Hutzlmandl On Tour

Tag: travel

  • The 2025 review

    The 2025 review

    You gentle readers might wonder why this year’s title of the annual review is different from the previous ones. Well, this is correct, usually the title includes ‘motorbiking’. It is not that I haven’t done some motorbiking this year and typically this blog is mainly about my adventures on and with a motorbike. In fact, it is a public, digitalised form of my old travel diaries. As it happens, 2025 saw also some interesting traveling that was performed on different vehicles. So I have chosen for a more encompassing title.

    Well, the year started in a typical way – a first European Ride to Eat, this time in the Belgian/Durch enclave(s) of Baarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau, an oddity of Dutch enclaves within Belgian enclaves within The Netherlands. We met at the usual time, i.e. 4 p.m. to take the group picture.

    Quite a large group with riders from UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France and Ireland had shown up. As usual, we went to the restaurant and spent a chummy evening together. The location was very convenient for me as I only had 30 km of a chilly ride to my own bed.

    This year, the legendary XBR-Wintertreffen took place in my house in Bavaria. As Johannes wanted to indulge everyone on the occasion of his significant birthday, the XBR Alpentour veterans and significant others had to try a series of delicious Scottish drams. I provided the accompanying dishes and there you go, a lovely evening that some of the participants had trouble to remember.

    In April, there was another press article about the old XBR published. A short, nice article about probably the best motorbike in the world.

    And then it was time for the first rally of the year, the longest frequent long-distance rally in Europe, the Brit Butt Rally. This year, it carried the alias of ‘The Park and Ride Coddiwomple’. As a six-time winner and defending champion, I had to give my best to prove that the last two wins in 2023 and 2024 were no coincidence. The timing was uncommon, end of April, as early as never before. Would this be a very chilly ride? As the organisation had finally skipped the odometer check ride in the afternoon and allowed a rather late check-in time, I started my trip in the morning, there was no need for a stop-over in Kent the night before.

    However, my participation in the rally was in danger when I picked up some debris on the hard shoulder in a traffic jam north of Ghent. One minute later, the display of the BMW flashed red and indicated a dropping tyre pressure of the new rear tyre. I limped to the rest area, conveniently located only 1 km away and stopped on the parking with a completely flat tyre. I inspected it and had to conclude that there was a nastily big chunk of plastic sticking out of the negative part of the tread, this looked bad.

    I took ages and some unnerving phone call to the BMW road assistance until finally assistance arrived. To my disappointment, the driver told me that he could not repair tyres, just towing away vehicles. Thanks to his phone call, he found a tyre shop that was open and had the right tyre at hand. I was getting nervous now, luckily I had booked a very flexible FlexiPlus ticket for the Eurotunnel, but I needed to arrive at the rally head quarter before the registration closed. I informed the IBA UK President and he confirmed they would wait for me.

    In the tyre shop, things moved slow at first. After I explained my situation and the time pressure, things moved fast. Shortly after 11 a.m. I could continue my ride and get on the train to Britain. Phew! This was a close shave; the shop had confirmed that the tyre could not be repaired and without a new one, the game would have been over before it actually started.

    I did arrive in time at the rally HQ in Burton-upon-Trent, checked in, registered for the rally, had a shower and showed up for dinner and the subsequent riders meeting. We were warned by Owl, the Rally Master, that we’d have to expect rural locations with tricky, small roads. Not what my mighty BMW wanted to hear. We received the rally books and retired to our hotel rooms to do the planning of the 36 hours of rally.

    As usual, there were several different options in different directions. As I saw it fit, I chose to go north, riding to Scotland is always my preferred choice. No traffic and lovely roads, what else do you need. I could collect extra points by getting a lot of combos, given I would visit and document all locations correctly.

    Comme d’habitude, my planned route was ambitious and demanding, but it offered some options to cut out points on my way back, so it should work out. After all, it was my 14th Brit Butt Rally, so I had enough confidence what was possible and what not. And with the ‘Flying Fortress’, aka BMW K1600GT, under my bum, a lot was possible.

    We set off at 6:30 a.m. and my plan for the morning was very simple: stop at a location near Blackpool, then get up to Scotland as quickly as possible. Very uncommon, but I needed enough time to pick up all the big points in Scotland before starting the rest break in Inverness. This second location in Scotland caused some headache: first, I passed the right exit and had to do a detour, then it started to rain and the roads turned slippery. It cost me some time to find the stone in a field. And then all for nothing as it turned out later, as I had taken the picture of the wrong stone. Luckily, it was not part of a combo. But I had lost quite some time regarding my demanding plan.

    My next stops involved visits to a small bridge south of Glasgow and a cottage next to Loch Tay. The weather was typical Scottish, grey with some drizzle. I was riding for almost 1.5 hours to the west coast, passing Oban. When I finally stopped, I had a déjà-vu: I had been here before! Indeed, during the Celtic Rally last year, I was at the same spot, taking the same picture. Well, the reason is that it is a special bridge, called the Clachan Bridge, or better known under it’s genuine name ‘Dhrochaid thar a’ Chuain Sia’, the ‘Bridge over the Atlantic’. An engineering masterpiece from 1791. This was also the answer to the extra question that had to be answered: “when was the bridge built?’

    Celtic Rally 2024
    Brit Butt Rally 2025

    Back to Oban and further north to Fort William and beyond. It was already well in the afternoon and I hadn’t done a lot of bonus locations yet. But this was part of the plan: fewer locations, but high points values.

    For the first time, I rode on the east side of Loch Ness to search for a memorial stone in the forest. I passed Inverness, heading for the north coast, picking up the high points. It is a rare occasion when I stop during a rally to take a “touristic” picture:

    I reached the northernmost road of mainland Britain, the very much hyped NC500. I had ridden some parts in the southwest, but the road here was quite in bad condition, not really in a state to be a tourism magnet like the Route 66. Scenic, singletrack and very bumpy. I picked up two locations and turned around at Loch Eriboll. I was in a bit of hurry as I wanted to get to better road conditions before nightfall. Another location near Wick and I had to turn south again. Riding this road towards Inverness at night is always special. In the bright light of the auxiliary lights, the winding road is fun – unless you have to switch to dipped beam.

    I checked into the reserved hotel in Inverness to do my mandatory four hour rest break. In the early morning, I continued my ride through the Cairngorm Mountains on small roads. I spent a lot of time to find the right access to this location (to the right). I committed a rookie error and left the flag on the top box! I only realised this when I was at the next location, 90 min away. Well, the rules are clear in this case: the rider’s face has to appear in all pictures. Annoying!

    I criss-crossed via Dundee and Edinburgh towards Newcastle, picking up bonus point locations left and right. In order to make the checks of pictures a little more entertaining for the rally team back at the head quarters, I started to pull faces. Let’s have some fun!

    Before reaching Newcastle, I contacted Dave Badcock, IBA UK veteran from South Shields where one statue was located. There was enough time for a quick chat.

    South Shields. Video by Dave Badcock.

