AMA Board Member Bill Werner

AMA Board Member Bill Werner Born: Milwaukee, Wis.,1944

First ride: A neighbor had a Harley-Davidson bagger, and he gave me a ride when I was about 9 years old.

Motorcycling experience: I’ve been riding and building bikes since age 16.

Life experience: Worked for H-D in the racing department from 1966 to 2004, and won a total of 13 Grand National No. 1 plates with riders Gary Scott, Jay Springsteen and Scott Parker. I’m now doing product consulting and race-bike development.

Proudest achievement: Raising two well-adjusted, successful children.

Why you ride: I like the feel of the bike under me.

Favorite current bike: Kawasaki 650 Ninja. It’s my current flat-track racing project bike, and I’m trying to make it do something that its manufacturer probably didn’t think it would be used for.

Best bike ever: 125cc Honda Benly Super Sport Racer, model CB92R. It was a cutting-edge bike available to the public for only $520. It was my absolute dream to one day own one. The dream never came true. I didn’t have the money.

AMA Member since: 1963.

Why you are an AMA Board member: To try to give back something to the sport of motorcycling.

The biggest challenge facing motorcycling: Land closures, and potentially road closures, due to unjustified negative biases toward motorcyclists.