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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Andy Budden's new motorcycle has made him the talk of the town.

Yellowknifer Andy Buddem, left, accept the keys to his new Harley from Harley-Davidson technician instructor Walley Besler and Marg Mcuaig-Boyd, vice-president of GPRC Fairview Campus, in Fairview, Alta., on July 2. - photo courtesy of Grande Prairie Regional College

He won a 2010 FLSTSB Softail Cross Bones Harley-Davidson at the Grande Prairie Regional College annual Harley Davidson motorcycle draw on June 24.

Budden went back down to Alberta to pick up his prize over the Canada Day long weekend ... and has been beaming ever since. The Yellowknife resident, GPRC student, said his friends are "drooling" over the Harley and that his new motorcycle has the most comfortable ride he has ever experienced."

I'm definitely keeping it," he said. "I've put almost 400 km on it already."

The draw was held through the Fairview, Atla., branch of the college, which has been offering a certified Harley-Davidson mechanic course for the past 23 years.

"Andy purchased his winning ticket while he was working on completing his second year of his auto partsman apprenticeship here at Fairview," explained Beverley Candy, marketing manager for the college. "It was one of 499 that were sold."

Candy said Budden, who works at Kingland Ford and has lived in Yellowknife since he was 14, was ecstatic when he learned he'd won the prize – and Budden agrees.

"The bike is just beautiful -- when the sun hits it just right, it shimmers.

"Everyone is so jealous," he added with a laugh.

Budden has one more year to go at the college, and said he'll be sad when he's done.

"I've made a lot of good friends there."

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