A Classic Ride

Posted on 4th Aug 2008

Jacqui Van Ham at this year’s BMW Motorrad Days with her beloved BMW R 75/5

The 33-year-old American from northern Illinois is passionate about motorcycles – especially old BMW motorcycles – and has been involved in the vintage motorcycle community for several years, often touring several thousand miles to attend weekend races and rallies. After being inspired by owners of the German brand at a big vintage rally, she did her research, took the plunge and bought the bike of her dreams. Since then she hasn’t looked back.

"I was amazed when I first encountered the BMW community at a big rally in 2003, where just about every model was represented. I also saw riders with ‘long-distance’ badges and was amazed that people could actually ride those kinds of distances on two wheels – there were people who had ridden more than a million miles! This inspired me to seek out my own adventures and I started researching the brand. I found the history and longevity of the marque incredibly interesting and I decided I wanted an R 75/5.

“After about a year of looking, I found a 1972 model in central Illinois and purchased it unseen for $2,800. When I eventually saw the bike, it was in decent shape, but just covered in touring junk, such as a windjammer fairing and other bits, which I removed. I took it to a mechanic friend of mine who gave it a ‘once-over’ and then it ran perfectly. I quit my job as a waitress and then hit the road for six months, attending many vintage and classic bike races and rallies!”

Jacqui loves the old boxer because of the way it looks and sounds, as well as its mechanical simplicity. This model comes with a ‘Toaster Tank’ with big chrome panels on the sides that was considered a bit ‘flash’ for the German market, so was only produced for a couple of years. Being a woman in the vintage motorcycle scene, she is in the minority, but that doesn’t bother Jacqui as no sooner had she come back from her first road trip, she was already planning the second – a big journey to Europe to explore the diverse and exciting race and rally culture.

Working for long enough to save the necessary funds and have the bike properly prepared for this big trip, Jacqui was ready for her adventure by the end of June, when she and the bike were flown out to Frankfurt to start this latest trip.

“I’ve only been here a week but I’ve already done more than 2,000 kilometres. I’ve been up to the MotoGP in Assen, visited BMW in Munich and have just arrived at my first BMW Motorrad Days, which is an amazing experience,” she said. “Next on my list is to visit the BMW World and Museum, the BMW factory in Berlin, then the MotoGP round at the Sachsenring, the Superbike World Championship races at Brno. Then I’ll cross the Alps into Italy and visit the Nolan helmets factory, the Moto Guzzi museum and the Ducati museum, before riding through France to Barcelona where I’ll celebrate my birthday. After this I want to visit the Ace Café (famous vintage/classic biker venue) in London, before travelling to the Isle of Man for the Manx GP.”

Jacqui has started a ‘blog for her travels which can be visited at http://thevintageadvantage.com and she is currently receiving around 300 messages of support each day from people who are following her journey from a distance.

“Basically, I’m going to keep riding until the money runs out – fortunately, I have already paid for a return ticket! People have been cheering me on when they have seen me out on the road – especially in Germany. An added bonus was when one of the factory artists saw my bike at BMW Motorrad Days and painted the classic white pinstripes on the rear fender. This was an honour for me and I think these people are pleased to see the older bikes actually being used out on the roads rather than just being in a museum. I feel very lucky to be out here doing this – and long may it last!”

Williams

A Classic Ride

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