As a tribute to Harley riders who served in the United States military or are still in service, Harley-Davidson has launched the limited-edition GI Enthusiast Collection, a signature Pan America 1250 Special and Tri Glide Ultra.
Harley-Davidson this week unveiled its new Enthusiast Collection, an ongoing line of custom-painted Harley-Davidson motorcycles created to celebrate the unique backgrounds and special interests of riders within the Harley-Davidson community.
Each design from the Enthusiast Collection is launched annually and is available in limited quantities in a curated selection of motorcycle models.
“The Enthusiast Collection bikes are inspired by Harley-Davidson riders and their unique stories,” explains Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson. “Harley-Davidson is proud to launch this program with the GI Enthusiast Collection, which honors the legacy of Harley-Davidson riders who have served or actively served in the United States Armed Forces.”
To commemorate the launch, two American veterans, Gary Wetzel and Brian “Amarok” Critton, will be awarded the GI Enthusiast Collection. Wetzel has been awarded a Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in the Vietnam War after his US Army helicopter was shot down and came under heavy enemy fire. Seriously wounded, he continued to fight back and help other wounded soldiers. He is an avid Harley-Davidson rider and veterans’ issues activist.
Critton served in the United States military for ten years, including conscription in Iraq, and is now active in veteran service organizations such as the Wounded Warrior Project. In March, he was riding a Harley to a Muay Thai rally in Jacksonville to help veterans cope with PTSD when he saw smoke billowing from a car involved in a three-vehicle accident just before.
He instinctively sprang into action as others watched as he pulled a woman from the burning car. These two Harley riders exemplify the spirit of Harley-Davidson Enthusiasts.
The GI Enthusiast Collection is draped in beautiful Mineral Green Denim Deluxe lacquer, an all-new color created especially for this collection and complemented by military-service-inspired graphics. The GI Enthusiast Collection is available ex works for the Pan America 1250 Special and Tri Glide Ultra models only, in limited quantities and primarily for the US market.
“The new Mineral Green Denim Deluxe paint is a tribute to the Olive Drab paint used on Harley-Davidson WLA models,” said Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Design. “This color has a metallic effect, resulting in a subtle golden highlight, making the color transition more dramatic and showing the shape of the surface.
“The tank graphic celebrates the iconic white five-point star, which was used on military vehicles during World War II,” added Richards. “The tank image also includes a stenciled ‘HD’ and abbreviated location of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, inspired by the spec tags found on government-issued military equipment. The stencilled approach is a treatment often found on military vehicles, as lettering was often done in the field. Here we mention the birthplace of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company and the original WLA model.”
– Thanks for information from Motorfreaks.