Battle of the Kings 2017 – Italian Showdown

Battle of the Kings 2017 – Italian Showdown – The scene of the evening was the well-known Milanese venue Alcatraz, where the event took place which brings the 2017 season of the American brand to life on the national market. Among journalists and professionals there was also a very famous guest of honour, a fan of HD motorcycles. We are referring to Max Pezzali, singer and rider, who has always been linked to the American brand (883, the name of the group with which Max became famous, was obviously a reference to a Harley model).

The protagonists of the event - as the name of the evening clearly indicates - are the 12 Italian finalist motorcycles of the Battle of the Kings competition, chosen from among the 42 made by the same number of Italian Harley-Davidson dealers. Made on the basis of the Roadster model of the Sportster Dark Custom range, the bikes in competition underline once again Harley-Davidson's vocation for customization and the infinite possibilities offered by the Harley-Davidson Genuine Parts & Accessories catalogue. Everyone can realize the motorbike of their dreams; only creativity and imagination make the difference.

There were two key moments of the evening: when the 12 finalists were revealed and the election of the winner. Hidden behind a curtain, the best creations of the dealers selected from the 42 Italian participants were analyzed and observed before the vote of the jury, made up mainly of sector journalists.

There were many choices and different styles of those who created these specials, some also opted for knobby tyres, which may have a certain appeal, but which we would have liked more if they had been combined with spoked rims (which however are difficult to reconcile with the competition regulations).

Some details are very interesting, such as the white exhausts in contrast with the rest of the motorbike created by the Florence dealer. From Ravenna comes the idea of ​​a fairing that crosses the entire motorbike longitudinally, from the fairing to the tail, with the tank joined to the front part.

Each bike had some gems to show off, but among the 12 in the end it was HD Perugia that won the Italian title in the 2017 Battle of the Kings competition with a creation that attracted the favor of the jurors called to express their opinion.

Away with the superfluous: here is the philosophy of the winning motorbike, dedicated to the Umbrian land "We are very happy with this victory, which takes our breath away", confesses Bruno Ranucci, owner of the HD Perugia dealership. “But what matters most is that we are happy with the work we all did with passion and beyond expectations of the result. We did it because it seemed like a wonderful challenge that we tried to face with passion. And in homage to our Umbrian land which the recent earthquake has deeply wounded. We are here to celebrate and we have many friends who have lost everything. This bike and this victory is dedicated above all to them."

The idea behind the bike is clear: “We asked ourselves: what should the embodiment of the Roadster be like? The answer was simple and we all shared it at the dealership: it must be a motorbike that recalls the racers of the 70s, where it was necessary to remove the superfluous and leave the essential. And so we did”, explains Alessandro Mannucci, Parts & Accessories manager of the dealership. “We focused on some key elements, such as the exhaust or even the fairing of the motorbike, which we created starting from an old mudguard, cut and shaped appropriately”.

The use of recovered or recycled elements, together with the original parts from the Harley Genuine catalog is an important element in the creation of the motorcycle. “In our area we have beautiful roads, with many curves and extraordinary landscapes; roads to drive. It's logical that we thought of a racing-style motorbike”, adds Alessandro Testini, a specialized technician from the dealership's workshop who physically built the motorbike.

The winner of the Italian contest will now participate in the European final, the conclusion of which is scheduled for next November at the EICMA show in Milan, when the winning motorcycle of the international contest will be proclaimed. In addition to the motorbikes, on the catwalk - it is worth saying - at Alcatraz there will also be new Harley-Davidson clothing, contained in the Spring/Summer 2017 collection of the now well-known Black Label Harley-Davidson. Harley is aimed at both the male and female public and therefore men's and women's garments are on show to face the next motorcycling season with the right style. In common, the essential characteristics of the Black Label line: iconic style that draws its origins from life on the road, discreet and minimalist look, slim cuts, tight lines and a decidedly vintage flavour.

“The Harley-Davidson evening in Milan is now a tradition, it is our way of welcoming spring and with it the season in which we ride motorbikes. We do it our way, focusing on all those aspects that make the Harley-Davidson world unique in the motorcycle scene and beyond. We like to bring out the individuality of those who are attached to our brand, through the customized motorbike and the way of dressing, which is also original. With the Battle of the Kings customizations we show our audience thousands of solutions to make their motorbike unique and unrepeatable and at affordable costs.

