HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERS PREPARE FOR THE THIRD EDITION OF THE “BATTLE OF THE KINGS” CONTEST
OXFORD (October 12, 2016) – At the INTERMOT international motorcycle trade fair in Cologne on October 4, Harley-Davidson® presented the third edition of the “Battle of the Kings” contest. And so Harley-Davidson® dealers all over Europe are already getting ready: in 2017 they will once again show what they can do in the fight for the title of the ultimate “Custom King”.
After converting a Street 750 in the first year and customizing an Iron 883™ in the second year, the authorized dealers can now use either an Iron 883™ or a Forty-Eight® or a Roadster™ in the upcoming third round of this largest customizing contest in the motorcycle industry Choose the basis for your custom project. All three machines belong to the Sportster® series. Sportster have enjoyed great popularity among customizers since the original version of this model family rolled out of the Harley-Davidson factory in 1957.
, Harley-Davidson authorized dealers will compete in terms of originality and creativity until November next year. After they have completed their custom bikes , customers and fans in each country can choose a national “Custom King” via online voting, who then competes against the other national “Custom Kings”. The trophy for the international “Custom King” will be awarded at EICMA 2017 in Milan.
“The 'Battle of the Kings' contest is now even bigger, more colorful and more attractive,” explains Mike Johnstone, Director Marketing Operations Harley-Davidson Europe, Middle East and Africa. “After 150 dealers took part in 2015, there were 211 in 2016. And all 211 conversions underlined how talented and gifted the men and women in our dealers’ workshops are. We are also pleased about the great response that these stylish unique pieces have generated from the public: in the 2016 contest we registered more than 65,000 votes from our fans and drivers. Because we want to give dealers an even greater challenge, we are now offering them the choice of three machines: the Iron 883, the Forty-Eight and the Roadster. “
All three Sportster models are “Dark Custom™” bikes, which are reduced to the essentials and therefore offer plenty of options for individualization. Dark Custom represents a dark and minimalist side of the Harley-Davidson character - characterized by the absence of anything superfluous, by classic, timeless design and attractive pricing.
“We know that there are true ‘Custom Kings’ working in our dealership workshop crews throughout our dealerships – true experts when it comes to customizing,” Johnstone continues. “That’s no wonder, because no other brand can look back on such a long history of customizing as ours. And since bikes like the Sportster Dark Custom models are as authentic as they are inexpensive, they are ideal for customizing. Our network of custom professionals is narrow and our range of parts & accessories is huge. We’re really excited about the results of this year’s edition of our contest.”
For more information about the Battle of the Kings Contest, visit www.hd.com/customkings
Text Image Credit: Harley-Davidson Oxford
