Vintage Motorcycles. Travel. Repeat
A condensed version of my travelblog, a 10 week adventure in Europe aboard my 1972 BMWR75/5….
Starting and ending up the trip here, automatically places this beautiful country in a soft spot. I arrived after a long and relatively hassle free flight, armed only with my bike’s shipping documents, and a name and address for the Frankfurt shipping company contact. Priding myself on my ability to get around, I figured out the two buses to get to their offices, and gamely headed out. Besides, while I could kind of figure out a map, I had no possible prayer of figuring out the pay phones! After an exhausting 2 hours of switching buses, and walking through several miles of industrial neighborhoods, I arrived. The receptionist looked at me with a mixture of shock, and disgust, as I was dripping sweat from wearing my leathers, and lugging several bags. She quickly offered me some water, and a towel, and brokenly explained that the person I was looking for was at his office.
BACK AT THE AIRPORT.
I almost burst into tears from the heat, at this point I had been traveling for over 24 hours and was about ready to collapse. Ugh.
I asked to speak with that office, learned that it was to be additional money to clear customs, and they had lost my “Green Card” insurance. A note here; “Green Card” has nothing to do with living in a foreign country, like in the States, it is simply the insurance need for a motor vehicle to be driven in the EU. And it is required to get your vehicle out of Customs. This was going to be a problem…..
Thankfully, I had purchased my insurance from Knopf Tours, located a short 45 minutes south of Frankfurt. I called up Stefan, and explained what was going on. Figuring out that meeting in person and explaining what was going on was going to be much easier than on the phone- he invited me to his house, a breeze to find using the train system. While Germany is on the honor system for its trains, if you are caught by random checks, the fine can be around €100….Be warned!
I felt bad about showing up at this family’s home, unplanned…Until I got there! Stefan has been touring by motorcycle and helping others arrange tours for the past 20 years, and it has culminated in this incredible motorcycle compound! Half of a converted pencil factory has been turned into the family residence; the other half is intended for motorcycle storage/work stations. Directly next to that massive building is a row of 6 converted “workrooms”, that are now individual mini apartments, to be rented by motorcycle travelers- possibly beginning their adventures, or relaxing before flying home. It was amazing, and I begged Stefan to let me live here- constantly surrounded by bikes and travelers from all over the world. I saw several Canadian plates, Australian plates, and many European tags. As luck would have it, Stefan was heading to the Frankfurt airport in the morning to get a bike another bike through Customs, and offered to help smooth things along. Perfect! I stayed up as late as I could, talking to the other guests….and had dreams dancing in my head of starting my own adventure, out on the smooth, black Autobahn.
Getting up early the next day and watching Stefan ease my way through Customs was a miracle, and within minutes, a heavyhanded “chunk, chunk, chunk” of a stamp over my documents- and I was out the door. When I remember back to those first wobbly, visually overloaded moments on the A3, I am amazed that I didn’t screech to a halt, deer in headlights. My riders’ survival instinct kicked in, and soon I was laying down on the tank, watching the German countryside stretch by. Well, more like fly by…Because traffic here averages at about 100 mph, and within 2 short weeks I had already:
- Rode to Heidelberg, repacked, rested
- Rode to Munich, to visit motorcycle filmmakers, Brittown
- Rode to Koln, then on to Assen for the Dutch MotoGP
- Returned to Koln, toured the Eifel, visited the Nurburgring
- Rode to Speyer, to revisit Brittown guys
- Rode to Frankfurt, to visit friends
- Rode to Munich, attended BMW Motorrad Days at Garmisch Partenkirchen
- Returned to Munich, to tour BMW Classic and Archive
The adventure was still moving, though, and I still had some stops on my “To Do” list. Although, following an amazing time at the BMW Days was going to be pretty hard to beat! This annual rally is the largest BMW motorcycle rally in the world, usually drawing more than 30,000 people. I took it upon myself to pack directly in front of the BMW Classic (formerly named BMW Mobile Tradition) display, and let the Europeans stare at my Kentucky Historical plates in amazement. My bike caught the attention of the Linierungen (pin-striping department, on hand from the factory) and they generously fit me into their busy schedule, freshening up the chipped, white stripes. This was such an honor; to bring this bike back to it’s “home” and have the women who have been striping these bikes, by hand, lovingly touch it up. After letting it dry in the sparkling Alp sunshine, it looked incredible!
