Author: Andrew Cherney

This brooding Street Bob came out on top as the 2018 Battle of the Kings Grand Champion.

You might assume the biggest custom bike competition in the world is the AMD World Championship, a sprawling event whose next celebration takes place at the 2020 Intermot show. But perhaps you’ve also heard of a little shindig called the Battle of the Kings?

Harley crowned its first US Custom King (the original name for H-D’s dealership custom contest) in 2015, awarding a tricked-out Street 750 motorcycle from Yellowstone Harley-Davidson the top prize for this inaugural competition. The “Next Generation Boardtrack Racer” drew its inspiration from the boardtrackers of the 1920s and 1930s. (Harley-Davidson/)

It’s a sanctioned throwdown between authorized Harley-Davidson dealerships from more than 25 countries to see who can dream up the coolest custom, and it also happens to be one of the largest custom bike competitions on the planet. With the 2019 event already underway and with US and Canadian dealers in the mix this year (the US dealer contest in 2015 and 2016 was known as Custom Kings), you can bet this showing will be chock-full of mind-blowing builds.

“General Mayhem,” a Sportster SuperLow built by Hal’s Harley-Davidson, New Berlin, Wisconsin, was crowned the 2016 Custom King in the US. Conceived as a modern-day dual-sport bike, the General won the second year of the Custom Kings competition where US dealerships were required to use the Sportster platform. (Harley-Davidson/)

It works like this: Dealers must build a custom Harley-Davidson using a budget no bigger than half the cost of the original model with a specific quota of H-D aftermarket parts (50 percent being Genuine Motor Accessories). The builders are allowed to choose from three style categories—Dirt, Chop, and Race—but this year, they can use any model from the range (excluding trikes and CVO). The rules may sound restrictive, but in the end they ensure a level playing field and encourage a good measure of creativity from the builders. Simple, right?

From there fans vote online for their favorite custom Harley as each country’s favorite bike (strictly one vote per login). Each country then declares a National Winner with the five most popular bikes from each region selected, and a panel of international judges picks a finalist from each region. All finalists and their one-off creations are then flown to Milan for the EICMA 2019 show where the Grand Champion will be crowned.

Here’s where things get confusing: In 2015, European dealers also had a custom build-off, but called it Battle of the Kings. The winner in the 2016 contest was Harley-Davidson Athens with its Nyx café racer, inspired by the Greek goddess of the night. Two hundred eleven dealers from across Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) entered their version of a customized Sportster Iron 883. (Harley-Davidson/)

In 2018, more than 300 dealers entered, and a seven-man team of judges led by Vice President of Styling and Design Brad Richards made the final call. The 2018 Grand Champion of the Battle of the Kings was Bangkok Harley-Davidson with its Street Bob-based “The Prince,” winning by one vote!

The epic international showdown looks to be bigger than ever in 2019 with more than 350 entries already. This year, US dealers are aiming to inspire the next generation of builders by teaming each build with a trade school and having students wrench along with dealership guys. We’re personally having a blast following the Buddy Stubbs H-D build on Instagram (@buddystubbshd), watching Crew Chief Danny Wilson transform a Fat Bob with students from the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute.

Here’s a look at some of the past winners and a few current entries (2019 voting has started in other countries but doesn’t open for the US Battle of the Kings until April 15 at h-d.com/botk.

Bangkok Harley-Davidson took the 2018 BOTK crown with its super-clean “The Prince,” a lean, ultra-tidy custom based on the Street Bob. (Harley-Davidson/)

Bologna Harley-Davidson’s “Farm Machine” was a grand finalist in the 2018 competition, which was for EMEA dealers only. Definitely looks like it’s ready to plow the back 40. (Harley-Davidson/)

RELATED: Battle of the Kings: Project #002

The other grand f
inalist (out of three) in last year’s BOTK competition was Adelaide Harley-Davidson Bike Works for its race-themed H-D Roadster called “Back to the Track.” (Harley-Davidson/)

Some of the national winners for 2019 have already been determined. In Germany, Thunderbike Harley-Davidson Niederrhein is a finalist for its FXDR 114 custom, “Roar,” which features a Screamin’ Eagle Stage 3 kit, lowered chassis, and Metzeler 260mm tire. (Harley-Davidson/)

“The Crook” from Warr’s H-D is the 2019 UK national winner. Based on a 2019 Street Bob, this clean custom sports a 2-2 upswept exhaust and a modified fuel tank. (Harley-Davidson/)

Another look at Yellowstone H-D’s 2015 Street 750 winner, this time with a different paint job. (Harley-Davidson/)

With a third-place finish in the UK region, West Coast Harley-Davidson’s Fat Boy-based “Brazen” made a good showing in the Chop category. (Harley-Davidson/)

You might not have heard of Blacktrack Motors, a custom builder based out of Luxembourg, but that might be about to change. The group’s latest build takes Harley-Davidson’s beastly Fat Bob and recasts it as—wait for it—a slim and trim café racer. And you know what? This skinnier Bob is a real stunner.

