Authentic trip through West Brabant

We live in a hurried world anno 2023. Speed is the magic word, but of course this has not always been the case. To blast back in time for a while, we went out earlier this year to unwind in the beautiful West Brabant countryside with the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 and Mash Six Hundred 650 Classic.

The most complicated electronics currently dominate our lives. It brings us speed and convenience, but do we also enjoy it more than before? It is doubtful, and so ChromeBurner employees Kevin van Eijk and Glenn Tierolff deliberately put time on hold, as an experiment. They do so with motorbikes that are grafted onto past times and also do not allow the continuous flow of information via their mobile phones, smart watches, tablets or laptops during this tour day. The only electronic device the two men use is a navigation system. The reason is simple, that way they are assured of a route through western North Brabant that also carries some excitement.

Because on the chosen day there is little chance that the outside temperature will not go much higher than five degrees, warm motorbike clothing is obviously a prerequisite. Although it was an obvious fact via the weather forecasts, the benjamin of the duo is still dressed reasonably 'summery'. At the logical starting point, which is ChromeBurner's physical shop in Nieuwkuijk in Brabant, Glenn is first of all convinced that he can ride the 181-kilometre route in his current attire. "On the way there, it wasn't too bad, mind you," he explains. Still, the marketer is persuaded to use some extra undergarments so that he doesn't get off the bike like a popsicle later. While Glenn puts on his extra layer, Kevin warms his hands once more over a steaming hot cup of coffee. "Global warming? On days like this, I believe in that a bit less anyway."

Under the cooling fins

As the final preparations are made to go on a cold ride, the warm showroom is left with some melancholy. It is time to put the waiting duo of bikes to work and Kevin first takes a seat on the saddle of the Mash Six Hundred 650 Classic. "I'm kind of curious about this one-pitter," he announces. "But just what is the exact displacement of this Mash? Confusing name it has." At the same time, the Business Development Manager puts his hand in the pocket of his motorbike jacket, but to no avail. Faintly, he is reminded that a phone-less ride is on the menu this day. "Oh well, I'll look it up later," he says. After all, the information about cc count is not that important to look up right away. It's all about the feeling, right?" A tap on Kevin's shoulder makes him turn and see his colleague Glenn pointing at the Mash's block. "Look," he calls out. "Mystery already solved. Under the cooling fins of the cylinder head it's listed. 644cc, in other words."

A few seconds later, the Interceptor's standing twin also strikes and immediately the biggest difference is noticeable. Although the Royal Enfield boasts an almost similar displacement, a different sound clearly escapes from the exhausts. The twin sounds a lot fuller at idle, which is further approximated by the Zard pipes. Quietly, Glenn lets the engine warm up and takes the time to put on his gloves. He already seems to fully grasp today's theme. Relax it is.

Collection of cross-shirts

Really completely unhurried might be a bit too much to ask for the two young men, as soon on the route Kevin tries to put all 39 horsepower of the Mash to work. Smoothly, he shifts into fifth and Glenn neatly follows his colleague's lead. He needs little effort to do so, as the Interceptor manages to get a little more power out of the engine. With 48 hp, it clearly has an edge and that shows in a slightly spicier character. Despite the modest power output, these retro bikes are good to drive on and so they soon reach the fortified town of Heusden on the Bergsche Maas. Having braved several authentic cobbled streets, Kevin suddenly stops in the centre of this cosy Brabant town. "Glenn, if you want to admire a nice collection of cross-shirts and are interested in wonderful stories about motocross, this is the place to be." While already reviving the Mash, he points to a former bank building on the Breestraat that now serves as a 'museum' for Leon Verheij's extensive collection. Through the narrow city gate, the pair bid farewell to Heusden and continued their route through West Brabant. On to the next gem.

The edge of Brabant

After enjoying beautiful views from the dykes near the small town of Doeveren, it is not long before the nameplate Raamsdonksveer looms up. On the steering roads in the same area, the Mash and Royal Enfield clearly show they are in their element, as do their guest riders. Although these two retro models are not direct crack monsters, they too obviously love a fine twisty track. And fortunately that is the case here on this stretch of route. After Geertruidenberg, the duo continue the route via Drimmelen and keep riding along the edge of Brabant to arrive in Moerdijk half an hour later. As the cold breeze continuously makes its presence felt, the two ChromeBurner employees stop at the next eatery for a well-earned lunch. It turns out to be roadside restaurant Kanters. Although there are immediate fears about the quality, or rather the lack of it, Kevin does not appear to be that fussy at the moment. "I don't really care, as long as it's nice and warm inside. I find that much more important right now."