I started heading north, to visit some new friends in Regensburg,and make my way to Sachsenring, in the north/east of Germany, to attend the German MotoGP.I arrived at this historical racetrack, in what used to be East Germany, with no preplanning-other than a pit/paddock pass in hand. Luckily, some of the members of Team Ducati were intrigued by my travels (or a little curious about my sanity.) and generously invited me to hang out, and see what it really takes to make a monster race weekend look effortless. The answer, my friends is A LOT of hard work! We talked about the intense gas strikes in Europe this summer, and gossiped about the stars of MotoGP. The days are long, from 5:30 am until about 11:00pm…but maybe a front row perch to watch the racing makes up for it! Unfortunately, the weather on Sunday was pretty lousy, and waving my new friends good bye, I needed a place to stay for the night. I looked at a map, and seeing Dresden nearby, I pointed my handlebars East, hoping for a warm bed.
-Rode to Regensberg
-Rode to Sachsenring
-Rode to Dresden
-Rode to Zschopau, to see the Augustusburg Castle motorcycle museum, home of MZ motorcycles
-Rode to Prague
In an amazing display of how small the world really is, I had the good fortune of meeting the Vice President of BMW Club Europa at the BMW Days at Garmisch. With some simple emails, he effortlessly helped me make a great contact for Czech Republic, Radek Kriegler. Radek hosts tours of this part of the world, and is fluent in English- perfect. I was thrilled to hear about his tour to Morocco and back this spring, and was flattered to meet and talk to the other BMW Club Praha members at a casual dinner. And riding through this stunning, vibrant city along some of the nicest restored Beemers I had ever seen was a blast! Radek even explained that two of the members are frequently called upon by film makers needing period correct bikes, awesome! It was a great mix of old and new, from seeing the largest BMW Dealer in the Czech Republic, to dust covered tarps being pulled off hidden treasures in barns and attics. From Radek’s shiny new Boxer Cup silently gliding next to my faded R75/5, as we weaved in and out of the camera wielding tourists, to take our own photos in front of some of the most visited historical buildings in Europe.
- Rode from Prague to Budjovice
- Rode to Telc
- Rode to Brno for World Superbike
My Prague connection, Radek made a phone call, and helped line up a visit to a cool collection of bikes, on the way to Brno. I waited for the owner, a man named Petr, and was startled to see him come to a screeching halt at the front door, and climb off a well used sidecar. He was expecting me; but, was not expecting me to not speak Czech. Luckily, we both speak enough German to get by, and within minutes I realized that I knew who this man was! Radek had told me stories of a man that tours by sidecar, all around Europe and Asia, and is a moto-journalist- and this was that same guy! Double points for meeting such an inspiring adventurer! Petr kindly offered a place to stay, and even better was the chance to stay up late into the night, looking through hundreds of photos, listening to his stories…
- Rode to Brno for World Superbike
- Rode back to Prague
- Rode to Munich
- Rode to Frankfurt
After an awesome weekend in Brno, watching spectacular racing, and meeting one of the best, Troy Bayliss, I was looking to head back towards Munich. After several hundred miles on Czech roads, I was craving some flat, long, straight “Super Highways”. There are only really two of these in Czech Republic, so while it is longer distance to go back north to Prague- it was also a much faster, smoother option. The next morning I woke up, and did the day ride from Prague to Munich- excited to revisit some friends I had made, and have another amazing dinner, complete with a tall Weiss Bier. As I pulled into town, the bike was sputtering and popping like crazy…possibly some bad gas? Better let the bike rest and worry about it the next day. Well,the next day the bike was still running pretty crummy, so I thought it best to try to “burn out” any bad fuel- meaning a roadtrip. Frankfurt is about a 4-5 hour ride from Munich- that should do the trick!
