Eifel Mountains 2019

[Guest Richzx6r]

Last time I got 165 miles to reserve.....i was gobsmacked iv never got that much from a zx6r

[The GOAT]

Last time I got 165 miles to reserve.....i was gobsmacked iv never got that much from a zx6r

 

Good effort from a sportsbike!

My Hp4 could return 150 ish miles.

The GSA has managed 400 miles on a tank providing I don't break 74 mph.

[Gerontious]

The 150 mile per tank 'rule' may seem arbitrary, but it isnt. A tank range of 100 miles is fine for the ride across, but once we arrive its very restrictive, It means every rest stop has to be tied in with a fuel stop (or rapidly followed by one) and that isn't always possible and would mean constantly going 'off route' to find a petrol station. These aren't endurance rides but sometimes that can happen especially when we are on a mission to get back to the hotel at the end of the day. Our Hotels location is perfect, however the nearest 24hr fuel is in Luxembourg a 30 mile round trip or diversion. There isn't a garage closer than that, that is open after 6pm, they simply cannot compete with the significantly lower tax regime in Lux.

Whenever I have asked someone if they want to come along, I have always asked first if their bike can carry a bit of luggage. The second question (if i don't already know the answer) is: what is your tank range to reserve? Its important. 150 miles is easy.. much less than that isnt.

[Marino]

Last time I got 165 miles to reserve.....i was gobsmacked iv never got that much from a zx6r

 

Good effort from a sportsbike!

My Hp4 could return 150 ish miles.

The GSA has managed 400 miles on a tank providing I don't break 74 mph.

 

400 miles, that’s fantastic range, you forget when last time you filed it up

[bonio]

400 miles, that’s fantastic range, you forget when last time you filed it up

and it explains why the bike is the size of an oil tanker

[Gerontious]

400 miles, that’s fantastic range, you forget when last time you filed it up

and it explains why the bike is the size of an oil tanker

 

Made my bike look almost svelte.

 

[Marino]

400 miles, that’s fantastic range, you forget when last time you filed it up

and it explains why the bike is the size of an oil tanker

 

Oil tanker, so in risk of being sequestered, must be careful where is going

[Guest Richzx6r]

400 miles, that’s fantastic range, you forget when last time you filed it up

and it explains why the bike is the size of an oil tanker

 

Made my bike look almost svelte.

AT v GSA.png

 

Bloody hell you must look and feel like you are doing yoga with your legs needing to be so wide apart to fit around the tank

[Pie man]

They look very similar in the picture, however the AT looks like its been to the gym and is all toned up, the GS looks like twiggy from the Royal Family and cant be arsed going to the gym.

I'm probably going to try the little MT07 for touring next year (that's if a don't trade in the GS and succumb to the AT-DCT next year), anyhow Yamaha reckon 207 miles from a tank full, I have only managed about 160 so far However my rest stops will become fuel stops and vise versa, it might end up being a fill up at every opportunity

[Snod Blatter]

Yamaha TRX750

I beg your pardon?? I think you'll find it's a full-on red-blooded 850, not some girly 750. Also there was a VFR400 that came once upon a time.. And a K100RS.. And the VFRs were 800s..

Where's everyone pictures then? Guess I'll start, psh. Start as you mean to go on, wee time:

Germany, it's quite spaced out..

A bit like the knobber who owns this VFR. Ah look the seat is off!

And a bit more besides..

Further testing revealed it actually wasn't any of the wiring in there or anything, just the front brake light switch was duffed which happened to coincide with the rear brake light switch and the horn also being duffed. Bizarre. Anyway, this was also spotted and a picture was obviously required:

As discussed, every time is lie down time:

A picture taken of a picture being taken because I have pictures of this from 2012 and various points after..

Every time is smoke time. The eagle eyed among you may notice the Mosel is at the bottom.

Rare evidence of the 'frowne standing up:

It was a wet morning, no point in lying..

"Oh good, time to eat again!"

Or was it just time to take the seat off again..? (Piles of food were soon ingested, hnnnggg)

After eating the sun came out and it was time to get the seat off again.

Every time is lie down time.

Every time is smoke time.

Every time is lie down time.

