Honoring the Legacy of the Legendary Woody of Woody's Wheel Works: Rest in Peace, Woody!
Woody and his Woody's Wheel Works has long been a strong supporter of the Bonneville land speed racers of the British Motorcycle Association of Colorado (BMAC). His crew contributed to the building of the BMAC's original land speed motorcycle, "Sherm" that I now own and has earned 7 land speed records. Next they got me fixed up with new racing tires and repaired my wheels on my latest land speed motorcycle, the 1971 Honda CL350. And Woody is my racing sponsor! I only met him once and he so deeply touched my heart and filled it with love at a time when my 83 year old father was dying of cancer. "Legend" just doesn't reach far enough to describe Woody and the community he built. Rest in Peace, Woody.
Trautman Gregory "Woody" Witte
April 13, 1942 – October 16, 2023
Trautman was born in Munich, Germany during World War II to Herman and Waltraut Witte. His family was fortunate to emigrate to the United States in 1947 where they set to work building their own home in Hawthorne, New Jersey. During his childhood there and at their second home in Vermont, he was fascinated by small engines, trains, boats, and all things mechanical–a passion that would follow him throughout his life.
Following graduation from Hawthorne High, he received a coveted appointment to the US Naval Academy but ultimately became a Marine. He served in the US Marine Corps for 8 years, primarily stationed in Okinawa, Japan and El Toro, California where he was a language teacher and worked in aviation electronics. He loved his time in Japan and would forever be enamored with the food, culture, and people there.
Following the Corps, he enrolled in Chapman College (CA) where he received a degree in Psychology and Early Childhood Development. He used his degree to continue his love of teaching, as a teacher at a school for gifted and talented children.
During a trip across the country from California back to New Jersey, he stopped in Denver and fell in love. In 1972 he used his skills with small engines to land a role at Rink-a-Dinks motorcycle shop. On the side, he began racing, working on racer’s bikes and became a part of the community.
Woody built a network of avid motorcycle racers in the front range and co-founded the Mountain Roadracing Association (now the Motorcycle Roadracing Association or MRA). In 1973, Woody officially opened his business, Woody’s Wheel Works, with the goal of providing world-class wheel and front-end service to the moto-enthusiasts of Colorado. While the business grew quietly, Woody took his passion for education and engines and started a small-engine program at Denver Public Schools Career Education Center in 1975. Some of his students became racers, employees and lifelong friends.
In the late 70’s Woody was able to shift full-time to operating the Wheel Works. His proprietary “Superlace” system set him apart and Woody’s was the recipient of multiple Westword “Best of Denver” awards related to his motorcycle business. He set up shop in the garage behind his home in North Denver until relocating to the South Platte in the 1990s as his businesses grew.
A devastating motorcycle accident left a friend of his paralyzed from the waist down and while Woody originally focused on engineering hand controls to get his friend back on his bike, when winter came his attention turned to the ski slopes of Colorado.
Determining that the equipment options for disabled winter-sports athletes were inadequate, he set out to build a new sit-ski and a set of outriggers that would enable people of all ability levels to enjoy snowsports more fully and in greater control than that which existed in the 80’s.
His second business, Enabling Technologies, was born, and is still the market leader with dozens of paralympic medals to its name along with clients including a U.S. President, Olympic gold-medal winners, and countless children experiencing the joy of skiing for the first time.
Apart from his business pursuits, Woody was a man of many interests and he loved sharing his mechanical knowledge and passion for tinkering with anyone willing to join him. His talents were well utilized during the 1987 World Solar Challenge in Australia where Woody built the wheels used by the Paul Mitchell Solar Car Racing Team.
Woody’s entrepreneurial spirit extended to others and he deeply believed in the importance of small businesses and encouraging people to pursue their passions and ultimately excellence. He invested in, incubated, mentored, and coached a number of people in their business ventures including Aspen Seating, and daVinci Designs. His pursuit of EXCELLENCE was also evident on the race track where with his buddy Bruce Sass and other riders, they formed Team Spirit, and secured numerous #1 plates with the MRA.
He was also an avid sailor and was just at home captaining 40’ boats in the British Virgin Islands as he was in a small dinghy noodling around nearby Chatfield Dam. In many ways, Woody was a kid at heart and held on to child-like wonder for his passions. He loved model boats and engines and model planes as much as the life-sized ones he worked on. He had a sense of passion and nostalgia for toy boats and old airplanes –often working with groups (or on his own) to help restore everything from wheels on WWI planes to the tiniest metal boat engine from the 40’s.
Later in life, he found many kindred spirits in the ADV Rider community of globe-trotting motorcycle riders who looked to Woody’s vast expertise to build them the finest wheels that would carry them on the world's toughest journeys.
He relished the chance to offer his new connections a place to crash on their journeys, have a meal and a beer or two, and trade stories. In 2008, Woody was named one of Denver’s “Unsung Heroes” in honor of his contributions to the greater Denver community.
Woody, at his core, was a curious person who loved finding ways to improve-upon, innovate, or challenge the status quo. He was a lifelong educator whether in a classroom in the Corps, teaching small engine mechanics at the CEC, or to the hundreds of people who learned how to ride a motorcycle from Woody's personal coaching while jogging alongside them. He was generous with his resources, his time, and his boundless energy.
While we don’t expect Woody to have thought these words have done him any real justice, his family would like to thank the many people who brought joy and love to Woody during his adventure of life.
May his memory live on.
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Woody received last rites from Father Vincent Nguyen of St. Gianna Beretta Molla Catholic Church and loving encouragement from devoted family members to reunite with predeceased loved ones: Parents Herman and Waltraut Witte and baby sister Ute. Woody is survived by his partner, Valerie Witte of Littleton, CO, sister Linde Lutz (Carl) of Leicester, NC; four children: Heather Metzger (Geoff) of Springfield, VA; Shelly Ransom (Noel) of Orlando, FL; Chris Witte (Melissa) of Denver, CO; and Amanda Witte (Jesse Howe) of Lusby, MD. He is also survived by his five grandchildren Calvin and Isabel Ransom, Silas Metzger, Julian Howe, and Topher Witte; his nieces and nephew Regina, Rudi, and Benita Ciarfella.
Woody received incredible care from his dear friend Paul Hefferon, and from his professional nurse Margaret Turner and her compassionate team at Elevation Hospice. We are eternally grateful.
In lieu of flowers, if you would like to honor Woody with a financial gift, please consider contributing to one of the organizations Woody felt near and dear:
Father Vincent Nguyen's mission to build a new church in Aurora, Colorado: https://membership.faithdirect.net/givenow/CO950/48233
Motorcycle Relief Project, a 501c3 non profit that provides relief to veterans and first responders with PTSD and other related issues by taking them on structured week-long adventure motorcycle relief rides: www.motorelief.org/
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