Limping that badly running bike into Frankfurt was a nightmare, and I instantly made a call to my emergency “rescue team”, Knopf Tours. Stefan agreed to meet me at Stilgenbauer BMW, in Heppenheim, the next morning. What a relief! The world just shrank another foot.
From the pathetic way my bike was running, Volker at Stilgenbauer knew immediately that I had burnt out a set of points, and within 10 minutes, had the bike idling perfectly. After a quick tour of the shop and a big thank you, I was back on the road, trying to keep up on the Autobahn…
-Rode to Frankfurt, repacked
-Rode to an Endurance Race and Tuner show at Hockenheim
-Rode to Milan, Italy
-Rode to Bologna, Italy
-Visited the Ducati Museum and Factory (July 31st)
After getting the bike sorted out, and taking a few “off bike” days to regain feeling in my lower bits…I was repacked and ready to head into the Alps , and northern Italy. I was under some time constraints (note to travelers, don’t go anywhere in Italy during August, the entire country is closed, and at the beach!) And was trying to catch at least ONE of the big MotoMuseums there.
I found a vintage Brit bike fan, Billy, who kindly invited me to stay with his family, and did the rather long shot of Frankfurt to Milan. After catching up on some mutual friends, I was off to bed, curious as to what riding in Italy was really going to be like…
I had decided that the museum I wanted to see (and was open on July 31st) was going to be Ducati. I know, Team Beemer…an Italian bike?!? What can I say, I am a sucker for the design, the history…the fact that they seem to have MotoGP and World Super Bike in their clutches! I had sent several very nice emails to the Curator of the museum and was warmly welcomed.
But, getting there.
Sheesh.
I could maybe complain about the traffic, or the construction…But, I chose to be here when ALL of Italy is trying to get the heck out of town! Maybe I deserved it, even.
But, the heat.
This was another situation altogether. For over two hours of sweltering, lane-splitting fun, I felt like I had a Golden Retriever jammed down my leathers, constantly breathing it’s hot damp breath on my face. Ugh!
After arriving at Ducati (Bologna) I gratefully peeled off my leathers, and was escorted through the factory. This building is where EVERY Ducati has ever been made, in the same building since 1946. While certain elements have been outsourced (painting) the assembly is still all done here, by hand. I was offered to pick up an engine cover, by my guide, Curator Livio Lodi, and when I was amazed by the unbelievable lightness of it, he explained that several parts are made of magnesium. I was dying to shoot pictures of this amazing process, and parts, but no photos are allowed! Dang.
The factory was truly fascinating, but the other real gem here is obviously the Museum itself. It is sleek and glossy, showcasing the important steps in Ducati history, with the main emphasis on the racing history. I was awestruck to see the famous Paul Smart and Mike Hailwood bikes, all with fascinating commentary from my incredible guide.
Now, Beemer fans…Don’t get all in an uproar, the folks at Ducati were just as curious about this old BMW being here, with several folks coming outside to check it out, and letting me park in their “Ducati Only” parking lot! I even was approached by a member of the MotoGP Team Ducati, who remembered seeing this solo American on the old bike at Sachsenring, and came over to say hello!
While the museum was closing down, the sun was setting over pretty, historic Bologna, and I was on the search for a place to stay. And a pizza.
-Rode to Milan.
