Harley-Davidson ANZ has officially announced the winner of its inaugural Custom Kings competition for 2025, and it’s a familiar name taking centre stage once again. John Cage has been Crowned Harley-Davidson ANZ Custom Kings Champion for 2025. Press: H-D ANZ.

John Cage has claimed the top prize with his stunning 1988 FXR Twin Cam conversion, backing up his victory in last year’s ‘Number One’ competition and cementing his place as a standout custom motorcycle builder in Australia and New Zealand.

Check out previous Custom Kings winning bikes here…

Following the overwhelming success of the 2024 contest, Harley-Davidson returned with a refreshed format, inviting custom Harley-Davidson owners across Australia and New Zealand to showcase their creativity and craftsmanship in four distinct categories, each representing a generation of Harley-Davidson powerplants.

Over 10,000 public votes were cast across the four rounds, with category winners then progressing to a final round judged by a heavyweight panel of experts…

Expert Custom Kings Panel

Yaniv Evan – Owner of Powerplant Motorcycles (West Hollywood, LA)
Dan Lesnock – Technical Lead, Harley-Davidson ANZ
Mick Withers – Owner and Editor of Heavy Duty Magazine
Miles ‘Pugs’ Rangeley – Owner and Editor of Live To Ride Magazine

The panel had the tough job of selecting an overall winner from the four finalists and it was Cage’s FXR build that ultimately took the crown. Check out the before (smashed) and after shots below…

“It’s an absolute honour and privilege to be judged by the public and the panel to become Harley-Davidson’s Custom Kings 2025 winner,” said Cage. “Congratulations to all the awesome bikes and finalists in the competition.”

Category Winning Bikes

Managing Director of Harley-Davidson ANZ, Nigel Keough, praised the quality and passion on display throughout the competition:

“It’s been awesome to witness the incredible craftsmanship that we have seen in this year’s Custom Kings competition—truly the best I’ve seen from our market,” Keough said. “A truly worthy winner in John Cage’s FXR custom masterpiece. Well done to all our category winners and all those Harley-Davidson enthusiasts that make something great into something incredible.”

2025 Custom Kings Results
Overall Winner
John Cage – 1988 Twin Cam conversion FXR

Category Winners
Round 1 (Vintage/Pre-Evolution): Sean Connolly – FX Shovelhead
Round 2 (Evolution): Mark Herbert – 1990 Fat Boy
Round 3 (Twin Cam): John Cage – 1988 FXR (TC Conversion)
Round 4 (Milwaukee Eight): Dave White – 2018 Breakout

With another successful competition in the books, Harley-Davidson ANZ has once again demonstrated the depth of talent and passion within the custom scene across Australia and New Zealand. BikeReview would like to congratulate all participants and we look forward to 2026! Check out BikeTorques here for more info, images and details on the 2025 comp.

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