A cool opportunity for trade school students to showcase their talents.

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For the first time, local trade school students partnered with Harley-Davidson^® dealers for a unique, real-world training opportunity: helping build the coolest custom motorcycles in the world in the “Battle of the Kings” competition.

Now, Harley-Davidson is calling on the public to help select the winner by voting for their favorites from April 15 to May 15 at H-D.com/BattleOfTheKings.

The “Battle of the Kings” competition highlights the endless possibilities to personalize Harley-Davidson motorcycles. It’s the largest dealer custom build bike competition in the world, showcasing Harley-Davidson’s leadership in customization. Since 2015, Battle of the Kings has created more than 500 custom bikes.

This year, U.S. trade school students were invited to join their local Harley-Davidson dealership for the builds, with the goal of inspiring the next generation of skilled tradespeople to join the world of motorcycling. Under the guidance of experienced Harley-Davidson mechanics, students from across the country were introduced to the creativity, customization prowess and technical precision of motorcycle customization.

“Harley-Davidson’s goal is to build the next generation of riders, and those new riders will need service technicians and customization experts to help them along the way,” said Heather Malenshek, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand. “Introducing trade school students to the unlimited possibilities of custom bike building will unlock their creativity and inspire them to think outside the box as they embark on their careers.”

Vote Now to Help Pick Winner

The public can vote from a selection of more than 40 rolling works of art featuring the latest in design, fit and finish created in partnership with the students of future automotive mechanics, designers and welders of America. Starting today, the first round of voting, called People’s Choice, is open at H-D.com/BattleOfTheKings.

See the builds from dealerships around the world by following #BattleOfTheKings on social media. For more information on the rules of the competition and to vote on the bikes, visit H-D.com/BattleOfTheKings.

The post Harley-Davidson Teams With Trade Schools For Bike Build Competition appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.

In the back of their minds, racers know how good their lives are overall, but sometimes a trip to visit those truly less fortunate than you is a wake-up call.

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Hayden Gillim is one of the fastest men on two wheels, but his passions span far beyond the race track which brings him to remote locations, searching for enlightenment and ways to help others.

Gillim set out on his adventure with two goals in mind. Climbing the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and providing solar lights to the local people of Nairobi, Kenya.

As you’ll see, Gillim faced countless trials and tribulations on his trek up to the summit of the mountain. However, his toughest test came when helping the local, underprivileged people of Nairobi and seeing the conditions they live in. Admittedly, Gillim says he returned from his trip with a renewed perspective, which he will incorporate to his racing, not taking anything for granted.

The post Pro Racer Hayden Gillim Travels To Africa To Tackle A Challenge Much Harder Than Racing appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.

King Kenny honored with a LE Supertech R boot by Alpinestars.

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The American MotoGP race weekend at the iconic Circuit of the Americas is a celebration of American racing, and no rider symbolizes success like three-time consecutive 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Kenny Roberts Sr.

The Californian is a racing icon: the first Amercian to win a Grand Prix motorcycling world championship, a two-time winner of the AMA Grand National Championship, and one of few riders to win the AMA Grand Slam.

King Kenny’s distinct riding style, honed on the dirt, redefined premier class motorcycle racing, with his kneedown style soon being adopted by the rest of the field.
King Kenny enjoyed 60 starts in 500cc racing, securing 24 wins, 44 podiums, 22 poles and 27 fastest laps as he dominated the class. Regarded as a legend of the modern era, the Kenny Roberts Sr. Limited Edition Supertech R recognizes King Kenny’s racing success, his revolutionary riding style and his bravery. Featuring all of the technical innovations of Alpinestars’ class-leading Supertech R boot, the special colorway allows fans to enjoy a distinctive, premium race boot fit for Champions.

Alpinestars’ most iconic road riding boot worn by a roster of the fastest world champions past and present, the Supertech R features performance innovations, including a redesigned compound rubber sole, an ergonomically profiled shin plate and a redesigned front flex area – all of which enhance the podium winning performance of this CE-certified boot.

CONSTRUCTION:

Technical microfiber upper construction offering superb levels of flexibility, while the lightweight rubber compound sole offers excellent grip and feel and allows for natural flex as the rider changes position and pressure on the foot-peg.

PROTECTION:

Newly designed external TPU shin protection is ergonomically shaped and wraps around to outer calf and is engineered to spread and dissipate impact energy across the entire surface while remaining compact, while the replaceable polymer heel plate slider protects from impact and reduces friction in the event of a crash.

INNER ANKLE BRACE SYSTEM:

Separate internal bio-mechanical ankle brace works with the outer structure of the boot to form a protective system allowing full and free movement of the foot, ankle and leg. New research has produced re-profiled double-hinged inner and outer torsion bars to give greater impact protection to the ankle by progressively absorbing flex and rotation stress, reducing pressure and hyper-extension injury to the lower leg joints.

MotoGP Technology for Alpinestars customers

First conceived at the end of the 1990s, the first generation Supertech boot was launched into the market in 2002 and immediately redefined the standards by which road racing footwear was measured – so revolutionary was its concept and construction.
Having been through multiple updates following constant development of every part of the boot, the Supertech R today represents the pinnacle of racing innovation for track and road use. Every component is meticulously engineered for high performance protection, precision and flexibility; technology used by Alpinestars athletes in MotoGP and WSBK, MotoAmerica, BSB and all other championships where Alpinestars riders are competing is available throughout its global dealership network ensuring that Alpinestars passes all the benefits of this development and track testing research directly to customers who enjoy the boots for their everyday riding on the road and track.

The post Alpinestars Releases Limited Edition Kenny Roberts Sr Supertech R Boot appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.