The Belgian motorcycle clan really know how to put on a weekend of spanners and shenanigans. The month of August takes pride of place with the Where-is-Anna run and the Oude Klepper Parade both taking place on the same weekend. It has become an annual continental adventure, and this is a quick-fire account of our road trip to Belgium.
— written by Rich Orriss —
Last year, in 2024, I booked a ferry to head over to the Where-is-Anna motorcycle event to see what it was all about. I rocked up, set up camp with a feeble old tent that resembled a spider web after a storm, and while attempting to prevent its imminent collapse, in rolled a van next to me. I was mildly embarrassed, until the lad in the van jumped out, folded out and erected his competition (ahem), and realised that his tent was so tiny that he was unable to fit in his blow-up mattress. Then a Norton Model 18 rolled out of the back of his van.
It was love at first sight, and I have been mates with Adam since. We agreed that the 2025 version had to be even better, and more importantly, well planned, and so we got our heads together approximately two and a half days before the next event to get everything firmly in place.
The Where-is-Anna motorcycle run is a themed event for pre-1931 motorcycles. It is an awesome meet that is full of likeminded enthusiasts and is run by Hans Devos (of HD-Classic) and his enthusiastic team. The event starts to rumble on the Friday where riders can shake down their machines on a ploughed field, and the main run then takes places on the Saturday which features a 60-mile route around the quaint rural landscape of West Flanders.
There is a place to camp, an impressive BBQ, and beer that will blow your head off, and the whole venue has a really nice vibe. On the Sunday, the Oude Klepper Parade takes place (only about half an hour away from Where-is-Anna) which is an exclusive event for pre-1920 motorcycles and tricycles that runs out from the coastal town of De Haan in Belgium.
So, the plan: a day riding the bikes on the cobbles of Bruges, then the Where-is-Anna run, and then onto the Oude Klepper.
In the lead up to the trip, Adam had sorted out the fiasco of the tents the previous year and had shelled out on an old vintage caravan. It had the dimensions of a phone box on wheels, but it fit the vibe of the event, and plus it had some proper beds. We would have to come up with a plan to fend off the anticipated crowd of ladies as we rocked up to the camp with our 1970s disco box. I set to work on my sideburns and scoured the net for some flares to set the tone.
We set off for Dover early Thursday morning and boarded the ferry bound for Calais. I had my 1925 Sunbeam Longstroke aka the “Speedman’s Machine”. Adam had his 1927 Norton Model 18, and a fantastic 1915 Brooklands Road Special (BRS) that I am extremely envious of, and will be until I have one of my own!
Day 1: Bruges by Motorcycle
The first destination was the medieval city of Bruges. We set up camp about 5 miles out and rode into the city – me on the 1925 Sunbeam Longstroke, and Adam on his 1927 Norton Model 18. It soon became apparent that we really should have done some research on the rules of the road. Apparently, there is some give-way malarkey that we were blissfully unaware of… the consequence – almost being taken out at every junction as we steamed through amidst horns and gestured waves. I am pretty sure that when we next re-enter the country, we will have at least a dozen tickets waiting for us on arrival. But we were having fun, and that’s what it’s all about isn’t it!?
The cobbled streets, stone riverside bridges and gabled houses made a perfect backdrop for the old machines, albeit the road surface rattled the heck out of the bikes, and us. The perfect excuse then to stop for a break and a beer.
We circled around the city for the entire afternoon, riding through canal side avenues (probably the wrong way), past horse-drawn carriages and bustling market squares. At one point we stopped to regain our position, only to realise that we had smoked out an entire café full of people with the oil-infused exhausts from our old mounts. Again, we promptly left in a trail of back-to-front waves.
We spent the rest of the day exploring the city’s winding lanes before heading back to the campsite to work on Adams 1915 Norton Brooklands Road Special, which was having a few issues with the belt. I think that it is fair to say that we are both still in the learning phase of mechanical titivation, and so we removed the rear wheel, removed some bearings, looked at each other, and put it back together again with the hope that all would be somehow sorted. It turns out that such an ideology doesn’t work as we tested the bike around the family campsite at 10pm. The Norton pops and bangs like you wouldn’t believe, so you can only imagine the reception we received when we woke up kids who had been peacefully put to bed three hours before. The bikes were reloaded, and we got our heads down ready for Where-is-Anna the next day.