–Rode to Heidelberg, Knopf Tours
-Birthday Ride to Dresden
-Rode to see Classic Grand Prix at Schottenring
-Rode to Frankfurt
-Rode to BMW MOA, Huettentreffen Rally
After some birthday relaxing with friends in Dresden, and at my Home on the Road, Knopf Tours, I took off on the bike. I was headed to France, and was told about a small BMW MOA Rally in Switzerland. This Rally has been organized by the Meiers’ for nearly thirty years, and is known for its low key, relaxed vibe. Originally, this Rally was mostly for BMW MOA members living abroad, as a nice way for everyone to meet up, and keep in touch. I left into an absolutely perfect, warm day and in good time made the turn to go south from Bern, towards Interlaken. I had the address of the Rally site in my GPS and after some fighting through traffic and carefully picking my way through the Alp twisties, I arrived!
I was ready for the usual onslaught of questions (What year is your bike? How much did it cost? Where are you from? Are you a little crazy?) and the usual comments (Always regarding Kentucky Fried Chicken. ALWAYS.)
I pulled in, ready to see my BMW Family, and….NOTHING!
You see, I WAS A DAY EARLY! Realizing my mistake, I inched my way back out of the mountains, now running VERY behind my schedule of making it to Grenoble by nightfall.
As I was negotiating one particularly tight corner, I grabbed a handfull of clutch, and was stunned to feel it give all the way to the rubber grip! While it would still shift, I pulled over to inspect it and found it dangling by the thinnest of threads, having been gnawed at by my afternoon in the Alps. With a mixture of denial and optimism, I gingerly made my way back to the clutchless, smooth highway, still hoping I could make it to France.
After about on hour of riding, the darkness dropped like a curtain, and I was only just past Bern, with no idea of what kind of roads were still to come. Would the cable make it? Would I be stuck in the mountains, cold and alone? Would I be attacked by crazed mountain goats?
I finally realized that continuing on would be foolish, and with a BMW MOA rally in the vicinity, surely someone there could help me out.
But, where to go? Swiss hotels/hostels are incredibly expensive, and I had no contacts there. I found a big, beautiful AutoGrill (Highway travel stops, but, really like mini-malls!) and with the Swiss being so delightfully civilized, there was even a computer!
I looked up the Huettentreffen Rally website, and found contact info for the organizers, Jorg and Barbara Meier. With a light switch clicking on, so fast you could almost hear it, I remembered the mobile phone that a friend had lent me the previous day, to be used in just such an emergency!
I called the Meiers, and explained my situation, and Barbara invited me to their home….back in Interlaken!
Since the Swiss were so kind as to put the internet at my disposal, I also sent a SOS to Stefan Knopf, begging to pretty please bring a spare cable to Kiental.
Feeling quite resourceful, and VERY lucky, I cruised back toward Interlaken, in third gear the whole way…
-Rode to Grenoble. –
-Rode to Marseille
I headed west, anticipating an easy ride to Geneva, and on into France. Everything had been going well, the clutch was back to its stiff, hand-cramp inducing self, and the bike purred along….Until, I crossed the border!
Within 5 miles of crossing, I was twisting the throttle, only to result in a lifeless popping and wheezing- What could this be?!? I had made a huge mess with the last gas stop, with the hose getting away from me- and spewing gas everywhere, and as I was trying to pull over- the bike was belching out a thick, white smoke, and I was convinced I was going to catch her on fire! A group of motorcycles pulled over behind me to watch the pyrotechnic show, and offered to help.
In French.
Now, if you want to pick out a nice bottle of Burgundy for dinner, I can speak French. Heck, I can even work my way through a fromage list. But, other than the occasional misuse of Bonjour and Merci, I am lost.
Switching to German was a little better, and as they offered the use of tools, I started to perform a roadside autopsy, secretly wishing it was a roadside lobotomy on myself. Terrible images of thrown pistons, and bent valves danced in my head, and I was starting to panic, especially when I tried to fire her up again and was greeted with a particularly gruesome sounding metallic clunk. Wringing my hands, I called my French Connection, Christopher from Thruxton Garage (French motorcycle club/internet forum), and explained that I was in a bit of a jam.
