A very happy customer column

A customer arrives at the local dump bike dealer. Obviously someone from the West. A gentleman. The neat early sixties is a bit skinny and has the looks of a civil servant called 'Droogstoppel'.

The entrant nods kindly to a pair of bellied men sitting on the bar stools in front of the counter. The bar stools are made from MZ buddies. Gerrit is behind the desk. A quiet man over XNUMX who has already seen all the European and Former Eastern Bloc dump engines from the Norwegian Nimbuses - there is one in the shop - by.

The latest addition, those are the Moto Guzzietjes that our boys have been keen on and a bunch of BMW R65 GSs from the Norwegian or Danish army. They have been used for off road training and have only ridden in the first three gears. The bins have not been refurbished. Fortunately, the lottery ticket also included a pallet of gearboxes.

The target group to which the visitor falls is clearly that of the “olle mopeds”, the light two-strokes. The DK Facts from before the war that were made after the war just like behind the Iron Curtain, in England and America. The man begins his story in exemplary ABN. Talks about his DK Fact with Calvinistic enthusiasm. Gerrit listens. The regulars are listening.

One of the two hangs forward interested: "Duttet?" he asks. Het Heertje looks a bit surprised. Asks neatly articulating, "What are you saying?" “Duttet? Luptet? ” The DKWrijder's face is a question mark. The sincere Achterhoeker gets it. He hangs forward en masse until his face is inches away from the diminutive figure and articulates as if talking to a blindfolded deaf-mute: “DOES ... HE ... DOES IT? IS HE RUNNING? ”

"Ah; so. He does it. He is walking. Only two nice hubs are missing. ” And he has been looking for them for ages. For years. And now he heard about the existence of Gekra through-via. Then he left immediately from Oegstgeest. On the rumor alone. The regulars nod appreciatively. The man is good. Only a Gelderlander can appreciate that much passion. These kinds of considerations are also clearly included in the pricing locally. Now that the language battle is over, the conversation starts. Gerrit looks at the couple like a proud father to his children, turns around, opens the authentic Animal anti-draft curtain and disappears into the depths of his stocks.

While the men at the counter are becoming more and more friends, he returns with two things, wrapped in cracking oil paper. They are not hubs. They are complete wheels. The imprint is just not in old Gothic, but the production date is proudly on it: “Herstellung 24 Mai 1948”. The Westerner almost falls off his chair. His voice falters. He comes as close to uninhibited emotion as his programming. “Wheels! Two wheels! Two new wheels !! ” The emotions fade away. The case is completed.

But then there is another misunderstanding. The wheels cost 150 euros. So, the happy Randst wing is putting three hundred euros on the counter. Gerrit imperturbably pushes back 150 euros. “You asked what the wheels cost. They cost 150 euros. Per couple of course. Because for a motorcycle you need two. ” No rights can be derived from the aforementioned price example.

(From: “Men, motorcycles and (some) girls)