Day 2 + 3: The Where-is-Anna Gathering
The following morning, we rolled out of the campsite (late – you will notice another common theme) and tracked west towards the next destination: the Coude Scheure – an idyllic rural location that flanks the Belgian coast. The Coude Scheure is a charming historic farming estate that once belonged to the Knights Templar in the 12th century. It is the ideal one-stop-shop for a gathering of old speed-machines, with camping, a bar and BBQ area, and a farmer’s field opposite to rattle out every nut and bolt. And that is precisely what happened!
The Friday of Where-is-Anna allows riders the opportunity to shake down their machines and let off a bit of steam on the piece of ground opposite the Coude Scheure. It is aptly named the Flanders Field race – an informal 200m duel over a freshly chopped field – all for a bit of a laugh.
The riders line up two abreast, await the chequered flag, and spit up the dirt as they propel themselves over lumpy ground and churned up hay towards the finish line.
Photo credit: Phil Meggett (captured on his vintage camera)
I had resisted the temptation, but as time went on, and others snapped chains and rattled off pieces of metal, I decided it looked fun and kicked the Sunbeam into life. After all, you only live once – so I’m told. Nothing fell off, but as I would find out the next day, a few things had rattled loose!
Throughout the day, a fantastic selection of motorcycles rolled into the event, the most spectacular of all being Andrew Howe-Davies who pitched up to the campsite driving a vintage Lagonda motorcar with a 1904 Peugeot motorcycle strapped to its flank on a home-made running board. Talk about travelling in style! The Peugeot would go on to be the star of the event, but more about that later.
This is also an event where you will meet some top people. On the Friday, a helpful chap helped sort the Norton BRS (it turns out that it simply needed a few links out of the belt) and had it up and running for the event the following day.
If you think you know everything about vintage motorcycles, the Where-is-Anna event will disprove that theory very quickly. There are all sorts of weird and wonderful machines, and some rather special ones. Take this Peugeot for example, which was probably my favourite. It is a very rare 1913 660cc V-Twin, and of the type that was used for racing back in the day. In fact, this bike may well have been used for such exploits, with the bars and seat position putting the rider into a natural racing stance. Check out that front setup – I dare try and explain what is going on!
Before I carry on, here is a little bit about what the event is all about.
Where-is-Anna is themed on a fictitious tale about a WWI despatch rider. In 1914, he was tasked with personally delivering a memo to the King of Belgium, and while on route on his motorcycle, he came a cropper and threw himself down the road. The unnamed despatch rider dusted himself down, and carried on with the task in hand, despite some nasty injuries. When he arrived at the villa, the King could see that the rider was in a bad shape, and ordered his maid, Anna, to help him on the road to recovery, where he soon fell in love. The riders health however deteriorated, and he was sent to hospital until he was fit and well to be released. When he returned to the Kings villa, Anna had gone, and it is at this point that the motorcycle run blends into the story. The entrant becomes the despatch rider, and heads out on a route around Belgium in a search for Anna, which includes stops and places relevant to the First World War. At each location, there were a team ready to give the riders a piece of the story, and explain the history of the location.
On the Saturday morning an unbelievable collection of pre-war motorcycles lined up in the car park of the Coude Scheure for the official Where-is-Anna run. The riders departed in two waves – the veterans first, followed by the vintage clan. I had to play catch up after capturing shots for the website, but was soon hot on the heels of a funky contraption dubbed the “Busy Bee”.
Photo credit: Phil Meggett
This three-wheel automobile was built in 1919 as a one-off and is powered by a 6hp AJS V-Twin. It thumped along the winding country lanes with Kate Clark-Kennedy at the helm, who was not hanging about and took some doing to catch and overtake on my Sunbeam which I thought was meant to be fast!
