- Title: UK: HARLEY DAVIDSON BIKES EXHIBITED AT ART CENTRE.
- Date: 22nd January 1998
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JANUARY 22, 1998) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV: EXTERIOR OF BARBICAN ART CENTRE 0.09 2. GV/TILT: EXHIBITION POSTER SAYING "THE ART OF HARLEY"/ WORLD WAR ll BIKE 0.13 3. GV: EARLY "BOBBER" BIKE WITH MARLON BRANDO POSTER 0.17 4. CU: CLOSE-UP PETROL TANK WITH HARLEY DAVIDSON INSIGNIA 0.22 5. GV/CU: "EASY RIDER" REPLICA BIKE WITH STARS AND STRIPES AMERICAN FLAG PAINTED ON (3 SHOTS) 0.37 6. TV: WIDE OF EXHIBITION HALL WITH BIKES IN ROWS 0.40 7. CU/MV: ARLEN NESS' "FERRARI" BIKE IN BRIGHT RED/ ARLEN NESS' "TWO BAD" BIKE WITH TWO ENGINES, FOUR OIL TANKS AND A LABYRINTH OF EXHAUST PIPES (4 SHOTS) 1.05 8. MV/CU: BIKES BEING CLEANED AND POLISHED (3 SHOTS) 1.17 9. CU: EXHIBITION ORGANISER CONRAD BODMAN SAYING "WELL I THINK THE HARLEY HAS ACHIEVED A GREAT STATUS OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF CUSTOMISING. THESE BIKES ARE INDIVIDUAL TAILOR MADE AND ARE GREAT WORKS OF ART COVERED IN FANTASTIC PAINTWORK, SHINING CHROME AND BEAUTIFUL ENGINEERING. OF COURSE THE ENGINEERING IS THE FOCAL POINT OF THE BIKES. THE V-TWIN ENGINE BEING WHAT MAKES A HARLEY UNIQUE (ENGLISH) 1.38 10. GV/CU: TRIBUTE TO STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN (BLUES GUITARIST) BIKE WITH PAINTING OF VAUGHAN, JIMI HENDRIX AND JOHNNY WINTER ON PETROL TANK (4 SHOTS) 1.56 11. GV/CU: MEDUSA BIKE (3 SHOTS) 2.05 12. GV: BRIGHT YELLOW AND RED DESIGNED BIKE 2.10 13. CU/GV: SUTTLE 1993 ULTRA CLASSIC ELECTRA GLIDE BIKE BY GEORGE SAVAGE WITH FLASHING LIGHTS (4 SHOTS) 2.31 Initials S.3 - P.3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 6th February 1998 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVAEBE39J9412D7JZUQWQRU6VMIX
- Story Text: INTRO: One of the world's most famous makes of motorbikes is being celebrated in London...at an art gallery. It is hoped the exhibition - the first of its kind - will attract art lovers as well as bikers.
When William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson began making motorbikes in a tiny wooden shed in Milwaukee in the United States nearly a hundred years ago they could never have guessed their names would end up in an art gallery.
But such has been the cultural influence of Harley-Davidson in the 20th century that thirty of America and Europe's best customised bikes are on show at an art exhibition in London which opened on Thursday (January 22).
In the 1940's riots between rival gangs in the United States inspired producer Stanley Kramer to make a movie starring Marlon Brando called "The Wild One".
Later, Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper teamed up for Easy Rider, perhaps the most famous film about bikers ever made.
The industry grew quickly during the 1950's and 60's.
Best-known among America's custom bike builders is Arlen Ness who produced what is described as a two-wheeled interpretation of a four-wheeled design with his "Ferrari" bike.
But his most amibitious bike has to be "Two Bad" which features two 900cc Harley-Davidson Sportster engines, two carburettors, four oil tanks and one central hub steering system like that used in a car. It also has an exhaust system which has been likened to a "basket of snakes".
Exhibition organiser Conrad Bodman describes Harley-Davidson bikes as great works of art with fantastic paintwork, chrome and beautiful engineering.
Also in the exhibition is Nicolas Chauvin's tribute to the blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. On the bike's petrol tank is a painting featuring Vaughan and fellow musicians Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Winter.
The design used 15 layers of fluorescent candy paint and took two months to complete.
There are two bikes designed by women - "Medusa" is the work of Ray Hill, an American now living in Stockholm and recognised as one of Sweden's most talented painters.
But arguably the star of the show is the 1993 Ultra Classic Electra Glide bike known as "Suttle" which boasts 500 different lights and recently won "Best Bike" at the 1997 Harley Owners Group rally in Norway.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
