Table of contents

• Motorcycle culture in Bremen Custom scene of the Hanseatic city
• The double pack
• The Ahrenson
• The Streithoffs
• The painter-Harry
• epilogue

Sven Wedemeyer

25th pictures

Sven Wedemeyer

1/25
Visitors are welcome to the double pack in Bremer Schuppen 1. They screw, think, celebrate and create. Her studio is a fascinating cave for men with a penchant for handicrafts.

Sven Wedemeyer

2/25
Thomas …

Sven Wedemeyer

3/25
… and Thomas – two rascals in close association.

Sven Wedemeyer

4/25
Great sketches, …

Sven Wedemeyer

5/25
… awesome shop, …

Sven Wedemeyer

6/25
… awesome shit.

Sven Wedemeyer

7/25
Socializing in the double-pack atelier – people like to celebrate here.

Sven Wedemeyer

8/25
Ralf, the “Ahrensohn”, clearly separates work and passion. The fun might be lost if the interest of his customers and the ebb in their wallet tugged at their own quality standards.

Sven Wedemeyer

9/25
Ralf always goes to festivals and motorcycle meetings, loves screwing and reports on motorized life.

Sven Wedemeyer

10/25
It sparked – Ralf knows what’s going on here.

Sven Wedemeyer

11/25
It’s cozy at the Ahrenson.

Sven Wedemeyer

12/25
He builds the TRX for a friend.

Sven Wedemeyer

13/25
Silent devotion in the Streithoff’s workshop for minutes.

Sven Wedemeyer

14/25
The Streithoffs know this from their guests.

Sven Wedemeyer

15/25
The brothers Herbert and Uwe are guys who can tell you wild stories all day long without even thinking about why you left the house in the morning.

Sven Wedemeyer

16/25
Brule rules and guards the realm of the Streithoffs. The good-natured dog feels “at home” between the many rare frames.

Sven Wedemeyer

17/25
Uwe and Herbert meanwhile help everyone who does not make progress with rare material.

Sven Wedemeyer

18/25
Shortly before finished: men’s motorcycles, beautiful to howl.

Sven Wedemeyer

19/25
Time travel in Harry’s colorful booth.

Sven Wedemeyer

20/25
The painter-Harry is someone who is neither particularly well known beyond the borders of Bremen, nor does it place any value on it. Nevertheless: a very colorful, very special bird.

Sven Wedemeyer

21/25
The Harry-Test Foundation’s verdict: very good.

Sven Wedemeyer

22/25
Anyone who needs Harry’s craftsmanship as a painter or mechanic for old rubbish will look in vain for a website. That would be pretty much 2016! Instead, he has one of those modern, um … phones. And he even answers. Once in a while.

Sven Wedemeyer

23/25
Harry’s workshop is a trip back in time.

Sven Wedemeyer

24/25
The trendsetters, the fashions and the madness, you won’t find a place in here at Maler-Harry. Time stands still here.

Sven Wedemeyer

25/25
Picture gallery: Motorcycle culture in Bremen.

Sports & scene

Motorsport

Motorcycle culture in Bremen

Motorcycle culture in Bremen
Custom scene of the Hanseatic city

Content of

These gentlemen from Bremen are cooler than a stiff breeze from the sea. Because they don’t define their coolness by what they do. But how they do it. A small, subtle difference that attracts us to the Hanseatic city.

Sven Wedemeyer

10/25/2016

In the good old days there was a funny guy scurrying through the picture tubes of the nation – the HB male. But a bad fate met him. He was supposed to prove to the viewers of the HB cigarette commercials that an annoying fly or the disturbed antenna of the television were already legitimate reasons to shoot like a rocket through the ceiling in anger. As if he had no other problems. The advertisement conveyed the message that a pull on the dump could steer the angry mind back into controlled paths. We owe the winged word of “going in-the-air” to this petty philistine.

Buy complete article

Motorcycle culture in Bremen
Custom scene of the Hanseatic city

6 pages) as PDF

€ 2.00

Buy now

By today’s standards, the old TV spots with the HB male seem like sheer mockery. In 2016, the man and his environment are completely different – and there are more than enough reasons to explode. Between job, family, your own dreams and the expectations of others, from which our world is becoming less and less free, a man’s soul is ground up faster than pepper in the mill. Quite a few guys are failing to be themselves these days. Completely to yourself and sovereign – without being understood as a posing lacquer monkey or a fear-driven coward. Because, in a world that has gone wild, the modern man is fighting against cramped schedules, urban fashions, backward-looking longings, modernized role models, dubious technologies, unbridled consumption … – no less than the end of the oh-so-good old days. The hypochondriac HB male, under these circumstances it would have smoked its last filterless long ago.

