Harley-Davidson has announced its official sponsorship of the BUILD Moto program beginning with the 2025 season. Through this sponsorship agreement, signed for the next three years, Harley-Davidson will provide items such as motorcycles, parts and accessories for the program, as well as provide access to additional support and manufacturing expertise.
The BUILD program, founded in 2011, is a 501(c)3 organization that allows high school students to learn valuable skills by building motorcycles to AMA off-road racing standards and then submitting their builds for judging. Students, guided by a faculty advisor and up to three mentors, learn design, welding, fabrication, repair, machining, media, and more while working on their bikes.
Each team holds fundraising events to support their project, and they must document their progress with photos and videos posted to social media. They are judged on design, execution and completion of milestones throughout the season, culminating in a bike launch and awards ceremony at the end.
“Our involvement with BUILD Moto demonstrates our commitment to STEAM learning and helping to train the next generation of designers, engineers, and career professionals,” said Shanna Beanan, STEAM Program Manager at Harley-Davidson. “Working with empowered high school students to create a race-ready bike is truly rewarding. It’s exciting to see their confidence grow during the build and showcase what they’ve learned as pit crew on race day.”
Participants in the 2024 season have received invitations to show off their motorcycles at the Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival at the newly opened Davidson Park in Milwaukee on July 25, 2024, at 11 a.m.
Those interested in getting involved with the BUILD Moto program can do so in a number of ways. Becoming a mentor allows you to work directly with students to build motorcycles. Working a booth at BUILD Moto events helps spread the word about the program. Volunteering at an event to help with parking, selling merchandise, or setting up/taking down can help the event run smoothly. If you are a subject matter expert, you can also provide one-time support to groups with your specific skills, either in person or online.
Sightseeing Build a Moto website to learn more, donate or find out how to get involved.
