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Old 23-01-07, 03:04 PM   #11
Daimo
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http://www.nuerburgring.de/fileadmin/webcam/webcam.jpg

Good link, updated every 2 minutes. Can see the weather, bikes, cars lining up etc...

tbh, its something i'd like to do this year in the Astra (or my 2.0 Corsa if i get it back on the road this year). But having watch countless videos, the cars are always quicker round the track. Too many corners for the bikes to make up, also can be slippery, and its quite a bumpy circuit.

The bloke who lives opposite me takes his Aprillia 1000 over there every year though and loves it. I think i'll wait till i'd done it in a car first.

Its an experience as said though, even if you enjoy the surrounding roads and just sit on the banks and watch the loonie car and bikers bombing it round.

Have a search on videos.google and youtube for nurburgring for an idea of cars n bikes.
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Old 23-01-07, 03:33 PM   #12
sdusk
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Don't get me wrong, I would love to do it on a bike - but it would have to be a bike-only track day.

Unlike a UK trackday, you have to obey the normal German road rules, which means that you must let faster traffic past. This means you have to have one eye on the rear view mirror at all times - and we all know how easy that is when the bike is leaning right over...

Also, the noise limits are very well policed. One chap from the UK with a non-modified TVR was turned away because it failed the test.

Read http://nurburgring.org.uk/warning.html to appreciate the risks:

Quote:
The Ring is an incredibly unforgiving place. With the exception of a handful of bends, there's no run-off: if you fail to make a bend, you're going to hit something hard. Worse, most of the bends and crests are blind, so the chances of one accident leading to a second one are also relatively high.
Quote:
If you enjoy both driving and riding, I'd urge you to think seriously about the relative risks involved. Although car drivers and passengers are killed there too, the majority of the deaths and serious injuries there are motorcyclists. The difference in vulnerability is immense. Although I loved riding the Ring, I've seen too many bad bike crashes: I now stick to four wheels.
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Old 23-01-07, 04:57 PM   #13
K
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sdusk
Don't get me wrong, I would love to do it on a bike - but it would have to be a bike-only track day.

Unlike a UK trackday, you have to obey the normal German road rules, which means that you must let faster traffic past. This means you have to have one eye on the rear view mirror at all times - and we all know how easy that is when the bike is leaning right over...

Also, the noise limits are very well policed. One chap from the UK with a non-modified TVR was turned away because it failed the test.

Read http://nurburgring.org.uk/warning.html to appreciate the risks:

Quote:
The Ring is an incredibly unforgiving place. With the exception of a handful of bends, there's no run-off: if you fail to make a bend, you're going to hit something hard. Worse, most of the bends and crests are blind, so the chances of one accident leading to a second one are also relatively high.
Quote:
If you enjoy both driving and riding, I'd urge you to think seriously about the relative risks involved. Although car drivers and passengers are killed there too, the majority of the deaths and serious injuries there are motorcyclists. The difference in vulnerability is immense. Although I loved riding the Ring, I've seen too many bad bike crashes: I now stick to four wheels.
I'll agree that it's not as forgiving as your average track with regards to run off, blind crests and bends - it's also a very long track so it's not as if you can learn it after a couple of times round.

That said - I personally take the above as a little on the scaremongering side.

The track has a reputation from its racing heyday, and to a certain extent it's also something that is 'highlighted' by folks to make it seem some big thing that they've ridden/driven the track. Macho BS - it gets everywhere.

But like everything, if you're sensible, treat it with respect and don't ride like a twot then you're as safe as you would be on any other road - where accidents are caused by other people.
And therein lays the rub - you have to take into account the others driving round and hope that they too are treating the track with respect and not riding/driving like twots.

Now considering that you can't account for everything everyone else is going to do - then hell, either never stick your nose out of your bed or take the chance and enjoy yourself like the thousands of others who have already done the same.


I personally wouldn't want to go round on my own if it were busy, however, I might give it a go this year if it's quiet.
Take it easy, go at your own pace, give yourself time to react to tightening corners etc and keep your awareness high - basic self discipline - so yeah, if you've not got that then you're going to come a cropper anyway.


