Written by Andrew Jones
When you’re one of France’s oldest original-owner Harley-Davidson dealers and the company announces a custom competition entitled ?Battle of the Kings,? you better not take your entry lightly. With 30 years of history and a dealership smack bang in the middle of the nation’s capital, ATS Harley-Davidson Paris ?Bastille? knew they had much to lose should they enter the competition and not come out rulers. Keeping a level head, they gathered together a team of experts that only 30 years of experience could offer and took a brand new Softail Street Bob on a tour back through history. The result is a race-tinged bobber that’s bound to take the 2018 custom competition by storm.

?The shop was founded in 1985 and was originally focused on vintage Harley?s under the name ?Antique Trading Supply,? says shop spokesperson, Richard Clairefond. We rebranded as ATS Harley-Davidson Paris Bastille in 1987 upon becoming an official dealer. We now hold the honor of being part of the original generation of official H-D dealers in France. This year, we’re celebrating our 30 year anniversary, making us the longest operating original owner dealer in the country.?
Clearly a mix of genres, Rich was hard-pressed to define the bike’s style. Then we twisted his arm. ?I guess it’s a kind of flat tracking competition chopper,? he says. We’re not sure we’ve ever heard of such a thing, but seeing one in the flesh makes us w...