K's Nurburgring Trip 06

All loaded up and ready to go. It was a turn up for the books that out of 1 bird and 4 blokes - (I) the bird had the least amount of luggage! And the biggest bike too!



Pootled off down to Tesco's to fill up and zero the ol' trip switch then off we jolly well go.
Met up with Dave (Lurcher), Andy (andyaikido) and our esteemed leader and navigatior Rich (Courdelion) at Newport Pagnal services at about 10.30am. 160 odd miles and some roadwork induced filtering later and we were under those snowy white (see: 'Mucky Grey'!) cliffs of Dover.

Pulling into lane 178 we sidled up behind Mart. Yeah yeah yeah, so we should have met him at some services off the M20 - but we were a bit late, he was a bit early (and still bolting bits firmly onto his bike!) - but it worked out alright in the end!

Nice smooth crossing - during which both Rich and I took advantage of our slightly higher ticket price for the pleasure of lowering the tone in the Club Lounge. Personally I figured it would be my last chance for a decent pot of tea.

So, wrong side of the road time, motorways and the miles go by.

At our first stop for petrol I discover that foriegn petrol smells different.



No really, it stinks. I nearly upchucked in my helmet that first time. After then I always tried to fill up whilst holding my breath.

About 10.30pm we finally pulled in to our home for the next two nights and were greeted by a cold beer (or Cola in my case) ). Thanks to Rich (remembering his directions this year) we had had a smooth trip, naturally riding rather well for a group of relative strangers. Even so, this was a welcome sight:


(It wasn't really that orange - my camera seems to do funny things indoors!)

Change, relax, more brews and introductions. Lucho (ZX9R) and Stefano (SV1000) were two bad examples of Italian style, though good examples of typical biker hospitality. Despite the long trip it took time to metally unwind and so beds weren't collapsed on until the wee small hours.

This by the way, is on their landing with an assortment of racing bike and car models:



Breakfast was commenced with clear blue skies and concluded with one tiny little cloud making a lonely appearance. Oh dear - another blazing hot day!



Neil (our guide & host) decided we may as well head off slightly earlier than planned as it would be cooler riding that sat outside - even though the track didn't open until 2pm.
Andy thought he'd better check for his passport before leaving - afterall, we were heading out from the Ardennes to Luxembourg (cheaper petrol) for a fill up before nipping back up to Germany and the famed 'Ring'.

[Quiff Wichard]

THATS ACE-
wish I had gone
aint see Rich(courdelion) for ages ...

any mor epics- post them all up.

A stop for a quick bite to eat adjacent to about half way round the circuit and then we head off.
It was alot less busy than I expected (we'd arrived very shortly after it had opened) which made me feel a little less nervous.

Neil decided to take us round in small groups (we'd been accompanied by Lucho and Stefano) for a couple of laps each, then a break, then a couple more. Tickets bought, off go the first lot (Rich & Dave - who had been here before, with Mart).


(The RWotzit in the Photo isn't one of ours, but it's Rich [left] and Mart [right])

Mart gets held at the gate whilst a bus full of OAP tourists (taking photos of riders & drivers out of the window as they went round!) was let on!



So away they go:



The rest of us look pitifully up at the few clouds that were giving us no shade whatsoever, and were downing the bottles of water whilst waiting in the car park.






This was the only bit of the track that we could really see from where we were parked up - the final home straight on the right with the main road we arrived on on parallel on the left.



So they return - and I have no idea how they looked as I was nervously getting ready, kitted up and following Neil out for my own laps with Andy and Lucho.

Put my ticket in the gate, rolled through and waiting with Neil for the others I swear my hands were shaking as I put my gloves back on.
Neil gave us the thumbs up and we slowly pulled out round the line of cones and on to the track.

I did notice that the last of the cones had already been clipped and knocked over - apparently that was Rich. Vandal.

Neil was a pleasure to follow. The man could have been sitting on his bike reading the paper and having a cuppa he was so relaxed.
He later said that we were lapping at about 10/11 minutes and his best was just under 8 - so not much of a strain for him then.

The track itself was alot smoother and easier than I expected. Yes it was long (though it flew past - 30 minutes waiting seemed like 5 minutes on track!) but was so much better than I'd thought that any worries completely evaporated within the first couple of corners.

Then I met the Carrosel.

Only on my last lap did that thing not spit me out 3/4 of the way round it.

Two laps later and we pulled back in. Shakily grabbing a bottle of water I think it took a further 20 minutes for my stomach to catch up from where it had been left behind on the track. But excited - I was buzzing.

Speechless.

I'd done it.




And I was going to do it again!

A couple of the guys went out on their own (which I didn't have the nerve to do), and Stefano finally swallowed his nerves and decided to go out with Neil and Dave. Unfortunately resulting in Daves worst laps because Stef was a bit all over the shop.