We address our youngest customers, whom we care about in a particular way; those who made the Dark Custom range successful and to whom we continue to offer style and technical quality capable of meeting their needs as modern motorcycle users. In this sense, I am pleased to see how the Italian contribution to the Battle of the Kings competition was massive, with all the dealerships involved and impressive motorcycles created; message received and sent back in the clearest way possible” – underlines Marino Grassini, Country Manager Harley-Davidson Italy.

In summary, therefore, the Milanese Harley-Davidson night encompasses many of the themes that traditionally characterize the Harley-Davidson brand and product: customization, personalization, clothing that accompanies one's motorcycling choices, also in the sense of a full affirmation of one's personality through the search for the best detail. A further way of affirming the freedom of expression and life that the Harley-Davidson world has always represented. In this sense, motorcycles and clothing establish an essential parallel that is certainly appealing to new generation customers.

The protagonists of the Italian showdown of the Battle of the Kings 2017 competition on the catwalk at Alcatraz in Milan are the result of the competition which has involved the entire Harley-Davidson network in Italy since last October 2016. Starting from the basis of the Roadster model, 42 modifications were produced in our market (one per dealership) which highlighted the creative flair and ability of the Custom King and the staff of the workshops that belong to the Italian Harley-Davidson dealerships.

The contribution, in numerical and qualitative terms of the motorcycles produced, clearly underlines the weight of Italian participation compared to the total expressed by the European market and the EMEA Region. The challenge taken up by the Custom Kings of the dealerships was simple and complex at the same time: creating a road-approved motorcycle with only 6.000 Euros of budget (excluding taxes) to spend on customization by choosing from over 10.000 items in the Harley-Davidson Genuine catalog Parts & Accessories (which must constitute at least 50% of the value of the parts used).

The starting point indicated for the Battle of the Kings 2017 were the models from the HarleyDavidson Sportster Dark Custom range: Iron 883, Forty-Eight and Roadster (only the Roadster for dealers in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal). A recognition of the fact that the Sportster family, one of the icons of the motorcycle scene since 1957, represents the ideal canvas on which to showcase the customization skills of Harley-Davidson dealers and customers.

In addition to underlining the exceptional variety of original Harley-Davidson spare parts and accessories for the Dark Custom range, the competition intends to show enthusiasts and customers how it is possible to obtain customizations that correspond exactly to one's taste and personality at a fair price by exploiting be aware of the possibilities offered by the Harley-Davidson Genuine Parts & Accessories catalogue. All to keep faith with the culture and rich customization heritage of Harley-Davidson, a brand synonymous with customization since 1903 thanks to motorcycles that historically combine style and functionality.

Battle of the Kings, growing numbers Now in its third edition, the Battle of the Kings contest shows clear signs of growth and proves capable of attracting the attention of an ever-increasing number of passionate motorcyclists. In this sense, the fact that 46 percent of those who voted do not drive a Harley Davidson motorcycle is very significant.

We have therefore gone from 150 dealers involved in the first edition of 2015 (base motorcycle the Street 750) to the 211 that participated in the 2016 edition (protagonist the Iron 883 model), a figure confirmed by the 215 dealers active in Europe, the Middle East & Africa (EMEA) who participated in the 2017 contest. Even more interesting is the data relating to the public who followed the contest and voted: from the 33.000 votes collected in 2015 it went to 65.000 in 2016 to almost reach the 80.000 preferences expressed this year . Battle of the Kings therefore confirms itself as the largest customization competition aimed at European Harley-Davidson dealerships.

It is possible to admire the competing creations on the website: www.hd.com/battleofthekings, which is also accompanied by a rich photo gallery of the first two editions of the competition. A real hub of ideas for motorcyclists who wish to turn to the Custom King of their trusted authorized dealer to create their own two-wheeled masterpiece.

The international contest trophy is presented at EICMA. The rules of the Battle of the Kings competition provide that the winning bikes in each of the 21 participating countries - thanks to the votes cast by fans in the period between 16 January and 14 February - enter the final and challenge each other directly. A head-to-head that will culminate next November at the EICMA show in Milan, where the winning Custom King will be proclaimed and the Battle of the Kings 2017 award will be awarded based on the opinions expressed by a jury of experts .