Is everything getting worse? Great, then everything has been good so far!

XS-Laden Harald Geppert
Is everything getting worse? Great, then everything has been good so far! -

Dear friends and customers,

First, best wishes for 2023.

Getting older is an exciting thing. The negative things are partly erased from the memory and fortunately a lot of positive things remain. The first holiday was sensational - the arduous journey, the sanitary facilities, etc. have evaporated....

Yes, time does not stand still and many things change in an unforeseen way. The struggle for freedom and independence in the 1970s meant that many people only cared about themselves and – as is unfortunately often the case – a great deal of decency and respect has been lost. Some minorities understand democracy to mean that any opinion, no matter how inhuman, can be expressed or that the vast majority can be told how to speak or how to deal with people who have not even been asked by this group of people ... etc.

You can see that developments can go in a direction that was not intended. This is also how it works in technology, i.e. the topic that I have been dealing with for 40 years now.

The development of modern motorcycles began for me in 1967. An attempt was made to build the best possible motorcycle to build the brand image in the US and Europe. Special attention was paid to the German motorcycle market, because a motorcycle that runs reliably here can be sold worldwide. This was due to several factors: motorways without speed limits, drivers who were out and about with their machines all year round (e.g. elephant meetings, etc.) and also the very meticulous test procedures of the motorcycle newspaper - which were also carried out on the Nürburgring. Endurance test to push the vehicles to their limits.

The result was the motorcycles of the '70s and '80s. These vehicles were developed by hand - better to use a little more material than to cause a failure. They also all had their weak points, which were not based on maximizing profits, but simply on the fact that there was nothing better yet. Almost every one of these motorcycles had its characteristics, which today are described as 'character'.

40 years have passed and many of these motorcycles are still running! We have made it our vocation to preserve classic vehicles. And why are we doing this? Not just because we can, but because making people happy is the best job.

For most of our customers, their old bike has become a family member, a real personality with a life of its own that a modern bike can never have. We are able to restore and maintain these vehicles to perform as one always hoped. For the small weaknesses, we have developed reliable spare parts and methods so that you can also enjoy the advantages of the new era (navigation, comfort, etc.) on the classic.

However, such a restoration costs money, sometimes a lot of money, even a sum that could buy a new motorcycle. But is that what you want? Exchanging your first love for a vehicle that was produced using in modern means of controlling (i.e. using only components from the cheapest supplier)? Trying to incorporate something like character into the vehicle with technically nonsensical means?

Or do I invest in the vehicle that has already shown that it will work for more than 40 years. Strictly speaking, it's not just a motorcycle, but also a time machine, a lucky charm, a charm for the soul and a dream catcher.

As soon as this XS-XT-SR-V50-Le Mans etc. starts, not only the engine runs, but also the 'head cinema'. The 80's vacation trip is back, the cool long haired dude who starts his bike with one kick, as I was walking home from school and more countless memories that slumber in you and make you smile. Suddenly the feelings you had when you were 15, 20 and 25 appear - free and carefree for an hour on a Sunday morning or a week on the tour of Lake Garda.

What is it worth? Can you pay for it or rate it with money at all? Many of our customers say - it costs what it costs - and they are right.

So you can say that when we were young things were much better for us.

I wish you a lot of happiness and good health

Your XS-Laden Team


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