Not from television, but from HB there are a few men who not only have gasoline in their blood, but also seem to have found an answer to the madness of everyday life. At least that’s what their actions, their lifestyle, and their worldview suggest. So let’s take a closer look there.

The double pack

Little and big Thomas are like brothers – best friends and business partners. Their physique may differ, but in spirit the dissimilar types are inseparable. A few years ago you met as an airbrush artist. They have only existed together since 1999 – which is why the name of their company was obvious. Her talents as artists and craftsmen merged with the label “Doppelpack Design”. No more limits, quite deliberately: painting, brushing, drawing, constructing. Why do you always have to draw clear lines between these many areas? Tom and Tom even go one step further. Their love for two-wheelers is so great that they consciously integrate this world into their workplace. Your worth seeing shop in “Schuppen 1” at Bremen’s Europahafen – a refuge for motorists – is an exciting mixture of atelier, workshop, showroom and community space. This is what we call rooms today where people think about and meet together. Men of all ages press their noses flat against the windows because it looks so tempting behind them. You wonder what the guys are doing in there. And those who dare to get in will receive answers.

Sven Wedemeyer

Visitors are welcome to the double pack in Bremer Schuppen 1. They screw, think, celebrate and create. Her studio is a fascinating cave for men with a penchant for handicrafts.

There are old scooters and motorcycles scattered around the room, the Ducati 750 Sport or a stripped Honda XBR. There are workbenches on the walls, and impressive works of art were drawn on the concrete with brushes. Somehow, an automotive monster has even joined this backdrop – the creation of a good friend’s aluminum sheet, which looks as if a Mercedes-Benz SSK has impregnated a Jaguar E-Type. The guys from the double pack are always available for such and similarly crazy ideas. They adore creativity and like things that are different. “Brave and naivete help us to approach tasks with fresh ideas. In the past we may have allowed a little too much rock ‘n‘ roll in our lives – it wasn’t sustainable. But we have learned over the years what professionalism means. But that doesn’t have to mean that we let business dictate everything to us. “

The double pack knows exactly what it wants. And found a vehicle in the motorcycle. Not just for the butt, but for the soul. Readings and cinema evenings with two-wheeler themes? A Ducati with brocade cover and wooden applications? Why not! “Our goal is that we are always happy here! Having a good time is our greatest asset, it is our top priority. And our bikes support that. They have always been part of the double pack concept. The bikes are now real door openers. They create a relaxed atmosphere in which people can meet with clarity. That’s exactly what we longed for. ”So clarity, that’s what the double pack strives for! Because that’s the only way to master art. And only through control can one live from it. Otherwise, she rules over you. Then it helps if the pencil can quickly be exchanged for the open-end wrench in the event of creative blockages – until the ideas in the head flow back down to the fingertips. If in doubt, a jaunt on the bike will bring the inspiration that has fallen asleep back to life. “That will blow your head completely free in two hours.”

Info: Visitors are welcome to the double pack in Bremer Schuppen 1. They screw, think, celebrate and create. Her studio is a fascinating cave for men with a penchant for handicrafts. All information is available on: www.doppelpack-design.com

The Ahrenson

The job and the motorcycle – Ralf Ahrens – nicknamed “Ahrenson” – has often thought of an alliance between these two fixed points in his life. It was the repeated rush at motorcycle festivals like Wheels & Waves, which inspires the passionate autodidact to dream. What happened if …?! But Ralf is a down-to-earth guy who can weigh rational decisions and impulsive desires against each other. As an electrical specialist and project manager, technical challenges are no stranger to him. But living off screws – the bottom line is that this is not an option.

He would have what it takes. As a matter of course, his fingertips feel over a piece of paper hanging on a cupboard in his workshop – on it the sketch of what is probably the simplest circuit diagram that has ever made a motorcycle run. The battery, an ignition coil, some wire – that’s all it takes. But not every motorcyclist recognizes a logic in the tangled cables. Or can explain it well. Ralf already! He would be a good workshop foreman and at least as good a teacher – reliable, empathetic and obsessed with details. You can see that on his bikes too. Ralf owns a couple of fine motorcycles and an even finer workshop on the outskirts of Bremen. The old barn, converted into a hobbyist’s paradise, houses his beloved XS 400, which keeps many memories of the past alive. Then there are the fat Honda Gold Wing with four boxers for touring. And the everyday mule TRX. He loves the boxes – and screws them so confidently that every now and then friends order a conversion from him. This also includes the Berlin custom forge Urban Motor, by no means amateurs who commissioned an XS from him. An accolade for someone who sees the motorcycle primarily as a hobby.