    The rest was adapting/picking up as many locations as possible on the way back to the finish, with some interesting excursions to the Yorkshire Dales and the Peak District. After 1565 miles (2518 km), I returned to the rally HQ, check in, did the scoring, accepted the score. After the dinner, the ceremony revealed the results: another first place and first person to have won the Brit Butt Rally seven times. Fun fact (with tongue in cheek): this was the first non-British podium ever ☺️

    • My route of the BBR25
    • The podium riders
    • The podium

    Only three weeks later, the next rally was pending, for the first time the Magic12 Rally took place in the Netherlands. As usual for this type of type of 12 hour rally, we received the data a few days earlier and could design a route at home. The starting location was free, only the finish was given (near Nijmegen). 167 (!) possible bonus point locations, difficult to see the forest despite all the trees. Here, the key was also to include a high number of combos.

    I did not take the BMW this time; my calculations circulated around the service intervals, I better “reserved” the BMW for the big rally later in August. So I chose the most successful LD rally bike in Europe, my old 1997 Pan European (Honda ST1100). No LD frills anymore, just a single Sat Nav, that’s all it takes. My chosen route dictated that my starting point would be best in Apeldoorn. So I booked a hotel the night before, checked the nearby first BP and the petrol station for the starting ticket the next morning.

    I had picked a route through rural eastern Netherlands, away from big cities and congested roads in bristling provinces like North and South Holland. An early start at 5 a.m. Weather was excellent and I enjoyed empty roads in the morning, I even did a short stint on the A31 in Germany, the weekend “racetrack” for many Dutch who want to go high speed. My plan worked out quite well and after 12 hours, I arrived at the finish after a nice day out. It was fun to ride the old steed again, it still knows how to do things. The outcome was quite good – another win for the old bike. Nice chats after dinner and a quick ride home.

    The next trip went overseas – I combined a business trip to Halifax, Canada with four days to discover Nova Scotia. I found the only provider in Nova Scotia to rent me a Honda ST1300, but the problem was to get me there as the place was located in the very backwoods of the peninsula. I needed two expensive taxi rides to get there and back – but it was worth it. On the first day, I rode to Cape Breton Island, on the second, I experienced the Cabot Trail, on the third, I crossed Nova Scotia and its hinterland and on the fourth day, I did a detour via Annapolis Valley and returned to Halifax. A relaxing short holiday in a relaxed country.

    The next adventure was of a different kind and was actually unexpected. Not on a motorbike though. I had seen an ad of the Audi Club International that invited to join them during the Nürburgring Classics. This included exhibiting your Classic Car at their stand in the paddocks area, a 30 min stint with your own car on the GP track on Saturday and a 60 min stint on the Nordschleife, the “Green Hell” and probably the most spectacular race track in the world. I planned to go with my 1991 Audi Cabriolet with 356.000 km on the clock. I was a bit pissed off, because I could not get a service appointment at the Audi dealer as planned. This meant I had an handicap as I had to drive with worn brake pads, a worn wheel bearing, old radiator fluid and a not working ventilator. Not the best conditions for some high speed driving.

    My neighbor Jeroen agreed to be my co-pilot, although there was no real work for him to do. We parked the car among the other, probably more interesting Audi, NSU and Wanderer exhibits and made acquaintance with the club officials. I received the stickers including the driver number (“26”) to be put on the car. An interesting atmosphere!

    It was time for a first driver meeting where the agenda of the two days was explained. At the end, the club president made a special announcement: there would be a raffle with all the driver numbers and there would be one single, special prize: being the co-pilot in an Audi Quattro S1 Evo2, the legendary Group B monster that put Audi’s five cylinder rally cars on the international map in the 80s. Driver would be nobody less than Harald Demuth, former German rally champion in 1982 and 1984 with the same car. The crowd gasped, this was too good to be true for any Audi fan. And the raffle began…I had not put anything in the box, so I expected nothing….”and the winner is…..number 26!!!” Silence, absolute silence. You could hear a pin drop. “Number 26, anyone?”…..silence…..Hmmmm, what numbers did I put on my car? Well, a “2”….and a “9”….no, wait! A “6”!…..I had put “26” on my car! “I think this is us!”. What an irony, I had snatched the big prize, being an outsider to the club. Probably a kind of wet dream of many aficionados of classic sport cars. More about the car and driver here.

    Later, I was told that the owner of the car wanted to go himself and do some instructing to Harald Demuth and that my prize would be changed to Sunday, the drive on the Nordschleife. This was even better. But first it was our turn to drive around the GP track. First, the pre-start, waiting until the previous race was over. Our stint was just an interlude – a free driving of a lot of Audis from different ages. The tension was palpable. And then we were off! I squeezed everything out of the old Audi, with screeching tyres and rumbling wheel bearings. It felt a bit in slow motion, but it was fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luxI1I1nQrg

    When we returned to the pit, the wild ride took its toll: the expansion tank of the radiator blew litres of cooling fluid on the ground. The wild ride in combination with the missing ventilator resulted in total overheating, although I was not the only one, also other older cars were dripping in plain incontinence. The Audi Quattro S1 had also some issues with fading breaks. I hoped they could bleed the breaks until the next morning or the big prize was for nothing. When I rode home for the night, it was clear that Jeroen could not drive the car in my place the next morning. Brakes, wheel bearings and cooling were in too bad shape to risk the Nordschleife. As I didn’t want to burn my identical, but collector’s item Audi Cabriolet, Jeroen had to stay home and I had to wait until the next morning to find out if the drive in the Quattro would take place.

    Finally, I got green light and showed up at the Nürburgring the next morning. At the end, I was granted one lap in the car, as the first test lap was for the owner of the car and the third one for his co-worker. But one lap in this monster was something some people “would kill for”. We hoped that the drive could go through as it had rained and there was a lot of fog on the track.

    Finally, the track was opened and the large Audi crowd was off. I had to wait some 10 minutes until it was my turn. Strap in and….go!!! I deliberately decided against taking a video, I wanted to enjoy the ride and taking some wobbly video would only distract from the fun.

    And boy, was I enjoying it. At first, I had the impression that Harald Demuth went a bit more careful due to the wet track, but then he unleashed the power of the 500+ horses. A ride on a cannonball! I was pressed into the safety harness – left, right, forward, backwards. A very loud ride in a screaming rollercoaster. WHAT A FUN! At the tender age of 75, Demuth still got it. This was a ride of a lifetime, something to remember.

    There are many onboard videos, but this one captures the sensation very well although it’s not an Evo2 and not the same track. But the sheer brutality is well captured.

    When we all returned to the pit, I sat down with Harald Demuth and we chatted for about half an hour about many things and I gave him also an introduction to long distance motorcycle riding. What made the conversation so charming was the fact that our birth places are only 20 km apart; talking in your native dialect changes totally the atmosphere. A truly great guy and personality, despite his fame a very modest chap.

