MFN member Jan Haaksema

My name is Jan Haaksema, I was born in 1953 in Ulrum, in the province of Groningen (Netherlands). I spent my childhood there until I was 9 years old, after which we moved to Ridderkerk. After completing the LTS, I started working at a shipyard.

When I was 16 I had my first moped, a Puch VZ 50, and later a Puch MV 50.
When I was 18, I took motorcycle lessons, lessons were ridden on a scooter. During the learning period I had a practicing permit, but with that I was only allowed to drive the shortest route from home to an industrial area close to home.
In that period I went to the TT with a bunch of friends, still without having a driver's license, but with the practicing permit. If you don't do anything crazy, you won't get arrested, so no problem.
In August 1972 I bought my first motorcycle, a Suzuki T500J, purchased new at Motorhuis Safe in Rotterdam. That was a fast bike.

In March 1973 I had to do the compulsory military service. I joined the Navy as a machinist for 18 months and had a great time there.
I resigned in September 1974. Then I sold the Suzuki and started riding a Triumph Bonneville 650. Next came a Triumph T150 Trident, followed by a Yamaha XS 750.

When children came, motorcycling was put on the back burner. In 1987 I rode a Honda CB 400F, but that was not a big success. However, in winter-time it was usable as bad wheather bike.
In 1990 I started working at a storage and transshipment company in the port of Rotterdam, in the Technical Department.
In 1991 I bought a BMW R 90S, with which I rode a lot of kilometers. A total of almost 200,000 km in 12 years, often in England and Ireland.
I also visited the Isle of Man TT twice. It's cool to drive on the circuit yourself after such a race. I already collected pins and stamps at that time, but not fanatically. In Douglas (capital of Man) I saw in a shop window stamps with motorcycles as a motif. Then I was hooked.
I don't remember exactly when I became a member of the MFN, but I enjoy it a lot. I also still look for stamps and pins at flea markets and fairs. I try to visit the club afternoon as often as I can, but unfortunately that is not always possible.
The last 2 of my motorcycles are immortalized on a personal stamp. These are based on paintings that my wife Ineke made.

The painter next to her work

In 2003 I became 50 years and bought a new BMW R 1150RT. ALso with that bike I rode a lot, amongst others to the North Cape and the Shetland Islands.

With the RT long trips were made

Jan and Ineke at the North Cape

I took early retirement in 2013, and since then my days have been filled with our children and grandchildren, because as they think "you are now retired so you have nothing to do".
In 2010 and 2013, Ineke and I traveled through Canada and the US in a camper for 3 months, and in 2016 we did a tour of Iceland. Beautiful, but I would have preferred to do it on a motorcycle.
In 2014 I exchanged the BMW R 1150RT for a BMW R 1200GS Adventure. I have already had a lot of fun driving the GS in the Alps and the Pyrenees, and still I regularly make a nice tour.

Also with a BMW GS it's possible to round a circuit

Since my wife can no longer sit on the back seat due to hip operations, touring has become less. Also because most of my motorcycle riding acquaintances are still working, and I don't really feel like going on a day of touring alone.
But all in all, I get through my days well and I don't get bored.

Greetings,
Jan Haaksema

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