wow, that went fast! was my first thought, when i got maya schnyder’s email.

she wrote me that the hood was ready and that everything had gone well and she was happy with the result.

as i have written before, maya’s understanding of quality and work satisfaction match my own closely. because of this, i was really looking forward to the new hood.

i schedule a friday afternoon with some meetings in berne and tell her that i would like to thank her by having a beer after the work is done. her answer is equally surprising and unsurprising: “i’ve prepared something. this job has been very special and much fun at the same time – let’s have some drinks in the TWIKEstation’s garden when the hood’s mounted.”

this is where this post starts: me arriving at maya’s TWIKEstation.

maya's TWIKEstation in berne
maya’s TWIKEstation in berne

what i really like about places like the TWIKEstation is that the first question after saying hello is: do you need electricity? no questions about how, money, duration etc. i can just announce my requirements and voilà… everything is on its way.

electricity? sure! i need a full pack before driving back home.

then it was time to get down to business!

maya is a master of dramaturgy: before she starts her work, she has a surprise for me:

ready?
ready?

she has prepared the hood and covered it – unveiling it as if it were a piece of art!

tadaaa: the world's last NEW plexi hood is ready for TW560!
tadaaa: the world’s last NEW plexi hood is ready for TW560!

the feeling after unveiling the new plexi windscreen is mixed: we both know it’s a beautiful piece of work – but at the same time it’s the last one, worldwide. i’m proud to be the owner of the last one!

with uncanny efficiency, maya and her co-worker go about dismantling the current, temporary hood.

wiper motor and blade need to be taken off first
wiper motor and blade need to be taken off first
maya detaches the temporary hood
maya detaches the temporary hood
off comes the temporary hood
off comes the temporary hood

suddenly, i’m acutely aware that this is indeed the one and only all-female TWIKE service station worldwide.

these women are immensely precise in their movements and it’s really interesting to compare with all the work i’ve been able to witness with the usually all-male service stations…

TW560 ready for summer :)
TW560 ready for summer 🙂
the loaner-hood goes back to storage
the loaner-hood goes back to storage

my TWIKE looks REALLY strange now.

what a strange view!
what a strange view!

then, with the same precision and care, they get the new hood.

here comes the hood!
here comes the hood!

the transparency of the windscreen strikes me as uncanny. (i know that it will not last for long)

fitting the hood
fitting the hood

and suddenly it’s just there. fitting perfectly. it feels really special.

last adjustments
last adjustments

maya will not accept anything less than a perfect fit. whilst i had to force the last hood down, i can now close the canopy with one finger. it just clicks into place. WOW.

TW560 has never looked better. (yes it has, but give me this moment!)

TW560 looking good with a new hood - wow!
TW560 looking good with a new hood – wow!

and now comes the special part: maya has bought a bottle of champagne to celebrate the moment! she told me that she really appreciated the opportunity to work on my vehicle and me not pressuring her.

this is a mutual celebration, says maya. let’s just start the party!

opening the bubbly with TW560 in the background
opening the bubbly with TW560 in the background
getting the party started!
getting the party started!
happy - a job well done!
happy – a job well done!
THANK YOU, maya!
THANK YOU, maya!

i then set off towards a village outside berne to bring maya’s co-worker back home and then drive home on switzerland’s main east-west artery, the A1 motorway.

open hood, nice temperatures, perfect view. what do i want more?

berne & back in one day!
berne & back in one day!

at home, next morning, i ask one of my daughters to help me add two layers of the most important layers of protection for the very soft and vulnerable plexi plastic material of my new windscreen: teflon wax.

applying a first coat of teflon wax
applying a first coat of teflon wax

(pro-tip) using teflon wax, scratches are not in the plastic but in the wax, this keeps the windscreen flawless for longer.

let’s see how this new hood holds up in day-to-day usage! right now, it’s awesome! 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *