Ana “Mamana” Ivancic from Slovenia – the unsuspecting winner – was presented with a new, unique special edition Sportster® Forty Eight® motorcycle on Friday night as part of the on-stage celebrations to commemorate 20 years of European Bike Week. In a presentation that included customer stories and memories spanning the two decades of European Bike Week history, Ana was called up on stage to be presented with her new bike.
A shocked Ana – who was at the event with her husband, Jan, and two of their five children – said: “I am surprised and honoured to be presented with the new bike, which was completely unexpected. I was at the first event in 1998 and loved it so much I have been back every year since on my Harley-Davidson Fat Boy. I hope to be present at the next twenty European Bike Weeks too – maybe even with some of my children, if they catch the Harley-Davidson bug too. Who knows, they might ride to Faaker See on this unique Forty Eight!”
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Customers’ stories have been appearing online in the run-up to the event and a selection will be published in HOG magazine, the official publication of the Harley Owners Group.
Trevor Barton, Harley-Davidson International Consumer Experience Manager, said: “For the 20th Anniversary celebrations of European Bike Week we wanted to do something special for the incredible community of Harley owners and riders who have built up European Bike Week to become the massive event that it is today. What better way to celebrate that bond than by presenting one loyal customer and her family with a brand new bike as a gift? It was kept a surprise until the last minute – and both Ana’s and the crowd’s response was amazing.”
The 20th Anniversary celebrations of European Bike Week were held on the shores of Lake Faak in southern Austria, the site of the very first event in 1998, when it was born as the European 95th anniversary of Harley-Davidson Motor Company. That first event, attended by Willie G. Davidson, saw thousands of Harley riders and fans gather in the southern Austrian countryside. The event proved so popular that it subsequently became an annual event, held with the close cooperation of the people and businesses of Carinthia.
Since then the event has grown to become the end-of-season pilgrimage and celebratory party for Harley-Davidson riders and other bikers and party lovers in Europe, attracting more than 100,000 attendees annually. This year’s music headliners included Black Stone Cherry and Danko Jones, and new events included modified Street Rod 750s flat track racing around a purpose-built dirt oval.
Next year’s European Bike Week will be held 4-9 September, 2018 at Faaker See, Austria.
Made in Austria: European Bike Week® rocks on its 20th Anniversary!
2017 has been the biggest European Bike Week ever!
Karen Davidson in attendance, all the way from Milwaukee
The full 2018 Softail® family of bikes took pride of place at the heart of the event
Modified Street Rod 750s raced flat track on a purpose-built dirt oval
25 bands on the main stage, including Black Stone Cherry and The Picturebooks
The Custom Bike Show featured over 70 entries
And over 10,000 rider’s took part in Saturday’s legendary parade
Faaker See, September 10 2017,125,000 revellers and more than 70,000 motorcycles arrived in the region of Carinthia, southern Austria, last week for the 20th Harley-Davidson festival to be located on the shores of the iconic Lake Faak.
This epic celebration brings together a vast and diverse array of people from all over the world, united by their shared passion for Harley-Davidson. In the last 20 years the festival has grown to become Europe’s biggest free motorcycle rally – and is the final major event in the European riding calendar.
European Bike Week Review – Karen Davidson
Among the visitors who travelled furthest to get to Lake Faak was Karen Davidson: the great-granddaughter of one of the founders of Harley-Davidson, who made her way especially from Milwaukee to Austria to join this unique experience.
And this year there was something new to enthral the eager crowd: Harley-Davidson had 20 members of the international press going head-to-head flat track style in the Hooligan Simultaneous Time Trial (STT) International Invitational.
Taking place on a purpose made dirt oval each journalist rode a Street Rod 750 specially prepared for the event with modified handlebars, seat unit, fuel tank, exhaust, wheels and tyres.
Practice for the journalists was held on Tuesday 5th September with the main event on the 6th. The focus was on fun, with a real mix of riding abilities and experience taking to a dirt oval for the first time. Tuition was expertly provided by flat track master Marco Belli, a 4-time Italian champion who also has UK and European titles to his name.
The racing was fast, furious and close quarters – typical flat track in other words! Third place was claimed by Daigoro Suzuki, a freelance journalist from Japan. Second went to Spain’s Ferran Mas, of Solo Moto magazine and top spot on the rostrum was won by Italian Elia Sammartin from Rider’s Magazine.
But perhaps the real prize of the day went to second placed Mas – he took home the Number 1-plated Street Rod 750 flat tracker he raced on, thanks to turning in the fastest lap time in the final.
