AMA Hall of Famer Dave Barr passes
Nobody quite exemplified the human spirit like Dave Barr, who — despite being a double amputee — circumnavigated the globe aboard various Harley-Davidson bikes.
Barr is one of the most noteworthy long-distance motorcyclists, writing several books about his adventures and earning a pair of Guinness World Records as a result of his travels. On Thursday, November 7, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer passed away. He was 72.
Born in 1952 in Los Angeles, Calif., Barr was the foster son of Guy and Lucille Barr — both of whom aided the United States’ efforts in World War II. Like his foster father, Barr became a military man, serving in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War before becoming a professional soldier and fighting for the South African Army in Angola in the early 1980s.
Between his services in Vietnam and Angola, Barr completed his first cross-country motorcycle journey aboard a 1961 Harley-Davidson Panhead. He later purchased a 1972 Harley-Davidson FX Super Glide for his travels.
While in Angola, Barr suffered a significant injury that resulted in the double amputation of his legs. While his military career ended shortly after his injury, his legendary run as a motorcyclist began.
Returning stateside in 1982, Barr refitted his Super Glide to accommodate prosthetics and hit the road with the dream of traveling the world and visiting the most extreme environments aboard two wheels.
From there, Barr completed transcontinental journeys through Africa, Europe, Australia and South America. Barr also rode in some of the most challenging environments, including the Chilean Andes Mountains, Australian Outback, Arctic Circle, and the Sahara Desert, among several other exotic locations.
Barr documented his incredible journeys with several novels, including Riding The Edge and Riding The Ice.
As a result of his incredible motorcycling career, Barr was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000.
The AMA and PSB extend condolences to Dave Barr’s family and friends.
