“On such old machines? All the way from the Netherlands?” The young man who came to ask what we wanted to eat and drink seemed genuinely surprised. The motorcycles in front of the terrace were without a doubt older than he was. But how old was that cub at its oldest? And the hamlet in the northern French Ardennes was not that far from Gelderland.
But there is no reason not to use a good classic for longer trips. After all, our pets are often better than when they came from the factory and certainly better than they were when they were only about ten years old – or young.
But then it was also driven and traveled. Bram Schnabel visited his mother-in-law in the south of France from Baarn. On a 200 cc Sparta. With his sweetheart Madeleine on the back. With their daughter between them. And of course with camping gear on board. Rob Bakker and his fiancée rode a 126 cc Vespa from the famous 020 to Barcelona. From Amsterdam where his real Amsterdam friends had added an extra 'L' in front of his 'UL' license plate. That caused some confusion at the Dutch-Belgian border. The trip with two actually quite old British single-seaters to Yugoslavia? Also done.
It was all different from now blasting along the Autobahn to Switzerland on an ultra touring all-road adventure bike at 160+. But then the journey was even more important than the arrival.
So a short trip to the almost extinct French Ardennes (there are literally half villages for sale there. For little) is not such a feat. Of course, it depends on good preparation and an absolute lack of haste. And at intermediate stops, check whether nothing has vibrated loose, whether the oil level is still okay, whether the clutch play has not spontaneously disappeared or doubled. The chain is given a shower with good chain grease (in our small collective, the chain riders do not use modern features such as O- or . With a cheap chain, the little Honda simply ran a digitally measured 90 km/h faster than with an O-ring chain. It is not the case that a 1966 cc classic with a normal chain with that approach went 6+ km/h faster. Shame…
When traveling further than a few corners, we, as inveterate classic drivers, take a few measures that our modern-stuff-with-mobility-guarantee driving fellow sufferers do not take. This means there is always an extra throttle and clutch cable on board. A capacitor and a set of contact points. And a smartphone. Plus a liter of oil. And that we once burned four liters of oil on a 350 km ride? Oh well, we got it home on our own and the block had to be opened anyway.
But the most important thing is to use your classic with respect for the era from which it comes. That your journey on a BMW R50/5 or a Kawasaki 1000 is very different from that on a Sparta 200 cc or an IMZ or KMZ 750 cc side valve with over 20 hp? That is obvious. Because where you now see groups of friends riding modern motorcycles, where you see a fat Japanese custom riding brotherly with a man on a BMW 1250 GS?
In the classic segment, it is more practical and much more relaxing to drive if the participating motorcycles compete in approximately the same division. And to keep things even clearer, we prefer to travel with a group of max. 6 riders. And then it is nice if they know each other well and are attuned to each other. And that they have a mild preference for frequent terrace stops.
These are all reflections in the months-long autumn of 2023 that is steadily trickling into the new year. But once we're on our way again, we'll forget all that gray misery.
And that sometimes things really break?
So what?
Or with an AJS 18S to the former eastern German border, then down into Austria, on to the Black Forest, and via the Jura and Alsace back to Belgium and on to home.
Loes on the back and the suitcase or rack, side bags full and of course a tank bag.
Didn't miss a beat that AJS. That was a top holiday in 1968.
Now I regularly participate in the Oldtimer Elfstedentocht on the Gillet 350 sport from 1931.
And this album of course…
You often see photos of key work on the old ones. But that makes the stories more beautiful
As a 16-year-old at the time with a few friends, all on a Honda 50cc four-stroke, from Utrecht to THE youth campsite on Terschelling; the Appelhof.
Getting the hang of it, the following year on the same moped to (then) Czechoslovakia, because you had to be in Pilsen...
Great time, and the wooden ass was quickly forgotten.
With a classic Mini to England, or with a DS to la Douce France; Bring your WW pass and just go.
Now with KTR on an old side valve to Normandy... cool man; eager, no hurry...
Haste kills. And side valves are heart-conquering
Traveling with friends and sometimes older motorcycles for many years. Me with a Honda 1977 CB750P (police version). +/- 250 to 300 km/day, with regular stops: "to let the chain cool down", a few days in a row. France, Germany, England, etc. Had adventures, but always came back home.
And you cherish the memories at home!
Also important to take with you in/on your classic car: a bottle of lead replacement. You can therefore still go to any pump for engines that still need leaded petrol. And if you drive a lot (like me with my classic car that I use for commuting): take one with the motorcycle and keep one in stock at home. We wish you many pleasant kilometers!
Crafty. In my experience, old cars also hold up quite well on lead-free as long as they are ridden quietly. But prevention is better….
In 1986, with a friend from Groningen from Heerlen, both on a Lambretta TV175 second series (1960 and 1961), with two scooters, we went on holiday in Northern Italy, fully packed. The campsite owner in Iseo did not believe that we had driven that entire stretch (through the Gotthard tunnel, among others), but that we had put the scooters on the train in Heerlen to Milan. Until… we drove to Venice on the A4 with only rain on the way back to Iseo. Only then did the campsite owner believe us and we even got a big discount on camping costs. You will never forget a trip like this!
Considerably more fun than an organized trip where even the bathroom breaks are fixed
If something doesn't break, there's nothing to it!
When the Urals and Dneprs here in the Netherlands were stripped of their biggest defects by members of the UDCN, there were indeed people who no longer liked them. (Almost) nothing broke anymore!
Girl and I are always (un?) wise to go on holiday with a classic car. To France, Italy, England or even all the way to the Netherlands! Be well prepared with a well-stocked toolbox and associated essential parts in the trunk or litter box. The route always takes you through 'Asterix and Obelix' roads, where you can also see and experience the most fun things. And the purpose of the trip? The journey! In short: I really agree with your approach!
We are soulmates!
He's nice again Dolf..
We always check the 1968 Crooced Wood* before it can do its trick.
But he does so with dedication.
Less terrace, but just plodding along for 10 hours at 2/3 vh speed….
The journey is important in this case, but arriving just as much….
*] Crooced Wood, 8 cylinders in line, 13.5 liter cylinder capacity, 150 HP and max 1500 rpm
Ah! So a Kromhout? And not even a single-cylinder hot-bulb diesel! Just an eight-cylinder. And you will be watched with satisfaction by happy ducks and jealous people. If you go down the IJssel once, you are welcome in Dieren! But first it's better to wait again