    Well, this weekend was not without consequences. I am driving five-cylinder Audis for 20 years now, but never had a five-cylinder turbo. This is on a different level. Hmmm…what are the options? Well, there is the S2 or the RS2….let’s check the prices…..whoa! 30 years old, pricy and a lot of mileage? Ouch! Sounds like a lot of work and financial ruin. But wait, Audi had re-introduced the five-cylinder turbo! So after a few weeks and an offer I couldn’t refuse, I had a new toy.

    Quattro, 2.5 L five cylinders with turbo, full option with flap exhaust, manual gearbox, forged wheels, excellent condition, low mileage….the answer is Audi TT RS! A dreamcar.

    The next adventure was slower, a lot slower. For years, I had thought to do a cycling trip from Belgium to my hometown. And for years, I had postponed it. This year, I finally made it happen! I had bought an “endurance” bike last year that is comfy for long rides. Lampros, a colleague of mine joined the trip and I had to warn him that my fitness is on a different level than his (he does triathlons!), but after some test rides we concluded that this could work. I had pre-booked the hotels due to the high season so the route was fixed. In July, we set off for a 7+1 day trip to the Bavarian Alps.

    The trip was supposed to be scenic; The first afternoon was only a short ride of 70 km along the canals in the Kempen and stopping in Stein north of Maastricht. The next day we entered Germany with the flat areas west of Cologne, passing by the enormous, 48 km2 open-pit coal mine of Garzweiler. We reached our hotel in Bonn after a visit to the city centre.

    The next morning we cycled along the Rhine river until we reached Koblenz where we met Thomas and Katharina, fellow IBA motorbikers, at the “Deutsches Eck”, the confluence of Rhine and Mosel. In the afternoon, we continued our ride through the Middle Rhine Valley, the most scenic and famous part of the Rhine. We rode up to Castle Stolzenfels that we visited, enjoying the views. Our stop for the day was in Bacharach, the picturesque wine village.

    • L’apéritif
    • Maas river
    • Garzweiler pit
    • Rolling down into the Rhine valley
    • Beethoven’s birth place (Bonn)
    • Deutsches Eck, Koblenz
    • Burg Stolzenfels
    • Rhine Valley
    • Burg Kaub
    • Bacharach

    On the morning of the third day, we followed the Rhine to Bingen and cut short through the Palatinate, through vineyards and wheat fields. The weather was more wet and we had to avoid the showers. At Worms, one of the oldest European cities and hosts one of the three medieval imperial cathedrals, the crossed the Rhine, now being east of the river. After a tiring last ride against the wind, we reached Heidelberg, our stop-over for the night. A very famous and very beautiful old city, one of the highlights of the trip.

    The next morning, we rode up the Neckar river a bit and had a long, hilly day before us. We passed by the huge Museum of Technology in Sinsheim, but had to conclude that there was no time for a visit, we still had a long day before us. The landscape got nicer and nicer and we enjoyed the good weather, rolling through vineyards and small villages. We knew we had a huge challenge in front of us in the evening, a very steep climb up to our hotel in Adelberg, in the middle of nowhere. The hotel was basic and a bit weird, but we found a good place to eat and were happy not to have to cycle more on that day.

    The next day would bring mixed weather again. After a descent, we he had to cross the big European water divide between Rhine and Danube at the famous Geislinger Steige. From here, it was rolling downhill to the Danube where we had lunch in Günzburg. The rest of the day was quite wet so decided to stop in Augsburg to dry our gear.

    • Hagen and the Rhine Gold Treasure
    • Vineyards in the Palatinate
    • Heidelberg
    • Rain ahead!
    • Heidelberg castle
    • Sinsheim Technik Museum
    • Vineyards in Baden
    • Ludwigsburg Castle
    • “When does this ascent stop???”
    • Waych out for the end of day 5!
    • Top of the Geislinger Steige
    • Crossing the Danube river
    • Downhill!
    • Shitty weather!
    • Even more shitty weather!

    On the next day, it was a lovely day, the right setting for the final leg. We crossed the Lech river and crossed into Upper Bavaria. We stopped for lunch at the shores of the Starnberg Lake. We entered home soil now, namely the Bavarian Oberland. I may be biased, but it seemed the sun shone brighter, the sky was more blue and the views were more lovely than before 😇.

    I had changed the planned route and had introduced a must-stop before reaching the finish line: Reutberg monastry with its brewery and the gorgeous views on the pre-alpine ridge. One refreshing beer later, we set off for the last 25 km, riding on my old home course towards my house near Miesbach. A different sort of homecoming. And after 845 km and 5000 m altitude, we arrived at our destination. After a well-deserved shower and a dress change, we went to Miesbach for a Bavarian dinner. The next day, we did a little 75 km add-on, a nice ride visiting many highlights in the area. A perfect finish to a fantastic trip.

    • Land art
    • Lake Starnberg
    • Reutberg Monestary with views
    • Celebration
    • We made it!
    • A strong team
    • “Wer sein Rad liebt, der…”
    • Lake Schliersee
    • The jersey also made it home
    • Lake Tegernsee
    • The itinerary

    Back in Belgium, I had to drop the BMW at the dealer before the big 6 Days Rally in August. As a replacement for the day, I received a brand new R1300RT. I did not ride it a lot, but first impressions often count most. The design of the 1300 series is….debatable. In principle, a very capable bike, more agile than ever (145 hp @ 281 kg curb weight). But the typical big fairing is gone, it feels more like a GS than a long-distance touring bike. The new automatic transmission is all right in manual mode, but Honda’s DCT system is way ahead. When I sat back on my K1600, it was clear which one is still the better ride for the long haul.

    And then it was time for the highlight of the year: the 6 Days Rally leading through France, Spain and Portugal. Start and finish were in Metz, France. I wrote a long report here. In summary, it was a fantastic, beautiful rally where I showed my best rally performance ever, even better than the European Tour 2016. For six days, I kept my focus very high and defied all challenges the rally threw at me. At the end, I achieved a convincing first place. But as I said, more in the report. I put only a few teasing pictures here.

    • All bonus point locations of the 6 Days Rally.
    • Monumento al Pelegrino
    • Faro do Cabo Ortega
    • Camino de Santiago
    • Galicia
    • Alentejo
    • Last Bratwurst before America
    • Sierra Nevada
    • Castilla La Mancha
    • Pasiphaë
    • Millau Bridge
    • The 6 days Rally in 150 hours. 8.354 km (5192 mis).
    • The podium
    • The trophy

    At the last weekend of the year, it was time for the second ride to eat. Again, I picked the old ST1100 over the BMW. First, because I wanted to have the BMW with fresh tyres and just serviced with the prospect to ride to Wales the weekend after. And second, some boring 2500 km on motorways can better be done on a cheap bike.

    The topic of this year’s R2Es were “enclaves”. The August ride’s destination was Llívia, a Spanish enclave within France in the Pyrenees. As usual, we met for the picture at 4 p.m. and had dinner together.

