Cheap, simple and very enjoyable indeed

Sam Hewitt

–

11th March 2017

I read the article about Andrew Powell’s MZ collection (OBM February) with great interest as
I’m a fan of Eastern European two-strokes.

My first motorcycle was a DKW RT200VS that I bought from Pride & Clarke’s in 1960, and I passed my test on it that summer. I sold it six years later when I moved on to cars, marriage, career-building and so on.

**Bob Macdonald’s line-up of two-strokes from the former West and East Germany and Czechoslovakia makes a varied and interesting display.**

I became interested in old bikes again around the late 1970s and bought a non-running D7 BSA Bantam to refurbish. I never got round to completing the rebuild, but in the meantime got back into riding on a Matchless G2 that I bought in 1991. Trying to regain my youth, I was keen to find a DKW and eventually found my current model in 1997.

I have since delved into the marque history and found several connected makes of basic two-strokes, so I’ve built up a modest collection of six machines, all runners, and they arouse interest at any shows I take them to. I also enjoy rides out on the four road-legal bikes with the VMCC South Lincs & Peterborough Section.

My collection comprises a 1936 Wanderer 1SP, 1959 DKW RT200VS, 1964 ZU DKW Hummel Super, 1972 MZ ES250/2, 1975 Jawa and CZ250 Sports Twin.

They might not be ‘classic’, but they’re all good fun.