At the tunnel for the return there were 3 125s loaded up with kit, turned out they'd been to the Nurburgring and had stayed not far from Neuerburg! Nice to see some proper machinery in use, reminds me of my CB250

Overall yet another excellent year though looking back it lacked a little jeopardy - no one broke down, the trains ran on time getting there and coming back, I didn't have the sat nav on so I wasn't constantly stressing about it falling off.. It's all a bit too easy?? I knew I shouldn't have changed that rear tyre

Also people who have been on this trip before may enjoy this post more than most

[skyrider]

there must have been something really interesting under that seat

[Bungleaio]

I remember lie down time but I don't remember smoke time, is that new?

Great photos though, I wish I was there.

[bonio]

Awesome pics Snod. Some familar scenes there... including the workshop...

The vertical frowne was a great spot, though.

[Snod Blatter]

Smoke time is actually quite old-skool though it's usually more surreptitious.

Hmm, highlights..

-Watching blue smoke pour out of the VFR750's exhaust on overrun after definitely not racing

-Watching a VFR750 get taken to bits in the shade on the pavement (reminds me of Spain)

-Easily outpacing a VFR750 and being able to call the owner a little girl with actual legitimacy while he desperately adjusted tyre pressures

-Larger than average cake intake

-Much larger than average schnitzel intake

-Putting 140 on the clock on the autobahn (I didn't think she had it in her!)

-Getting home to find a text from The Big Man saying he was headed for the Blackwall tunnel (big lols)

Lowlights:

-Being laughed at by some awful VFR750 owner while I faff about putting on my oversuit

-Being laughed at by some awful VFR750 owner while the TRX refused to start first thing Saturday morning (eeeeep, she went eventually thank goodness)

-Losing a fairing bolt on the French motorway somewhere

-Knowing the fully synthetic 10w60 was a waste of money because it disappeared almost as fast as the cheap stuff

Right, how much prep do I need to do to make it ready for 10 days. I've seen a mention of a filter I've never cleaned, that should be a good faff.

[The GOAT]

This picture killed me

the big man pushing a kiddie trolly around the local supermarket with beer in it

[Gerontious]

Better last year than this (in my opinion)

friends were very much missed.. in the end two were forced to drop out due to circumstances the day before the off and Bonio couldn't come for family reasons... I feared the worst when i told the Hotel. "No problem, see you on Sunday" they said.

Notably, the 3 missing were also missed by the Hotel.. all three were asked about. Turns out that once again we were the only Brits to stay there and we are firm favourites of the Owners. Which is nice.

It rained at the end of the trip over.. and quite heavily, unfortunately an Umleitung was in force and so the final leg (in the rain) was a lot longer than it should have been. but, despite that we still arrived in good time for the expected Schnitzel. The tunnel was a lot quieter than usual. (same for the return.)

We had two wet mornings during our week.. the second I was on the verge of turning round when the sun began to appear, the rain stopped and it got rather warm, very quickly.

6 times and never a day lost to rain.. but this time with rain twice, was in stark contrast to the previous two trips that coincided with a heat wave.. Northern Europe. always the luck of the draw, Though we have been very lucky with the weather more often than not. Warm or Hot. is very usual. so.. the bit of rain came as a shock. (temporarily)

We, as promised stayed mostly in the Eifel and Hunsruck... and went as far east as the Ring, A day in northern Luxembourg and only a fairly brief foray into Belgium, and a narrow escape from the infamous N620 rue de hestreux. (road from hell), I saw it mentioned on the sat nav and started swearing vociferously. we went another way. The guys should all thank me for remembering the name. Its one of the worst roads EVER. Break a wheel/frame type of bad.

A lot of paranoia at the Ring, due to the earlier rain and obvious increased risk factor (which is already high) so, we gave it a miss.

but that aside, it was all good.

So good.. we are going back next year. the Alps can wait.

Bill for the week at the hotel.. including beer, for me was €294.50 That was 1 night B&B and 5 nights H/B. and a 13 beers over the 5 nights the bar was open.

Food this year at the hotel was superb.. the owner has discovered hunting so game was on the menu. Wild boar being the highlight.

and my souvenir. same as last year, 3 bottles of Asbach.. I still have a little left from 12 months ago. A truly lovely local spirit. (beloved of British soldiers stationed in Germany) €12.69 there. £35 here.

 

 

The Africa twin was a hoot.. and caused much amusement when i fell off.. the bike didn't fall, only me. (at a standstill)

and the kiddie trolley was free.. I didn't have a euro for a proper one.

