A motorbike ride. And a link to Christmas

An industrial brewer recently presented a reborn budget beer: "A unique proposition that fits between a character-filled specialty beer and a thirst-quenching pilsner." Logo and style were translated to all 'touch points'. And if you think that only after consuming a lot of budget beer, people talk so stupidly ...

Marketing nag 2.0

At the presentation of the 2019 Harley-Davidson models, the Director of Styling said, "The valve covers look like metal skin is taut over thick muscle bundles."

Design smurfs and marketing Gargamels are the scourge of our time. They are beaters of crispy fried air and dream shops of the kind that may make 12 year olds hot. It used to be enough to put a scantily dressed copy of the nicer modeled sex on the brochure and to report that the engine in question was 170 kilometers per hour fast!

On Italian brochures, the girl was the prettiest and the top speed was a suggestion. British motorcycle folders presented beautiful young ladies, who we hope were considerably less susceptible to malfunction than the two-wheelers on which they were draped. Young ladies on BMWs were not promoted 'ex works'. Although there are examples that seem to prove the contrary.

In the meantime, everything must be 'differentiated'. Budget beer, valve lids, food, travel. The feasible life according to FB and Instagram. The 'Experience' of our motorcycle life. Our adventure and our freedom are seamlessly connected with The Internet, neck braces, airbag jacks, CE protectors, high-end motorcycle clothing systems, the choice of dozens of pre-programmed routes.

We are certainly not against progress. But we prefer to live with the tires on the ground instead of with our head in the cloud. Because if you don't get carried away by the issues of the day, motorcycling remains the most important side effect in life. 'Just go' is our advice. And if your father or grandfather could travel all over Europe with his motorcycle? Then such a now classic motorcycle should still be able to do that? He has gained enough experience in the meantime.

Donkeys with a cross on the back

For example, we had surfaced a stone chink on our classics that narrowed until he died at an old farm. In the hot afternoon sun, the heir dog did his best barking out of duty. Some donkeys looked interested about a fence. A bent old man came out of the farmhouse. He looked like eighty, but could have just been sixty. Hard work and lots of sun do weird things with people.

The farm turned out to be a parking space for the elder daughter's rental donkey fleet. In the meantime we had jacked up our mopeds and walked to the fence where the donkeys were behind. Donkeys are like classic motorcycles and women: They respond well to love, respect and attention.

Talking and scratching donkeys behind the ears it was mentioned that those donkeys had such a beautiful dark cross over their back and shoulders

"That is a sign from God," said the old farmer. “It's the St Andrew's Cross. Because when the Virgin Mary was pregnant with the Kindeke Jesus she was carried by a donkey. ”Look, that is information that you don't immediately find in Google. It was not entirely in line with the donkey sausage that we had seen at the local market. But there have been more things where there was a certain tension between the ideas of God and man.

We said goodbye. Turned around and bumped back. Our classics bore us well as the donkey Maria had worn. But there was still room in our inn.

We had not traveled through the desert, but had simply driven nice back roads. We were surprised later. And we were surprised. Now it was dinner time. That is why the TomToms and the Garmin were allowed to argue. Because where did we end up? No idea. But from the village where we would sleep? We had the name of that.

Before going to sleep, we looked at the map to see where we had been.
It was a great day.
And schedules?
We make it afterwards.