NEW ON
In the yesteryear Motorcycle 74 was mainly a photograph blog. In the futurity nosotros gradually volition convey to a greater extent than than exclusively pictures. Today nosotros start off alongside a serial of interviews, talking alongside passionate people about… motorcycles, what else did you lot expect?
Not the large stars of the MotoGP, at that topographic point are already plenty magazines filled alongside them. No, nosotros rather desire to speak to the guy inward the garage side yesteryear side door, because he powerfulness guide maintain interesting stories to tell afterward all. Unveiling his cloak-and-dagger vintage motorbike collection, mitt made café racer or restoration projection of a classic bike. Examining the mortal underneath the helmet, the bike, mechanical too much more. First (café -) racer on the interview starting grid is Michiel from The Netherlands.
Profile
First advert (or nick): Michiel
Country: The Netherlands
Year of birth: 1980
Occupation: Student
Studies: Geosciences
Motorcycles: Bmw R100 cafe racer, Honda CB 750, Virago XV 920 chopper
Website, blog, other: Just the BMW blog: bmwcafe.blogspot.com
- Motorcycles: inexpensive transport, hobby, passion or life style?
All of the above. I role them for inexpensive transport, but it is a passion too a lifestyle too.
- What inspired you lot (the commencement fourth dimension when you lot where young) into the passion of motorcycles (family, friends, neighbours or something else?) In short: what sparkled your dearest of motorcycles?
I actually don't know, I am the exclusively 1 inward the household unit of measurement that rides motorbikes. It simply got inward my blood somehow too it never left.
- Tell us something nearly the commencement motorbike adventures too bike(-s) you lot owned, what create / type was your commencement moped or motorcycle?
My commencement guide chances was when I rented a Ducati Monster M800 for a 24-hour interval together alongside a mate of mine (he rented a Fazer) too took it for a really long ride along the major Dutch rivers all the means into Germany. I had exclusively simply gotten my license too had never been on a motorbike for to a greater extent than than an sixty minutes at a time. I loved every 2nd of it.
The commencement bike I bought was Yamaha YZF750. I had a automobile at that fourth dimension (a Matra Murena), but from the 2nd I bought the YZF I hardly ever touched it anymore. I had to take it on a ride afterward simply over a calendar month simply to continue the battery healthy.
- You didn’t start every bit a teenager alongside a moped?
No, I didn't, eventhough I lived 17 km from my highschool. I went to schoolhouse on my bicycle. My parents idea mopeds were besides unsafe (imagine how happy they were when I bought a motorbike) too promised to pay for my automobile driving license if I didn't smoke or didn't purchase a moped. I never did heed going yesteryear bicycle, I did a lot of mountainbiking inward those days, including races, too it was a adept training.
- Travelling or holidays alongside a motorbike, is that something for you?
I'd dearest to, but I would actually similar to guide maintain some to a greater extent than coin on the banking concern earlier I did that. All my bikes are sometime too tin sack fail, I practise desire to endure certain that both rider too bike arrive dorsum inward such an occasion. On top of the listing of places to go, on 1 of my bikes is Norway, followed yesteryear England too the Alps.
- You alive inward the Netherlands, traffic indigestion is a huge problem. Do you lot intend motorcycles tin sack render a genuine solution to the occupation of traffic jams or practise nosotros all guide maintain to role the populace transport?
No, they can not. Motorcycles demand commitment, when large masses of people start buying motorbike simply for carry at that topographic point volition endure a huge ascent inward accidents because they are non involved enough. Public carry should endure the solution, but unfortunately the fellowship that runs the trains hither is arrogant. I loathe populace transport. I intend everybody volition simply guide maintain to alive alongside the overcrowded roads.
- Motorcycles too gasoline inward the future? Are nosotros going electric?
We volition definitely larn electric. I guide maintain had the chance to ride a 300bhp electrical VW Golf too an Electric Lotus Elise. They are slap-up cars. So every bit presently every bit they uncovering a means to solve the express arrive at nosotros volition likely larn electric. However, for me it volition never supervene upon the feeling of a combustion engine.
- On a motorbike your sitting inward a higher identify too really closed to the engine, compared to car driver. What is it that makes a human existence “loves” an engine?
Tough one. I don't actually know. I intend it is the feeling of existence inward command of such a powerful apparatus?
- It’s exclusively since one-half a century that individual carry has been available to a broader public. Do you lot intend the success volition endure the halt of it? How practise you lot view the development of motorcycles, cars too populace carry inward the future?
No. The halt of carry every bit nosotros know it is non because of the transport. It volition endure because of the overpopulation of the whole planet yesteryear people to selfish non to overconsume. Everybody wants a house, a car, a opor-garai twice a year, a computer, a flatscreen, plenty to eat etc... etc... This globe is way, way, means to small-scale to back upwardly that for hence many people. In the halt that volition displace everything, non exclusively oil, but also nutrient too other materials needed for modern society, to run out.
- Would you lot consider an electrical vehicle?
For everyday use? Yes. For fun? No.
- The painful question: Any difficult confrontation alongside asphalt? (crashes)
Not on my motorbikes too I'd similar to continue it that means :)
- Do you lot follow whatsoever motorsport competitions (motogp, sbk, motocross etc)?
I practise follow F1 Grand Prix, but I unremarkably prefer playing sports instead of watching them.
- Is motorsport pop inward your country?
