Makers instead of buyers: In my early childhood I had two heroes: Cees Fick and Ab van Ginhoven. I 'knew' them from the weekly 'Motor'. Ab van Ginhoven and Cees Fick were 'makers'. Genetic technicians. Ab was the man who did groundbreaking research into currents and pulsations in inlet and outlet systems. To be Triumph T100 Tiger 'de Paladijn' was his test bed. And as a young boy I was immensely intrigued by the insanely long, obliquely sawn inlet cones on that machine ... By now I know the secret behind it ...
A kind of Willie Carrot
Cees Fick was of an even bigger order: without any prior training, the owner of a sock knitting factory made the most impressive engine blocks based on… well. He didn't really care. "Original is boring and it can always be better". Cees was one of the first Honda CB750 Four buyers in the Netherlands. And after three weeks he had the block in parts on his workbench ...
The Specials
De Triumph Paladijn only visited Motorblad Weekly a few times. The creations of Cees Fick were in the news with an irregular regularity. A Harley Liberator side valve with mounted Matchless head valve heads. A renovated Ariel Square Four, the Vincents Specials based on the engines of the accidental poet Jan Hanlo, Aermacchi racers with superimposed axles. When his son George started racing, it was the start of even a kind of 'series' of tuned (and enlarged to 500 cc) Honda racers based on CB72 and CB77 twins. They were for sale for change at the time. And Fick bought them from bushes. Cees Fick even made an 940 cc three-cylinder.
I found the Paladijn through a lot of searching
He currently lives in The Hague with the son of Ab van Ginhoven. And he will - if there is time - get all right again. And recently I spoke to George, the son of Cees Fick. It also has a few engines from the days that it raced. And a lot of documentation.
The conversations I had with 'the sons of' were pleasant. It was fantastic to hear the stories about the fathers.
At Auto Motor Klassiek is the story about the Paladijn in the planning
And the story about Cees Fick is being worked on. In addition, the question arose as to how many engines Cees Fick has made and how many are known or left of it. One Vincent was lost in a fire. Recently, one from a legacy has been released. The Ariel must still exist. The Harley with Matchless heads has been converted into a chopper. But the 'mass' of the engines? The Hondas? There are 'many' made of it.
I saw one at Hardenberg a while ago
That machine was once started as 250 cc and had become more doggy the hands of Fick to something of 600 cc. He was put away on foot, but destroyed by a couple of boys. The salesman had no idea of what he had. Could not do anything with it. Because he had looked at the machine and saw that there was nothing original about the block anymore. And he didn't have the skills of Cees Fick.
But there must still be Honda CBs grown by Fick in barns.
To forget. Broken. Cannot be repaired due to lack of knowledge and parts. Take a look in the shed to see if you have something like that. The Fick Specials will never be auctioned for tons at Sotheby's. But it would be funny to make a kind of register. And there are some special parts from the legacy of Cees. So look later in the shed and send an email if you think you have found a Fick Special covered in dust. Thanks, also on behalf of George, the son of Cees.
The secret to a good start
Beautiful story of a craftsman, not the most beautiful motorcycles, but technically high. just bought a fick with aermacchi motor for myself