søndag 29. juni 2014

Pictures from yesterdaze, Carl Mathiesen


Carl taking care of some minor adjustments to his Indian`s Hedstrom engine.

Got an old motorcycle photo the other day, from a friendly gentleman named Johan.
Johans great-grandfather Carl Mathiesen was working as a doctor in and around Gausdal from the late 1880`s. Gausdal is an area of Hedmark in eastern Norway with long distances, and at the turn of the 1900 century the roads were built for horses and carriages. Carl was a automotive pioneer in his time when he realized that commuting on a Indian motocycle would save a lot of valuable time, both for him and his patients. As seen in the pic dated ca. 1920, Carl must have bought his Indian from Sontum in Christiania (now Oslo) as early as 1914 or 1915. This is obvious, as the engine in Carl`s motocycle is still a Hedstrom inlet over exhaust.
Looking further at the image I am not quite sure the picture is as late as 1920. The bike is so clean and unmolested, appearing as if quite new.
At the picture the doctor is doing some adjustments to his bike, obviously not afraid of getting grease on his hands, though he is a doctor.
The above could be a story enough for a single picture, but hey there is more to it.

Not only was Carl Mathiesen a doctor for common people in the Gausdal area, he was also the personal doctor to our national hero and literature Nobel prize winner Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.


Carl Mathiesen, doctor and psychiatrist and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnsons personal physician for 20 years.


Nobel price winner Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson.


Our national hero Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson died in Paris, where he had traveled to get medical treatment at the end of his life.
Carl went to Paris after receiving message about Bjørnsons death to follow his body back home to Norway. The body was sent from Paris to Copenhagen in king Haakon`s personal train. In Copenhagen The Norwegian royal navy`s ironclad "Norge" waited to carry him further to Christiania (Oslo) where the national funeral ceremony took place. 


torsdag 26. juni 2014

ISDT in Scandinavia back in 1923


Folks, this is so cool, it's freakin unbelievable.
I stumbled across this video on the www, pretty much by coincidence (I`m a liar, off course I searched, and this time I found). It is one of them news reels from way before the TV was invented. People gathered at the local cinema all across the country, some guy (or girl) played the piano while the machinist operated the movie projector, all of this to see what was going on in the country.
When folks sat down for this film, they would see clips from the 1923 ISDT endurance run held in Sweden and Norway. The biggest motorcycle event that had ever taken place in those two countries until then.
An event where several European countries sent their best motorcycle riders to fight for medals and honor, and not to forget this was an event where the major motorcycle factories could show the consumers why they should chose their brand.

Whilst I look at this movie, I see a lot of faces and motorcycles I know from my photo collection. It is so cool to see people since long gone suddenly be alive, not just posing at a picture.

Oh, I should not forget to mention this movie is shown at this blog because I got valuable help with the catch and the conversion from my internet friend Lars aka the Brokenspoke at the "thepowerslidingsidecar" blog.

LARS, thanks a lot!!

I will when time allows, let you know whom I recognize and what bikes we see in the film.

Stay tuned.

OK OK here are two guys whom have been presented on this blog before, as have the pictures too.


It`s swede Helmer Petterson and my compatriot Ernst Vaumund.
The first a famous Exelsior rider.
The second, Harleys best man in Norway for years.
When you look at the ISDT movie, watch out for them, they are there!
Both pictures shown are captured during the 1923 ISDT.

fredag 20. juni 2014

Old meets old!

Last weekend on my way home from the "Norsk Motordag" event in Kristiansand, I took some smaller roads with my Henderson.
I had to stop by a railway crossing the road as the signaling told me to. It was well worth the waiting as the train that came by was one old late 1800`s steam train from the Setesdalsbanen live steam museum.

I could feel the Henderson nodding to the train as it passed by. Back in their heydays, they both traveled in the same district, maybe they had met before??



Some pics from the National Motorday event in Kristiansand:








søndag 15. juni 2014

Trondhjemsridtet, some GoPro action

Bought a GoPro camera and helmet mount for the trondhjemsridtet, mounted a remote WIFI control on the handlebar.
Kind of technical for a vintage ride, eh?
I`m a bit dissapointed of the battery capasity, both for the camera and the remote control in particular, this as it have to be charged by the PC USB port. When riding for 8-10 hours there is no chance to charge this, and it will soon be off no use.

Anyway, got some films done, here are examples of what rode`s we spent hours on during last weekend;




tirsdag 10. juni 2014

Trondhjemsridtet day 4 of 4

Whow, day 4 would be one of the most extreme rides I have had in 30 years in the saddle. Gravel roads, several hundred years old, hardly maintained since ??, the original roads that was used by the brave men back in 1919 when they rode the Trondhjemsridtet back and forth in just 50 hours. I bow myself in the dust for those guys, the roads they had to ride was so terrible, its insane. I have now in real life experienced what I have from before only seen in the pictures from yesterdaze.
I dare to say our country is great when it is showing its best side in good weather, the view, oh my oh my what views we have had this last and by far most challenging day of our trip from Spidsbergseter in Rondane down to Mjøsa and finally to Oslo. Not one main road did we ride from 0700 in the morning till 1700 afternoon, gravel, yes give me gravel the Henderson just loves it.
All them German participants came with their Zundapps, hey step aside, the four need to stretch out, go right as we pass on your left.

Its 2ò clock in the morning when I have reached home. How on earth am I to get the Henderson and the now "very dirty nine" back in shape??
Its dust and oil and grease all over.

Will try to summarize tomorrow, in the meantime a few pics to give an idea what roads we have spent hours on.


Spomewhere on the "Kongevegen" (kings road) to Oslo


Would you consider riding for hours with no suspension on those kind of roads? If you go by Henderson its just a thrill.


The view is just fantastic.


The gravel roads is taking their toll to Lutz`s Super X


Lutz, ever smiling


The view of Eastern Norway


Back in Oslo, worn but still solid!

mandag 9. juni 2014

Trondhjemridtet day 3 of 4

We are still hanging in, and this Trondhjemsridtet is just getting harder and harder.
We spent the entire morning riding gravel roads in heavy rain, that is for sure taking its toll to both man and machine.
To summarize the day;
Gravel roads from fjord to mountains, hills, plenty of hills, both up and down.
The Henderson and I like the uphills, then we dont need to worry on lack of brakes.
We have been crossing the beautiful mountains of Dovre and Rondane, we had snow, aint that cool?
Tomorrow we have to set the clock at 0500 in the morning, this is no joyride, need to get some rest.
A few pics from todays ride;















søndag 8. juni 2014

Trondhjemsridtet day 2 of 4

Whow what a day, up at 0530, on a Saturday. Breakfast and ready to leave the Hotel at 0700 sharp, very sharp indeed.
Mountains, gravel roads and loads of dust, serpentine bends in numbers and more mountains. 11 hours in the saddle (OK a few coffe breaks, but still) on the Henderson along with team mate Rune on the "not so dirty nine", its dirty now, very so.
The view from the mountains when we where coming closer to Trondhjem was so fantastic.

Had some carb issues with the Henderson, what a relief Jørgen is around. He tinkered for a short while and it purred as never before.

Trondhjem, we reached it, Hurray!!
Still we missed the streets in to town to be crowded by applauding spectators as back in the 1920ìes when Herman Oppen rode his Henderson into town, there could at least have been one or two volunteers applauding?

Anyway, we made it to Trondhjem without any fatalities (Henderson brakes dont allow for sudden Mose attacks in a bend) and our bikes have been working great.

Dinner, some mechanical entertainment and we are due to another sleep (we need it).

Tomorrow is more mountains, Rondane here we come!!

Some pics;