I passed a few more bikes on the straights and eventually caught up with Adam, who was on his 1915 Norton BRS. This was the first time I had really heard this bike in anger, and it failed to disappoint as flames spat out of the exhaust on the deceleration, accompanied by pops and bangs as if the little Norton was trying to start its own fireworks show. The bike looked a right handful to master – with no gears, and no clutch, the only way to slow or stop is through braking, ignition retardation, and the occasional use of the decompressor. If all of the above fails, the motor simply dies, and then it is back to a running start to fire her up again. The other option – close your eyes, and hope for the best!
The run had some fantastic stops on route, and the riders were well looked after with food and drink. It would be dull, however, if it all went silky smooth.
I thought I had it bad, as parts of the Sunbeam rattled loose and made certain bids for freedom – thankfully nothing too serious. Andrew Howe-Davies however, took it to another level. While thumping along a quiet rural lane, admiring the splendour of the Belgian landscape, the belt pulley on his crank spun loose, hit the asphalt, and propelled itself into the river, all while nuts and bolts scattered down the road. For most, that would have been the end of the run, but not for Andrew! As the next group of riders passed the scene of the crime, they were greeted with Andrew in his pants, nipple deep in the river, on the hunt for the missing part. It was almost time to admit defeat, but in a stroke of luck, Andrew tripped across the pulley sub-surface, and was able to reassemble the drivetrain (the only part missing was a woodruff key which was fabricated from a filed-down bolt), and then rode it back to the camp (with his clothes now back on).
Meanwhile, David (from the Timing Chest) on his 1913 Douglas got a little bit excited on a running start and almost put his entire machine into the dyke. A close call, but it was all taken in good spirits. If you ride old bikes, I am sure you will have all been in a similar situation… The reeds were removed from the footboards, and the little Duggie made it back to camp with David having a laugh about his exploits.
With the four-or-so pit stops out of the way, I also made my way back to the Where-is-Anna base. I attempted to steam past Adam on his Norton on the final straight to give him the bird but had no chance… man that bike is fast!! As Andrew’s Y-fronts dried on a tent line, we settled down to some fine Belgian beer, an incredible BBQ, and talked bikes as the sun went down.
Day 4: The Oude Klepper Parade
The final stage of our Belgian journey took us to one of the country’s most celebrated vintage motorcycle spectacles: the Oude Klepper Parade. This annual event, renowned for its dedication to pre-1920 machines, brings together riders from across Europe with some pretty spectacular machines. I was unable to take part in the event as my Sunbeam was too young, however Adam qualified on his 1915 Norton.
The motorcycles assembled, and the riders donned their best period dress. We may have missed the latter in the small print, as Adam rolled into the parade in his jeans and T-shirt… mind you he did slap on his old Norton helmet so there was a mild period touch! Andrew had dried out his pants and was back on the Peugeot for the run. 10-out-of-10 for grit and determination, and despite the tribulations of the previous day, he was still a happy chap!
The streets of De Haan filled with the distinctive sound of pioneer engines – popping singles, rumbling twins, and some pretty exotic continental marques. Each bike takes centre stage, quite literally, as they are rolled up onto a platform and fired up in front of an eager crowd. Talk about pressure, but the vast majority of the old bikes behaved well and rumbled off into the distance for a day of pit stops, cake and coffee (ok beer).
Adams 1915 Norton BRS had done near to 100 miles over the weekend, and somehow the twists and turns, and the complexities of such an old ride had not broken him, albeit it was a close call as he came to a halt on a tramway and took some abuse from the local old-bill to move on.
As the trip wound down and we made our way back toward the ferry at Calais, the memories of the ride remained: the echo of the old bikes on cobbled streets, the warm hospitality of fellow enthusiasts, and the sense of connection across borders that only motorcycling can muster. We missed our ferry to keep the theme going, and made it back to the UK in the early hours, tired, but made up.
For those who ride vintage machines, you will understand what that camaraderie is all about. The roads may be slower, the maintenance demanding, but the reward is immeasurable: a chance to see Europe not through the windscreen of a modern car, but through the handlebars of history. Bring on next year!
A few more photos from the Oude Klepper Parade:
an article by The Girder Club
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