Ralf’s modesty, the confident mastery of complex technology, his inner calm – all of this probably stems from a deep satisfaction with himself. Mister Ahrenson knows when he’s comfortable. The superficial greed for more and more is not his case. Why a fat car when the old Mazda does too? What a swanky hut when it’s so cozy on the upper floor of the old farmhouse? The therapeutic value of a carefully maintained vehicle fleet should not be underestimated either. Because when Ralf enters his workshop after work, he can breathe deeply – very deeply. Quickly clean the yellowed carburetors of the GL in rubber slippers and worn overalls. Let your eyes wander over the walls for a few minutes, full of posters, stickers, small works of art, the patinated racing disguise and many souvenirs from an all-round successful motorcycle life. He then no longer has the desire to professionalize all of this. The fun might be lost if the interest of his customers and the ebb in the wallet tugged at their own quality standards. Just here and now. It is also right.

info: Ralf always goes to festivals and motorcycle meetings, loves screwing and reports on motorized life. Stories about motorcycles, trips and experiences can be found on his blog: www.ahrenson.blogspot.de

The Streithoffs

When men are called Herbert and Uwe, it is already clear where the journey is going. You have a firm handshake, imposing appearance and always find clear words. Their humor is hearty – and extremely entertaining. These are guys who you can have wild stories told all day long without even thinking about what you actually left the house for in the morning.

The appearance of the Streithoffs – two brothers who could hardly be more North German – may not correspond to the common cliche of a fine spirit. But the siblings share a great passion and, with their inconspicuous workshop in Bremen-Hemelingen, have been an institution of a thoroughly tasty scene for decades. Old Rickman racers from the island and special chassis in general are her specialty. Sealey, Harris, Bimota – the like. For Bremen standards, they rave almost sentimentally about the small-series motorcycles.

Uwe tinkers with the treasures all day long, while Herbert sells welding equipment at the same time. You enter the holy Rickman Halls through a simple roller door – outside there is an old school cigarette machine on the facade (without HB). Anyone who manages to work their way past the countless bodyshells and project motorcycles to the workbenches cannot believe their eyes. Machines that are beautiful to kneel down on are there on the stage. With a nickel-plated frame, the hearts of blessed CBs or triumphs and shrink varnish on the engine covers. These are mechanical masterpieces, motorcycle art in its purest form. It is not without reason that there is a Metisse trident as a sculpture in Herbert’s kitchen, which you automatically meet with awe and respect.

It all started with the Streithoffs a good forty years ago. A buddy ordered a Rickman kit to marry his 750 Honda to the British cane. A lot of people did that at the time, especially when the insurance made it easy to settle the noble conversion as a supposed accident damage cost-effectively. After these formative experiences in early youth, nothing was surprising, of course. The grandfather’s workshop was gradually annexed by the boys – and is now full of treasures. This also includes the only Rickman factory racer in the company’s history. It is a grandiose Z 900, on the handlebars of which, according to Uwe, “you can drive the Kassel mountains – with 260 on the clock – in handstands”. Uwe, the daredevil, has certainly tried it before. “I thought someone was fleeing me, the thing is so stable.” Ah yes. “Legends belong in the right hands!” You hear that from both of them over and over again. With their annual Rickman meeting at the “Zum Backsberg” inn in Oyten, they have lived up to this claim – for over 30 years. Then you come across unique items like a Metisse-Munch or the abbreviation “RC30”. Connoisseurs click their tongues. And the Streithoffs carry on. Celebrate, honor and cultivate the past to bring it back to the present over and over again.

Info: Brule rules and guards the realm of the Streithoffs. The good-natured dog feels “at home” between the many rare frames. Uwe and Herbert meanwhile help everyone who does not make progress with rare material. Your website: www.rickman-bikes.de

The painter-Harry

If we are already in Bremen – so we were told – we should also visit the painter Harry. This insider tip came from Ulf Penner, another motorcycle veteran from HB. We leave Ulf himself out – because: who doesn’t know him? Painter-Harry, on the other hand, is someone who is neither particularly well known beyond the borders of Bremen, nor does it place any value on it. Nevertheless: a very colorful, very special bird.

Harry’s first name always precedes his profession. Because he is actually a painter, with his own business and such. But none of that matters when he speaks of his calling in a hoarse voice: the time when the analogue was still a matter of course, motorcycles could do without suspension and music was released on vinyl. Painter Harry is not as old as his records. He got stuck in the early 80s as a teen, as he himself says. When everyone in the perm was chasing the beats of Modern Talking, Harry rode the rockabilly wave. She wears it to this day.

Sven Wedemeyer

The trendsetters, the fashions and the madness, you won’t find a place in here at Maler-Harry. Time stands still here.

