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AAFES honored as top seller of Harleys

It might surprise some Harley-Davidson fans, but the dealer with the highest sales of the venerable American motorcycle is the Army and Air Force Exchange Service.

Harley-Davidson recently presented AAFES with a pair of made-to-order Army and Air Force Harley gas tanks in recognition of the exchange service’s status as the top-selling retailer of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, outselling by far any other retailer in the world.

Through its Exchange New Car Sales program, AAFES sold more than 3,450 motorcycles overseas in 2006. In comparison, only five Harley-Davidson dealerships sold more than 1,500 motorcycles last year — and none hit the 2,000 sales mark, according to information provided by Harley-Davidson to AAFES officials.

Harley-Davidson and Exchange New Car Sales presented AAFES commander Brig. Gen. Keith Thurgood with the specialized gas tanks. Thurgood plans to place them on display area at AAFES headquarters in Dallas, said exchange service spokesman Chris Ward.

The Army gas tank features the official service seal on top, with a painting of tanks in the desert on the sides. The Air Force version features the service seal and a painting of fighter jets on the sides.

Authorized exchange customers living outside the U.S. on either permanent change-of-station, temporary duty, or other assignment orders for at least 30 consecutive days are eligible to buy vehicles through the Exchange New Car Sales program. Vehicles manufactured by Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Harley-Davidson and Buell are sold through the program. Troops can choose to have their vehicle delivered at most overseas duty locations, or to almost any location in the U.S.

The program also has developed a “Cycle Safe” program and provided training materials and DVDs to installation safety offices around the world. In addition, authorized exchange shoppers who purchase and take delivery of a motorcycle through ENCS are eligible for a reimbursement of up to $200 for an industry-approved Motorcycle Safety Foundation course.