Bartels’ Harley-Davidson: 40 Years of Bikes, BBQ’s and Burnouts

MARINA DEL REY - If you were anywhere near the 4100 block of Lincoln Boulevard on Saturday, June 17, you would have been hard-pressed to miss the unmistakable rumble and deafening roars of American-made V-Twin’s. 

Bartels’ Harley-Davidson was celebrating their 40th anniversary (and Harley’s 120th) with a mix of tire and BBQ smoke during their Custom Bike Show. The event attracted over 150 bikers and enthusiasts who participated in raffles, giveaways and a “People’s Choice” competition that included over a dozen custom Harley’s of every vintage. 

“The fact that it’s Harley’s 120th Anniversary and our 40th anniversary is crazy,” Taylor Austin, a Sales Representative and organizer of the event told the Current. “Knowing that we have been around for a third of Harley’s life is really cool.” 

Saturday’s festivities also included a pre-show canyon ride hosted by Westside Motorcycle Collective. Westside’s co-founder Anna Ogan told the Current their relationship with the Bartels began when her partner Tony Aldridge purchased a new Harley from the dealership in 2021. The positive experience resulted in a friendship, which quickly led to a partnership. According to their website, Westside firmly believes “that every rider should have the liberty to express themselves on the road, regardless of how their riding style may be perceived by others”. 

That spirit was put on full display by Bartels’ Service Technician Matt Swim, who hopped on his Dyna and put on a fantastic wheelie and burnout show to warm up the crowd before the award ceremony. 

Although it’s sprawling compound on Lincoln Blvd. now stands as a landmark for local bikers, the dealership had humble beginnings. In late 1983, avid Harley-Davidson racer and salesman, Bill Bartels, managed to convince the iconic American motorcycle firm to loan him $50,000 to open his own dealership in Culver City. In a video on the company’s YouTube channel, Bill is quoted as saying “[We] opened in Culver City because it was low-rent…we started with peanuts.” 

In those early days, the humble franchise, located in a 5,000 sq.ft. space on Washington Blvd. was barely paying the bills. “We were starving for the first few years,” says Bill's son and General Manager, Ron Bartels. “By 1988, we sold more Harley’s than anyone in the world.”

Apart from baby boomers prospering in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, a huge part of the resurgence in the legendary American brand can be directly attributed to Hollywood. “We became involved with the movie production companies…[and they] come to us for a reason,“ says co-owner, Forrest Nolin. “We produce the bike, it looks cool, it's different and it's done on time.” Nolin rattles off a list of big box office film titles including “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”, “Pulp Fiction” and “Wild Hogs.”

Even after their move to Marina Del Rey in the mid-nineties, Bartels’ proximity to the film and music industry made it one of the most popular stops for celebrities longing to live out that classic outlaw image of a leather-clad Marlon Brando in “The Wild One” or the freedom-loving Peter Fonda as Captain America in “Easy Rider.” 

“A lot of people that are famous are customers of ours,” says Nolin. Music legends from “piano man” Billy Joel to “rebel yeller” Billy Idol and movie stars from “The Governator” Arnold Schwarzenegger to the late “Good Fella” Ray Liotta, have all purchased their hog’s from Bartels’.

Austin, who recently purchased her first bike, a 2004 Dyna Low Rider from Bartels’ large pre-owned inventory, says a big part of the dealership’s success is due to a down-to-earth approach. She notes comments from buyers praising the staff as “the kind of team that you want to get a beer with.” Whether it be a superstar or scrub, Bartels’ is all about the rider. 

“A lot of our salesmen keep in contact with their customers and send them texts saying ‘hey what’s going on today?’ The customers really feel like we can take care of them and are people they can relate to. You know, someone you can go on a ride with.”