The students participating in the 2014 Sturgis Buffalo Chip® Student Build Challenge™ certainly have their work cut out for them. Class officially started for this enterprising group of Sturgis Brown High School students on Monday, Jan. 6, and already the motorcycle project has turned into an intense race against the clock.
From the time the bell rang during the first class, the students were faced with a grueling schedule that gave them until only March 1 to turn their 2014 Harley-Davidson® Street Glide into a one-of-a-kind custom. The completed bike will make appearances at several bike events during the month of March, including Daytona Bike Week and the renowned Donnie Smith Bike Show, where it will compete against bikes from the motorcycle industry’s top builders.
A 49-day timeframe alone would be enough to scare away even ambitious seasoned builders. Plus the students face an additional hurdle that could slow their momentum. Because they are working on a brand new Street Glide, most of the custom parts needed haven’t even been developed yet.
“The big deal is that Harley Davidson has changed the entire program on the ’14 compared to the ’13 and years before that,” says student mentor, Keith Terry. “So we’re running into all kinds of parts that we have to figure out how to make just so they’ll fit on the bike.”
The students participating in this year’s motorcycle mentorship project also have a tough act to follow, but they are hoping to keep up the pace. Last year’s class set a precedent when their custom Road Glide won first place in the Full Custom Bagger Open Class and Overall Best Display at the renowned Donnie Smith Bike Show. The bike also took first place in the Full Custom Bagger category and won Best Custom Paint Job at the Black Hills Bike Show.
The students will work under the instruction of industry veterans, Keith Terry of Terry Components and Randy and Nick Cramer of Dakota V-Twin, to learn the state-of-the-art techniques needed to transform their bike into an award-winning custom. The stock 2014 Street Glide was generously sponsored by Black Hills Harley-Davidson and will be customized with world-class parts sponsored by the industry’s top manufacturers.
The completed Student Build Challenge creation will then be auctioned off during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in support of the Buffalo Chip’s annual Legends Ride® charity event on Aug. 4, 2014.
With the pressure on and little margin for error, will these students be able to reach their goal in time? Find out by following the build on the Legends Ride Facebook page.
Special thanks to the sponsors and motorcycle industry leaders who make the Student Build Challenge possible: Sturgis Brown High School, Keith Terry, Terry Components, Randy and Nick Cramer, Dakota V-Twin, Black Hills Harley-Davidson, Arlen Ness Enterprises, Baggster, CP Carillo, Dakota Digital, Diamond Fasteners, Dirty Bird Concepts, Feuling Parts, Handy Industries, Hawg Halters, Hot Leathers, Howard Knight, KICKER Audio, Legend Suspensions, R.C. Components, Thunder Cycle Design, Trask Performance, Jacob Van Kampen and Vee Rubber America.
