Page 80 - 100% Biker (January 2020)

TRAVEL FEATURE

Very clean chop – and a bloke photobombing!
The bikes – and the clouds – rolled in. We’re
parked on the right before the yellow Triumph.

Behind the scenes at
the prizegiving.

Peter Forsberg won the Custom class with his
compressed air-powered V-twin creation.

Anyway, since Hasse had to cut the frame again he
decided to fit 20-inch overs again. As he says, “I simply
must have long forks!” Caprice received improved frame
tubing here and there, along with less stretch and more rake
and also a repaint in Ferrari colours of yellow and black.
Time rolled on and in 1996 Hasse and his then partner Lotte
had twins so his priorities changed, meaning the Shovel had
less attention as the couple became proud parents.
Fast forward to 2009 and Hasse was now a single parent
living with the twins and restoring Ervalla Station where
he lives. He had more time to work on Caprice and even
considered restoring her to the original paint scheme. Then in
2017 we got in touch with him and there was now no question
of getting her back to her roots. We agreed to aim for Norrtälje
2019 and, over the next couple of years, we all worked towards
that. Hasse endured some serious health issues during this an Aussie called Dan who pointed us in the direction of a TIG
time but he was shooting for that goal as his fitness improved. welder. We had no cash to pay for the use of the shop but we
Finally, after all those years, it was Saturday morning and did have some Scottish t-shirts so, back at the show, we found
we were leaving Tolle’s house for the famed Norrtälje show. the President of Twin Club MC. Now, most Swedes speak
Gliding through the quiet (but soon to be rumbling) streets really good English as they are taught it from their first school
of the little harbour town, Hasse entered the show area years, but our thick Scots is not the English they learned.
while Bob and I pulled up on the bridge and walked into Regardless, I sat down with a bunch of Twin Club guys and
town for coffee. By the time we met up with Hasse he had explained my case and offering the shirt but only for the
been joined by his son Calle and daughter Linnea who were President and it turned out the guy I was sitting beside was
all busy greeting many people who remembered the bike. the Prez who laughed and accepted the shirt for the clubhouse.
We toured the chopper area where there was so much to see With many Swedish-style choppers on display, and with
and too much to scrutinise! We stopped to speak with Per customs having evolved and tastes changed over the years,
from Plebs MC and Peder from Hogtech amongst others, all I don’t think any of us thought Caprice might be a real
of whom made us very welcome. contender for a trophy. But that didn’t matter. Being here
I had a broken stainless steel carb stay which I needed to again was a milestone for Hasse and it was hundreds of
weld so the organisers sent us up to the clubhouse a couple milestones for Bob and me.
of kilometres away where we found the club mechanic was Since landing in Sweden, the weather had been mixed and

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