September 17th 2013 Sabine Welte asked me to bring the CBX to the 46th Essen Motor Show (D). I wasn't too thrilled because it would be the third time as I'd been there in 2003 and 2009. She talked me over with the argument that a part of the Speed Bike Show would be dedicated to 35 years CBX anniversary. Okay then, that's a good excuse.

  
       
 
 

The past years I rode the bike a lot, took good care of it technically but didn't bother too much about the looks; no wonder it looked like a mess. For a big show like this (last year 340,000 visitors) it should at least look 'presentable'. No need for 'showroom state' because I have no problem that one sees it has been used for 32,000 - often rainy - kilometers. But: some TLC was appropriate.

I took the exhaust off to give the engine a good cleanup.

  
       
 
 

After that I degreased the engine, roughened the surface and sprayed it

  
       
 
  Ivo (from Wega) welded the damaged gear lever pedal.  
       
 
 

Marc polished my valve cover for a very decent price.

  
       
 
 

I did this horrible and messy job myself once and promised never to do it again. This is how it looked before ...

  
       
 
 

... and this is afterwards. A bit better than just 'presentable' I think.

  
       
 
 

As the engine was open I checked the valve clearance, all 24 of them. I replaced seven shims, each one just a fraction thinner or thicker than the original. A good sign.

  
       
 
 

Put new rubbers on the bolts and closed the cover using a torque wrench. Seven of them were fine; the eighth, the last one, well ... not.

  
       
 
 

So I took the cover off and found that one camshaft holder was broken, and the small part was missing; on the right you see a healthy one.

  
       
 
 

You can pray that the missing piece flushes down to the oil filter. But if it doesn't it can (and probably: will) ruin your whole engine. So I took off the oil filter: no piece. Took off the bottom cover: no piece in the oil pump screen either. Used the compressor to blow it downwards: to no avail. Damn.

  
       
 
 

I cursed a few times and then took the whole engine out. I turned it over: no piece. Tried to blow it out with the compressor: still nothing.

  
       
 
 

Then I put the air wrench on the crankshaft and put very little pressure on to vibrate the whole engine.

  
       
 
 

Yes!

  
       
 
 

Took me a day to get that shitty part out. But: no harm done!

  
       
 
 

 

Finally, an oil change and a spark plug change. No, the left one is not from the Titanic; this is how they look after countless rain showers.

 
       
 
  Like new!  
       
 
  On November 28th my sister Cécile escorted me to Essen. We put the CBX at the 'Speed Bike Show', which is the official name of the non-car part of the Essen Motor Show.  
       
 
  My good friend-journalist-photographer Sabine Welte and her partner Alexis Michael Klimmer (aka 'Michi') were present to answer the most asked question: "Where do you want my bike?".  
       
 
  In the middle Hall #4 was the special exibition of '35 years CBX'. My bike was granted a prominent place, at the corner.  
       
 
  Next to mine the owner of this very nice CBX streetfighter did some final polishing.  
       
 
  There were some very familiar bikes present: this one's called 'The Blue Arrow' and is normally parked next to my V8 bike at Scheepers Motorsport.  
       
 
  So is this spectacular Hayabusa sidecar, the one that got motorcycle legend Fritz Egli member of the 'Bonneville 200mph Club'.  
       
 
  Sabine introduced me to Rafik Kaissi, a motorcycle builder who was born in Lebanon but now lives in the States.  
       
 
 

The bikes this man builds: just incredible. This one is the 'RK Bearing': the 500cc Honda engine and the fuel tank are put inside a huge self-built bearing which also is its suspension.

Don't let looks deceive you: Rafik is not a MMA cage fighter: his original profession is (was...) hairdresser! A very open and friendly one, too.

  
       
 
  Just look at the details, the refinement. This is design at its best mixed with completely out of the box technique. Astonishing.  
       
 
 

So is his bike called 'RK Chain'. Brutal, futuristic, innovative and slick, all in one bike.

Okay, you think this is 'just a non-rideable design study'? Then think again and look at this movie. And pay attention to his tank solution.

Not comfortable you say? Who cares, mine is neither. If I want comfort I'll take the car.

  
       
 
 

Sheer beauty, from every angle.

  
       
 
 

He didn't take all his bikes to the show. Just visit his site rkconcepts.com to find this one: 'RK Spring'. I was blown away.

  
       
 
  On Sunday December 8th, the last day of the show, Cécile and I drove to Essen to visit the show and get the bike home afterwards.  
       
 
 

In Essen there was a huge traffic jam. Luckily we had a parking pass which got us through quite easy. Still it took us almost an hour.

  
       
 
 

Not only the road was very crowded, so was the Speed Bike Show.

Picture by Michi

  
       
 
  The bikes were presented on an a nice orange carpet; posts with cords kept the visitors on safe distance.  
       
 
 

Every bike had its own specs sheet.

  
       
 
 

Like the week before I had a long conversation with Kaissi. We have a lot in common in our way of thinking.

  
       
 
  On a tablet he showed me his daily transport: the RK Fighter.  
       
 
  There was a wide selection of CBX's. An original Pro-Link (left), a not so appealing pink one (right), a side car ...  
       
 
  ... and an original type Z, exactly like my first CBX. I regret having sold it.  
       
