Harley-Davidson to Provide 102 Motorcycles for the 2000 Olympics
13 September 2000
Harley-Davidson to Provide 102 Motorcycles for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games; Scooters, Bicycles and Other Products Also to be ProvidedMILWAUKEE, Sept. 12 As Official Provider of Motorcycles to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Harley-Davidson will supply more than 100 of its Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycles for use in various activities during the Olympic and Paralympic Games beginning September 15, 2000. Sixty motorcycles will be used to transport approximately 200,000 rolls of film from Olympic Games venues outside of Sydney Olympic Park to the Park for processing. The motorcycles will be used as part of the UPS Film Transport Service to ensure that journalists can immediately provide worldwide Olympic fans with images they are anxious to see. In addition to providing motorcycles, Harley-Davidson is also supplying 154 bicycles from GT (the bicycles are licensed Harley-Davidson products), 60 All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) from Arctic Cat, 15 scooters from Piaggio and six off-road motorcycles from KTM to be used for a variety of purposes. Harley-Davidson arranged to purchase or lease the vehicles in order to provide a full range of products for use during the Olympic Games. Harley-Davidson also is supplying HJC helmets for all riders. "The vehicles and equipment that Harley-Davidson is providing are vital to the success of the Olympic Games," explained John Hevey, Vice President, Asia Pacific and Latin America. "They are being used in a variety of operations and in terrain that cannot be reached by other methods of transportation. In addition, the Harley-Davidson motorcycles used in the Film Transport Service, operated by United Parcel Service, will be integral in providing journalists the ability to meet deadlines and provide their audiences with spectacular Olympic images, which everyone is sure to appreciate." Bicycles, off-road motorcycles and ATVs will be used to transport people within the Sailing, Equestrian and Mountain Bike venues respectively. Lead riders in a variety of sports, including Mountain Biking, will use off-road motorcycles for transportation. ATVs will be used for general patrol and security at a number of Olympic Games venues. Scooters will be used throughout areas such as the Olympic Boulevard, where other vehicles will not have access. Some of Harley-Davidson's street motorcycles will be set up to allow camera crews to film road events such as cycling; others will be used to carry bicycle spares for cycling athletes during competition. Harley-Davidson has already supplied specially-designed police Road King motorcycles for use during the Olympic Torch Relay. Members of Australian police forces escorted more than 10,000 Torchbearers with the motorcycles, which covered more than 16,000 kilometers of Australia's rugged terrain.