Not very, at to the lowest degree non every bit pop every bit for instance inward Spain, Deutschland or England. I intend it has to practise alongside our culture. You're non actually supposed to stand upwardly out too when you lot practise a really expensive, loud, polluting sport you lot are standing out really high inward a higher identify the rest.
- Other hobbies, collecting, sport inward the leisure time?
Like I guide maintain whatsoever coin left alongside all those motorcycles ;). I practise similar sports, but I alter sports regularly. The ones I practise on a variety of regular base of operations are mainly mount biking too squash.
- Are you lot a fellow member of a motorbike society or practise you lot attend social activities regarding motorcycles?
Nope. I don't similar riding inward large groups too most clubs are unmarried type/brand clubs too I don't similar how 'narrow minded' a lot of those clubs are. For example: If I were to bring together a Honda CB society they'll likely human face downwards on my BMW too vice versa. I am really active on cyberspace forums nevertheless too I practise see events organized yesteryear members of those forums. And I larn to the café racer coming together inward Achterveld, the Netherlands every twelvemonth of course.
- Is the cafe racer a lively scene inward The Netherlands?
Not really, but it certain isn't dead either! It is adept to view that at that topographic point are soundless novel (young) people who start building sometime vanquish upwardly CB's, Gs's too the like, but to state that it is really lively, non really. Once a twelvemonth at that topographic point is a really large coming together inward Achterveld though, really worthwhile to visit, fifty-fifty if you're non Dutch. (Cafe Racer forum / society inward The Netherlands: roadrocketclub.nl)
- You’re into café racers, a type of bike alongside historical British roots.
What attracts you lot to this type of bike or this scene? Are you lot a “retrophile” (loving vintage stuff), is it the pattern of bike, the music, wearable or lifestyle inward general?
I similar riding. That's the best argument, caferacers are made to ride. I practise also construct choppers, choppers are to a greater extent than fun to build, you lot tin sack actually larn wild because the number on the driveability doesn't actually matter, but every bit presently every bit I complete a chopper I e'er sell it.
- The fun is inward the edifice itself, isn’t it? Do you lot made plans too drawings earlier the customisation?
Well, the fun inward edifice choppers is definitely inward the construct of the bike, for café racers it's to a greater extent than evenly divided betwixt edifice too riding. I hardly ever create plans, sometimes I practise guide maintain an paradigm inward my caput earlier I purchase a bike, but unremarkably a projection simply grows. I'll simply create something too view if it looks correct too mostly a bike turns out means dissimilar than I idea it would human face like.
- You ain a vintage BMW, rebuilt to café racer, non actually the create too engine type (flat twin or boxer) nosotros would associate alongside the café racer scene? Or not? Why a vintage Beemer?
Easy inquiry :). I didn't desire a BMW. I wanted a Guzzi. I went to a store that had a 850 le mans for sale too took it for a essay ride, I liked it a lot, but the store also had a large collection of BMW's too the salesman insisted I rode a R100. I didn't desire one, but why spend upwardly a essay ride? I loved it from the commencement second, it was hence much amend than my ain expectations made me think. It simply is the correct bike for me
- Plus too minus of your bike?
Plus: I built it. It fits me exactly. It handles similar I desire a bike to handle, the topographic point is just the correct size for me, the handlebars are just were I desire them to be, it looks similar I desire it to look. In short: it is 100% my bike.
Minus: Not all that many. The most obvious one: it is non really comfortable, you lot don't desire to endure riding this bike for hours on halt on a highway. But than again, I never guide maintain to ride a bike on the highway for hours on end. And 1 more: velocity stacks. The engine runs slap-up alongside them too they look/sound great, but I don't desire to endure riding inward the pelting alongside them.
- Riding a café racer… did you lot ever consider buying too riding a scooter?
Nope. I did purchase a CB750 displace at that topographic point was a demand for a bike that could behave side bags too a rider inward all weather condition conditions. I did give it a mild cafe handling of course.
- Except riding bikes, you lot also rebuilt them. How did you lot larn into this, did you lot follow a shape of mechanics or is it case too error?
It started when a mate of mine suggested to purchase a bike too customize it. We bought a really vanquish up, inexpensive Honda CX500, a angle grinder too a really sometime welder. And too hence nosotros simply started. Trial too error, but the finished production looked slap-up inward our eyes too nosotros were both hooked on edifice bikes. We are similar a shot edifice the XV920 Virago you lot tin sack uncovering on my site too he simply bought a Ducati Cagiva to plow into a cafe. You tin sack follow his construct here: desmomeister.blogspot.com
- What motorbike projects are you lot working on correct now?
I am working on the nearly finished Virago chopper too the BMW. The BMW needs a novel tank, I am also going to redo the exhausts too I'll practise some nestling engine work. The CB750 also could role a fiddling fleck of attending similar every sometime bike ever does I guess.
- Which is your top iii of ultimate dream motorcycles?
That is the hardest inquiry of this interview. The 1 thing I tin sack state for certain is that I can't demo photo's, because I volition construct them too they volition human face nil similar the mill product. One of the bikes that is really high on the wishing listing is an sometime unmarried (like a BSA) to plow into a scrambler to ride the local unpaved roads. Or perhaps some really sometime twin, I've e'er loved the human face of the sometime J.A.P. engines.
- Thanks for the interview & bask the ride !
Your welcome! I hugely bask your site, continue upwardly the adept work!!
Michiels blog: bmwcafe.blogspot.com
All Photos copyright: bmwcafe.blogspot.com
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