Um, as for noise limits - none of us were tested last time - and Mart's SV sounded quite 'fruity'.
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Old 23-01-07, 06:45 PM   #14
muffles
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i did 3 laps last year on my sv! i went at a quiet time and to be honest i would in general say it is a fair bit more dangerous than normal track days because:

- you have 3ft run off and then a cliff pretty much everywhere
- when it's busy, the traffic does make it both un-nerving and dangerous as a few of them (locals or regulars i guess) will just come past you wherever. it's not like on track day where you have groups so people know your skill level, and unless you're fairly comfortable on track then it's not the greatest environment

that said, if you go round slowly on a quiet day (e.g. i went on there on friday morning of a july weekend) then you should be fine, just do keep an eye on your mirrors (go round slowly enough to allow yourself to do this) and signal right (?) to indicate you have seen them and want them to pass if you see someone coming up behind.

also, i can now have the sticker on my bike :P
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Old 23-01-07, 07:54 PM   #15
Tim in Belgium
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I've done 18 laps of the place in my last car over two separate weekends and it's a place I love.

Again still toying with the idea on the bike, but know I'd only be happy riding at 80% effort, the track surface changes, inclement weather & amazing locals can make it pretty interesting.

Last time I came round a corner where a little drizzle had fallen and five bikes that had just passed me were off into the barriers. That and the numerous times I've gone passed the medics car next to a motionless or purple faced biker have left an impression on my mind.

BUT it is an awesome place and driven/ridden with respect and a cool head you'll have a great time but there is always a risk. It's your choice.

Now to go on the bike or not....




Decision made, I've signed up for the trip on the SV, now where did I put my sensible head...
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Old 24-01-07, 08:41 PM   #16
Couerdelion
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Quote:
Originally Posted by muffles
i did 3 laps last year on my sv! i went at a quiet time and to be honest i would in general say it is a fair bit more dangerous than normal track days because:

that said, if you go round slowly on a quiet day (e.g. i went on there on friday morning of a july weekend) then you should be fine, just do keep an eye on your mirrors (go round slowly enough to allow yourself to do this) and signal right (?) to indicate you have seen them and want them to pass if you see someone coming up behind.

also, i can now have the sticker on my bike :P
This is pretty much spot on!

In regards to run off it's no different to the roads I enjoy in the Yorkshire Dales with stonewalls hugging the road.

To be honest it's no surprise the bikes have a higher accident rate. I've seen blokes who have just arrived with their bikes still loaded with panniers and packs, following the cars lines and braking points. Try that with a car that's a bit too quick for you and you're not going to get round the corner.
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Old 24-01-07, 09:01 PM   #17
sdusk
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Couerdelion
This is pretty much spot on!

In regards to run off it's no different to the roads I enjoy in the Yorkshire Dales with stonewalls hugging the road.

To be honest it's no surprise the bikes have a higher accident rate. I've seen blokes who have just arrived with their bikes still loaded with panniers and packs, following the cars lines and braking points. Try that with a car that's a bit too quick for you and you're not going to get round the corner.
Indeed - it is like a superb country road, but someone put a bunch of cars on there doing 150mph!

It gets a lot worse than that in fact, bikes will overtake cars just before a corner and then brake hard. Trouble is that the car had no intention of braking at all for that particular corner...
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Old 25-01-07, 12:11 AM   #18
socommk23
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looks like ill be going this year!

bout june july time! yay!
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Old 25-01-07, 12:58 PM   #19
muffles
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going to the halfway point and watching the track from there proved an interesting experience too....i'm told all the paint on the track is 'memorials' for people who have died at that particular spot on the track - so when you see all that paint it makes you think twice about going for it when on the track!

it doesn't even have to be your fault - apparently a couple of weeks before i went a couple of bikers died - the first one went into a wall round a corner and died, a car following close behind stopped to help but i guess he stopped his car too much on the track, cos a second biker came round the corner and straight into the back of a stopped car - 2 down...
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Old 25-01-07, 01:08 PM   #20
hovis
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can we please stop with all the negative comments.................your scarring me
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