HERC CAFÉ Ride to find the real Von Dutch[1]

 

By: Brian “TINK” Tinkler

 

Photos by TINK: http://www.hondaerc.com/pictures/CAFE_VonDutch_Aug_20_2006/

 

Ah, there’s nothing like an espresso and some bench racing early in the morning to get your motor running.  As we gathered at the local Starbucks for the HERC CAFÉ ride, it was already looking to be another great day for a ride.

 

Destination for the day; Santa Paula Union Oil Museum[2] to see the “NORTON, VON DUTCH, & CO. Legendary Motorcycles of the Schoenewald Collection”

 

After a short jaunt up the freeway we soon find ourselves cruising along PCH through Santa Monica.  As we turn onto Topanga Canyon, the hustle and bustle of PCH fades away behind us. It’s the start of another perfect ride through the canyons of Southern California.

 

We make the requisite stop at The Rock Store to eye the latest and greatest motorcycledom has to offer.  Then it’s off again to our final destination, Santa Paula.

 

Lunch was first on our Santa Paula agenda, and the Familia Diaz Restaurant[3] was the perfect place to put some good food under (and over) our belts.

 

As we pull up to the museum there’s a very Italian sport bike parked out front, and who might we find waiting inside, non other tank Flip Banando (Flip had taken his own ride route that morning).

 

The collection hall at the museum is small but by no means does that retract from the pleasure of seeing this collection of magnificent machines.  As you walk up the hallway towards the motorcycle display, a 1975 Triumph Hurricane X75 greats you.

 

SIDEBAR: In 1975, when I got out of the service, the X75 was one of the bikes I wanted to buy for my personal collection, however, being a young man with little money and a heavy college debt in my future, I passed on the X75 and ended up with a very clean (semi-reliable) 1969 Triumph Bonneville… wish I still had THAT bike.

 

Just to the right as you enter the hall there’s a 1930 Brough Superior of Lawrence of Arabia fame, and a magnificent specimen it is.  Along the east wall there are half a dozen Nortons from 1968 to 1973 on display.  And along the west wall there’s a 1954 Vincent Black Shadow, a 1942 Indian Scout, and two Von Dutch bikes, a 1934 Rudge JAP Speedway and a 1941 Swiss Condor.

 

As we said our goodbyes, it was not the end of the days riding, but rather, the beginning of another great motorcycling memory.

 

TINK