    A week later, it was time for the second Celtic Rally organised by IBA Ireland. It’s a typical 12 hour rally with the rally information distributed some days before. Last year’s “Tartan edition” went quite well (1st place). This year’s “Dragon edition” took place in Wales, with start/finish in Wrexham. It was a difficult nut to crack and I had worked out two alternative routes, one to the south and one to the northwest of Wales, I would decide in the last minute. I arrived the night before and joined the crowd in the bar.

    In the morning, we had the rider meeting before the start. It had been announced that there would be a last-minute rally master twist. It let the organisers tell it in their own words:

    Riders had 12 Hours to visit their choice of locations for points collection. Bonus book had the usual Hazards -(locations worth MINUS points) – but this year we had a special treat for the riders.

    The bonus book had been emailed 48 hrs before the start. The riders were unaware it was missing one page. At the start meeting 30 mins prior to launch time, they were presented with an offer at a cost of 1000 points. Buy the missing page containing 4 combination bonuses and an extra 30 mins riding with no time penalty). A show of hands was requested.

    Some hands shot up…others slowly raised hands, a few looked to see who was raising their hand and then appeared to curse under their breath and then raise their own hand ! 10 riders took the offer.

    Well, that was a twist! If you want to perform well, you have to take risks. I had raised my hand. And now I had to fit one combo into my route, this was possible. I chose south. The plan was to cut through England to the south of Wales as soon as possible. At the first BP location, I had some doubts and checked my choice again – only to realise that I had selected the wrong option. I knew that Arjen, my strongest competitor, had chosen the northwestern route. Now I realised that he could fit in TWO combos. I had to change my plan to include another combo as well.

    During the rest of the day, I kept replanning and optimising my route on the fly and rode without any unnecessary stops, only one petrol stop and loosing no time. In the end my plan worked and I arrived exhausted at the finish. It had paid off – thanks to the good “training” in August, I had pulled this one off. As expected, the ride was scenic on lots of backroads. Fourth rally this year, fourth time that Arjen came second this year as I had yet snatched the big price. I start to feel sorry for him, but his strong performances are motivating me quite a lot 😊.

    Four IBA rallies and four first places, couldn’t get better than this? I still had some open business: my first classic car (“oldtimer”) rally! I had planned to do it in the same Audi Cabriolet I used at the Nürburgring. I knew that the car would not pass the general inspection (“MOT”/”Hauptuntersuchung”) in September. The car went fine, but things summed up after 24 years and 355.000 km on the clock.

    The motor still went fine, but I had two main issues difficult to fix: a very rusty motor bracket and a very rusty luggage boot. The whole car is fully galvanised, except the subframe (bracket) under the motor. And a previous owner obviously had an accident and welded the boot without the protective zinc layer.

    With a car like this, anything can be exchanged, but there comes a point where the question arises: “is it still worth it?”. Well, the answer was “no”, but first I still had to invest some money to fix the most pressing things like wheel bearing, brakes and ventilator. Now the car should be ready for the rally. Together with the help of Jeroen, we set up a energy supply device to feed all the electronic devices we planned to use in the navigational rally: a tablet, a GPS, two mobile phones, a laptop…finally the system worked.

    But then I detected two more problems with only four weeks to go: the car wouldn’t start anymore and there was a puddle of liquid under the car. My investigations revealed that i) the ignition lock was broken and ii) the radiator was leaking. That was it. I had invested enough in the car in the last year. And now a quick fix? The universe sent me a message and the message was “don’t do the rally in this car”. Understood. My patience was up.

    I needed the space in the garage. Better to get rid of it before the inspection was due. I put in for sale and accepted a ridiculously low offer for it. A few days later, a Lithuanian guy showed up with a trailer, paid a fistful of Euros and carried it away. A time of 20 years, 200.000 km and numerous adventures together came to an end. I felt somewhat guilty when I saw it passing out of sight, but I had known that its days were counted, it was just a bit before the projected time.

    There was only one solution now: I HAD to take the nice and shiny Cabriolet for the SUMMIT 100 Rally. Five days of navigation, starting at the circuit of Spa and ending in the French Alps. At least the electrical supply and the mounts fitted in this car as well. However, it seemed that the old Cabriolet sent a message when I picked up the newer one: when the motor was running, petrol was dripping on the ground. There was still time to change the fuel pressure accumulator, but it was a close shave.

    Finally we met with the other drivers at the Spa Circuit for lunch where we received the instructions for the first day. We had to use an app on the mobile phone that detected automatically when we would pass one of the 100 waypoints, but it would also penalise prohibited sections. The car park was full of great cars: Ferrari, Ford Mustang, Porsche, Austin Healey…We set off and drove on many backroads through the Ardennes and Luxemburg before arriving at the hotel in the east of Luxemburg. Jeroen saved me from any penalty points and so we finished the day with all waypoints visited and in the lead of the ranking; everybody else had collected penalty points for riding prohibited roads.

    On the second day we entered Lorraine and Alsace. It was again a lot of backroads with the Petit and Grand Ballon as highlights. I noted that my shocks were reaching the end of their lifetime, for the rest of the rally I hoped that I would make it to the finish. We checked into the hotel in Cernay, still without penalty points.

    The next morning we heard that the Ferrari had to give up with power loss. We received the information for the day: the organisers had ramped it up a bit: apart from the coordinates and little waypoint maps, we received maps with indicated roads where unmarked waypoints would be situated, you had to follow exactly the line on the map. With my experience in quick planning, I could find and introduce all GPS information in my laptop and transfer it to the routing devices between the handout and the start. And what I couldn’t do, Jeroen would do and double-checked everything. We were becoming a well-oiled machine that simply didn’t make any mistakes.

    On this third day, we crossed the Jura on backroads, passed Annecy with some hiccups due to closed roads and finished the day in the hotel in the Alps at Bourg-Saint-Maurice. Again, a day with all waypoints bagged and no penalties.

    On the fourth day, we entered the High Alps, this would be the highlight of the rally. I tried to ride as careful as possible, the suspension kept me worrying. The weather was on the wet side, but we enjoyed the ride nevertheless. It was a celebration of la Route des Grands Alpes, we drove over the Col de l’Iseran, Col d’Izoard, entered Italy via de Col d’Agnel and rode the tiny roads to the Col de Sampeyre. I knew this area only too well, I had lead some XBR-Alpentours through here and selected also some devious locations for the Alpenbutt Rally 2017. What surprised me though was the deteriorated state of the road to the Colle d’Esischie. Pure adventure, my shocks were almost giving up, but we mastered even this rough part.

    Passing Isola 2000 and further on to the highlight of the day: Col de Restefond La Bonette, the highest pass in Europe (2802 m). We were greeted by the rally team and pictures were taken. The weather was bad and we descended to Barcelonnette where we finished the day at the hotel. Again, everything visited, no penalties.

