The heat hits my brain: in the past ... Harley

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Purchasing classics there

About thirty years ago it was once that hot. It looked like Africa. Just like now. At that time I had a little more money than now and shovelhead blocks were not worth much. Did I mention it was so hot? But otherwise they were really different times.

Build your own Harley

Isn't building your own Harley something we've all dreamed of? I knew Ger Dijkshoorn, who was then world-famous in Utrecht (who subsequently went global with her ProStreet frames and side valve specialization) from diving. Ger belongs to the type of men whose production has since been stopped by the government. Because at the time, Ger was living according to his mind and own ideas. Not according to the rules. Or if it still had to be arranged: then it happened according to its own, sometimes unique, rules. He has become milder in the meantime.

If I had a couple of nudges at the time of my Harley construction time, I would go to Ger.

A big Camaro

When I was there once doubting about a great link where Ger just asked 150 guilder for it seemed like a thunderstorm rolled into Amalia Street. The source of the storm stopped in front of Ger's store. It was a dark black Chevrolet Camaro with Antilian glass, a very thick V8, open pipes, double-wide tires and a closed tandem axle behind it. A tall, boneless young man in a wide-falling T-shirt emerged. He entered the workshop / store. “Hi Ger. Is my motorcycle ready? ”Ger nodded and pointed to the back of the case. "What do you get from me?"

The price was agreed

"Let's round it out to forty-two half." I dreamed away. What could I do about my project for 4.250 guilders? The skinny youth nodded and grabbed under his t-shirt. He had an impressive pile of money in his hand and started counting. The counting stopped at forty-three Thousand guilders. "It's fine this way". The assistant cleaner and assistant mechanic in training was instructed to put the engine in the tandem axle.

In the meantime, Ger and the customer enjoyed a pleasant chat

The assistant came back and received a hundred guilders for the effort. The satisfied customer said goodbye, got into his Camaro and thundered away. I looked at Ger gloomily. “Am I doubting here about a link from the 150 peak with which you are damaging me? When such a young person comes in such a car, he ticks 43 mille. Ger, what do I do? "Ger slapped me on the shoulder:" Dick, you're doing a lot more wrong than you think! He has a benefit! "

That must have been about thirty years ago

Much has changed in the meantime. Also in Utrecht. The tension between nationalities was already starting to grow. Because then Muslim women and Muslims all received subsidized swimming lessons. Ger's brush and wipe helper, a born and raised 'neighborhood C'er', also wanted to learn to dive. But therefore had to learn how to swim first. All place for swimming lessons turned out to be forgiven in the context of integration courses. Two days later Ger again called De Hommel. The story was that he had hired a boy because he thought it was his civil duty. But he foresaw the danger of drowning for his staff, because the Jut phase road is close to the Amaliastraat and the Jutfaseweg is on the water.

The small difference.

The lady on the phone again reported that all lessons were taken. Ger spoke angrily. "So if I hire a young foreigner and he drowns, is that because you are not giving swimming lessons ?!" is. I'll have a look! ”There was room. Same week. And what about the young Dennis, whose name was very flexible? He learned to swim among the Muslim women. Of course the M / V lifeguards saw that he did not come from the Rif Mountains or from Anatolia or Ivory Coast. But nobody bothered about it.

This way Dennis learned to swim free of charge. And Dennis thought it was great. "All very charming young ladies with a very friendly appearance!". Dennis actually used his own unique Utrecht vocabulary. But this is about what he meant. See, integration worked like this. With a little bit of goodwill and flexibility from both sides. Beautiful.

Your own house

The Harley was RDW ready when I sold it. Own money was needed to buy a house. I once saw the skinny Camaro driver on TV again. And I recently had Ger Dijkshoorn on the phone again. He was working on a side valve for a customer in Singapore. And I? I have never had the money to make a hard tail Harley again. But I did make the DAFding and the Yamahalf. Also nice.

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