It was the first time that European Harley-Davidson fans got to see the all-new 2018 range of motorcycles, with the Softail® family taking pride of place at the Expo Zone, while many of the bikes in the 2018 range were also available for customers to try out on the road at the Demo Rides area.
The Harley Village took centre stage as usual, with a huge area spanning more than 40,000 square metres. Some 22 Harley-Davidson dealers from five countries, along with more than 130 independent retailers and food stalls, presented an unbeatable range of delights for shopping, admiring and savouring.
The Jeep® brand – a key partner and official sponsor of major Harley-Davidson events and rallies throughout 2017 – had a big presence throughout the event. The Jeep Test Drive Experience and Jeep Off Road Experience offered the opportunity to get behind the wheel of one of the iconic brand’s products; there was the opportunity to zip-line over the entire test drive area! On the main concourse the Jeep lounge showcased its latest launch of the all-new Jeep Compass. Also on sale was an array of Jeep merchandise in the Jeep lounge, plus the bonus of Bullfrog Barbers.
For many riders, the journey to Faaker See is all about the beautiful Carinthian countryside with its ideal riding roads and incredible alpine vistas, and the local Alpe Adria Chapter was also on hand to provide guided tours for the uninitiated. And in the evenings, more than 25 bands kept the big open-air main stage and two party marquees rocking – including Black Stone Cherry, Danko Jones and The Picturebooks.
On Friday, the Custom Bike Show featured some of the most beautiful builds from Europe and beyond with more than 70 entries. The title ‘Best in Show’ was awarded to Nedal Amin from Kuwait, who received a trophy worth more than €4,000 designed by 2SAINTS Paris.
Two people also received specially customised European Bike Week 20th Anniversary Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight motorcycles as part of the celebrations. On Friday night Ana “Mamana” Ivancic received one as a gift in a ceremony to mark the 20 years the event has been hosted at Faaker See. Peter Van De Luijsterwon one in a prize draw on Saturday night, where a lucky number was drawn from 6000thousand wristbands given away at the event.
The Parade on Saturday saw at least 10,000 bikes cross the starting line for a tour around the surrounding Carinthian mountains and lakes, while later in the afternoon the Red Bull Flying Bulls wowed the crowd with an aerobatic display from their Alpha Jet, piloted by Stefan Doblhammer. And that night, a spectacular high-altitude fireworks display lit up the night sky above the lake – a gift from the Motor Company to all of its fans.
It won’t be long until you’ll need snowshoes and skis in Faak, but the bikes will be back next year too: We’re pleased to announce that the 21st European Bike Week will take place on September 4-9, 2018.
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This year’s event was also a European Harley Owners Group® (H.O.G.) Rally
Over 100,000 Harley enthusiasts attended the event in the Swiss canton of Tessin
The Picturebooks, Philipp Fankhauser, AC/DC Revival Band, O.I.B. Zucchero Tribute and Sweet Soul Music Revue headlined on the main stage
Experiences included the Custom Bike Show, Dark Custom Zone, Expo Zone and Harley-Davidson test rides
The Jeep® Test Drive and Off-Road Experience were also on site
Following four hugely successful Swiss Harley Days events in Lugano, the largest motorcycle event in Switzerland took place once more this year in the idyllic city in the south of Switzerland. In recent years the event drew over 70,000 visitors to its various locations. This year it attracted even more fans making the 2017 event one of the largest of its kind in the whole of Europe: 55,000 visited on Saturday with 100,000 in attendance over the course of the whole weekend – plus over 30,000 motorcycles!
The Swiss Harley Days 2017 topped all the previous events in terms of size, programme and success. With a packed programme and many exhibitors, activities and events, visitors were provided with everything they needed for a fabulous weekend.
Friday’s Custom Bike Show displayed a world-class field of the finest two-wheeled creations from Europe, Middle East and Africa and Saturday’s 32km parade – which saw 4,200 bikes and riders stretched over 11km, watched by tens of thousands of spectators – was a real highlight.
The Shopping Village showcased over 50 exhibitors and offered a wide variety of places to shop, with 18 official Swiss Harley-Davidson dealers presenting the latest MotorClothes and Accessories, together with H-D’s Official Event Merchandise. The Expo and Dark Custom Zone, a motorcyclist’s heaven, was filled to the brim with 2017 Harley-Davidson machines, chill-out areas and a take home photo opportunity. This lively area had superb DJ sets, in partnership with Stanton and Cerwin-Vega. The H-D® Jumpstart™ featuring the new Street Rod™ 750, gave visitors the chance to experience the thrill of a Harley-Davidson, without moving an inch!