    Leaving Bourg-Saint-Maurice: https://youtu.be/y9alg9kyjs0

    Colle d’Esischie – the worst part of the rally! https://youtu.be/gTLgFEI7jL8

    In the next morning, the rain was finally gone and it was time for the last day. We had a series of nice little cols in front of us and I was optimistic that we could make it to the finish without completely blowing up the shocks. We finished the tour with a big bang: the Combe de Laval, the scenic road carved into the rock. A memorable finish before the finish. We were quick during all five days and although arrival times did not matter, we were always among the first as our navigation was quick and efficient. Before arriving at the finish, we even had time to clean the car. After that, we finished the rally after 2100 km in a golf resort near Grenoble where we had dinner after the ceremony. It was not really a competitive, more a touristic rally, but we were the only ones who had successfully visited all 100 waypoints and received no penalty points which meant that Jeroen and I were the winners of the rally! Good navigation skills plus IT engineer skills paid off.

    The next day, we had a relaxed breakfast and a relaxed drive back to Belgium. A fun ride, but now I need new shocks 😁.

    Well, that was about it for 2025. I had planned to ride to the Ride to Eat in San Marino, as it fitted nicely with a business trip and a subsequent trip to Bavaria. But when these dates were postponed, I canceled the trip as I did not want to do the same journey twice in a short period of time. Not very “toughest motorcycle riders in the world” 😁, but I felt I had done enough this year.

    Next year? A small number of rallies. But I think it is about time for something big again?🤓…

  • Nova Scotia – Annapolis Valley

    Nova Scotia – Annapolis Valley

    In the morning, I packed my belongings and left the hotel as it didn’t provide any. I followed one of their suggestions and visited a café that was open on a Sunday morning. I had a coffee and muffin in a cozy place and could set off already at 8:30. During the night, it rained heavily but now the streets started to dry, the weather would still be cloudy for the next two hours.

    I left Lunenburg in direction northwest, riding through a mix of forests and farm land. After a while I passed the little village of New Germany where also large plantations of Christmas trees were located.

    Slowly the temperature rose and there were more sunny spells. I remembered that I hadn’t switched on my GPS tracking app and corrected that. During this trip I relied solely on my mobile phone that I charged continuously with a power bank stored away in a fairing box, safely protected by some fresh underwear.

    Around 10:30 I arrived the town of Annapolis Royal that was composed of old wooden houses of this Maritime style. A lot of trees and meadows give it sometimes more the feel of a park than a town. I rolled into the ‚centre‘ of town and spotted a ‚German bakery‘. Curiously, I checked the menu at the outside and concluded that this must be a real German baker. Maybe later.

    I rode through Fort Anne with the views on the bay and rolled slowed slowly through the mini waterfront before turning around. I stopped at the bakery again and as I was really thirsty, I thought it might be a good idea to consume some quenching liquid. In the bakery, I was attended by an East German waitress and could see that the bakers produced genuine products. So I ordered a salami roll with a Bavarian wheat beer. Unlike back home, I asked for a alcohol free version. In the background, I could hear some German Schlager. Entering customer showed that this place was quite popular. I finished my second breakfast and continued my ride.

    I was entering Annapolis Valley, supposedly one of the highlights of Nova Scotia. I avoided the Highway 101 and chose the smaller Highway 201 that lead through lush fields with scattered farms. It has one of the mildest microclimates and is known for its fruit and vegetable crops. I enjoyed riding with the humming ST1300, the sunny weather was also playing along. I stopped here and there, taking pictures. In one village, I spotted a painter that was painting an enormous mural in great details – impressive.

    In Kentville and Wolfville, the area got more urban, quite a wealthy area, it seems. My next stop was at Grand-Pré, a national historic site. The Grand-Pré National Historic Site is a park set aside to commemorate the Grand-Pré area of Nova Scotia as a centre of Acadian settlement from 1682 to 1755. The French settlers built dykes to hold back the tides along the Minas Basin. They created rich pastures for their animals and fertile fields for their crops. Grand-Pré became the bread basket of Acadia, and by the mid-18th century was the largest of the numerous Acadian communities around the Bay of Fundy and the coastline of Nova Scotia.

    Serving as a kind of museum and memorial site, the Site tells the story of the Acadians that got caught in the middle of the colonial wars between the British and the French. Although French-speaking, they did not want to take sides, staying neutral. After the occupation of Nova Scotia by British troops, they did not want to swear an unconditional oath and allegiance to the British Crown. As a reaction, in 1755 their property was confiscated and almost all Arcadians were deported. Many Acadians died from drowning, starvation, imprisonment, and exposure. By modern terms, this would be considered an ‘ethnic cleansing’.

    The “Landscape of Grand Pré” was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012. The 1,300 hectares of polderised marshland and archaeological sites in the Grand-Pré area were recognized as an “exceptional example of the adaptation of the first European settlers to the conditions of the North American Atlantic coast” and as “a memorial to Acadian way of life and deportation”.

    I visited the exhibition, attended a film, visited the park and chatted with some museum guides about remaining Acadian culture. After the visit, my trip was basically over. I rode westwards to Truro and further to the motorbike rental place. I changed clothes, packed my suitcases and waited for the pre-booked taxi that would get me to Halifax airport. The trip was quite entertaining, as I had a lively discussion with a well-informed driver. At the airport, I had quite some time on my hands, as my flight departure was delayed for two hours. Enough time to have dinner and to survive the Air Canada Lounge.

    One flight to Frankfurt and a connecting flight to Brussels later I was back home. A nice short trip through most of Nova Scotia!

  • Nova Scotia – Cape Breton to Lunenburg

    Nova Scotia – Cape Breton to Lunenburg

    I was wondering which route to take in the morning in order to avoid a rain front. But as the rich breakfast and the following chat with the owner did take longer than expected, it did not matter anymore – the rain had started. Well, it didn’t matter then. I started off in the rain shortly after nine and headed for Baddeck and further southwest. The rain stopped after 30 minutes and I enjoy the easy ride on highway 105. Just after leaving the island of Cape Breton, I filled up and cleaned the windshield. My plan was to head for the east coast and to cross Nova Scotia at the southern shore. The sky was cloudy and I still had to pass a strong shower, but this would be the last time today. The area was lush with farmland and small forests.

    Shortly before noon, I arrive at the small village of Sherbrooke. I had read something about a living museum, looked for it and found it. The internet page of the museum claims: “Sherbrooke Village depicts a typical Nova Scotian village from 1860 to pre-WW1. With approximately 80 buildings, over 25 of those open to the public, most with costumed interpreters, it is the largest Nova Scotia Museum site. Visit the working woodturner shop, blacksmith, pottery shop, and printery. During your visit, enjoy a delicious, light meal at McDaniel’s Tea Room & Restaurant, located within the Village or drop in to  Village Treasures and Gifts for that perfect keepsake. Built on an economy of ship building, lumbering and gold mining, Sherbrooke Village reflects Nova Scotia as it was during its industrial boom in of the 1860s. Visit a place where time has stood still… visit Sherbrooke Village!“

    It is basically a museum village where you can visit (almost) all buildings and get an idea of the professions that were important at that time. I stopped at the blacksmith and watched him forging an iron bar, turning it into pointy piece. He was a young lad and a kind of apprentice, learning the old techniques. When the real blacksmith arrived, he greeted me with a strong handshake. One of the kind that could squash your hand into a bloody pulp, if he wanted to. I was chatting with the apprentice for a while as I was interested in some chemical details.

