Seventeen Australian and New Zealand Harley-Davidson dealers will take on the world in the Battle of the Kings custom motorcycle build-off for the first time since its launch in 2015.
MotorbikeWriter.com has been invited to be one of the judges in the Australian leg of the competition to find a finalist to compete against winners from Europe, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, the Middle East and South America.
World winner
All finalists will be on display at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan in November when the world winner will be announced.
The public can vote for their favourite Aussie or Kiwi custom bike from 1 August 2018 to determine the finalists who will then be judged by a panel including MBW, motorcycle industry peers and Harley officials.
The overall 2018 Australian Custom King will be crowned in September 2018. Then they take on the world in Milan.
For the first stage of the competition, seventeen Harley-Davidson dealers from across Australia and New Zealand will go head-to-head with their one-off, two-wheeled creations.
Youth appeal
Harley-Davidson Street RodThe base bike must be a ride-away Harley-Davidson Dark Custom motorcycle. Models eligible include the Street 500, Street Rod, Iron 883, Iron 1200, Forty-Eight, Forty-Eight Special and Roadster, as well as two models from the 2018 Softail range, the bare-knuckle Fat Bob and the bare-boned Street Bob.
The choice of these models shows that Harley is keen to reach out to their younger customers.
Harley-Davidson ANZ Marketing Director Keith Waddell explains: “This year the dealers are going to up their game with a focus on brand and product relevance for new and younger riders, showcasing the local talents and possibilities in bike customisation.”
Dealers have a maximum customisation budget of $A10,000 and at least half of the parts and accessories used in the build must come from the massive Genuine Harley-Davidson Parts & Accessories catalogue. The completed bike must be road legal.