Call it motorcycle rental with some Hollywood glitz and glamour. Bartels’ Route 66 Riders is expanding its two-wheeled fleet and in turn, opening some historic tours for bikers.
Carrying over 150 late model Harley-Davidson’s and Indian motorcycles for rent to the public, as well as movie production studios, Route 66 Riders started with much less. Glenn Bartels, General Manager and Operator of the rental company Route 66 Riders, was one of the early pioneers of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle rental industry. If the name sounds familiar to West coast Harley riders, he comes from the legendary Bartels’ Harley-Davidson family of Los Angeles, California.
Bartels’ has been an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer since 1983. Known as “The shop of the stars” due to their A-List Hollywood celebrity clientele, such as George Clooney, Mel Gibson, Keanu Reeves, Zach Galifianakis, Carey Hart, Pink, Rutger Hauer, Scott Glen, and many more. Bartels’ Harley-Davidson has also been building custom Harleys, and racing motorcycles for over 30 years.
In 1994, Glenn started renting his four personal Harleys to international tourists, and the business grew annually until the rental fleet consisted of 160 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles by 2003.
Hosting international, travel-operators from all parts of the globe, but mostly from France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Australia, was the exciting way Bartels enjoyed spending his summers.
Shortly after the recession hit, from 2009 to 2012, most motorcycle manufacturers cut back their dealers’ funding options for rental programs, and Bartels was forced to scale back their rental fleet size to accommodate strictly retail rentals.
Route 66 Riders is now increasing its rental fleet in order to host the massive wholesale tour groups again. The new rental fleet now features both Harley and Indian motorcycles.
The luxurious, riding Indian Chief, and Road Master models, as well as popular, Harley-Davidson touring, models will feature stage one performance pipes. Special rates for groups of 10, 20, 30 or more riders will be available for summer 2017.
“The best part of my job is meeting our fellow motorcycle enthusiasts from every culture around the planet,” says Glenn Bartels.