    At the next house, I visited a printing office and paper maker. I had another chat with the printing lady and some Austrian tourists when I overheard them. She printed recipes with types on a machine from the 1880s and showed me how to make hand-made paper from leftovers.

    My next stop was at a drug store with a series of products, herbs an “OTC” products from the late 19th century. I passed by a potter and ended up at a woodturner and chair maker. When I told him about my father and his chairs, another tourist chipped in that her father from Germany had been also a carpenter. She even knew the carpenter university in Rosenheim. What a funny encounter!

    I visited a general store, the courthouse and a soap maker, before I strolled back to the parking lot. This was a longer than expected, but very informative visit.

    The next two hours I followed the Highway 7 westwards, little civilisation, lets of archipelagos, views on bays, lots of low pine forests, cloudy skies and dropping temperatures. At the lowest point, temperature dropped to 11 degrees, chillier than expected. Ride, ride, ride and keep the pace high. Needless to say that there are no police patrols in rural Nova Scotia.

    In Musquodoboit Harbour, western civilisation had me back and I had a snack at Timmie’s (Tim Horton’s) where I also put on my inner liner as the temperatures were still on the chilly side. I swithed to the large highway now and crossed Halifax and rode another 100 km further to arrive in the UNESCO heritage town of Lunenburg.

    Lunenburg is a charming coastal town steeped in history and maritime tradition. Established in 1753 by British colonists, it is one of the earliest and best-preserved examples of a planned British colonial settlement in North America. Its Old Town, with brightly painted wooden buildings and a grid street layout, has earned UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Perched along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, Lunenburg boasts a strong connection to the sea, once serving as a major shipbuilding hub. The town is home to the legendary Bluenose schooner, a celebrated racing vessel and Canadian icon featured on the dime.

    Today, Lunenburg attracts visitors with its blend of historical charm, working waterfront, and vibrant arts scene. The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic offers insight into the area’s seafaring past, while galleries, shops, and cafes line the scenic harbor. Festivals, live music, and fresh seafood—especially lobster and scallops—enhance the town’s appeal. Despite its small size, Lunenburg has a cosmopolitan spirit, drawing artists, entrepreneurs, and travelers from around the world.

    I checked in my hotel, the Lunenburg arms, and went out again to wander through the streets, taking a lot of pictures; as some rain was forecasted, I returned to my room before my reservation at a restaurant later at night. I inspected also the Bluenose II that was in the harbour. A pitturesque town with a lot of history.

    At night, I had a good dinner at the Pea Beach Kitchen, where I planned also my last day of the trip tomorrow. Grand finale.

    Cape Breton to Lunenburg. 520 km. Relaxed.
  • Nova Scotia – Cabot Trail

    Nova Scotia – Cabot Trail

    After the breakfast, I set off at 9:30 to do one circle of the famous Cabot Trail, the ring road around the Northern tip of Cape Breton. The owner gave me some good tips that should turn out to be as good ones later. I hoped that the horrible weather forecast would not materialise – and luckily it didn’t, I had no rain the whole day, just mostly sunny weather. I followed the advice to go counter-clockwise and did not regret it. I followed the Cabot Trail to the north and enjoyed some view on the coast.

    I wondered when I should plan to fill up petrol, as stations are scarce. But as the consumption is low, I can afford to take it easy. In Neils Harbour, I followed the advice of the landlord to take the side road along the northern coast. In retrospect, this was an excellent idea, as it provided some of the best views of the whole day.

    I returned to the main road and decided to fill up to give me some peace of mind for the rest of the day. To my surprise, only 16 litres fitted in the tank which means that the consumption is quite low (5.5 L/100 km; 43 mpg). I headed north to the northernmost tip of Cape Breton next to Bay Saint Lawrence, a small fishing harbour. I tried to ride to a remote lighthouse, but after 2 km the gravel road turned into a footpath. Well done, Google Maps! I turned around and tried to follow the coast in the opposite direction towards Meat Cove. I did not ride the whole way, only until I had enough of the gravel road and had taken enough pictures of scenic views.

    I turned around again and went back to the Cabot Trail main road. I reached the west coast which turned out to be very different from the eastern side. The temperature was lower and it was more windy. The aspect was more maritime as the eastern side is more protected. I stopped at a viewpoint that informed me that this was a large geological formation – the Aspy Fault, a large rift that separates the north of the National Park of Cape Breton. Down at the coast. I felt a bit peckish, but food places were rare. Finally I stopped at a souvenir shop, mainly because it said “biker friendly”. I browsed the merchandise and acquired a T-shirt of the Cabot Trail of an acceptable design. I also purchased my lunch, aka icecream.

    I noticed again how friendly people were – this is a general observation, genuine friendliness, such as greeting a stranger on the road. Very relaxing and showing a true kindness without pretending. The next stretch was probably the most scenic part of the trail, a great coastal road that went up and down overlooking the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Very beautiful.

    I arrived at Chéticamp where suddenly the language switched to French/English. This was the enclave of French speaking arcadians, Chéticamp and Isle Madame are major Francophone centers on Cape Breton Island, with French being the dominant language in those areas. I stopped at a very colourful café and had a real espresso. In the adjacent gallery, many colourful artifacts of the local artist could be studied and purchased. I could have been inclined to consider a purchase, had the prices been considerably lower. The place was idyllic in its own way and I enjoyed the short break.

    I rode further south along the coast before the road turned inward again. Soon I arrived at the Bras d’Or lake and decided I would try to visit the Alexander Graham Bell museum in Baddeck. It was still 45 min open so the visit was worth a try. Bell was the famous inventor of the telephone who lived here for the last 40 years of his life. He was interested in many things and invented a series of devices. The museum also celebrates his groundbreaking progress in aviation, for example. Well worth a visit.

    • Acadia
    • Bell Museum

    Back at the hotel the new daily menu was too tempting to not choose the full monty (aka the full menu). A surprisingly good bottle of Nova Scotia Pinot Noir accompanied the delicious dishes. I had entertaining chats with Holger the owner. I had browsed where to go to tomorrow. My first idea was to go to Prince Edward Island – until I checked the weather forecast. This made me change my mind – I will go for a long ride past Halifax tomorrow, stopping in the town of Lunenburg.

    Cabot Trail. 470 km. Smooth.
  • Nova Scotia – From Halifax to Cape Breton

    Nova Scotia – From Halifax to Cape Breton

    I was quite lazy this year when it comes to blogging – even the successful outcomes of the rallies this spring where I defended my titles (Brit Butt Rally, Magic 12 Rally) I did not consider worthy to report. But now I am on a short trip across the pond – something that does not occur every day.

