I enjoy the priceless privilege, at least sometimes, of simply doing what I feel like. And since I felt felt like some fresh air, I grabbed my leathers and helmet and strode into the garage. Key into the VFR, ignition, und ahhhhh........ welcome to the V4 universe.

Down the road, into the little town, a few kilometres to the west, then my favourite stretch of corners opens up. The road winds through the greenery, a magnificent valley, then wooded sections, the fork to a crazy orgy of corners comes at some point, down to the big river.

I ride, shift, brake, enjoy the wind in my face. No, it is not cold today, not at all, around 15 degrees Centigrade. I forget who I am, what my name is and what drove me out of the office. I feel fine. I am riding a motor cycle.

The next little place is pretty, full of little old half-timbered houses. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to stop and drink a cup of coffee. But I pass it up, preferring to potter along the road by the river to the next filling station. There I get a cocoa from the vending machine.

Drinks from the vending machine always remind me of earlier times. Of many long trips by autobahn to the Bol d’Or in France. I was there ten times in a row, or thereabouts. In 1983, a V4 Honda won there for the first time, after that came six victories in succession, from ´85 to 1990. I was an eye witness to eventful times.

How the factory Hondas flashed down the long Mistral straight, flat on the tank at 280 kph. Or accelerating in second gear out of the last corner, right on the limit, right up to the curb, lap after lap, for 24 hours, in the glittering sun after the start, at midnight or at five o’ clock in the morning. With that characteristic V4 sound, deep, easy and unstrained, quite different from the inline-fours of the others.

The V4 factory Hondas were terrific bikes. And Sarron, Mattioli, Coudray & Co were world-class riders. Patrick Igoa, the three-time Endurance world champion, told me once that they ride just as fast at night as during the day, at least in Le Castellet, because the track is well lighted. Unbelievable. Today there is no more racing on the course, only testing, primarily for cars. Pity.

My personal pit stop is finished. I flip the cocoa cup into the rubbish bin, start the VFR and roll home. In the office, the mood is cheerful again, I sent a quick flower-bedecked e-mail after the event. Thinking positively can be so simple. I was gone for less than two hours; one should ride a motor cycle much more often, on a workday, just now and again.

Cheers

V4-master   close