Ich bin ein Berliner.

The story of MAX Two Point Zero's emigration to Australia.

So around 55 years ago, JFK uttered those immortal words. 

June 26, 1963 actually. 

And these days, most tourists to Berlin want to see where the wall was and Checkpoint Charlie and all of those other terrible reminders from the past. 

A past where the Nanny State meant a life lived in miserable oppression.

I remember in our German class back in 1966, Miss Dunbar (not Ms Dunbar... it was 52 years ago) telling our class all about "the wall" and how some had successfully crossed over.. and survived. The one that sticks in my mind was the low slung sports car, with windscreen removed and doors filled with cement. This car was able to drive under the barricade with the driver leaning right over.. while the cement "additions" kept the lead poisoning away.

But these days in a brave new world, the thing of interest for me in Berlin, is the factory of BMW Motorrad. This is where the BMW GS and GSA motorcycle models are made. I have been looking at these bikes for a few years now. And have really started to look closely at the design, the thoughts behind the design and the amazing technology built into each bike.

In a world of automation, they are basically hand assembled by these highly skilled German craftsmen. As an example the tolerance on the bore for the pistons is 0.001MM. That is simply amazing. All CAD design and CNC machining no doubt. And on some models the pin striping is applied with a fine brush held by a very steady Germamic hand

Check out these videos....


The engine factory here.


And the bike assembly here.


And the finished product looks like this.....

Until I examined these bikes closely, I thought they were ugly.

So after nearly 6 years aboard MAX-11 (Fat Max) a Yamaha Super Tenere... the attraction for this finely crafted German machine finally overcame my senses.

Like the Lorelei on the rocks singing to call the the sailors, seeing these bikes everywhere, with their Germanic principle of form follows function design... well they called me in too, and caught me.

I weakened, I gave in, I put my money down.

So these fine craftsmen (or craftspeople if you're a PC sensitive type) have been building my new Motorrad in Berlin and now he's finished and is emigrating by boat to Australia as I type this.

Actually to Brisbane.

And in the long tradition of MAX number plates since 1980, this one will be MAX20.

(MAX Instruments was a big part of my life and I like to be reminded of it by these plates)

Spending money on an expensive new motorcycle can be daunting...  but by pouring over spreadsheets, a purchase decision was made including accessories.

Now that all of that is locked in firmly and in the past, the maps are out.. the long trips are being planned.

With sweet anticipation I look forward to welcoming this fine upstanding German immigrant to Australia.... and my garage!


And to help with parking another BMW in a compact garage, Dynamoto.

Ich bin ein Berliner.. yes, at the moment Max, but soon you will say I'm an Aussie mate.. lets go explore this wide brown land together.

He's a bloody beauty!

Yesssss!

Hendra Motors.... a trip back in time.

“It's astounding

Time is fleeting

Madness takes it's toll...”

Any baby boomer would recognise the opening lines to Time Warp.  And there truly is a time warp in an old service station in the inner northern suburbs of Brisbane. Hendra Motors is a jump to the past for any casual observer or customer. This small suburban petrol station is a snapshot of what the Australian automotive service industry was like 50 years ago. 

A real workshop! A rarity these days at service stations.

Drive into Hendra Motors and as your car crosses the airlines, the bell beeps inside announcing your arrival. From the depths of this establishment, a smiling face comes to greet you. You wonder in amazement as your car is filled with fuel while your oil, water and tyres are checked. Next it’s your windscreen being cleaned. And you think to yourself.. when was the last time I experienced this?

An excellent way to file suppliers business cards.

A welcome site when your gauge reads low fuel!

And it gets better; when you go into the office to pay for your fuel, you notice supplier’s business cards glued to the walls & lubrication guides for cars long turned to rust on the walls of the lubratorium. Long empty glass jam jars now holding nuts, bolts and small fittings. Endless dusty shelves hold myriads of spare parts for the cars they service here.  And they do service a lot of cars here. In this time of economic uncertainty, the Hendra locals know good service when they see it. Just look at their cars parked everywhere.

Abboud and son Ray in the office!

Mark.. we don't fix bikes... get that bike out of here!

But the amazing thing about Hendra Motors is the staff who make the place tick! An incredible collection of dedicated and clever people who know their cars.

Ray and Alex at the console... personalised service to the max!

Spare parts everywhere.. very old school!

Born in Syria and growing up in Sudan, motor mechanic Abboud Saggal arrived in Brisbane with his family from London in late 1988 looking for a better life for his family.  Soon after he arrived he started as a mechanic at Hendra Motors. He came to love life in Australia and purchased the garage from the retiring owner in 1995.   His son Ray says of their immigration to Australia, “I was just ten years old when we arrived here. I don’t have much memory of London except that we lived in the North and I still remember the post code. I just love the outdoors here and cannot imagine living anywhere else.”

The crew: Abboud in front and son Ray second from left.

Ray, a married father of two, who is now the business manager, started at Hendra Motors in 1994 as part time driveway attendant while studying a business degree.  He took on the roll as business manager in 1996   Like his dad, he too loves the outdoors and the Australian bush. He built the FJ40 Land Cruiser which features in the business logo. As his father says, “I am so glad my son Ray came on board. The customers love him and he is a real driver of this business now. I can trust him to do the right thing and also it gives me the chance to take some time off now and then too. Having him as manager is the best business decision I have ever made.”

Always a car on the hoist, always busy.

Keen runner Peter Miller ran Millers Mechanical at Hendra for 20 years before retiring. He soon missed being on the tools and so he came out of retirement in 2015 and joined the team at Hendra Motors.  “Well it gets me out of the house and I still like working on cars. So why not come back to work?”

Peter.. retirement is not for him!

Former architect, Alex Sinibaldi is the shop & driveway manager and originally from El Salvador. As Ray and his dad say, “His good looks are not wasted on the local ladies and he is always smiling! The customers love him.”  He joined the team in 2012 and just happens to be Ray’s father in law.

Alex.. keeps that petrol pumping!

And final word goes to local business woman Debra Taylor, “At last a place that will fill my car with fuel so I stay clean. For me, loving Hendra Motors is as simple as that.”