Indian Rally 2012 Lemmer, Fryslan.

By Onno “Berserk” Wieringa - Madness Photography.nl

      Indian Rally 2012 Lemmer, The Netherlands

Just like every year, Tony “Indian” Leenes organized the Indian Rally in Lemmer. Was it absolutely pissing down last year at the Indian Rally 2011, this year we had sunshine and blue skies -well, at least until Sunday morning…- at the Indian Rally 2012 in Lemmer, a small Dutch city located in the most beautiful part of the Netherlands, up north in Fryslân.

Saturday morning the rumble and thunder of dozens of bikes woke up the neighborhood as the bikes were kicked to life and the ride-out of the Indian Rally 2012 began. With Tony leading the pack and the boys from local bike club ‘Motor Vrienden Lemmer’ taking care of a safe passage through the small villages and keeping the road closed  for oncoming traffic at crossroads so all the bikes could keep riding, we still managed to split up in three different groups, each taking directions to, err, nowhere. At the first stop, a nice restaurant near Wolvega, all ‘regrouped’ again and we had a nice lunch.

From there small country roads took the Indian Rally 2012 riders back to Lemmer. Right in the centre of Lemmer we stopped for coffee and ‘all the bloody foreigners’ could buy some souvenirs. The old, smoking and leaking bikes made quite an impression and drew a crowd, people taking photographs and talking to the owners. After some kicking and the usual Indian that needed a push start (right Tony?!) the bikes roared through town, back to the Indian Museum where the rally site was. Officially the Indian Rally 2012 is for Indians and pre-84 Motorcycles only, but everybody is more than welcome at the rally. “I don’t care what you ride, as long as your friendly, like a joke and behave normal, you’re welcome!” says Tony.   

Time for a drink and… the Rollator Race! (or in proper English; mobility walker) To prepare us for the future (nearby future for most of us ‘Elderly Youngsters’) a race was set up, push the rollator as quick as possible past the finish line. Of course it wasn’t a normal rollator, one of the front wheel was ‘modified’ a bit so it was a lot harder to keep it straight than you might think. Hilarious and after that it was bbq-time! Good food, drinks to wash it down and after the barbeque the party gradually started. The bonfire was lit and warmed everybody up, and Saturday night at the Indian Rally 2012 is party night! Many people attended the world famous Tony “Indian” Party and a funny band played good music. More games, like ‘Handlebars Hanging’ were played, and the competitors tried everything to prevent others to win. Pinching, even setting fire to each other is not uncommon, so it was good fun to watch!

A couple, from as far as New Zealand, attended the Indian Rally 2012, they travelled some 27.000 kilometers just to come and see us Dutch behave like idiots. All had a great time during the Indian Rally 2012 and the many beautiful blond Frisian women made me fall in love time after time…The Sonnema Berenburg drinks (a typical Frisian sort of liqueur) tasted well and before we knew it morning was there already. Time for breakfast, pack the bikes up, and it the road. And get wet. It was raining, but that couldn’t get the smile of my face during my hour and a half trip back home. It was a great weekend, if you missed the Indian Rally 2012, make sure you come to next year’s Indian Rally in Lemmer! 

Thanks and enjoy more photo's below of the Indian Rally 2012!  

A big thanks for Tony and his lovely wife Hennie for a great Indian Rally 2012!  

(more photo's soon on my website and on my Facebook page. Event report in one of the upcoming issues of Bigtwin Magazine)