500ml cans of chilled Bitburg. 79c each (we like going to germany)

[The GOAT]

Was still a great week with nice fairly quiet roads.

Highlights for me was.

-Being able to actually go after the year i've had.

-A good amount of miles covered and back before darkness fell.

-The food at the Schloss Hotel was exceptional and equally massive in portion size!

-Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial

-140mph and a smidge more in reserve I reckon, not bad for a lump.

Lows.

-No ring lap, possibly wet on parts due to localised rain meant it wasn't worth the risk.

-Way too much food, Still full from that amazing Goulash!

-4 batteries in my key fob which cost me 20 bloody quid.

-The week didn't last long enough.

Waiting for the train.

[Gerontious]

Only low were the Umleitungs. (detours)

 

 

The only bad thing about these trips, at the end of the summer holidays and before the snow arrives. The germans fix their roads and this involves (usually) fairly long detours.. not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but this time some real favourites were closed. And worse of all there was a fatality on the B50 and the road was closed, at the end of what had already been a long days riding, we had a massive detour. arriving with just minutes to spare for dinner.

Still.. this is just a minor inconvenience in the scheme of things.. the area is fantastic. I think we all recognised that 5 days there isn't enough.. so next year the plan is to go for 8. (plus travel)

And those roads closed for repair will be absolutely stunning when we go back, the germans don't resurface, they replace. Digging down to the base rock and relaying from scratch.

[bonio]

8 days riding...! Only 350 or so days to go now.

[Gerontious]

I was flashed just outside Simmerath near Aachen... and i have had a fine drop through the door. €25 so not the end of the world. 14K over the limit.

I have been expecting this.. the flash was very obvious and caused much hilarity. but.. never mind. €25 isn't as bad as it would be here.. and no points, which is good.

I'll be just a tad more careful next time.. especially in or near any towns.

The letter includes some quite spectacular photos.. and is asking who the rider is. fairly normal. However there is a second option, the letter says I need do nothing aside from transfer the €25 into a specified account before 15/10 and by doing that admit that I was the rider... very easy, compared with the rigmarole we have to go through here.

I'm sure there will be much leg pulling over this.. and some finger wagging too.

fwiw.. this is the way the germans apply fines and bans for speeding in town.

 

[The GOAT]

Was that flash rear facing camera?

I hope I didn't get flashed on the way back when passing through belgium trying to catch you and jack up.

Was talking to Katherine on the intercom phone thingy and it looked like you two shot off like a scalded cat.

I looked at my speedo and saw 140+ Wasn't intended but it shifts when you poke it.

Strangely the autobahn it couldn't make that speed.

[Gerontious]

Front, side and rear. Close up of the number plate and a very clear photo of my face.

I've never seen a speed cam on the E42/E411 Just occasional warning signs about mobile cams, and never seen those either.

[Snod Blatter]

It flashed me too, I was busily faffing with the fairing to try and find out why it was rattling so much and when I looked up it flashed.. D'oh. I can only hope they see it's a TRX and let me off for being mega cool

[smallfrowne]

Captain's Log

Tunnel: 92 31 74 03

Sunday 09:20

Saturday 17:50

Starting Mileage: 54,882

Saturday & Sunday

Rained in last 30mile. Jack Soaked. Bloody schnitzel though. Beer now served in 30cl glasses. Big T fell off going for a piss after Dasburg. CRF1200 is quite big even fer 'im.

Montag

Stopped in a VOLCANO (Meerfeld).

Went twice round Echfeld - ooh eck.

Having kafe und cake. Johanisbeertraam. Bloody lovely. Very tart. This morning it was a bit chill. Went to the Mosel and had schwein curry mit rice and a radler.

It got warm. Sun too bloody hot for fixing wiring. Brake lights & horn not working, but indicators are. Eh?

Not sure if kebab shop open.

[hand writing seems to get worse]

Didn't manage to do Matt's Road due to an umleitung. Doh.

Saray Grill. Shut.

[redacted big T home address] - check for a TV.

Picnic from Rewe / Aldi. Can't even buy proper schnapps.

"Jack is a twat"

CRF1000 has 98hp (at the crank)

TRX850 Review

"It gives nothing away to a 900ss it has but 80hp (crank) (but does have 80 torques) (pathetic girl's bike)."

I'm thirsty. It's only Monday.

Twisties. Mild sweepers. Hairpins.

55,620

Saw 'Drea for 10mins, but got a beer.