Whichever European classic magazine you read: Very often the same cars and motorcycles pass by in a quiet repetition. Those are the most popular classics. The motorcycles and cars we dreamed about in our youth. And which at the time were already inaccessible to many adults.
Our second source of infection is the motorcycles and cars from our youth that we saw in daily traffic. Or the motorcycle or car of our parents, relatives or the neighbor or the neighbor's son.
'My 'one older neighbor boy drove/tinkered on an Austin Healey 3 liter. A cage that he bought for next to nothing at the Utrecht car market. The father of a friend, a few doors down, had a Honda C77 Dream… That friend was a year older. And when he was 18 he first had a Suzuki T500 and then a Honda CB750. I had a Zündapp moped and a Jawa 250. They were taken away by the village policeman. Then I bought a Norton 75 for 99 guilders. It was taken away... Well. Never mind. When I got my driver's license, I bought a Honda CB450. Well, I bought three. In parts. For 800 guilders. My father couldn't get into the garage for quite some time. And I dreamed about a CB750….
But all that stuff is hot now. And a hefty price. An acquaintance of mine is now asking 7 million for his very nice T500. And I actually think that's a fair price. But mine cost 600 guilders.
Back to the magazines. But via a model shop in Hilversum. I was once looking for a model of one there Triumph T150 Q. Because I had one of those. The store didn't have that model and the model boss asked why I was looking for one. My statement that I had one in 1:1 scale surprised him. “People buy models of things they dream about, not things they have.” Of course, this purchasing behavior also applies to motorcycle magazine readers. But in the meantime, fortunately, there are many people who have made their classic dream come true. And they would like to enjoy the recognition of their pride in the magazines. Then they can read it aloud before going to sleep. Classics appreciate that kind of attention.
At AMK, those usual suspects, those classics that everyone talks about, are of course part of the basis for the story. Because you can never know enough about the things you like. But the real enthusiasts among the magazine makers have a broader view. Thank goodness for readers who are also somewhat loose in their views on what is interesting. That's why we wrote about Jawas and Urals while those things were still seen as trash. That's why we also had a story about the Van Heemskerk V twin, the Cees Fick Specials and the Paladijn. Because those kinds of masterpieces 'from our own shed' are heart-conquering.
But there is also a burgeoning attention for the burgeoning classics from the middle and lower segments. A Cagiva 350 single-cylinder two-stroke. A Honda CB360 and the Honda CB500 twin (which there was very little interest in at the time because the former once had sporting roots, but had become too bulimic as a 360 and because the 500 twin was simply too early as a 'retro bike'.
We of course hope that 2024 will be a great year, in which all your dreams come true. But if Gaston is unable to find your front door this year, you could massage your luck by expanding your vision a bit. Find a few moor or car yearbooks from the era that interests you at 'Bookshops' or at your local thrift store. Then you may get information that will make you happy without leaving you broke. And of course, take out a dirt-cheap subscription to AMK. Because at Auto Motor Klassiek we try to view the classic world as openly as possible. Inspirational. And because otherwise too much fun would be missed.
Our tip: Don't blame machines for what people do: The approach of liking ex-Soviet stuff is no longer something to be ashamed of. And that motorcycles from around 150 cc are quite brave enough to roam the back roads at the weekend? Here we are already happy with 125 cc.
It is an approach that we wholeheartedly adhere to here. Partly because Gaston never knows how to find the right street here.
Another brilliant piece of prose Dolf!
Sorry, he didn't accept the photos
Some remnants of my childhood dreams from my youth in the Steeg
Out of pure curiosity. And because I live in Dieren: Do you want them to dolf.peeters@xs4all.nl to steer?
Oh I know that feeling so well. I had to go to Eindhoven (1967) for my work. When I missed the train, I quickly went to the garage where the Zündapp moped was supposed to have the day off. I do not think so! First of all, I placed the old scooter license plate (from the scrapyard) on the pre-assembled bracket and then to the highway (current A2), already a 4-lane road at the time. Flat on the souped-up 517 to reach 80 km/h. That was just not possible. (not Frisian because it was possible, but with difficulty!)! And then his gigantic truck arrives, honking its horn and with a grinning driver who has never gone flat on two wheels. And where do you stay then? No hard shoulder so I hope it (i.e. I) can keep driving. I'm still there but you never forget that.
Fear of death does wonders for your memory! Glad you're still here! And Daps have now become shamelessly expensive
My first motorcycle was an Ariel 350, a 1 cylinder from ??? Just sayin', after a year I was done with going to the motorcycle scrapyard
then a Norton 77 from ??? Two cylinder
500 cc with nice plaice dampers, with a lock to the.... just when a Royal Enfield also sold two cylinders after two months, and a Honda 450 with 444 cc Black Bomber first type was released, which sold out of boredom for 700 guilders, followed by a .69 Triumph Bonneville also sold for too little because I had and Triumph Trident 750 three cylinder seen, then the children came and away Trident
Now the children have long since left home, mothers TOO, Now I have one in 2017 Triumph Adventurer 900 three cylinders .99
you will be asked when do you stop
I then said, if I fall off and don't get up again, everyone used to want me to get rid of that old one more quickly... ….
If I had kept all those motorcycles???
Yes, IF IT WAS THERE THEN IT WAS TOO LATE, that's how it used to be 😂😂
Amen!
In addition to the bigger stuff, I also have some 'brave' little motorcycles; a 250cc AWO and a 200cc Salira/Lion Rapide.
Both 'John-with-the-Pet-who-lives-from-works' bicycles that were fine at the time, but with their 70~80 km/h speed they are not suitable for motorways..
Just accept it; Inland travel takes longer, but it also gets you to your final destination.
As a great Thinker once said: It's about the journey, not the arrival
Once, in a cheeky mood, I went to Bremen on my Spanish Lambretta clone to pick up a Hymer camper, which had a sturdy (moped) bicycle carrier on the back, so that was possible.
from Denekamp on the B213 to Cloppenburg and via Ahlhorn to the A1, at just above 80kmh onto the German highway, the 125 cc produced just over 6 cabballos
It went well enough until an uncanny feeling came over me, I heard something hissing and looked back into the grille of a big Finnish sisu, the turbo of that big diesel seemed to want to devour me, those Finns always seem to be in a bit more of a hurry on the Scandinavia route and usually drive briskly, after a few minutes I moved onto the hard shoulder to take a look at the back of the sisu.
In the wind shadow I reached speeds above 90 quite easily, quite quickly on 10 inch wheels
Half in and out of the wind I hitchhiked to the Oyten exit, after which I drove through the villages again.
It was doable in itself, but an older 125 is really not highway material....
But you got a nice story out of it. And the neighbors a few houses away have a Hymer camper. Those are cool things!