 
 

A beautiful (and by far: most expensive) was this 'CBX Evolution' by Willi Schel. Nice design and top of the bill parts.

  
       
 
  His chunky edged valve cover, CNC milled out of solid aluminum, would certainy look good on my CBX. I'd put an alarm on your shed, Willi! ;)  
       
 
 

Next to beauty there was ... horror. Georg Ehrschwender spared time nor money to mutilate this Hayabusa called 'Pharao'. Carnival.

  
       
 
 

There were only three (3) choppers at the Speed Bike Show. They didn't look very happy in their small corner.

  
       
 
 

Last few years more and more young people tune their scooters. It might produce a new generation of bike builders.

  
       
 
 

In the hall next to the show a stunt driver did his act.

  
       
 
 

I always enjoy the parts sales. Headlights of all types and sizes ...

  
       
 
 

... extreme audio like these 'Power from the Gods' speakers ...

  
       
 
 

... bolts, nuts, springs, clamps, gaskets ...

  
       
 
 

... and my favorite: tools, tons of tools. For a very good price if you know what you're looking for.

  
       
 
  Cécile donated this 50mm wrench to me. For the V8, of course.  
       
 
 

About 1.30PM Sabine called me: she wanted my bike in front of the stage so I could demonstrate it to the visitors. Okay.

  
       
 
 

Michi askes Cécile to pose on the bike. She did, after a short hesitation. Cécile told me it was the first time she ever sat on my bike; shame on me.

  
       
 
 

On stage the prize giving ceremony started. The jury consisted of German Superbike rider Nina Prinz, Jens Kuck (from German TV motorcycle program Grip) and Katharina Thol (project manager Essen Motorshow).

The fifth place was for a chopper. Consolation prize? ;)

  
       
 
 

 

Willi 'CBX Evolution' Schel got an award for his fourth place.

  
       
 
 

 

Jens Kuck interviewed him on his bike. I know Willi: if you let him he will talk for hours about his bike. Pure passion.

  
       
 
 

The third place: the 21.6 BHP Yamaha Aerox scooter from K. Marzat. The new generation.

  
       
 
 

Look at this open front wheel: a 1-off construction.

  
       
 
 

The second place was for Waldemar Palm's Triumph Boss.

  
       
 
 

The first place then: the 120,000 Euro Ducati 1199 RR Paginale, tuned by Hertrampf Racing. High tech plus, so to say. Nina Prinz told the audience she tested it, and was very impressed.

  
       
 
 

Very unexpected they asked me on stage for the biggest award: 'Best of Show'. Believe it or not: I expected to give a demonstration, not win an award. I was convinced one of Rafik Kaissi's bikes would win; after the ceremony I heard that his bikes did not participate in the Speed Bike Show competition.

I especially liked the arguments of the jury: they loved the extreme design but above that the fact that I'd ridden it 32,000 kilometers. Moral of the story: build it, show it and ride it!

  
       
 
  Jens asked me about the history of the bike ...  
       
 
 

... then there were some pictures taken ...

  
       
 
  ... and finally I showed the visitors what the bike's all about.  
       
 
  Did I say 'finally'? I did, but after that a girl asked me to have some pictures taken of her on the CBX. Well, okay.  
       
 
 

Looks nice. But I doubt if she'd last very long while riding it. ;)

  
       
 
  Picture by Michi  
       
 
 

A father dropped his son in front of her to take some pictures too.

  
       
 
 

Always when my bike is 'into the open' there's a lot of touching.

  
       
 
 

Is this me? -No.
Is this someone from the organisation? -No.
Is this your average brain damaged visitor? -Yes.

It was time to put the bike behind the cords again!

  
       
 
 

Home sweet home, at pinch-safe distance from the visitors.

  
       
 
 

Cécile and me had another two hours to roam the halls. Bikes take just a small space compared to the cars; the Essen Motor Show is mainly a car show. No problem with that, a lot to see, like this '78 Chevrolet Camaro with gauges outside the car, mounted on the bonnet.

  
       
 
 

A sight for sore eyes: this classic Maserati sports car.

  
       
 
 

The most impressive car on the show was 'Brutus': a 1917 BMW 12 cylinder 46 (!) liter airplane engine, 500 - 750 BHP, chain drive. Indeed: Brutus.

Fascinating: I'm putting a car engine in a motorcycle, they put a airplane engine in a car.

 
       
 
 

Somewhat less fascinating: this concept car, the Citroën Lacoste. Our future is driving golf cars?

  
       
 
 

Then give me the past, like this beautiful hot rod.

  
       
 
 

Extravaganza: 'El Rey', based on a 1963 Chevy Impala SS.

  
       
 
 

Only Americans can make such outragious bling-bling cars. This is the front brake, by the way.

  
       
 
 

As I remembered from both 2003 and 2009, getting out of the show area with your bike is quite a hassle. Filling in forms, getting stamps, waiting for permissions, traffic jams, important ignorant traffic stewards in fluorescent jacks, it's all in the game. The solution is just to keep breathing, keep your calm, and in the end all will be good, and it was.

  
       
 
 

Afsluitend hebben we een zeer goede maaltijd genuttigd bij een plaatselijk Koreaans restaurant. Van rechts naar links: Willi, Peter Scheepers, Sabine, Michi, Cécile en ik.

Drie keer is scheepsrecht in Essen!