When I get a stamp in my hands, like this one of Aruba from 2017, issued on the occasion of 125 year Post, I always want to know what is shown on the image.

First off course the scooter: the brand and type. On this stamp this is not very clear, but some research provided the information that Post Aruba uses the SYM VS 125 painted in their own colors to deliver the post in distant areas. Thus it is plausible that the scooter on the stamp of 390 cents is a SYM.

SYM, Sang Yang Motors from Taiwan, is a factory that is related to the Honda factories, that since 2004 produces, next to (motor)scooters, motorcycles and quads, also some models from the Honda car range.
Aruba Post procured the scooters to make the work of the delivery-men in rural areas somewhat easier. However, it turned out that the many stray dogs on Aruba run after the scooters and thereby cause bite wounds and sometimes even accidents with the scooters. The post has now delivered a flyer on all addresses to prevent unattached dogs.
The building on the background is the General Post Office of the Post N.V. at the J.E. Irausquinsquare number 9, Oranjestad, designed by A.A. van Ammers and opened on May 2nd 1964. This office was already taken in use in 1958, and stayed the main office after the liberation of the Post in 2005.

Recently the Austrian Post has issued a semi-official sheet with "personalized stamps" in the series Marken Edition 20, titled: Feuerwehr in Österreich (Fire Brigades in Austria). The series consists of large A4 sheets with 20 stamps each with different images.

Cover of the stamp sheet

The complete stamp sheet

Description of the stamps

On the stamp in position 3:5 (no. 15) we see a motorcycle in fire brigade version. This motorcycle, a Puch 250 SGS, has been in service at the Freiwillige Feurwehr Wiener Neustadt (voluntary fire brigade Wiener Neustadt).

The stamp with the fire brigade Puch

An informant rode quickly through the traffic to the fire on the motorcycle with a case of quenching bombs on the back, briefed what kind of fire it was and how large, and when possible started with the first quenching. A quenching bomb is made of glass, and when you throw it in pieces near a fire it takes away all the oxygen.
Nowadays the Puch is enjoying his quiet old-age days in the Feuerwehr museum Gross St. Florian. The machine is still in useable condition.

The older German brother of the Dutch "Zwarte Cross" (Black Cross, since 1997) is the Werner Rennen, that is organized every year since 1988 on airport Hartenholm in Hasenmoor (Schleswig-Holstein). Werner is a motorcycle riding "Bölkstuff" (beer) drinking plummer from the cartoon strip of the same name. On the Rennen all kinds of vehicles may be raced, and amongst them are also mopeds, motorcycles and quads represented in large numbers.

Werner on his motorcycle

Thus this year (1998) the 30th anniversary has been celebrated, and therefore also the German Post was present on the festival area with a special cancellation postmark. Although there is no motorcycle in the postmark itself, it is thus a bit motorcycle related.

Only on the Rennen itself the postal stationary was sold with a motorcycle on it. The Werner-Rennen anniversary party was held this year from August 30th to September 2nd.

The postal stationary

During the races at Man, the TT-races, again lap records have been broken a few times, and also this time the Post has dedicated a few special envelops to this.
Dean Harrison, a Superbike rider for Kawasaki, rode his first lap (thus from a standing start) over the island in less than 17 minutes (16:50.384). Some calculation learns that he thus put an average of 134.432 Mph (216.347 km/hr) on the clock, and this was the first time that a speed of 134+ Mph was scored. He did the next round just slightly slower but still within 17 minutes. That was on the racing Saturday June 2nd.
Manx post remembers this with a special postal stationary.

This record did not hold for a long time. On the last racing day, the Friday on which the Senior TT Race was held, Peter Hickman beat this accomplishment on a BMW with a round that was a little more than 1 Mph faster, namely 135.452 Mph. Hickman won the Senior from Harrison, who was also very fast, with just 2 seconds difference overall.

Immediately the Manx Post used this performance to produce again a record postal stationary.
If you are interested in these envelops with value imprint you have to pay £ 15.00 for each of them, and the trick is that they are only sold together, thus £ 30 or € 33.40.

A bit besides philately are the Manx coins. But still worth mentioning, as on many of the currencies used on Man a motorcycle has been depicted.
Recently a few pieces have been added. On August 17th 2017 a £ 5.00 coin has been issued on the occasion of 110 years TT-races.

On the coin of 32 mm diameter , made from Alpaca (an alloy made of copper, zinc and nickel), there is on one side an image of the Senior Tourist Trophy and the Queens head on the other side. The coin has been set in a carton card and costs £ 12.00. Nice profit.

The second issue regards not less than 2 coins honouring 1 rider.
To honour Mike "The Bike" Hailwood (April 2nd 1940 - March 23rd 1981) this set of legal currency with the value of 2 pound has been issued.

On one of the coins we see Mike in front view and the number 60. This to remember that it is 60 years ago the Mike started racing. The other coin shows him in side view and commemorates that it is 40 years ago that Mike the Bike, after his conflict with Honda, came for the first time back to the races on Man. Of the coin pack 500 pieces have been made. Mike's wife got the numbers 40 and 60 handed over from the Manx Post when see came to the island.

Now the destination for your superfluous holiday pay comes.
From the issue "Great British Motorcycles" from IOM, announced in the former newsletter, there is, next to the normal block and other collectioneurs material (FDC's, maximum cards and presentation packs), also a collectioneurs tin available with large size (almost A4) prints of the drawings, signed by the designer.

The tin with the complete series of prints

The prints with autograph

The designer setting his autograph

On the drawings details of motorcycles like Zenith, Excelsior Manxman, Douglas Flat Twin, AJS 500 V4, Vincent V-Twin Series C and Norton Manx Single.
The photograph stamps show Eric Longden, Dennis Parkinson, Freddie Dixon, Walter Rusk, Alex Phillip and Harold Daniell. Mortons Archive delivered the pictures that have been used and Professor in Arts Graham Crowley, himself also an enthusiastic motorcycleman, drew the detail stamps.
The large size tin houses 6 drawings and a special sheet with the complete series of the stamp. Of this tin Manx Post made only 20 pieces, and to obtain one you have to subscribe for the price of 300 pound. Thank you very much.

Hans de Kloet

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