Sportzilla, charlesb52 and the SON.

I’ve been riding motorcycles since 1978. I started on a Kawasaki Z400, then a Honda CX500, and in 1982 discovered my love for “real” motorcycles with the Triumph Bonneville T140E (Sportzilla#0.5?).

In 1991 I met the bike that truly suited me: the HD Sportster.

From 1991 to 2012 I customised and rode my XL883, converted to 1200cc, known as Sportzilla1.

Since 2012 I ride my modified XR 1200, Sportzilla2.

My bikes represent kilometers of riding pleasure in Europe; from Norway to the Picos de Europa, from Ireland to Appennino Abruzzese.

My Japanese friend Takayuki (Bon), introduced me to “Tanoshii!”, 楽しい!), meaning joy, a perfect description for my feeling when riding.

In 2006 I began throwing friendly Sportsterbombs (charlesb52, that's my peace of cake!) in the World Wide Web and the Sportster Owners Netherlands (SON) forum and club started. 

2026 And the SON is still the place to be for Sportster addicts!

Today, 楽しい! still sums up what my XR is about: enjoying the journey, friendships, and the roads.