Talk about a crash diet. Beneath the BT-03’s lovely bespoke bodywork and premium componentry lies a Harley Fat Bob, Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine and all. (Sacha Lakic/)

The Blacktrack BT-03 looks like the epitome of a modern-day café racer, and the inspiration behind it, says Blacktrack founder and designer Sacha Lakic, is “the Harley-Davidson XLCR.” “Produced between 1977 and 1979, it was the only café racer in the history of Harley-Davidson. I was spellbound every time I saw one on the streets of Paris.”

Although it’s inspired by Harley’s XLCR from the ’70s, the BT-03 rocks its own modern aesthetic. That front cowling and fuel tank are one-off composite pieces that elevate it to another level. (Sacha Lakic/)

But clearly the BT-03 isn’t just a straight replica of the XLCR. You might spot hints of the XLCR’s DNA in the BT-03’s angular stretched fuel tank and tailsection and seven-spoke wheels, but the Blacktrack bike is far more sport-focused, with a contemporary aesthetic and stance that give it an unmistakable race vibe.

With a solo seat, clip-ons, rearset controls, and an emphasis on the engine, there’s no mistaking the bike’s sporty intent. The rear subframe is a custom design by Blacktrack. (Sacha Lakic/)

With the limited-edition BT-03, Blacktrack continues to mine the past for inspiration as it has on previous builds, which were also sporty designs. The shop’s first bike, the BT-01, was based on a 1980s-era Honda CX500—a practical ride appreciated more for reliability than styling. Blacktrack clapped on all-new bodywork to sleeken the aesthetic, and chose components to improve performance and weight.

With the BT-02, Blacktrack went bigger and bolder, starting with a new Triumph Thruxton and bestowing it with iconic Norton Manx styling. It too featured bespoke bodywork and a custom exhaust to yield a nostalgic sound. As you might’ve guessed by now, the Blacktrack Motors business model is building exclusive performance-based café racers.

The cockpit is café-racer-ready, with ABM Sport handlebars, Beringer levers, and master cylinders and grips by Rizoma. (Sacha Lakic/)

For the BT-03, a burly Harley-Davidson Fat Bob was chosen as the donor, 114ci Milwaukee-Eight powerplant and all. But, frankly, this Softail just doesn’t seem like a natural fit for a racy bike, so…why?

Lakic explains, “The Fat Bob is the most exciting Harley to ride. The wheelbase is certainly a bit long, but the geometry is well thought out, and allows you to roll turns faster than any other Harley so far.” Not only that, but there’s not much left of the original Fat Bob anyway; Blacktrack kept only the motor, transmission, and frame—replacing everything else with custom and upgraded components to improve looks, reduce weight, and improve handling.

Every aluminium part is designed in the Blacktrack Motors studio and then CNC-machined by a trusted technical partner. A crucial point is the rear frame assembly—which acts as an interface between the Bob’s original frame and the BT-03’s custom bodywork. Composite parts include the front fairing, front fender, fuel tank, tailsection, and a cover plate for the rear shock.

The Fat Bob’s main frame and geometry remain unchanged, but Öhlins suspension, Dymag forged aluminium wheels, and Beringer brakes all make the scene here. Blacktrack Motors also installed a performance air filter and a custom-built stainless steel exhaust system with fuel mapping to match.

To match the BT-03’s sporting intent, Blacktrack upgraded suspension to Öhlins components, swapped in Beringer brakes, and crafted custom stainless steel headers. (Sacha Lakic/)

Replacing the weighty OEM parts meant the Fat Bob’s unsprung mass was reduced and the BT-03’s overall dry weight came down to 546 pounds, giving it an excellent power to weight ratio.

So can you buy one? Yes—if your wallet can withstand the hit. Past Blacktrack builds went for somewhere north of $50K, and we’d expect this one to be more as only four will be made.

