In Flanders we race

A try-out by a small group of friends spontaneously degenerated into a friendly demo race, and the Flanders Field Race was born.

Friendly folk, vintage bikes, a stubble field and a will to race – lets go!

In rural Flanders, Mannekensvere, almost on the Belgian coast, plans were made by 10 friends to organise a fun old-school event in the future – a race over a freshly cut field, with the help of a farmer who immediately made his land available when he heard about it. The initiators are Ivo and Hans – the first known for his De Coude Scheure establishment opposite the field, and the second for his HD Classics motorcycle shop in Baal, Belgium. “We want to organise an old-fashioned fun event, with a field race for old bikes up to the year 1947. The current circumstances do not allow a large-scale event now, but we want to see if it is possible to have a field race for classics here next year. We want it to be just like in the old days, when the farmers’ sons raced their motorbikes across the newly mown fields, simply because it was fun and, of course, because they liked speed. We want to create that idea, that atmosphere,” said Hans and Ivo, both avid motorcyclists, especially with the very old stuff, which is raced under the name Time Bandits Racing Team. Ton agrees: “Just a day of fun without difficult rules and commercial interests, accessible to everyone who likes older bikes, with an old-fashioned field race with lots of fun and hardly any costs.” “We want to see if this initiative can grow into a new event, which is why we are trying today to see if

it is something,” said the men. This time a modest set up with a simple, straight track across the field, but the plan is to add a dirt track and something of an agility course as well.

And then today the try-out, without an audience and in a very private circle.

Early in the morning there’s a dozen motorbikes in ‘the pits’, or the parking lot next to the Koude Schuur. The attendees adhere strictly to the current rules, as agreed in advance. Some riders are already tinkering, filling petrol, and Nick, the owner with the oldest motorcycle, a Triumph with no less than 3hp from 1905, even comes riding from his home more than 20km away.

Ivo and his lovely wife Delphine provide coffee, and in the meantime the farmer is kind enough to level the land slightly with a cultivator behind his tractor. The riders, often dressed in a ‘period correct’ suit, inspect the field. On the surface it looks fine and flat, but it appears to be full of cracks and gullies, with many treacherous stones hidden under the smoothfeeling straw – that will see spectacular riding.

The old machines are started and warmed up on the road – old, very rare machines like a 1931 Royal Enfield JF 500cc OHV Four Valve; Brough Superior 1000 Sport Mk.1 from 1926; 1929 Harley-Davidson JD board track racer; BMW R47 500cc OHV from 1928;

a Norton ES2 OHV 1935; Indian Chief from 1940; various Saroleas such as a Course 500; 32R from 1932 and a 1919 550cc; a La Mondiale from 1929; BSA B31 from 1953; various H-D 750 side valves; and the

1905 Triumph 3hp and Triumph Tiger Cub

200cc from 1966 in off-road version. These machines certainly will not be spared; the speed is increased until the engines roar with pleasure and the owners are smiling blissfully. “It looks like a ‘live Bonhams catalogue’ here,” one of the riders remarks. And indeed, you will rarely see such a collection of motorcycles in real life, let alone ride them, and ride them hard.

Not all engines want to start easily. For example, the Royal Enfield and the H-D JD Racer need a helping hand by pushing them back to

life, as most engines have been forced to stand still for a long time.

The start is wonderfully simple. Empty bottles indicate the starting line, and with a wave of the flag and with a nice rumble and roar from the exhausts, the riders go into a bumpy battle. And then it turns out to be a lot more difficult than expected, with hand shifters and foot clutch, carefully riding between the cracks and gullies, manoeuvring to get to the end of the track is not always easy! The most important thing, however, is that there is fun.

The huge hamburger that was the lunch provided extra weight and thus traction on the rear wheel in the afternoon, after which this beautiful, really old-fashioned and with love for the old motorcycles covered day, came to an end with a delicious barbecue, accompanied by the inevitable glass of Picon in the Koude Schuur.

The atmosphere, the conviviality, the helping hand in tinkering, and especially the friendship between the racers make such a day as this special. A friendly competition that should definitely be followed up nextyear!