His very first moped, the little Sachs Panther, is still in the living room today, which zooms back to the 50s and 60s in a flash. Floorboards, dim light, pop art in a picture frame and rock ‘n‘ roll in the air. The walls are papered with real comics, the furniture in proper style. You can call it retro, for Harry it’s normal. Memories of his past, photos and parts of NSU, Kreidler or Horex are everywhere. Next door, in the large workshop that has become an integral part of his place, old Harleys and Indians from friends are parked, as well as his Triumph T120 R, which once burned down and has stood by Harry for 25 years. A couple of beers in the corner, a butt in hand, pomade in his hair – that’s Harry’s life.

What initially appears to be a superimposed facade is in fact the very real world in which you live. Because painter-Harry is a dropout – out of time. He is fully committed to an era that modernity seems to have forgotten. Of course, we still remember Elvis, Popeye, tail fins and drive-ins. Painter-Harry goes far beyond these prejudiced symbols. He renounces progress almost completely and celebrates the very old school. His bikes, the house, the Pontiac in the driveway … – the whole man is a dinosaur, a guy of a guy. He once built a WLA Harley for his girlfriend. And you know that things don’t exactly drive like automatic scooters. “I have to deal with that!” Well, Harry’s reality now also includes the fact that the very dearest participates. In the meantime she has moved out and goes on vacation alone, but that doesn’t affect the love. Harry just does his thing.

Today he’s working on the Knucklehead, which is parked on the oriental carpet. She’ll be ready in a minute. Then it will get TuV, and tomorrow it will age its fresh paintwork by at least 50 years with nitro. Then that also fits in the right light. “Screwing, drinking beer, looking stupid” – in the truest sense of the word endless fun for Harry, who apparently didn’t even notice that the world is really turning out there. The trendsetters, the fashions and the madness, you won’t find a place in here at Maler-Harry. Time stands still here.

Info: Anyone who needs Harry’s craftsmanship as a painter or mechanic for old rubbish will look in vain for a website. That would be pretty much 2016! Instead, he has one of those modern, um … phones. And he even answers. Once in a while. Contact: 0 42 02/76 75 84.

epilogue

“Sensible people adapt to the world. The unreasonable try to change them ”- George Bernard Shaw probably once said that. The Bremen boys do it in a similar way – and take their lives completely independently into their own hands. But instead of worrying about reason or unreason, they just listen to their inner voices. Whatever they say. Because everyone else doesn’t know what’s good for them anyway. This is how they gain clarity. Find calm. Experience something unique. And stay completely yourself.

Related articles

• Travel: Halfway around the world by motorcycle

  archive 15th pictures Hofmann 1/15 Steven’s Way of Life: The twelfth part takes Steven over Nepal’s bridges, mountains and valleys. Hofmann 2/15 The…

• Motorcycle tour through Bolivia

  Daniel Lengwenus 29 pictures Lengwenus 1/29 Experienced globetrotter takes on a young student for her first tour of South America. An adventure in itself…

• Motorcycle parts-Bielefeld classic spare parts

  Siemer counselor traffic & business Motorcycle parts-Bielefeld classic spare parts Motorcycle parts Bielefeld The slaughterhouse for motorcycle…

• Workshop gloves for screwing on the motorcycle

  fact 22nd pictures mps photo studio 1/22 Ejendals Tegera 5117: Price: 10.90 euros. MOTORRAD verdict: very good. mps photo studio 2/22 Ellix 397627:…

• On the road in Denmark by motorcycle

  Daams 14th pictures Daams 1/14 Time for the rain suit: a short shower on the way to Tyboren. Motorcycling in Denmark between the North Sea and the Baltic…

• Motorcycle culture in the USA

  Sara Liberte Sports & scene Motorcycle culture in the USA Motorcycle culture in the USA Mission possible “Mama Tried” is a fast growing motorcycle event…

• MOTORCYCLE on the road in Morocco

  Brings to travel MOTORCYCLE on the road in Morocco MOTORCYCLE on the road in Morocco North Africa’s last gap It has become tight in the northern Sahara….

• Motorcycle trip in the Pyrenees

  shepherd 33 pictures shepherd 1/33 Motorcycle trip in the Pyrenees – From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. shepherd 2/33 Air sovereignty: Giant…

• Hamburg police motorcycle relay: acrobatics on two-wheelers

  Sports & scene Hamburg police motorcycle relay: acrobatics on two-wheelers Hamburg police motorcycle relay Acrobatics on two-wheelers Police officers…

• Motorcycle tour through Algeria

  to travel Motorcycle tour through Algeria Motorcycle tour through Algeria The dunes of the Sahara Algeria. The grave road, the sand dunes from Erg…