According to motorcyclists, nothing beats boosting your adrenaline during a touring trip. From feeling like you’re flying to looking cool. Seven Windesheimers talk about their love for their motorcycle.
Matthijs: ‘Motorcyclists always greet each other’
Matthijs Rouw, ICT specialist at the Human Movement and Education Division, has had his motorcycle license for six months now and is already a motorcyclist through and through.
“I would rather sell half my house than my motorcycle. I’ve only been riding for half a year, but it’s already part of my identity. I’m proud of it! A motorcycle is a machine that does everything you ask on the road and is not afraid of anything. I think that’s great. It gives freedom.
I prefer to go on holiday with my motorbike. Last summer I rode with a friend along the Mosel in Germany. After a series of S-bends we arrived at a lookout point where we could see the entire area. A beautiful landscape unfolded before me. The sun shone on my face and I looked at the hills and river below me. Then I thought: this is why I ride a motorbike. I don’t need anything else.
When you go on holiday by car, the journey is necessary to reach your destination and enjoy your holiday. But when you go by motorbike, the journey ís your holiday. Of course you have to pay attention, but motorcycling is quite relaxed. You are busy, but you also have time to think about things and create a moment for yourself. At the same time, you enjoy the surroundings.
What I also really like about motorcycling is the etiquette rules. Motorcyclists greet each other, that is standard. You always raise your hand, or foot if you have to keep your hands on the handlebars, to another motorbike that is passing by. It gives the idea that you belong to a group and are seen.”
Marvin: ‘Motorcycling is aboutbeing seen’
For Marketing student Marvin Veerman, motorcycling is all about looks and adrenaline.
“My brother-in-law rode a motorcycle and always drove up with a lot of noise. Everyone looked up. I thought that was really cool. From one day to the next I decided that I wanted to do that too. I’ve been riding for three and a half years now and I can say that it not only looks cool, but it also feels cool. Motorcycling is about being seen.
My helmet is black with red stripes and my pants are grey, the same colors as my motorcycle. I think it’s cool to look good and neat when I’m riding. That’s how you create a nice image. At the moment I have a Yamaha that I think is very beautiful and that goes from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour very quickly. My dream is to one day have a Ducati. I think it’s beautiful, but it also comes with a price tag.
I love getting out of the city and looking for quiet areas. Preferably with lots of bends in the road. Every time you go through a bend quickly you get an adrenaline boost. The wind blows past you and you have a great view. You feel the sensation and are part of your surroundings.
A few times a year we gather with Dutch Yamaha riders in Utrecht. Sometimes there are as many as two hundred of them. We then all tour around the area and attract a lot of attention. I have made friends from those rides with whom I now ride regularly. Touring with a group is the most fun.”
Nico and Ard: ‘BMW riders are unconventional’
Nico Steenstra and Ard Jonker, both lecturers at the Industrial Engineering & Management study programme, are direct colleagues, both have a BMW and enjoy working on their motorcycles.
Ard: “My workday often starts at the coffee machine where Nico tells me about his latest motorcycle project. He keeps me well informed when he is working on one again.”
Nico: “I have two BMWs, one of which is forty years old. I maintain them in my workspace with a lifting table. When something breaks, I buy new parts that I put on myself.”
Ard: “Whenever I need major maintenance, I know where to find Nico, haha. He almost goes as far as to take his entire motorcycles apart. I don’t go that far, but we do have in common that we don’t just want to ride our motorcycles, but also want to understand how they work. We talk about that when we see each other.”
Ard: “My uncle was a motorcycle cop. As a child, I was allowed to ride on the back of his service motorcycle, also a BMW. My rain boots would scrape the asphalt in the bends. I loved that. That’s where my enthusiasm for BMW motorcycles started. I’ve been riding for thirty years now and have owned three. BMW uses slightly different parts and techniques than other brands. It’s unconventional. That suits his riders well.”
