Well it's been yet another eventful but totally brilliant trip to the nordschleife I've got to say after going there at least 6 times over the years I still can't explain just how good it is at the Ring itself but also being able to ride the roads around it, truly breath taking and I can't recommend it enough. I'd even offer to go with any that aren't sure simply to so I get to go again. I always think I'll get bored of it but damn it....... It's bloody addictive lads. Anyway, quick run down of the events. Left home (Nottingham) Thursday about 5pm and we rode up to Hull managing to miraculously dodge the rain (since I bought waterproofs 2 years ago they've stayed unused). Got to the ferry and settled in for some food and a couple of reasonably priced beers (Beck vier pint for £3.20) and necked 3 sea sickness tablets which knocked me out considerably well (think a ketamine subdued elephant and that's about what I felt like hitting the cabin bed). Now technically I don't get sea sick on big boats....... But for what it's worth I figured I'd take em anyway simply down to the odd bad experience I've had in the past. Woke up bright and early Friday morning (all be it with pink eye no doubt from the drugs) just as we were sailing in to Rotterdam, as I stuck my head out the cabin door I could smell coffee and wouldn't you know it, they only have a full on Costa Coffee on board....GET IN! Anyway back down to the bikes and off we trotted through Holland on route to Germany. Now then, Holland is bloody windy.... It's flat and windy..... Add a bit more wind and I reckon your about there. First stop and first calamity.....DOH! I'm ashamed to say I made a school boy error during our first 'where the hell are we stop?'. These become a regular occurrence as we normally go via Belgium. Wearing brand new Astars leather pants (trousers if your English) and jacket I'd not had chance to break them in yet prior to this trip....I blame global warming myself as the weathers been too shit to ride. So rather restricted by those as I couldn't even bend my knees properly and add the fact I had a 30lt Kriega tailback on my back end the only way off the bike was to lift up right leg and hop off to the left....well it seemed my side stand was at that time considering alternative career options, perhaps it wanted to be an onion....or a arse scratcher? Whatever it was it didn't want to be a side stand...... So, left leg down, right leg held up and hop hop.....OH FUCK, over she went and on my arse I go. Lesson number 1: R&G work Not a scratch on the bike apart from the crash bungs and a minuscule mark on the left mirror...... She bled out a bit of coolant but frankly after I started her back up and thrashed the arse off her in the car park we were back online. So continued off to Germany and as we get off the motorways and on to the famous 258 road (the road you pine for due to the amazing twisty nature after straight roads) it started to piss it down , needless to say by this time we just powered on through without waterproofs as our hotel in Barweiler is just off that road.......about 40mile or so So day 1 was a little bit of a downer...... HOWEVER.......the following morning after breakfast out came the sun and off to battle we went. Down to the ring and got my lap card (4 at a time I buy), now for those who've been you'll probably know first time back on track is always a little daunting, it's kinda like an old friend you've not seen in years...... Familiar but you've forgotten certain things about them and every so often the penny drops or you remember something but normally at 100mph + which is too late to make the corner with any dignity. Lap 2 and you start to enjoy yourself again, NEVER EVER ride the ring like a race track.... It's NOT a race track, it's an extremely fast windy road and if you treat it like a good blast out you'll love it, get too hung up on beating that Porsche.....or that Ferrari.......or that German geezer on some wonky old bike with his knee down every bend then you'll end up dead (maybe that's too harsh......you'll end up sad as you won't beat any of them but more than likely bin the bike) if a cars up your arse and you can't gap it from bend to bend don't be a hero.... Let it go and chase it..... Nothing better than spanking a £150k car when you get your rhythm Porsche drivers are your enemy.....But they are in HUGE numbers and everywhere you look in the car park Just having a siting lap or two
We had a great ride out on the 257 to Cochem (another fantastic road) . What a lovely place,Has a great castle up on a hill with a river flowing through it and beautiful scenery with an open air type market with food stalls and weird German craft stuff going on...... Seriously good sausages though and they have beer barrels with 'udders' on them hanging everywhere and you kinda go up to them and 'milk out' you sauce of choice......I'm a mustard man myself Yes this is CAKE Day two on the ring (Sunday) was a belter, I was getting right in the mix and the sun was fantastic. Still a few dodgy drivers out there and the odd closure but it's par for the course, just keep focused and don't push it.... It's much faster and straighter than you think and apex hunting isn't always the quickest route on a bike More of them bloody Porsches In the mix with some car racers Something to show just how elevated some bends are So, it's been a long random post but hopefully if you've not been before its been enlightening......and if you have been before ask yourself..... How much do you want to go back now eh?
Sounds as though you had a great time despite the little hicup. I,ll be cracking off my 460th lap when i,m there in June, love the place to bits. Your words of caution are so true...excellent write up.
Awesome mate what a write up . really enjoyed that read fella so cheers for that . The bike looks amazing to !! Especially with those wheels
Thats a cracking write up mate, would love to go out there sometime and really should have by now as my brother has been living out there for 2 years and he is a biker.
