HARLEY-DAVIDSON JUDGEMENT DAY III WRAP

Open to Harley-Davidson dealerships throughout Australia and New Zealand, Judgement Day attracted a diverse array if entries. And, in a welcome break from the past two events, the major prize went to an Aussie entry.

The past two Judgement Day competitions were won by Rolling Thunder Motorcycles from Christchurch, New Zealand. This time around, the major award for 'Best Overall Customisation' went to Morgan & Wacker for their standout creation - Hold Fast.

The Brisbane-based Harley-Davidson dealer got the nod from the judging panel made up of Harley-sponsored stunt rider, Matt Mingay; Live to Ride magazine's Greg 'Loaf' Risk; Barry Goodwin from Men's Health magazine; and Craig Duff from News Limited's Cars Guide.

Entries were judged on originality, style and creativity of customisation, as well as the use of Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories, including both cosmetic and mechanical upgrades, paint work and the cost of customisation. Hold Fast was judged to have best executed the Judgement Day III theme of 'freedom of expression' and 'tattoo culture'.

Whereas past Judgement Days had been limited to a specific Harley-Davidson model, this third version was open to any bike in the Softail family. Morgan & Wacker Brisbane chose Harley's Fat Boy Lo as the basis for Hold Fast.

WINNER - Best Overall Customisation 'HOLD FAST' - Morgan & Wacker Brisbane

Morgan & Wacker see parallels between "hold fast" - the classic sailor's slogan and tattoo, and Harley-Davidson culture - hold fast to your handlebars and your tyres hold fast to the road.

Standout features on this winning custom included the striking airbrushed electric green paint on the tank and guards, with skull, snake and rose motifs inspired by classic sailor-style tattoos in a smoky green and black finish. The sides of the guards and top of the tank are adorned with subtle grey lace paintwork, while the tank itself features a leather centre panel with relief skull detailing.

Hold Fast also features a myriad of Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories bolt-on parts from Harley-Davidson's 'Burst' (headlight trim, derby cover, cam cover, rocker cover and more) and 'Edge Cut' (mirrors, levers and pedals) collections.

The H-D Brawler seat is a good choice, as its subtle shape and lack of trim detailing don't detract from the paint and other accessories. Similarly, the Diamond fuel gauge complements the lace paint detail. A Freedom Outlaw exhaust, with old-school exhaust wrap, is the finishing touch.

Morgan and Wacker General Manager, Paul Lewis, commented on the major win: "Harley-Davidson has a rich culture of customisation; the brand sets the bar high, which means you're competing with the best in the business.

"It's truly a great honour to be crowned the king of customisation in this competition. The Judgement Day III award recognises the hard work and creativity we put into our customisation projects."

WINNER - Best Paint 'WOODY' - Fraser Motorcycles, Wollongong

For their Judgement Day III entry, Fraser M/C Wollongong chose the Softail Slim as the basis for 'Woody,' which was a deserving winner of the award for Best Paint.

Dutchy from Dutchy's Spray Art was responsible for the two-tone deep metallic brown and stunning woodgrain finish detailing, which was all hand-detailed. The old-school timber-replica paint suggests the woody surf wagons of old, with the classic cartoon-style icons and imagery, also hand-painted, adding to the retro feel.

For the 'tattoo-culture' requirement, Fraser's took a slightly different tack, adorning the rear guard with a hand-painted image of Popeye, while a 50s cheesecake pinup graces the tank, and the Clay Smith Cams 'woodpecker' logo graces the front guard.

Inspired by Americana, Fraser's creation also features a retro-style brown leather spring saddle, leather downtube bag and swingarm bag, all from the H-D Genuine Parts & Accessories catalogue.

Finishing touches include fat whitewall tyres (with rims in the same deep metallic brown as the tinware) and a beefy 2-into-1 Freedom Outlaw exhaust system. With its matte black end can, this is a good complement to Woody's "Americana" look.

Fraser Motorcycles (Wollongong) General Manager, Mitchell Clarke said: "Tattoo culture and freedom of expression are synonymous with Harley-Davidson, so reflecting this in the paint we designed for Judgement Day III was a challenge we duly accepted.

"We wanted to create something fun and unique so are thrilled that we were able to create an award-winning design which uniquely sets this bike apart."

WINNER - Best Low Budget Customisation 'RUM SMUGGLER' - Fraser Motorcycles, Sydney

A double award for the Fraser's family saw the Sydney dealership pick up the Best Low Budget Customisation trophy for 'Rum Smuggler,' which, like Woody, was also based on the Softail Slim.

The old-school bobber look of Rum Smuggler was achieved through some subtle, yet effective modifications.

Overall, the design adopts a blacked-out, minimalist image. Black rims and hubs, as well as black shorty mufflers, headlamp shell, grips and levers add to the overall subdued look, with the de-badged tank and traditional skull and crossbones decoration (on the tank and rear guard) adding a subtle, yet suitable touch.

Features include a brown-leather spring seat, leather swingarm bag, floating brake discs, turn signal relocation kit, exhaust heat wrap, billet axle covers and more, all sourced from the Genuine Parts & Accessories catalogue.

Other touches include the 'Rum Smuggler XXX' name hand-stamped onto the engine cover, 'XXX' jugs painted on the oil tank, and even a bottle of hooch poking out of the swingarm bag!

Greg Ryan, General Manager for Fraser Motorcycles (Sydney) said: "It is fantastic to be a Judgement Day III winner and be part of an exclusive group of dealerships that share the title. We pride ourselves on our custom treatments and are honoured that this was recognised by the judges."

39 individual entries were received this year, all showing an individual take on the Judgement Day III theme. Some entries mimicked the look of classic post-War bobbers, while others moved forward a few decades to find inspiration in the 70s. Others applied some more modern thinking to create bagger-style customs, while a few Judgement Day III entrants defied categorisation altogether!

"The [Judgement Day III] competition was extremely competitive this year, with every entry receiving exceptional scores," said Adam Wright, Director of Marketing for Harley-Davidson Australia and New Zealand.

"It is a testament to the creativity and workmanship of all our dealers that our judging panel were so tasked in arriving at a decision.

"We would like to extend our congratulations to the teams at Morgan and Wacker and Fraser Motorcycles in both Wollongong and Sydney. Their efforts in creating three very special customisations that perfectly reflect the competition themes were rightfully rewarded. Each design is the very essence of Harley-Davidson and what we stand for."

Hold Fast, Woody, Rum Smuggler and all the bikes entered for Judgement Day III can be viewed at www.harleyjudgementday.com.au