June 4th 2000 was KicXstart Streetfightershow in Leiden. My longest trip until then and my first performance before a big audience. Captured two prizes. Not bad for a first time, eh?
I had to get used to the fact that my motorcycle had become public property: almost everyone felt like they had to press the brakes and clutch, and at the tiniest moment of innattention someone would go sit on it. Or a child was put on it 'cause it's for a nice picture'. I didn't always appreciate that, of course.
June 24th 2000: TT Assen, on camp site De Haar. First time out camping with a tent, first time in the rain. On the right, almost off the picture, you can see me enjoying a beer. It wasn't the first and it sure as hell wasn't going to be the last...
Here too, the crowd's interest was overwhelming. If you look closely you might just see a tiny piece of the bike.
Half-way during July I went on a vacation for ten days; the first two days together with my sister (on the left, FZR1000). I had put my luggage roll on the handlebar with only the most essential stuff for survival: a tent, a sleeping bag and an inflatable bed.
Ten days in Luxembourg, the Ardennes and Eifel ... of which it rained nine days. It turned out to be the wettest july since 1870. Just my luck again...
From my helmet you can tell that the rear fender is actually a bit too short. And that red trace at the bottom of the picture? A clear case of 'too much moisture to handle' for my disposable camera.
The camp sites weren't exactly crowding with visitors. Haven't seen a single biker on those days.
On the way I stopped at Stefan Jung's: bought the engine from him. Adjusted the carbs so it would run more smoothly and get a better mileage: from 7 km to the liter to 11 km to the liter. Makes some difference, doesn't it?
In spite of all the rain I rode over 2500 km during those ten days. I hardly saw any freeway, in stead the roads were all narrow and winding. A good opportunity to get to know your machine better. In no time the bike had gone from 'showroom' to 'mudbath'. The aluminum had all become weather-beaten.
Just about anything had dirt and mud on it.
When I got home it took me four full days to get the motorcycle back clean again.
On August 18, 19 and 20 2000, The Dutch CBX1000-club organized the 'CBX Euromeeting' in Almelo.
Actually, the bike's not so big if you compare it to its ProLink relatives.
Here I won the prize for best-looking special.
Saturday September 16 2000, 'Hok 14' organized a (killer!-) party in Hengelo. Hok 14 is a group of self-builders from Delft and Hengelo. Be sure to visit their site (www.hok14.com), definitely worth seeing. Here you see my sister making a burnout on her TL1000.
After we got back in Nijmegen it turned out her burnout shouldn't have lasted a second longer: the steal casing had completely revealed itself. And it had rained that day...
When my sister makes a burnout, I can't fall behind of course. So just before the prize-giving ceremony ('No. 1 self-builder Hok 14 2000') I twisted half a donut myself.