The old motorcycling is back

Auto Motor Klassiek » Column » The old motorcycling is back
Purchasing classics there

The old motorcycling is back

A motorcyclist who had given names to the dust patches in his eternal student flat. A motorcyclist who pushed his motorcycle into his room, started it there and fell asleep. To the dismay of his roommates. The Norton also made a lot of noise on zero load with its Dunstall Decibel 'Red Cap' dampers. When the door was kicked in, the angry fellow residents saved the life of the snoring motorcyclist who was already well on his way to carbon monoxide poisoning. The parts dealer who was also the treasurer for his favorite brand club and used the club's money for his own trade. He received a beating twice a year for that. But he remained in office. Because nobody supplied parts as cheaply as XXXX did.

A ride to France that was driven all the way in jeans, a T-shirt and a flapping denim jacket. Sjoerd who, like a kind of Joe Bar pilot 1.0, always drove full throttle so that 'he was already over before anything could happen'. Sebastiaan popped a Simca 1100 at the back, flew over the roof, landed on the asphalt before the car… and was run over by the same Simca. Bert who only kept up with him because he was able to get through the corners faster with 'Matje' as a ballast than when he piloted solo. Alloys who from a higher sphere saw a VW Bus for a kangaroo and wanted to kill the beast.

Those are just some memories from an 40 + year-long motorcycle life.

Great all of them. Motorcycling then stood for youth, limited finances, thirst, sense of unplanned adventure and some scrapes and fractures. And as long as you were not too drunk to find your motorcycle you could take it home. That with what, what might now be called a 'lifestyle', what people disappeared from view? Oh well ... That was collateral damage. Sometimes you will find some friends from that time. And I have to say that it is still a different kind of motorcyclists than the knights of the road of today, almost radioactive fluorescent Kevlar. For old skool motorcyclists it is a staggering experience that all bikers go to the mineral water en masse during a meeting with modern motorbikes the night before the next day's tour. "Come. We're going to bed men. We have to go fresh tomorrow ". People who digitally plan a trip of the week per hectare marker and who crash themselves when their GPS collapses.

So what?

Doesn't a motorcyclist always have an ordinary card in his boot shaft or under his buddy? The tigers of that time, the baby boomers of today will no longer bring the adventure back to motor land. But the new generation of motorcyclists who were born in the Randstad and are steadily expanding, they all get it again. They don't have a bag of golden hand prints to wear out. But they buy, renovate and enjoy their own taste with appropriate, usually older Japanese engines. Engines that are technically okay but have no actual commercial value. That's how the old skool motorcyclists started.

And look at how many GSsen, Goldwings and Harleys that ended? In 020 and 010 you can see them dancing bravely through the urban bustle, the motorcyclists 2.0-M / V. Often they are even dressed trendy and if male, with neatly groomed savage beards. They drink specialty beers and are even vegetarian on a regular basis. But it is motorcyclists who are taking over the flag. They are the future classic enthusiasts. And before? In the past not everything was better. And the classic world is never lost.

But why are scramblers almost obliged to have a spring roll as a seat?

Bratstyle CB750 by Hammer from Steenwijk

REGISTER FOR FREE AND WE'LL SEND YOU OUR NEWSLETTER EVERY DAY WITH THE LATEST STORIES ABOUT CLASSIC CARS AND MOTORCYCLES

Select other newsletters if necessary

We won't send you spam! Read our privacy policy for more information.

If you like the article, please share it...

4 comments

  1. Sometimes I ride with my 40 year old Guzzi for a good cause. That's nice, Guzzi is enjoying it and so am I. In principle, I will not participate in the Distinguised Gentelman's Ride: in your neat suit on the bike! A lot is planned for beautiful rides: in any case, a permit has been applied for, the ride is set to the navigation, a few motorcyclists at every intersection to stop traffic, a broom wagon, and much more. In the past, routes arose spontaneously on the spot, for example a tour of the IJsselmeer and 10 minutes later we just hit the road. You did refuel on the road, you always had tools with you and the person who knew the way drove in front. Always went well and was great fun. If someone needed to refuel or was in dire need, they overtook the group, drove next to the front rider and pointed to his tank. Clearly. You also got lost regularly because, but you still saw a lot of the area. The disadvantage was that such a ride took endlessly and you never knew what time you got home. Bad luck on the road was one of those things. You just stopped by yourself, usually on the roadside and the rest did too. You solved the problem, because you knew your own motorcycle like the back of your hand, or the rest helped with good advice and usually after a pleasant hour the tour continued. A lot of sunny weekends went by and when we finally got back home, a barbeque was often spontaneously arranged with the person who had a garden. Always fun and back home at night. Yes, just on the bike.

  2. Those were good times; a crankshaft in your vice for the revision, (failed) with a soldering iron smoking in a can of two-stroke oil for the aroma and the screaming 250cc 6 cylinder by Mike Hailwood popping out of the speaker of your pickup. I wonder where the TT album went.
    Both my sons also work a lot, if something is broken they order it via the internet. Also nice. But different.

  3. Repairing your bike in the living room was normal. Gasoline smelled nice at the time and you carried it with you like a perfume. Cars can be pulled out easily with your motorcycle, but the average leasebak is quite smooth nowadays. Protective clothing? How so? You had a guardian angel and nobody drove like you, especially after you had a drink, your cornering got a lot better.

  4. There are a few of us old-timers left, who still regularly get caught and lowered with their bikes on their way to distant destinations without making a reservation or planning. Just tie your stuff on the bike and go. Sleeping in a tent on an air bed now gives us, on our old days, sometimes sore muscles and we now drink a little less beer and whiskey than before. We are still there, but we no longer see a new generation. Is it really over when we finally get off definitively?

Give a reaction

The email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

Maximum file size of upload: 8 MB. You can upload: afbeelding. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here