    I had to attend a conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada for a few days. Together with two colleagues, I presented our work at the BERM16, a scientific conference on reference materials that is the core business of what we do. It was a good and pleasant meeting with enriching exchanges and luckily, some months ago, I had a cunning idea to make the most out of this trip. I thought it would be a good idea to add a few days, rent a motorbike and discover Nova Scotia, a region somewhat “off the beaten track” in terms of motorbiking holidays. I had biked in Canada on my on XBR during the Iron Butt Rally in 2013, but I only got as far as Ontario and Quebec.

    It was not that easy to find a place that rents motorbikes in Nova Scotia and ultimately there is only one place – Brookspeed Motorcycles in a remote location east of Truro. I reserved well in advance and the challenge was rather to organise the transport from downtown Halifax to there which was 70 min away. In found also a solution for this by arranging my first ever Uber ride. I had an entertaining chat with the driver from Ghana who dropped me off at 9:15 in the morning. Nigel the owner was already waiting and the bike, a Honda ST1300, was already waiting for me.

    But before I would set off I had almost one hour of petrol talk with Nigel. I had brought my gear in a separate suitcase and packed my little luggage needed for the four days trip. The weather was great and quite warm for this part of the world. The V4 was humming when I headed eastwards towards Cape Breton, the island to the east of Nova Scotia. I spotted a sign of a memorial, parked the bike and walked to the beach where a memorial for the battle of Culloden was placed. The sign had sparked my curiosity. I had passed Culloden (to the east of Inverness in the Scottish Highlands) twice during rallies; it marked the end of Scottish struggle for independence when the Scottish lost this decisive battle against the English in 1746. It may seem strange to find such a memorial here, but it demonstrates the strong Gaelic heritage of this region, both Scottish and Irish, that still marks Nova Scotia (“New Scotland”) to this day. Many Scottish emigrated to the New World and settled here.

    Memorial for the Battle of Culloden.

    I followed Nigel’s advice to make a detour to Cape George. Sea views, bays, forests and small settlements lined my way and I enjoyed the views from the lighthouse at the Cape on the shores of Cape Breton on the opposite side.

    In Antigonish I stopped at a Tim Horton’s for a sandwich and something to drink. A short break, the plan of this trip is to have a relaxed ride, to have a break from all these rides under time pressure. I crossed the Canso Strait and entered Cape Breton. I decided to ride on the West Coast. In general, there is a lot of nature, few houses and little infrastructure. In a way it is comparable to rural Scotland or Northern Scandinavia. I made good progress as average is decent, despite the low speed limits: as there are no towns and no traffic, riding speed is constant. In Mabou, I decided to fill up early, as petrol stations are scarce. I went up further north until I turned eastwards, I had plenty of time on my hands today, although I had to arrive before 6 p.m. at my hotel today. I passed Lake Ainslie until I reached Whycocomagh at an arm of the Lake Bras d’Or, a large estuary in the centre of Cape Breton, a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The views on the lake are quite nice and when I reached Baddeck, I expected a large touristic town. Well, it is touristic in a way, but much smaller than expected. You see a lot of names in Gaelic on the island, including all the town names. The roads I was riding on today had poetic names – the Sunrise Trail, the Ceilidh Trail…the largest one is reserved for tomorrow/ the Cabot Trail.

    I arrived well in time at my hotel, the Chanterelle Inn. I had selected it as it is a small, private-run hotel with exceptional food. A small, but very cozy and friendly place. I had a longer chat with the owner when it turned out he was from Germany! We shared funny expat stories and soon I had to enter my plush room to have a short shower before the dinner would start at 6:30 sharply. There are only few guests and all dishes of the menus are served at the same time. A very familiar atmosphere. Excellent food (I took the degustation menu) with only local wines from Nova Scotia (surprisingly good!). A true gem.

    Tomorrow I will ride the Cabot Trail, I don’t know yet if clockwise or counter-clockwise, this depends on the short-term weather forecast tomorrow.

    The route today. Easy ride. 440 km.
  • The 2024 motorbiking review

    The 2024 motorbiking review

    Comme d’habitude, it’s the time of the year to sum up what was going on this year…at least with respect to motorbiking. Not as spectacular as 2023, but not boring either. Some highs and not so highs, but entertaining.

    The first motorcycle-related ‘activity’ this year was a sad one. End of January, many fellow motorcycle riders from Britain and beyond joined in Cornwall to pay the last honours to Kevin Weller. Kevin and Lyn were a great couple, inseparable, riding everywhere during rallies and rides, always good for a laugh. After the touching ceremony, we joined Lyn at the wake to celebrate Kevin’s life.

    The first European Ride to Eat in February this year was in Northern France, close to the Belgian border. The topic this year was ‘motorcycle statues’. After a cool ride and the obligatory picture, we joined for dinner and a good chat.

    My BMW dealer invited for a test ride day in March, but I was too late to realise it, so I could only pick rides with the ‘less desirable’ models. So I had to choose a F 900 GSA and a S1000RR. The downside with these tests is that you can only ride in a guided group. This was not a big deal with the 105 hp two cylinder inline GSA, a solid bike. The 270º firing interval makes the motor agile, but gives it also a somewhat rough character. Very different: the inline four beast. S1000RR. Not one R, bur two RR. A whopping 210 hp.

    Riding in a slow group was painful, I could only rev it up to 50 % nominal-speed range. But this was enough for about 100 hp and quite impressive, long before the real music kicks in. The riding position was surprisingly relaxed, not riding on a razor’s edge as expected. But even with ‘the hand break on’, the traction control light in the dashboard was flickering like a disco light. Flabbergasting. Would be interesting to ride it properly.

    In April, I was invited by the IBA UK’s president Phil Weston to give a talk about long-distance motorcycle rallying at the IBA UK’s annual jamboree. I gladly accepted and presented my experiences and ‘acquired wisdom’ in front of an interested crowd in Coventry.

    As I had planned to do a tour with the XBR in summer, I started to work on the bike in spring. I had ordered a large windshield called Slip Streamer Turbo. It was the largest windshield I could find that had some universal mounts. It was a bit tricky to attach it to the XBR, but in the end I managed. It replaced my old, smaller windshield that I was using for decades. As the saying goes: the better is the enemy of the good. The massive windshield provides me with an even larger surface to cover me of the wind and the cold, two aspects that I deemed important from my next trip. I did some test rides and concluded that the new gadget was stable and should be reliable for future adventures.

    Another major improvement was to build a mount for my auxiliary tank to push the bikes fuel capacity from 20 L to 37 L. I had the tank mounted to the XBR in 2013 Iron Butt Rally but I used a different amount in the past. As this amount was not available anymore I had to make a new one. I decided to apply my dodgy welding skills to construct a basis where the tank could be mounted on. The whole thing would go on my rack in the back of the bike where normally my big 80 L aluminium box would be placed. I still had some iron lying around and started to construct what looked like a hashtag and welded it together. In the end the whole thing seemed to work and after I had connected the fuel line to some new connectors that combined the old and the auxiliary fuel line together. I also invested in a few more farkles such as a new GPS holder and was quite happy with the result of all the transformation.

