Recently I took a hop across the ocean to visit some friends in Germany, and of course hit some car shows, swap meets, and junkyards. One of my destinations was a large vintage auto and motorbike swap meet in the “North” of Germany. Before the meet I’d been toying with the idea of getting a vintage NSU, DKW, or Auto Union Motorcycle or moped/scooter to tinker with, restore, and drive around town for fun. Previously I’ve never been much of a motorcycle guy, I didn’t really get “it”, but I’ve always appreciated the work that went into them. The ones that did catch my eye were always “out of this world” price-wise (I seem to gravitate towards expensive obscure stuff!).
I really started getting interested in vintage motorbikes when I recently visited the local Boyertown Auto Museum and saw some early motorcycles in person. I instantly was intrigued with how simple they were, not much other than a tiny engine, some sheet metal and the bare basics. They essentially were bicycles with engines back then. Simplicity in motoring is one of my favorite things, no fancy computers, electronics, or creature comforts… just you, the engine, and your wheels on the road! After some research I was determined to pick up one of these lesser-known vintage bikes on my journey to Germany.
After some haggling, and almost making a few brash purchases, I walked out of the swap meet without a bike of my own. Although after chatting with fellow enthusiasts and trying out a few vintage bikes.. I now get it. It’s all the same love of vintage motoring as cars and trucks, just on a smaller scale! I am hooked, and now I’ve begun shopping for the right bike for me to add to my “collection” of restoration projects waiting in the wings. I’ll update as I come across one, it should be fun to put all of the great Eastwood products to work on a small vintage motorcycle project!
Until then keep building, restoring and discovering those vintage projects, and share your work with us!
-Matt