Like everywhere in Holland, you would see them also in
Zaandam by the end of the seventies

the motorcycle riders that would distinguish themselves from the rest by
not dressing into fancy coloured lethersuits, full-faced helmets and
advanced bike boots, but in black lether jackets, dirty worn out jeans
and greasy army boots. An old, black painted helmet on the nearly bald shaved
head and between the legs most of the time a battered old jap bike equiped with
extended fork legs, a Harley sportster tank and a banana seat.
It's easy to find each other.

In downtown Zaandam then (not now anymore!!) the pub "De koperen bel" was thé
hangout for the fun and company seeking biker.
The group that always gathered there responded to an advertisment by some guys
from Amsterdam who had met in England the National Chopper Club (a than seven
year old club with chapters all over England and Ireland). These men had made
plans, together with the guys from England to start a Dutch chapter.
The bikers from Zaandam and Amsterdam took this seriously and a meetingplace
had to be found.
We did find something but after a heavy troubles with the neighbour the town-
council of Zaandam offered us a terrific place on a terrific location: our
present clubhouse where we have been doing our thing for more than twentyfive years now.

The club attracted bikers from a wide area and under supervision of the first president
and co-founder of the club Ed, a lot of "members" came and went during the first year.

After a little bit more than a year Ed quit the club (he broke all connections with the club)
and our second president became Sjaak.

Sjaak too quit after a rather short period of time and with our third president Ron
the club started to get more structure. Next to Zaandam more chapters were founded
and the club got national fame. This fame was deserved not in the last place from our
annual Choppershow in Beverwijk, in those years without any doubt the biggest in it's
kind in Holland.

After nearly three years Ron handed over his presidency to Raaf, who kept this job until
the nineties.
In these years the club not only expanded nationally, but also internationally:
Chopperclubs were being found in Belgium, Luxemburg, Norway and Germany.

Currently Osse is President of Chopperclub Nederland.

The Club comes these days, viewed from the angle of atmosphere and organization, up
to meet the requirements of a modern motorcycle club: quality is more important than
quantity.

In the year 2000 we largely celebrated our 20-th aniversery.
All our friends were present and it was clearly visible how the standard of the bikes
had improved over the last 20 years: from the "in Mom's backyard wrenched together"
contraptions then, up to nowadays'technical miracles.

In In the picture gallery you will find an overview of more than 25 years of Chopperclub
Nederland: the men and the machines

Ride free