EAST TROY, Wis. — Some Milwaukee Brewers fans wear their team pride. Others put it on display. But for two Wisconsin friends, that pride is rolling on two wheels.
Chris Gantner and Scotty Witthun have turned their excitement over the Brewers' World Series run into something you won't find at the team store: a custom-built miniature motorcycle decked out in blue and gold, complete with baseball-inspired details and tributes to some of the biggest names in Brewers history.
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The one-of-a-kind creation is more than a showpiece. For the men behind it, it's a celebration of baseball, friendship, craftsmanship, and the childhood memories that make being a Brewers fan so special.
A World Series run brings back childhood memories
For Gantner, watching the Brewers compete for a championship feels like stepping back in time.
He was just 10 years old when Milwaukee last reached the World Series in 1982. He remembers gathering with family to cheer on the team, sharing food and experiencing the excitement together.
"Everybody would get together at my grandparents' house, and we eat pizza and ice cream and watch the game, and it was exciting," Gantner recalled.
More than four decades later, that familiar feeling is back.
"I just like reliving 1982. Like it was — it was a different time. It was fun and exciting," Gantner said.
That nostalgia helped spark the idea for a motorcycle that could capture the excitement of the Brewers' latest championship run.
Gantner and Witthun decided the timing was too perfect to pass up.
"Hey, timing's right. Let's do this," Gantner recalled.
A little motorcycle with a lot of Milwaukee pride
For Witthun, building miniature motorcycles has been a passion for nearly three decades.
It started in 1996 when he wanted to give his young son something special.
"I built the first one for my son almost 30 years ago. It was 1996 for his 4th birthday. I wanted him to have a little Harley like mine," Witthun said.
What began as a gift for his son eventually grew into a much bigger venture. Over the years, he has built hundreds of miniature motorcycles, taking them to motorcycle rallies, festivals and sporting events.
His creations are designed to resemble full-size Harley-Davidson motorcycles, complete with chrome details, custom bodywork, and engines that produce a distinctive motorcycle sound.
For the Brewers edition, Witthun teamed up with Gantner, who brought his experience in motorcycle design and branding to the project. The collaboration turned an idea into a finished bike in a matter of days.
Witthun estimates the actual assembly took about 10 hours once the parts were gathered, although the project also involved custom painting, fabrication, and design work.
The result is a miniature motorcycle packed with details celebrating Milwaukee baseball. The blue-and-gold design includes Brewers graphics, references to the team's 1982 World Series appearance, and tributes to Bob Uecker and Bud Selig.
There's even a baseball serving as the gas cap.
"Probably the baseball for the gas cap; I love it. And actually, you can feel it. It actually feels like a baseball," Witthun said.
The bike also reflects another part of Milwaukee's identity: its long motorcycle-manufacturing history.
"My heart bleeds orange and black. I love Harley. It's all Milwaukee, you know, it's perfect," Witthun said.
Honoring the people who made Brewers history
For Gantner, designing the bike meant more than simply adding logos and team colors: he wanted the motorcycle to tell a story.
Early ideas included recognizing players from both the 1982 and current Brewers teams. But he eventually decided to focus on honoring figures whose contributions helped shape the franchise.
Among them is legendary broadcaster Bob Uecker, whose memory is honored on the motorcycle's custom chain guard. The bike also pays tribute to Bud Selig, who played a central role in bringing Major League Baseball back to Milwaukee.
For Gantner, those details help connect generations of Brewers fans, from those who remember the 1982 team to younger fans experiencing the excitement of a World Series run.
And the reaction has already exceeded his expectations.
Gantner shared photos online, hoping fellow fans would appreciate the creation. Instead, the post attracted enough attention to bring TMJ4 News to the workshop.
"I had no idea. I just put it out there and like, I am not a social media guy," Gantner said.
Witthun said people who have seen the finished bike are often surprised to learn it was custom-built rather than purchased.
Turning Brewers excitement into something bigger
The friends aren't planning to keep the motorcycle hidden away.
They hope to eventually take it around the Milwaukee area, potentially making an appearance near American Family Field so fans can see the details up close and take pictures.
Witthun also has a bigger goal for the creation: turning it into an opportunity to give back.
He hopes the motorcycle can eventually be auctioned to raise money for charity, with Make-A-Wish among the organizations he's considering in honor of Bob Uecker.
The auction is still an idea rather than a confirmed fundraising event, but Witthun believes the excitement surrounding the bike could help support a meaningful cause.
For him, the real reward is seeing how something so small can bring people together.
"I just want people to, you know, feel something with it, you know, and ... have a memory," Witthun said.
Gantner shares that hope.
"I just hope it puts a smile on their face and, like Scotty said, I hope it makes a connection to a memory they had," he said.
A small bike with big hopes
As the Brewers chase baseball's ultimate prize, Gantner and Witthun are celebrating the journey in their own creative way.
For Gantner, the championship run rekindles memories of watching baseball with his family more than 40 years ago. Now, through a little motorcycle and a lot of Milwaukee pride, he's hoping to help create new memories for others.
And while the Brewers are chasing a World Series title, these two friends hope their little bike leaves a big impact long after the final out.
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