Within the hour, we were loading her up on a flatbed construction truck, and calls were made to a few locals, to try to arrange help the next morning.
As the emergency squad of Olivier and Gerard arrived, we discussed what was going on with the bike, pulled the plugs, looked at the carbs….I was relating how I had stopped for gas, and then the problems seemed to start- those two things couldn’t be related, RIGHT?!?
Immediately, both men jammed their hands in the tank, cackling and proclaiming “Gasole”! Laughing at this Stupid American, Chris explained that “gasole” was Diesel! Ugh.
Leaving the boys to laugh, and wonder how I had survived solo out here for two months; Chris and I went about the business of draining and refilling the tank. Nervously, I put the key in, only to be rewarded with several last clouds of burning diesel, and finally a smooth idle. Only in France for one day, and already so dramatic!
-Rode to Marseille
-Toured French coastline, relaxed at the beach
-Rode to Grenoble
-Rode to Frankfurt
-Dropped off bike at Knopf Tours, Heidelberg
-Flight home, September 8th
After my ride from Grenoble to Marseille, with the green steep peaks giving way to more golden rolling hills leading me to the beach, I was anxious for my first shimmering glimpse of the Sea.
And it didn’t disappoint.
I was planning on a strict “no bikes” diet, but, the lure of meeting some vintage bike fans was too strong, and I packed up the motorcycle travel books I had been reading, and made my way to a shop named Speed Twin.
I made it there just as the sun was setting, and the guys in the garage were relaxing. We easily laughed at my Gasole mix up, and the owner, Patrick and I discussed my bike running a little hot. In order to let the engine cool down, to check valves, and possibly points- they even loaned me the shop “spare”, a BMW F650. And with that type of ease, we were on the road, headed to the sea for dinner.
The next day, Patrick invited me to eat with him at a local restaurant, where the owners would put on the qualifying times for MotoGP, and we made our way there.
I love the idea of what the staff must have thought at the restaurant, two “tough bikers” talking about bikes and racing, and washing it all down with chocolate sundaes! This is now my preferred way to watch motorcycle racing, by the way.
We got back to the shop, just in time to jump on my flawless running bike, and head to the beach for a nap in the sun. Seriously, I was starting to love life in France. Some notes on riding in the South of France;
-Cell phones are “strictly forbidden” while driving, and obviously cell phones are connected to turn signals in France! I rarely saw turn signals being used, pay close attention, or eat your handlebars!
-Turnabouts live here, and they are along the same style as Italy, you have to barge in there and look out for the mosquito swarm of scooters!
- Ah yes, scooters. They are allowed here at a young age, so expect to be run down by giggling school kids at all times.
-There is a bit of a theft “situation” here, bring a big, menacing looking lock….and REALLY use it! I didn’t have any problems, but was even warned by the locals to never turn your back on your belongings on the beach. After being pick-pocketed in Italy last year, lesson learned!
-Motorcycle shops here are closed on Sundays and Mondays, please plan your breakdowns accordingly.
After two and a half months on the road, I had to sadly head back to the finish line, Frankfurt. While I could’ve stayed on the road for another few weeks, the Indy MotoGP was coming up- and my dollars were coming down! I rolled into Frankfurt for one last night out with some of my amazing new friends, and with a sad heart rode to Heidelberg to drop off the bike at Knopf Tours. I am not too proud to admit that this chocked me up a bit, as this incredible machine had just opened the door to a life-changing adventure; it never complained, and barely gave me a moments’ trouble. An absolutely bulletproof ride, heck- that’s why I took her!
Some stats:
-The Bike: 1972 BMW R75/5 -The Trip: approx 7,000 miles, in 10 weeks -The Countries: Germany, Holland, Czech Republic,Switzerland, Italy, France
-The Money: approx $4,000
-The Gas: average price for a gallon, $9.00!
-The Tank: approx 4 gallons, which gets about 130 miles per tank
-The Gruesome BreakDowns: One set of burnt points, one clutch cable…That’s it!
