2019 - Veterama, Mannheim, D

One fine Saturday morning a small bunch of intrepid motorcyclists gathered at an ungodly early hour (OK; so it was 7 am) to set out on an expedition to the past.

There was no real plan, but something would turn up, it always does. That's what Veterama was invented for, anyway. If you come to find something specific, you lose out in more ways than one. You spend endless hours and strain your nervous costume, and IF you do find the thing eventually, your money is gone as well. So much better to think of Veterama as a way to spend a few happy hours among friends. Great if you make it there without traffic jams, if the sun shines full power and your first beer is ready for you when you arrive.

Wander among decomposing electrical components

from other centuries, lose your way among wondrously restored old clunkers from a strange parallel universe of nice blokes behind and in front of the sellers' tables and marques even you haven't heard of before, and before you can say "clutch hub nut puller", you have downed half a dozen beers, and have bought a Sporty tank, a Bosch regulator and a handlebar. Perhaps it's just as well that the way home is long and you have to leave early, there were so many more really interesting things to check out …