In 1970 I bought the weekly magazine Motor every week. Printed in black and white on newsprint. The owner of the bookshop had a dark green BMW R60 with E-Glass make-up and Hoske mufflers. The June issue of Motor from 1970 featured an article about 'the Paladijn' by Ab van Ginhoven.
The Paladin was a tuned Triumph 650
And that tuning was really done completely arithmetically based on the physical laws to which gas and mixture flows are bound. For example, after a lot of calculations, the Paladijn got an extremely effective and optically very impressive inlet and exhaust system. As a 16-17 year old I didn't understand much of the theory, but the idea of being able to do such things without being a whole factory? I thought that was fantastic.
The Paladin always stayed in the background in my mind
And much later, when the Internet was just starting to take hold and I was a freelancer, I went looking for that Ab van Ginhoven. Long story short: I found him. He had become a widower. It went submodal. But we had a pretty long and pleasant conversation. And the Paladin? It had been stored for years to wait for better times. In a shed. I saw and caressed him then. Even more impressed than when I was 16-17.
I turned that meeting into a story for – I thought – Motor Emotion. And time went on. Motor Emotion was canceled. I do. I was asked by Classic & Retro magazine, which has already passed away. Then the Paladin came up again. And I started looking again for the place where that machine might be. That was now in The Hague. Ghisbert van Ginshoven is the boss at Beek Autotuning where they have taken tuning to the next level. Ab van Ginshoven had meanwhile passed away. The Paladin was still waiting for better days. In the attic. In 2018 I supplied Paladijn 2.0 text to Classic & Retro. But the Paladin continued to fascinate. A few years later, the Paladin history wrote in response to the most recent information Auto Motor Klassiek, the magazine that is one of the few constants in the magazine world.
And last week, based on that story, I received a message from… Spain
The writer had been a fellow motorcycle enthusiast/friend of Ab van Ginhoven. And he had the same hunger for fact for the Paladin that I had and have. His knowledge and experiences were again a valuable addition to the information I had gathered. And he also sent photos from the early days of the Paladin. I emailed him all the documentation I collected plus the various articles. Including the scans from the weekly magazine Motor.
At the moment we are happy to communicate
And so you see that the mild obsession for just one motorcycle can last fifty years. I firmly believe in long-term relationships. And recently I came across such a story first hand. But that was a much clearer history. Because the owner of the Honda CB750 K1 that I met in North Holland, he had bought his four-cylinder new. And simply ridden and cherished for over 50 years.
Is anyone still interested in the 2022 models?
Ab van Ginhovens Triumph in the project phase
A friend of mine bought a Yamaha XS 1978 new in 750 and still owns it. A few years ago we were in Belgium at a classic meeting Schaffen Diest. Here his interest in the old-timer was rekindled and the Yamaha has now been brought into top condition. He still has the receipt and all other items from 1978 in his possession.
Incredibly nice story about the Paladin of Ab. Indeed a special engine with 'carburetor inlets' that were almost as long as the exhausts!
Ab has also tuned a lot to the 50 cc. 'van Veen' Kreidler with whom Jan de Vries became world champion in 1971 and 1973. He also worked for Spyker. Ab was a brilliant mechanical engineer (TU Delft) specializing in combustion engines. Above all, he was a beloved brother and father. Nice that his son Ghisbert is now following in his footsteps and still owns the Paladin. wonder if it is still running! 😀
What a nice response! In the meantime there is also contact with Kees van 't Zelfde, also an old acquaintance of Ab. Ghisbert wants to fix the Paladin… If he has time. I'll send you some pictures by email
The story of Ab is very familiar to me. His theory about gas flows and pulse has always fascinated and inspired us in our activities. As “amateur tuners” of English three-cylinder engines, we have also tried to apply his ideas. But also the theories of Klaver and van Kortekaas about exhaust gas flows are (still) interesting. The limitations of a Trident and a Rob North frame did not allow its extreme application. In the photos you can see that Ab has also experimented with a Triple himself. These photos date from 2007, I understand that he was also involved in the Spyker car project at that time. A special man!
Nice that his son got his DNA. I don't know where that Triple has gone.
Michiel / LowlandTriples
Thanks for this contribution! Fantastic
Nice story about the paladin, the project of my now deceased brother.
Yours faithfully,
William vanGinhoven.
'De Paladijn'. A vehicle with its own name. There is usually a nice story attached to it. First check Wikipedia. From Roman origins as a chamberlain, I eventually come to 'a wandering knight with no land or income of his own'. That will be it. Nice find from Ab. Language is like tuning. You have to have a feel for it.
I'll send you the Paladin info I have!
Hi Wim, It looks like we're having a reunion here. I will send you the Ab-Paladin texts for the family archive.
These kinds of stories and reactions; that's what you do it for Dolf!
And for us, the readers!
Regards, Jan.
Indeed, also when the story in the magazine motor read. The Paladijn's carburetors were abreast of the rear shocks because of the calculated intake path. Nice story.
Ah, an AMF Harley Davidson 350 my then dream motorcycle as a 17 year old boy, where does the time go?
Same feeling here. I count to three. Then we burst into tears!