Dr. John A. Wittner of West Chester, PA, died on February 15, 2024. Wittner was a dentist, a legendary engineer of winning Moto Guzzi motorcycles, and a Vietnam veteran.
Wittner was well known and regarded for his virtuosity in achieving mechanical perfection both inside and outside of the dental office.
Wittner studied mechanical engineering at Lehigh University. He graduated with his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry from the University of Pennsylvania and formed a co-partnership with Dr. Bill Deal to create the Deal-Wittner Dental Health Group.
While co-owning a dental practice, Wittner continued to build motorcycles, honing his skills to create Moto Guzzis that set motorcycle racing records.
“One day, he reached a turning point while working on a friend and patient in the dental chair -- who encouraged him to take motorcycle racing from the local to the big time,” Wittner’s obituary notes.
Dr. John’s Team Moto Guzzi was born, and it progressed from dominating regional races to taking the 1984 American Motorcyclist Association National Endurance Racing Championship at the Daytona Firecracker 400, according to an article published by RoadRacing World & Motorcycle Technology on February 21.
Over the years, Wittner continued to engineer motorcycles in Italy, and his passion for creating the high-performoning Moto Guzzi motorcyles endured. Wittner was a Vietnam veteran.
