OXFORD (8 February 2016) – Harley-Davidson dealers across Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) are set to compete for the title of top custom bike builder in the second edition of a winner-takes-all contest based on customizing one of the latest Harley models, the all-new Sportster® Iron 883™.
The ‘Battle of the Kings’ contest, which takes place between February 2016 and June 2016, will involve staff from authorized dealerships across EMEA, competing to demonstrate their originality and creative customization skills on a 2016 Iron 883. The contest is a two-stage process, with the first stage being a national competition to establish the winning ‘Custom King’ in each market, culminating in a head-to-head contest between the national champions and the presentation of the prestigious award at the ‘Wheels & Waves’ custom lifestyle event in Biarritz, France in June 2016.
The iconic Sportster family has been an American motorcycling icon since 1957. It is one of the most popular Harley model ranges for customization in the new wave custom scene, and like its predecessors, the new Iron 883 represents the ideal blank canvas to demonstrate the customization skills of the Harley-Davidson dealer network.
“The Iron 883 is the perfect motorcycle for customization and is already being personalized by owners who see it as the ideal base to add their own style to the mix,” said Mike Johnstone, Director Marketing Operations for Harley-Davidson EMEA.
“We were really pleased with the success of last year’s Battle of the Kings contest, having received over 30,000 votes and securing participation from more than 150 dealers across Europe. With the dealer network strongly behind this competition, we are now hoping to exceed these results for 2016 and look forward to receiving more inspiring custom bike entries this year.”
“Across all of our dealerships, our expert technicians are the undisputed ‘Custom Kings’ and are the go-to experts for all things custom. Harley-Davidson has a rich custom heritage, a solid network of customization experts and an extensive range of parts and accessories so dealers are definitely well-placed to take on this challenge,” said Johnstone.
Designed to inspire individual expression through easy customization, the Iron 883 is one of the latest additions to Harley-Davidson’s Sportster model range for 2016. The new Iron 883 is powered by an 883cc Evolution V-Twin engine tuned to blast away from stop lights. Drawing inspiration from garage-built bobbers past and present, the Iron 883 is intentionally rough and rugged around the edges and compromises on none of the Harley-Davidson brand attributes of individuality, rebellion and freedom. Dark Custom is the underground, contemporary face of Harley-Davidson; stripped-down and styled with an authentic retro-inspired slant, Dark Custom bikes feature matte or blacked-out finishes, vintage cues and accessible pricing to attract new entrants to the brand.
The Battle of the Kings custom entries will be built in February 2016, with dealers being required to advertise and reproduce their builds at a capped maximum retail price to showcase how Dark Custom motorcycles can be personalized within reach. The national stage will be a combination of public online voting taking place in March and April 2016 via the dedicated website www.h-d.com/customkings, and a jury round to decide national winners. These national winning bikes and their dealership creators will then go on to compete head-to-head at one of the most influential new-wave custom bike events in Europe, ‘Wheels & Waves’ in Biarritz in June 2016. A jury of knowledgeable custom and bike peers will then select the 2016 ‘Custom King’ and present the trophy to the lucky winner at the award ceremony in June.
For more information on the Battle of the Kings contest visit: www.h-d.com/customkings
