Once, a long time ago… Then there was the ANWB magazine Promotor. In the early days, the promoter had a pleasant, uninhibited, somewhat alert approach. The construction of the PromotorMotor fitted in with this. That was a fixer-upper bought on the Vehikel, a sloppy XS650. I was allowed to do the renovation completely to my own taste. More
When Honda started making 'mopeds', the British Builders raised an eyebrow a bit annoyed: “Weird guys, those Japanese. But luckily everyone sees that it is nothing and will become nothing.” More
While searching on the Internet under this historic brand ... you will come across very little about the OHVs. The sites of Ben van Helden and ours stand out the most. And that is strange for such a big brand. On the other hand, the entire production - and that was a lot of units - was intended for the home market, for the government and the civil service. More
After a conversation with a Flemish colleague, he jovially hit me on the shoulder: “But you are white? You are a real marginal! ” A scribbler in the margin. I saw it as a compliment and use the title as a badge of honor. In a world that is becoming increasingly dazed and in which € 600 is asked for an MV 1.000.000 four-cylinder. Where modern motorcycles are jubilantly presented as 'the ideal platform for your smartphone'? There I quit. And to my comfort, I am not the only refugee from that world. First out of a lack of money and later out of conviction, a few people and I, smiling mildly, chose to focus our love on classic underdogs. More
About a year ago I met a vague acquaintance. I remembered him as somberly seeking. Towards a relationship. “I thought I should get a dog to meet nice women. Then I looked after their dogs for two weeks during vacation from friends. That beast pissed in the house and killed a cat. ” More
Recently I saw a very neat 650 Yamaha XS1977 at a befriended advertiser. I dreamed away. Such an XS is one of the few motorcycles that I have ever bought new. That was after ending a courtship. More
Classic love can usually be traced back to your childhood, childhood dreams and nostalgia. The motorcycle of a family member, a neighbor or the motorcycle from a story from what was then the only Dutch motorcycle magazine: Het Weekblad Motor. That magazine was printed in black and white on newsprint. The 57th volume, issue 50 of December 11, 1970, cost 65 cents. And on the cover was a close up of the engine block of a Kawasaki 500 cc three-cylinder. Behind it was such a highly valued reader test under the heading '538.908 km with the 500 cc Kawasaki Mach III. More
Sidecar combinations are the best combination of the disadvantages of cars and motorcycles. You cannot pass between traffic jams and you still get wet. But where just about everyone gets into a car carefree, there is a widely held caution with regard to tricycles. More
During a visit – by car, because driving from Dieren to Genemuiden inside on a classic sidecar with 23 Russian horsepower was just too long a drive – to score some used parts at our Ural/Dnepr/M72 purveyor came up the following autumn. Russian sidecar combinations are now recognized wind and weather defying More
It was recently concluded: If your kickstart ankle is broken, then you are blessed with a classic with a start button. And you finally have time to put another engine in the 'squeeze'. A nicer engine. All of this also fits in well with the attention for self-build activities in the context of my recent More
Retro is modern. We go back to then. In 1969 BMW announced to the world that 50 DIN hp was the absolute highest safe power for a road motorcycle. The Honda CB750 Four delivered 67. After that it went fast. There was also the self-limitation to 100 hp imposed by the Germans. But the wind More
My classic Ural has been upgraded from toy to daily transport. We are still looking for a suitcase set for a Guzzi V65C. But as a daily driver, the Ural naturally does what it is made for: It provides transport. And offers a lot of space for the messages. More