Great write up and thanks for sharing dude!! Been once and love the place.... Will be doing a few laps on my stop over on way through on our euro tour... Cochem is a lovely place too - and the ride there from the ring is awesome as you say.
Crikey mate 460th? That's some serious ring time you've managed to put in there I'm probably just less than a tenth of that and still miles off the pace but enjoy it all the same. I'd heard this year they were going to be really over cautious on exhaust noise levels so took the Yoshi baffle, never had to put it in once. As long as you just burble up to the barriers and don't get 'rev happy' like some do you'll coast through, a girl we were with has a 636 Ninja and she blipped the throttle a couple of times in the queue and they picked her up.....she was back to the hotel to get her baffle
If its your first trip there just take your time, look in your mirrors and let those GT2rs Porches go, they're bloody fast and have ferocious grip levels. Getting caught up in a testosterone fueled battle between a couple of rich lads who may not be expert drivers isn't what you want That being said when you get in the groove not much will pass you as long as your on the gas early enough from bend to bend and you can gap most cars from the cones at the start of your lap, trick is slow right down just before your going to exit the cones and look behind at the driver. He'll sit there thinking what your looking at and then just pin it Oh and there's new Tarmac near the 2nd Karussel where a couple of guys slipped a tad but in fairness it could of just been damp and them pushing too hard.
good write up, i have been twice in the last 5yrs, the ring is good and its a must thing to do, for me i like roads around that area more than the ring its self i have never ridden on tarmac like it and come accross left and right bends that go on for ever.
Cracking write up!!! i did the ring last July for the first time and everything you wrote is spot on!!! Going again in July this year..Cannot wait!!, i'll keep an eye out for the new tarmac at the second carosel. Jay
Superb thread Damo and great images. These road trip threads are bloody brilliant. Great sense of humour and educational. Keep 'em coming guys.
Nice write up Damo, thanks for the pics too!!! I have been once, the 5th time I ever rode my CBR600, which was my first bike ever!!! Talk about dropping me into the deep end!!! I was really slow but enjoyed it thoroughly!! Did 4 and a half laps overall, as our support van was at the middle mark cafe... I asked a guy to take me for a spin in his Porsche... he told me if I wanted a ride, I should ask THAT guy in the black Porsche, which I did. OH MY!!! He asked me if I wanted him to take his time, I said, nah, go for it, mate!!! And he did!!! The grip is amazing, they do not respect bikes though... After that lap in the Porsche, I did not really want to go back out on my bike, as I was a real novice!!! Next lap the same guy went into the Armco, though... As for dancing with the cars on track... My mate tried and got into the middle of a pack of three cars, and had to go straight on at Adenauer Forst... We heckle him as the slowest crash on the Ring EVER!!! hahaha My first two laps I was following a ring veteran (our mechanic with the support van) and I could not keep my eyes off my mirrors!!! Made me even slower!!! My homework for the trip was lots of videos, Forza on Xbox, and lots of corner analysis from the internet... Made me KINDA know where I was going, but the size and elevation changes cannot be prepared for... Like the first time going down Paddock Hill bend in Brands Hatch, multiplied by 100!!! So, yes... I am very jelly!!! EDIT - PS, I went on a pillion ride with a guy called Phil Hacker, on a Ducati 999. He runs an FJR shop and races then as well in UK... He has done MANY MANY laps of the Ring, and is VERY fast... (He may have even instructed there at one time, i think someone said...) He was with our group of friends, and had just taken a lady on a pillion ride, so I asked him for one too... He asked me, slow lap first, then fast lap?? I said, nah, go straight for the fast lap!!! He said I was only the second person ever to say that!!! And since he just did a lap, his tyres were well warmed up. Well, WOW!! Perfect Control. Knee down at 130MPH on a few corners, it was like the ultimate rollercoaster ride. As a pillion, I had time to think, wow, perfect lines!!! Had to put the what if's out of my head. I do not like riding pillion, but this ride was just amazing!!!
You can play it on video games & watch video`s, but , when you get there it`s a whole different place, the elevation changes, & the corners are eye openers. If you walk down from Planzgarten to the Karoussel you will realise how steep it is. And the other thing , is , when it goes wrong over there , it normally goes wrong big time. Bikes normally end up looking not too bad, which can`t be said for the riders(I have come across people lying on the track after an `off`.) As said , it is an amazing place, & a beautiful area , the road down to Koblenz is a good run & also a good afternoon out. When you are over there , keep an eye on the locals in their 911`s & study which ones look like they know what they are doing , then blag a lap off them. I have been down through Fuchsrore( Foxhole) in a 997 GT3RS , being chased by a 996 GT3, doing over 130 mph, now that was fun.
I think textiles are o.k., but don`t quote me on it, the majority ive seen are in leathers, avoid flip flops & speedos though. A good site for info is Ben Lovejoy's Nurburgring Nordschleife website..
Woa - this sounds like a great few days out - anyone going again say late August? - I'd love to tag along ....
