great-grandson of William A. Davidson, one of the founding fathers of the company. 

The centerpiece of the event, which was free to attend, was the Harley® Village—a 40,000 m²² A large site where motorcycles lined the road as far as the eye could see, day and night. Fourteen Harley-Davidson® dealers from all over Europe and numerous independent traders presented motorcycles, accessories, and clothing, and more than 30 bands rocked two stages. 

The H-D® EXPO showcased the latest motorcycles from the iconic brand, including the latest model in the Icons Collection, the Low Rider® El Diablo, which was launched on September 1 and is limited to just 1,500 units worldwide. Opposite the EXPO, Ford, the automotive partner of European Bike Week, exhibited the new Bronco, the Mustang, and even a Police Mustang. The Demo Ride Zone, which was almost permanently booked out, offered test rides on the 2022 Harley models, as well as the new Revolution Max Experience and the new Adventure Experience.

The route planning for both Experience Tours was perfectly tailored to the respective models, and the Adventure Experience included off-road training on the Pan America™ 1250 by Bosnia Rally participant Ralf Wiesenfeller and Dakar legend Mick Extance. 

Another new feature this year was the EV Zone, where visitors could test ride LiveWire™ ONE and Serial 1 e-bikes and where Ford presented the Mustang Mach-E and the electric-powered Transit. The latter even served as a charging station for a LiveWire™. 

On Friday, the Custombike Show sponsored by Metzeler took place in the Customizer Area. 

Around 40 individually customized motorcycles were entered in six categories, with awards given for „Best in Category,“ „Best in Show,“ and „People's Choice.“  Mirko Perugini from Italy was named „Best in Show“ and took home a custom-painted Harley-Davidson® tank and a set of Metzeler tires as his trophy. Around 10,000 motorcyclists took part in the parade around Lake Ossiach and through Villach on Saturday, cheered on by a large crowd of locals.

On Saturday evening, Karin Serraino, the lucky winner of the big Harley-Davidson competition, took delivery of a brand-new Pan America™ 1250 Special. The prize also included tickets to the Harley-Davidson® 120th Anniversary Festival in Budapest, Hungary, which will take place from June 22 to 25, 2023.  

European Bike Week will return to Faak am See from September 5 to 10, 2023.