My second two laps were with just Neil and Andy - which I think were our smoothest of the day. We even managed to overtake a car (which wasn't going that slowly).
In all I think I glanced at my speedo only three times, 55 in a tight corner, just clipping over 100 in a long one and 150 in the home straight. But that didn't matter - it was the smoothness of the ride that blew me away.

My bike was awesome, I couldn't not ask for a better companion and teacher. It was rock solid. Planted firmly on the road, only giving a little bum wiggle when I screwed up and tried one bit of hanging off.
Didn't do that again - I didn't need to.


My toes got scraped a couple of times - which has lead to me instinctively curling them up in my boots. The Blue Blade however did everything I asked of it and more, and my tyres (Metzeler M1's) had gone from their previously unblemished 500 mile old state to a beautiful profile of smooth wear to the edge.

Which was more that could be said for Rich's - they looked like someone had spat gobs of black chewing gum on them.

A bit of a rest to come down before the gentler ride back with a coffee stop on the way. (And a diversion to a cash point for Stef, Lucho and myself.)

Andy and Mart headed back with the others - resulting in the need for them to nip out in the morning to the bank just after breakfast.
Lovely sunshine with a few cooler clouds - and both with one piece race suits they opted for a jean clad short, gentle run.

Oh yeah - then the heavens opened up just after they'd left! They'd pretty much dried out by the time they'd got back though.

Of we left at about mid morning for a swift jaunt to Maasrict for coffee - and after the only short bout of riding in the rain in Holland - it was onto Brugge for another.





Such a pretty town I would like to return at some point to spend a bit more time there.



We got a confused, turning to stern, look from a Maitre De as we revved our way across the cobbled street (oooh our wrists ached then) and parked up.
Perhaps he didn't really want a group of leather clad, hot sprawling bikers messing up the front of his cafe.



Tough. That's exactly what he got!

After Andy and Mart just missed out on a photo op with a couple of lovely young ladies posing by their bikes and the rest of us had successfully lowered the tone of the place we headed off for the Biker's Loft in Oosende. Where we were again greeted by a cold beer.



(Yeah, it's doing that strange 'orange' thing again.)

Blissfull shower, food and cold drink later and the relaxation began. With only the short jaunt down to Calais to come tomorrow before resting again on the ferry - it was time to sample the beers.
OK, so for me it was time to watch the guys sample the beers, though Mart too was not really a drinker - so he also got to enjoy the show.

Cherry Beer seemed to be the killer - especially when Rich obviously wanted his free 'Phone Sock' and bought six of the syrupy brews to be shared between himself, Dave and Andy.

At which point Andy, bless his booze soaked little cotton socks made the mistake of admitting that now it was past midnight that he was finally 24.

The birthday cocktail Rich produced successfully turned Andy from really drunk to wrecked by half of it. Also turning sober Mart, who finished the other half off, to drunk in about 2 minutes!

Not surprisingly Andy was the first to turn in, though not after some fraternisation with the local barmaid!




I guess we'll never know whether his text was ever sent as Andy can't actually remember going to bed in the first place.

Let's just say that the trip down to Calais was the easiest, most gently done of all our miles.

Bikes and riders all secured down for the journey home.




(Rich proudly inserting his phone into the aforementioned 'Sock'!)

Mart waved us goodbye on the M20 and the rest of us had one last petrol stop before I peeled away from the M1 at junction 15a.



1121 miles later and both Blue and I were home, tired, dusty, covered in flies and completely satisfied at a trip well done and a dream achieved.
It also gave me the desire to take my MG round there one day when she is finally restored. Perhaps travelling up towing the bike on a trailer.

So would I do it again - hell yeah!

[anna]

very very very jealous!!!!!

K...Do they still allow both cars and bikes on the circuit at the same time?

Oh yeah.

The bus pulled away just before our first group road out. I think in one of the photos you can see the first three bikes (Rich, Mart and Dave I think) pulling onto the track slightly obscured by the barrier rising to let the car in the foreground go on.

It was much quieter than I thought it would be and there was little interference between cars and bikes when I was on track.

That said Neil was a great guide. He has great observation when we are about to be overtaken so there was little need for us to pay any attention to out mirrors. Just follow his line, indicate when he did and stay with him.

I wouldn't want to do it on my own yet - I'd like to be more confident of my line (regardless of speed) first.

Great pics K. Don't remember the barmaid at all tho and don't think I sent the text. Probably wouldn't have made any sense anyway.

What a great trip - and what a really great piece of writing! Such a good read that it made me want to jump on the bike immediately and go do it!

Great Pics K

Good pics!

Glad you had a great time!


Rich