Eysink Alpine Hunter 1938
Eysink 350cc OHV High Cam Jap ‘Alpine Hunter ‘combination 1938.
D.H.Eysink started in 1886 as an engineering Company in the Dutch town of Amersfoort. Initially known for bicycle production in the early years of the 20th century Eysink, together with the Amsterdam based Simplex firm, became a leading Dutch manufacturer of motorcycles. There was also some limited car production.
Eysink machines were initially made with their own motors, until the mid-twenties. From then on several different proprietary makes were used such as Villiers, JAP, Python (Rudge), Blackburn, New Hudson, Matchless and JLO.
The first Alpine Hunter was equipped with a Python engine and in 1936 350cc and 500cc Matchless engines were also used. In 1938 a 350cc High Camshaft J A P engine was employed. A special feature was the plunger rear suspension – an uncommon sight in pre-war days. Eysink production has always been modest; in 1938 about 20 were produced and only two or three are known to have survived.
Its specific history is a little interesting as it was bought shortly after WW2 by a French soldier who had taken part in the liberation of the Netherlands. He took the machine home to Nice and used the bike with its French Imperial sidecar as his personal transport for many years. In later years he worked at the Chateau Margaux wine cellars where the machine was used till 1963. The combination remained there after the owner’s death until it was discovered in 1995 by a Dutch Eysink enthusiast.