By Harley-Davidson
At August’s dealer meeting, the U.S. dealer network cast their votes and the U.S. Battle of the Kings Winner was decided. The champion is FXGTS Coast Glide by Laidlaw’s Harley-Davidson in Baldwin Park, California. The competition was open to nearly the entire range of bikes excluding CVOs and trikes. Categories were introduced (dirt, chop and race) to maintain relevance that will link not only to current customization trends but have a future link to forthcoming products.
When Laidlaw Crew Chief Keith Hurt builds a custom bike, he makes sure it’s more than simply a collection of parts. “I like to get components, parts and accessories from other models of bikes and figure out how to incorporate them and make them fit on a different model,” he explains. “Like an update or upgrade to the original, as if the factory had made it that way in the first place.”
The team calls its bike the “FXGTS Coast Glide,” representing the different pieces and parts that make up the whole: “FX” for the dual-disc brake front end, with mid controls. “GT” for Grand Touring. “S” for the sport styling – “paying homage to the Sport Glide® model we started with.” And “Coast Glide” in honor of the famous highway nearby.
“Our project is a throwback to the FXRT styling with a Southern California twist, paying tribute to the Pacific Coast Highway and the Southern California influence on modern performance cruisers,” Keith explains. As a concept, it covers a lot of ground. As a design, it’s far more than the sum of its parts.
And it doesn’t end here. Four members of the U.S. champion build team will receive an all-expense-paid trip to EICMA, Milan Motorcycle Show to see their motorcycle on display during the event, Nov. 7-10. They will have the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with the four remaining global builds for the title of Battle of the Kings World Champion.