-Number of Times I dropped the bike: 4, uneven pavement sucks!
-Number of times paid for YouthHostel: Six, It really helped to reach out to the BMW/Vintage bike internet communities, this hooked me up with countless amazing people- and places to stay! Huge Kisses to all my new overseas friends!
The Quick List of the Gear that Got me Here:
Bike-
Top end assembly, brakes, cables, cleaned up wiring harness, fork rebuild, replaced rear shocks, lube, EVERYTHING, really! and prepping the bike for shipping- drained tank, disconnected battery from Motoworks Chicago ( http://www.motoworkschicago.com)
Cylinder Rebore,new valves, new pistons, rings, clips from Bob’s BMW (http://www.bobsbmw.com) I called last minute, and the staff couldn’t have been more helpful. Even with my time crunch, Bob’s delivered, with an astounding 2 week turn around time!
GPS- Garmin Nüvi 270, BEST INVENTION EVER. from GPS and gadget rental, LowerGear (http://www.lowergear.com) I had never used a GPS, and thank heavens I found this company! I NEVER would have had the experiences I had on this trip without this incredibly useful tool! Again, with my last minute knack for planning, these guys overnighted me a Garmin, already mapped for both the States and Europe, small enough to fit in the clear map top of my Cortech Tank bag. I cannot stress enough how much I appreciated being able to wander and explore, and know that I was never TRULY lost!
Bags- my “toss on and tour” soft bags are huge, easy on and off style, are from RevPack (http://www.revpack.com) These bags couldn’t have been any easier to use, and with their adjustable straps, I could cram in as much gear and bike magazines as I wanted- they never complained! Flying home, I simply unhooked them from each other, and checked them in as my two bags.
Tankbag- Cortech Tour Master magnetic bag from HelmetHouse,(http://www.helmethouse.com) This HUGE tank bag was a life-saver! Many pockets to store and keep myself organized on the road, it became such a part of my life, even after I got home, I still carried it as a daily bag. The magnets were super secure, and being able to yank it on and off during busy travel days was a breeze. Trust me, there are plenty of folks more than willing to help relieve you from your belongings, and being able to break down all my bags within minutes and safely store it was awesome!
Leathers- “Allure” jacket, “Marryl” pant, and gloves from REV’IT! Part leather, with stretch textile, I ended up wearing these the ENTIRE trip. They ventilated well enough to keep me comfortable, and still offer secure protection- thanks to the CE approved armor. Stylishly designed, I wore these on and off the bike. (http://www.revitusa.com)
Boots- TCX boots from HelmetHouse (http://www.helmethouse.com) Sturdy, durable, and lined in Gore Tex, the first motorcycle boots I have ever worn that broke in after just one full day on and off the bike. Worn constantly, they still looked good after 7,000 miles on the road.
Technical Undergarments from Bodz and Sokz (http://www.real-rider.com) These were a lifesaver! I was a newbie to the idea of wearing these type of garments under my gear, as it seems contrary to put more stuff on to make you more comfortable while you ride- but, I am convinced! These are moisture wicking and dry quickly, especially when paired with gear that has nice vents (such as my REV’IT! Leathers.) The Sokz were possibly the reason my boots were so comfortable, and being on the road so long- Who has time for laundry?!? All the Bodz have silver fiber filament woven throughout, which means they stay fresher longer. They also are of a quick drying micro-fiber, and can be rinsed out in the sink, and left to rapidly air dry. Less laundry=More riding!
Hi Jacqui,
I met you at the Rockerbox event in Milwaukee this weekend. You had just arrived and were nice enough to talk to me while you unpacked. I really enjoyed meeting you and look forward to hearing about your next adventure (s).
I would love to motorrad across Europe some day. I pedal biked across it in 1989 for 5 months (3200 mikes), it was wonderful but I think next time I’ll take my trusty R90.
Gute Fahrt,
Brett