Premium leather covers the solo saddle, which itself sits on a Blacktrack-built tailsection. (Sacha Lakic/)

Spec Sheet

Base model:	Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Bob 114
Engine:	Milwaukee-Eight 114ci (1,868cc)
Main frame:	Harley-Davidson Softail
Rear subframe:	Blacktrack Motors
Triple clamps:	Blacktrack Motors
Front suspension:	Öhlins FG424
Rear suspension:	Öhlins HD 501
Front wheel:	Dymag UP7X custom forged aluminum
Rear wheel:	Dymag UP7X custom forged aluminum
Front tire:	Michelin Power RS 120/70ZR17
Rear tire:	Michelin Power RS 190/50ZR17
Front brakes:	Beringer Aerotec Radial 4-piston, Beringer Aeronal 320mm discs
Rear brakes:	Beringer Aerotec Axial 4-piston, Beringer Aeronal 290mm disc
Front fairing:	Blacktrack Motors
Front fender:	Blacktrack Motors
Fuel tank:	Blacktrack Motors
Tailsection:	Blacktrack Motors
Seat:	Blacktrack Motors, leather cover
Handlebar:	ABM MultiClip Sport 1 in.
Controls:	Beringer levers and master cylinders
Headlight:	Highsider Type-6
Foot controls:	Blacktrack Motors
Exhaust headers:	Blacktrack Motors twin stainless steel system
Exhaust mufflers:	Jekill & Hyde Shorty
Dry Weight:	546 lb.
Lean angle:	36° left and right
Contact:	blacktrackmotors.co

The “Cool Wing” was revealed on the first weekend of the 2019 Daytona Bike Week. (American Honda Motor Co./Monge Photography/)

Creating a custom out of a Gold Wing seems like a daunting challenge no matter how you slice it. Just wading through all that bodywork alone feels like a weeklong mission. But when Southern California’s Steady Garage got the call from American Honda for a cool custom based on the long-haul tourer that would be unveiled at Daytona Bike Week, the folks there knew they had to answer—even though they had just 45 days to do the deed.

The challenge was doubly difficult because with the Wing’s new design there’d be little guidance from existing builds. The Steady guys—Kevin Dunn, Duy Nguyen, Jimmy Chen, and Ray Tong—wanted to create a bike with modern styling while still giving a nod to the Gold Wing’s legendary heritage. “Stylish but functional” doesn’t always turn out to be as easy as it sounds.

Steady Garage’s mission statement for this build? “Our hope was to build a custom Gold Wing that would be appreciated by riders of all ages, interests, and backgrounds. We had to make it look cool without stepping away from functionality.” (American Honda Motor Co./Monge Photography/)

Luckily, these guys have friends. Designer Francis Clemente came up with a design that appealed to both customizers and purists, using the air suspension and contrasting mufflers to shape the silhouette. A handcrafted leather saddle, exposed metal details, and scallops in the paint provided the “Cool Wing” those quirky design elements that instantly gave it a new identity.

Now that is rad. Mooneyes-built molds just to make the retro disc covers for Cool Wing’s front rim. (American Honda Motor Co./Monge Photography/)

It then became a team project, with Steady Garage calling on several other top pros to help out. Mooneyes built a mold specifically to make the retro disc covers for the Wing’s front rim, and Platinum Air Suspension chipped in air shocks to get that slammed stance but without completely trashing ride height. Onboard stainless steel air tanks from Dirty Works store the needed air, which is then delivered by a single Viair 380c air compressor.

This Gold Wing needed to be slammed, which meant getting air shocks from Platinum Air Suspension. Air tanks from Dirty Works are housed onboard to give the lift. (American Honda Motor Co./Monge Photography/)

Paint is often the main attraction on a custom build, and in this case, Maxima Imagen applied color to 33 individual parts. But don’t assume this Gold Wing ditches its high-tech DNA; you’ll also find the industry’s first motorcycle blind-spot monitoring system (BSM) here, thanks to the Cub Group. Adding the icing on this cake was Rogelio’s Auto Upholstery who fashioned the ribbed leather seat.

It seems like a win-win for everybody on this one; “The Gold Wing is one of our halo products,” says Honda Motorcycle Shows and Public Relations Manager Chris Cox, “and we wanted to highlight the fact that while it’s rightly known for its amazing touring capabilities, it’s also a very high-performance machine that can be appreciated by a broad range of enthusiasts. Steady Garage embraced that theme for this project, and we’re very pleased with the result. Cool Wing has a youthful, creative, exciting spirit, while still respecting the Gold Wing brand and what it stands for.”

