Sportzilla, charlesb52 and the SON.

I’ve been riding motorcycles since 1978. I started on a Kawasaki Z400, then a Honda CX500, and in 1982 discovered my love for “real” motorcycles with the Triumph Bonneville T140E.

In 1991 I found the bike that truly suited me: the HD Sportster. From 1991 to 2012 I customised and rode my XL883, converted to 1200cc, known as Sportzilla1. Since 2012 I’ve been riding an XR 1200, Sportzilla2. These bikes represent years of riding pleasure and countless miles.

I’ve travelled across Europe on my Sportsters and along the way learned the Japanese word “Tanoshii!”, 楽しい!), meaning joy — a perfect description of motorcycling. A friend of mine, Takayuki (Bon), introduced me to this motto.

In 2006 I founded the Sportster Owners Netherlands (SON) forum and club, which grew into a key part of the Dutch Sportster scene.

Today, 楽しい! still sums up what riding is about: enjoying the journey, the friendships, and the open road.