Very pure

While the engines are tapping outside, their fingers are brought back to operating temperature via a cup of coffee and they both order a hot lunch dish. All possible 'means' are used here in Moerdijk to take the chill out of the body. When the plates arrive, the two men look at each other in surprise. "I didn't expect that from a roadside restaurant," Kevin reveals. "That actually doesn't look wrong at all." Of course, while the first bites have been taken, the two colleagues cannot resist having a conversation about the Mash and Royal Enfield. Glenn: "It took some getting used to on the Interceptor, I must admit. I ride mostly on my Kawasaki Z1000, which of course makes an unprecedented difference. The Royal Enfield obviously doesn't compare, but with the right approach you can really have a lot of fun on this classic-looking twin. I've noticed that by now." Despite the cold, Kevin is also enjoying himself on his companion, the Mash Six Hundred. "It's always nice to try something different. These machines are very pure and really take you back to earlier times. Many retro models still end up being quite modern machines with classic styling, but that is not the case with the Mash and Royal Enfield. If you really want to unwind, these two bikes are the right place to go."

Slowing down

Once the motorbike gear is put back on, a quick look on the navigation before the start to see what the next point will be. It turns out to be the picturesque Klundert, but Kevin is particularly interested in what comes next. "Willemstad, I have nice memories of that," he points out. "When I was young, we went swimming in the open water there in the summer with the requisite friends." Via some narrow roads, the Mash Six Hundred and Royal Enfield Interceptor push into the beautiful fortified town and are welcomed by beautiful structures. The pace slows down and they quietly look around. Fortunately, there are hardly any tourists on their feet today and they explore Willemstad unhindered. After a while, they eventually swap the cobblestones for sleek asphalt that leads them to Dinteloord. From there, they set course for Stampersgat, the village where, because of its name, there always seems to be Carnival. Although the festivities are currently lacking, there is a cosy atmosphere in the village streets. When the outlying area presents itself, Kevin cannot contain himself and tries to detect some sportsmanship in the Mash. Unfortunately, he does not appear to find any. "I know, this bike is not built for that, but I still wanted to know to what extent you can push this Six Hundred," he says. It's mainly the soft suspension that limits you on steering, I notice."

Bizarre situation

"Wow! I don't know what I'm seeing. What a surprise, say." By now, the two classics have been put on their jiffy and Kevin begins to give a brief explanation to his colleague Glenn about the Basilica of Saints Agatha and Barbara. The nineteenth-century building is obviously Oudenbosch's main attraction and was based on two different churches. And not the least too, as they are the very famous St Peter's Basilica (the dome) and the impressive-looking St John of Lateran (the front). The result in Oudenbosch especially shows an extraordinary building strangely located on a regular, Brabant shopping street. It makes for a bizarre situation. After a few minutes, it is time to continue the route and the duo gets on again. This time Kevin hangs onto the wheel of the Royal Enfield, while Glenn receives the key to the Six Hundred. Although it is still very cold, at least the necessary turns make sure the body has to do the necessary activity.

Compass to the east

In Oosterhout, the largest town the route wriggles through, they do not escape the necessary crowds and this gives them the opportunity to make a coffee stop for one last time. There, Kevin also makes a final assessment of the two bikes. "Personally, I do think the Interceptor is a bit more motor, so that would be my first choice. But yes, you also have to deal with a serious price difference between these two. I think there's about three thousand euros between them, so that obviously makes a big difference."

After the short break, the route continues and heads for Loon op Zand, the Brabant village where the Loonse and Drunense Dunes hide. Beautiful nature, but to properly explore this area you need to own a mountain bike. Glenn and Kevin therefore point their compass to the east and shoot towards the end of the ride. As the day's odometer slowly creeps towards 200, the pair ride through Helvoirt and the colleagues seem to smell their work shed already. Five minutes later, they park the Mash Six Hundred 650 Classic and Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 in the ChromeBurner car park and the bikes receive a genial pat on the tank as a thank you for the enjoyable ride. Once Kevin and Glenn have warmed up in the showroom, they immediately want to convey their new motorbike philosophy to store manager Wesley. "You know what you should do sometime, Wesley? Relax, man. We have the perfect recipe for that. If you think it's a good idea, just wait until the mercury rises above 15 degrees. Just a random tip from us."

Want to ride this or another day trip yourself? Check our tips for day rides here.

Thanks to Royal Enfield dealer Van Doorn Motoren in Ammerzoden for lending us their Interceptor 650. You can find their current offer at www.vandoornmotoren.nl.