Everyone knows that English motorcycles always broke down, got electrical infarctions and leaked oil. Everyone knows that all Italian motorcycles have fantastic steering, but had bad chrome and bad electricity. Everyone knows that reliability and quality were invented in Germany and that the name BMW was given to it. And then there is of course the general knowledge about former East block motorcycles such as Dnepr, CZ, Jawa, MZ and Ural. In addition, clones of Jawas and Enfields have been made in India, and they were also nothing.
Everyone always knows everything
But what if you keep all those facts to the test of reality? It is not for nothing that the British motorcycle industry was once the largest in the world because the best motorcycles came from England. And Italians go for beauty and sometimes lose some practical things from it too. But with proper maintenance, an Italian motorcycle could also be impressively steadfast. At Moto Guzzies V7 it was already stated in the book of requirements that the block 'should have a ton'. And all those under esteemed former Eastern blockers have provided a lot of mobility for decades, while in the first half of the 60 years, Jawa was also a motorcycle where you could be seen on. And that a former employee of MZ has taught the Suzuki to run.
The reputation of brands often began to decline at a later stage
That was because manufacturers got into trouble (big books have been written about such as “Shooting Star: The Rise & Fall of the British Motorcycle Industry”), riders got younger and their bikes got older. In Russia, the same motorcycles were built on the same production lines for decades. The now very sought after BMW copy, the M72, was - almost - as good as its example. Forty years later, motorcycles were still being made with the same machines in the same factory.
Nothing had been done about the production equipment, the alloys and the steel quality and all other incidental matters had only diminished. That was - in 1989 - the moment that someone and a new Dnepr offered to the RDW for inspection. All the welds of that sidecar combination were only attached. And so you get the best stories for birthdays and parties.
It is all that bad
For us, classic enthusiasts, that drink and birthday talk is no longer relevant. Our engines are generally cherished and in good condition. So employable. Of course they have their limitations. Because they are old and dated. For a Triumph T150 owner it is not strange to set the valves, the ignition and the carburation every 2500 km. But we know a T150 owner who, after the last revision of his block, has already had 70.000 trouble-free kilometers.
Simply: nice drive
That's why it's nice to note that our classics are increasingly allowed to do what they are made for: driving. There is a growing number of owners of modern motorcycles who go on holiday with their motorbike to beautiful steering areas. They tie their two-wheeler than on a trailer and blow over the Autobahn to Austria, France or Italy. There their pride may trot.
But there are more and more classic enthusiasts who realize how much fun it is to drive all the way through the Meuse valley to the west side of the Ardennes. Drive to the Ruhrgebiet. Or Zeeland Flanders and Flanders 'do'. And what if you do ten hours on tight 350 kilometers? That is absolutely great! Maybe there will be a couple of beautiful weekends this fall!
