Harley-Davidson Asks Fans to Help Crown the Next Custom King

Out to prove that custom truly is king, Harley-Davidson invited dealers to showcase their individuality in the Custom Kings Customization Contest. Dealers from all over the country turned a Sportster motorcycle into a “Custom of One” work of art – recently the top 64 creations were revealed for fans to help choose the ‘king’ in a bracket-style competition.

The Sportster was selected for its unrivaled ability to be transformed into the very definition of performance art and its attainable pricing, which makes the bike a realistic goal for nearly any rider.

Initial entries were scored by the Harley-Davidson styling team based on criteria including quality of customization and build, fit and finish, use of paint, design, technique and how teams utilized Harley-Davidson Genuine Parts & Accessories.

“Customization is one of the biggest ways riders showcase and celebrate their individuality,” said Dino Bernacchi, director of U.S. marketing at Harley-Davidson. “Custom Kings brings that forward by redefining performance through the expertise and ingenuity of Harley-Davidson dealers throughout the country. All of the competitors have put in months of planning, building and straight-up creative thinking into each of the bikes featured in the contest.”

The entries with the most votes in each match-up will move on to the next round of the competition. Fans will select the final winner after six rounds of bike-to-bike battles.

Fans can view all of the bike builds by following #HDCustomKings or H-D.com/CustomKings for more information and to cast their vote.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.