The H-D Demo fleet offered the full 2017 model line-up offering test rides over the 4-day event. Situated close to the Demo Zone was also the Service and Technical area run by the brand new local H-D Lugano dealership.
Other highlights were the dynamic formation changes of the Swiss Air Force PC-7 aerobatic team and the breath taking performances by the Breitling Wingwalkers team who performed acrobatic manoeuvres while strapped to the top wings of the biplanes. The rest of the programme consisted of many different activities, plus 10 concerts officially organised by Harley-Davidson with acts including The Picturebooks, Philipp Fankhauser, AC/DC Revival Band, O.I.B. Zucchero Tribute and Sweet Soul Music Revue rocking the main stage.
The Jeep® brand – a key partner and official sponsor of Swiss Harley Days European H.O.G Rally – were in attendance throughout with the Jeep Test Drive Experience, and the Jeep Off Road Experience, providing visitors the opportunity to put themselves to the test, book a Jeep test drive and discover new dimensions on four wheels through the excitement of a Jeep experience. Guests also had the possibility to discover the new Jeep Compass and experience an unconventional Zip line going over the entire test drive area. The latest Jeep merchandise was also available for purchase at the Jeep Lounge inside the village.
Whether you were there or not, o take a look at this year’s fantastic Swiss Harley Days event visit:
Harley-Davidson® Euro Festival rocks the Golfe de St. Tropez
There’s always been something special about the Harley-Davidson® Euro Festival. Since its first appearance on the Harley calendar 11 years ago, the event has drawn a cool and chic crowd of Harley® riders from across Europe to the chic Golfe de St-Tropez to ride, to party and to chill out in the beauty of southern France.
The 2017 Euro Festival saw a capacity crowd of more than 10,000 attendees gather at the newly revamped Prairies de la Mer beachfront site to make the most of the activities on offer at this most stylish of Harley-Davidson events. The traditional Saturday parade saw more than 2,000 bikes riding through the beauty of the justly famous local countryside and the port of St-Tropez, while the impeccably beautiful hilltop village of Grimaud hosted the world-famous Custom Bike Show on the Friday, drawing a record gathering of the best custom bikes in Europe to compete for the magnificent trophies hand-crafted for the occasion by artisan sponsor 2-Saints.
More of the finest examples of custom bike builders’ art were on display in the Freeway Village on site, along with tattooists, barbers, artisan jewellers and painters exhibiting their craft. Elsewhere on the remodelled beach site, Harley-Davidson dealers vied for the attention of the crowds with the Dark Custom® area, the H.O.G.® Hospitality zone, a huge retail area and the Harley-Davidson Demo zone with the full range of models on offer to test ride – including the brand-new Street Rod®. Fellow American icon and event sponsor Jeep® was present once again to display its latest range, all available to test ride right on site.
Meanwhile the local region was filled with the sight and sound of thousands of Harley-Davidson riders enjoying the incredible riding roads, local restaurants and scenery that await around every turn in this region of southern France.
The local H.O.G. chapter offered an itinerary of escorted local rides along hand-picked roads through the Massif des Maures and Coeur de Var regions by day, while at night on the main stage music was provided by a range of local and international bands and musicians including The Picturebooks – look out for them on the cover of the forthcoming issue of HOG® magazine – Triggerfinger, Mat Bastard and the Chris Slade Timeline, while headline group The Pretenders brought the entertainment to a crescendo on the Saturday night. Elsewhere on site the Long Bar, the Harley® Bar and the beachfront restaurants and bar areas came to life with live music, DJ sets, entertainment and great food to suit all tastes.
The Euro Festival will be back in 2018 and as one of the flagship events in the Harley-Davidson calendar, and tickets will be in high demand. H.O.G. members receive priority notification as soon as the dates of future Harley-Davidson events – including Euro Festival – are announced, so make sure you are signed up to receive notification of news to make sure you don’t miss out on what is undeniably one of the coolest events in the Harley-Davidson world.
Euro Festival Custom Bike Show 2017
The Custom Bike Show exhibited motorcycle craftsmanship of the very highest level this year, with Europe’s best custom bike professionals rubbing shoulders with artisan builders competing for the beautiful hand-crafted bespoke trophies created by French jewellery brand 2-Saints. The village of Grimaud formed the backdrop for an incredible display, and the panel of expert judges drawn from the custom bike world and the motorcycle media had a tough task in selecting the winners from the amazing array of design and construction talent on offer. Best in Show came from Italy’s Galley Motorcycles with a jaw-dropping resto-mod in the Antique category, while the hotly contested People’s Choice was another incredible creation from France’s Gregory Ballique.
