Hi, my name is Bart Grelinger, and I have been fascinated with mechanical motion for as long as I can remember. If it had wheels or a motor, you had my attention.
I grew up in a small farming community in northern Kansas. I started riding when I was about 8 and loved the freedom it offered. The world briefly slips away, leaving only you and the machine. I have owned a motorcycle all but 1 -2 years since age 12. I joined the local AMCA chapter and was soon chapter president. This position has its perks, such as hearing about a treasured find early, so my collection started to grow. Initially, I rode older bikes because I could not afford anything else. You became your own mechanic out of necessity due to a lack of funds. During my career, maintenance, and riding motorcycles were a form of therapy for me.
I have come to marvel at the simplicity and brilliance in the myriads of mechanical designs in these pioneering machines. The designers, engineers, and manufacturers who are truly artisans. Each machine is a work of art. Nothing displays this more than the early machines which were born through dirty, calloused, deft hands. The ‘assembly line’ was yet to find print in a dictionary.
I was blessed to crew for the Barn Guy’s Garage/Bill and Billy Page in the 2021 Cannonball, finished fourth in the 2022 Cross Country Chase, and will throw my hat in the ring for the first Trans American Motorcycle Endurance Run. Bill Page dubbed me “Dr. Bart” and I will be riding a 1925 Harley Davidson JD. Excitement already disturbs my sleep.