Nico: “Exactly! In addition, you can easily work on a BMW. They are solid motorcycles that last a long time. Shortly after I bought my first motorcycle, my cousin bought a BMW K100RT. It was great! I can still clearly see him riding it for the first time forty years ago. Before my cousin died of Parkinson’s, I took over his motorcycle. I still ride it with pride.”
Vincent: ‘The hobby has gotten out of hand’
Vincent Martens, a Teacher Education in English student, wants to make people laugh with his motorcycle helmet.
‘I noticed that people became happy and laughed when they saw me riding past with my crazy helmet. That’s what I do it for now. There are enough bad things in the world. With my helmets I want to make people happy, even if it’s just for a second. That urge to spread happiness is part of me. I didn’t have the easiest childhood, because I was bullied. I got positivity and happiness from funny videos. I’m proud that I can now spread this myself and I get strength from seeing people smile when I ride past.’
The hobby has gotten out of hand, haha. I have several helmets, including a cow and a rabbit. But this pink rabbit helmet is my favorite. It has super big ears that emphasize my movements and flap in the wind. People laugh extra hard at that. I film those reactions of happy passers-by and post them on my Instagram account @SurrenicOnWheels, where I now have almost 25 thousand followers. People from Zwolle now recognize my rabbit helmet and sometimes even approach me for selfies. That feels weird, but at the same time it’s super fun.
Daniëlle: ‘Motorcycling feels like flying’
Daniëlle Oosten, lecturer and coach at the Information & Communication Technology study programme, dreamed of a motorcycle as a child. Now she has a Yamaha that she calls Freddie.
“The first hand gesture I could make as a child was that of giving gas on a motorbike. I lived in Assen close to the TT circuit. On Sundays I stood with my family along the road. Then I put my fist in the air and gestured cheerfully to all the motorbikes passing by.
I’ve been riding for about two years now, first on a Ducati, now on a Yamaha that I named Freddie. It has the same yellow color as Freddie Mercury’s jacket.
I notice that even after two years of riding, I still learn a lot about my motorcycle. It is a big machine. You constantly feel its power beneath you. That is great, but in the beginning you really have to learn to control it. I like to push myself and get better and better. Riding a motorcycle also gives you self-confidence.
I take the motorcycle whenever I can. One of the best things is riding through beautiful nature reserves on a summer Sunday. Riding a motorcycle means relaxation to me. On my motorcycle I am in my own little cocoon, but at the same time I am amazed by what I see. Riding a motorcycle is incredibly cool and I encourage everyone to do it! I would think it a shame if women missed out on this experience because they think it is not for them. You feel free on a motorcycle. As a child I dreamed of wings. When I ride a motorcycle I have them. Then it feels like I am flying.”
Patrick: ‘It’s a way of life’
Patrick van Kleeff is an employee at the Windesheim Media Centre. He is a member of the Slow Boys motorcycle group.
“The best thing about motorcycling is the community. I need a good atmosphere and prefer to ride with others. That’s why I joined the Slow Boys motorcycle group about five years ago. When people think of motorcycle clubs, they often think of rough guys who ride too fast and cause riots. That’s why we’re not a motorcycle club, but a motorcycle group. We mainly organize fun things and try to do something good. For example, during the pandemic, we sold merchandise in London, such as sweaters with our logo on them. I wear them a lot myself. We used the money we raised to make meals for the homeless and the elderly.
Slow Boys is a large association. We have members in various European countries, but also in Mexico and the US, which makes it extra special. Once a year we get together for an international barbecue. About forty to fifty members come from each country. Some people bring their families. That’s super fun.
Motorcycling is a way of life for me. That’s why I like being able to share it with others. Slow Boys feels like a big group of friends. Of course, we organize a lot of touring trips. It is great to explore a new environment with others.
Slow Boys is also reflected in my motorcycle. A friend has hand-engraved flowers in the frame of my Kawasaki. These flowers correspond to the logo of the association. That is partly what makes my motorcycle unique. I also work on it myself and enjoy learning how a motorcycle is constructed. In addition to my Kawasaki, I also have a Ducati, which I dreamed of as a seven-year-old boy.”