RELATED: Daytona Bike Week Is Here, And This Is Your Cheat Sheet

Not just a wicked custom: The Cool Wing also sports the industry’s first motorcycle blind-spot monitoring system. It was unveiled at Daytona Bike Week, but the bike’ll be at this year’s Austin GP as well as Americade. (American Honda Motor Co./Monge Photography/)

Drip, drip, drip, drip….
The slow release of details from Harley-Davidson about its hugely anticipated, much-buzzed-about but short-on-specifics electric bike, LiveWire, continued this week as The Motor Company revealed more numbers. This time, however, Harley is giving us more concrete and verifiable data on things like acceleration, range, and charging capability.

The updated production specs come from the Geneva International Motor Show, where H-D is displaying the 2020 LiveWire alongside several lightweight EV concepts. At the same time, The Motor Company announced that European preorders for LiveWire will open in April (check it out) with deliveries expected by the fourth quarter of 2019 in most European countries. Preorders for the US have been open since January.

But the big news is the verified performance info for LiveWire, so here goes:

LiveWire will be able to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds and 60 to 80 mph in 1.9 seconds, numbers that make it one of the quickest bikes out there and certainly superior to ICE motorcycles, thanks to the instant, always-on torque from the H-D Revelation electric powertrain. Top speed will be limited to 110 mph. (Harley-Davidson/)

The LiveWire’s high-voltage battery will have a city range of 140 miles (225 kilometers), or 88 miles (142 kilometers) of combined stop-and-go and highway range, as measured using the MIC City and MIC Combined (70 mph) tests. Those numbers are better than the initial numbers announced last January. Of course, actual range will vary according to riding habits, temps, and other variables. (Harley-Davidson/)

Also encouraging is that LiveWire will come with Standard DC Fast Charge technology, which provides a 0–80 percent of battery charge in 40 minutes or 0–100 percent in 60 minutes. You can use the onboard Level 1 charger and power cord to connect to any standard household outlet and get a full charge overnight. For faster juicing, visit any public Level 3 DC Fast Charge station. A DC Fast Charge (DCFC) can charge the LiveWire motorcycle through an SAE J1772 connector (CCS2 IEC Type 2 charging connector in European and other international markets). All Harley dealers who sell the LiveWire will also have a public DCFC charging station. (Harley-Davidson/)

Meanwhile, we’re already aware of the fact that LiveWire’s electric powertrain requires no clutch and no gear shifting, making it an easier nut to crack for new riders. The added bonus of the power regeneration mode means it can add charge to the battery, especially in stop-and-go urban traffic. (Harley-Davidson/)

More not-new-news is that the LiveWire comes equipped with an Electronic Chassis Control (ECC) system that works with the cornering-enhanced Antilock Braking System (ABS), Traction Control System (TCS), and Drag-Torque Slip Control System (DSCS) to manage front and rear brake torque as well as motor torque to the rear wheel for better control and performance. The six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) and ABS sensor technology is some of the best tech currently available. (Harley-Davidson/)

RELATED: Harley Announces LiveWire Pricing And Availability For Dealer Preorders

Harley says its H-D Connect Service will be available in certain markets to pair LiveWire riders with their bikes through an LTE-enabled Telematics Control Unit using the Harley-Davidson mobile app. H-D Connect is mean
t to push motorcycle status info to the rider’s smartphone so they’ll see stuff like battery charge status and available range (provided there’s a sufficient cell signal). Charging station locations can also be seen in the H-D app, as well as tamper alerts and vehicle location. Riders will be able to configure reminders about upcoming service requirements too. (Harley-Davidson/)

We also know that all this new tech is paired with premium performance components like a fully adjustable Showa BFRC (Balanced Free Rear Cushion-lite) monoshock rear suspension and the Showa SFF-BP (Separate Function front Fork-Big Piston) for exceptional low-speed damping control. The brakes are robust too, with Brembo Monoblock front calipers to grip dual 300mm rotors. (Harley-Davidson/)

Yes, you will hear a sound (and see a new color option). The LiveWire model is set up to produce a new signature tone as it accelerates and gains speed—just don’t expect any kind of old-school rumble. (Harley-Davidson/)