    The railing year started early with the 12 hour Brit Butt Light rally. The starting point was near Bristol were all riders met at the same location in the morning. The difference to longer rallies is that the riders get the rally documentation already a few days before the start. In my case I thought I had an excellent plan albeit a very ambitious one. It turned out that my plan indeed was very ambitious as I had to drop a point or two in order to stay on schedule but I had fun and a good weather and ride made it a nice day out. I even got close to the vicinity of Greater London before I turned around, making a detour through the centre of Oxford and Bristol before I arrived back at the finish. I thought that I had done an almost perfect rally as I had to ride really very engaged to make this plan work.

    At the scoring I realised that one of my combos that I had chosen so cunningly was missing one location. I went back to my bike to doublecheck. Indeed I had not visited one location? I checked again my plan. Indeed, during planning I had missed one location on the map probably because it was of a light colour and went unnoticed. This was very frustrating as I had double and triple checked my whole route and did not spot that. This meant that I lost a tremendous amount of points as my whole plan had suddenly collapsed. In the end I achieved a second place behind Arian Steiner and was quite miffed with the result. I don’t have a problem that someone has a better performance than I do, but when these stupid errors happen I virtually kick myself in the ass. This was an error not to be repeated.

    The next opportunity to make up for this error came already two weeks later. I had decided to join a new rally offered in Europe double point the Celtic rally, organised by the IBA Ireland. This first rally was called the tartan edition and took place in Scotland. This was an opportunity I could not miss. I always love to ride in Scotland and then 12 hours of rallying that was not to be missed. I took the ferry from Rotterdam to Hull overnight and rode up to the Scottish East Coast the next day, a smooth ride without any pressure. I joined some other participants in the Rally Hotel in Dundee and early the next morning we set off for our 12 hour plan that we had designed to ride the days before. We all set off from an iconic point and I still had not really fully understood all the rally rules as it turned out later. Nevertheless I followed my plan and rode first through the lowlands and later up to the highlands all the way up to Inverness and then to the west coast open where I had to walk up to an old castle in Oban. I did enjoy the ride and was not aware that I had not fully understood the rally rules as I passed several locations that I had not considered eligible according to the rules, thereby giving away a big sum of points along the way. This was really a very nice ride even the weather was so-so, still a bit fresh as it was only beginning of May. I returned to the finish in the same hotel and learned only at the scoring of my massive misunderstanding! Did I cock up again? However, I was lucky enough to have sufficient points to come on first place and to be the first winner of this new Irish rally. The next day I rode back through Scotland and England and arrived in Belgium with a pretty much worn tyre.

    A little interlude was the German Ride to Eat in May. I picked my old ST1100 for a day out. The meeting point was at the Teufelstisch in the Palatinate and quite a big bunch of riders joined. We met for dinner in Pirmasens and I rode home afterwards. I concluded that the old steed is still a great long distance bike and sponsored a new shock shortly after. I found a place in internet that could replace the contacts of my old Garmin Zumo 590 so the navigation is again up to its job.

    I did another test ride day, but this time at a Honda dealer. I had signed up for testing the Transalp and the Africa Twin. The first bike was all right, maybe a bit strained, but ok. But I was really surprised about the performance of the Africa Twin, a bike that I could imagine as a future RTW bike.

    Hannes Bagar, who is still riding a test bike with 550.000 km on the clock – without big issues. I had chosen a bike with DCT – the automatic transmission system. To my surprise, I got used to it immediately. The ride was super smooth – both in terms of suspension (typical Belgian concrete roads) and because of the absence of any load changes. Honestly, truly impressive. A test to be remembered.

    In June I had everything ready – a cunning, perfect plan and a prepared bike to run the 12 hours Magic 12 rally in Baden-Würtemberg in the south-west of Germany. Just before I set off the news reached me that the rally was cancelled – the heavy rains in Germany had caused a lot of floodings that lead to a declaration of state of emergency. Not some good conditions to hold a rally. It was postponed to 2026.

    In June, I finally took off to the big ride with the old XBR500 of this year – first to the European Ride to Eat in Estonia, and then, through torrential rain in Finland – up to the North Cape where I started my End to End ride with the aim to arrive at the Southern tip of Europe not later than 78 hours after the start. In the beginning everything went according to plan, but in the middle of Sweden, my chain sprocket decided that it had reached the end of its lifetime. The subsequent rescue mission was also epic and could not have happened without the help of Ralf and Daniel who helped me massively. Despite the failure, a ride to be remembered.

    In early July, I visited the yearly XBR meeting in Franconia – I had missed it for various reasons the last years. Although I had to squeeze in a short business trip to Munich, it was good to be with the XBR500 and GB500 lovers. Lots of fuel talk.

    In August it was finally time to take my raucous, 680cc ‘yippie ki yay’ XBR to the Alpes again. I organised another ‘XBR Alpentour’ for the old friends. It was the 30th anniversary of the first one in 1994; I had organised one every August until 2014. Since then, it has only happened two times that we brought the old group together. So it was a special occasion again. But first I had planned a pre-tour with Gernot and Johannes as a warm-up. We met in Tegernsee and rode through the Bavarian Pre-Alps and over the TImmelsjoch to our base for the next days, the Hotel Penegal on top of the Penegal mountain. From there, you have spectacular views over the Adige valley and the Italian Alps.
    The next day, Johannes and I did a tour over the Stelvio Pass, Umbrail and Ofen Pass to do a lunch break in Livigno. We returned back to the hotel over the Gavia and Tonale passes. The following day, Gernot joined us and we rode to the Croce Domini Pass and back home again. We were warmed up now and left the Penegal the next day to meet the other chaps in a nice, traditional restaurant near Sterzing for lunch. Spectacular food and good company, the secret of the XBR Alpentours. Apart from the great roads, of course. The next three days, we visited all the great places in the area – Southern Dolomites, Pasubio area and Lake Garda area with the Monte Baldo area – bringing back good old memories and making new ones. A great time together!

    In September, it was time to do the Brit Butt Rally, finally again as defending champion. As ever, some great trip with lots of memories made. The result was very pleasing, I had to pay many rounds after the ceremony which I did with great pleasure – winning the Brit Butt Rally, the longest, frequently organised long-distance motorcycle rally is always something special. I should know – this was already the sixth time 🤗. The report is here.

    • Locations of the BBR24
    • A tricky location. In the end, this was the only BP picture that was recognised and I didn’t get the points. The instructions for the chapel required that the bike has to be in the picture; the rally tean argued that the whole bike should be visible…

    In autumn, two articles were published about me and my tours and bikes. First, a whole one-pager in the prestigious ‘Süddeutsche Zeitung’ and somewhat later a paragraph in an article about high mileage bikes in Bike, the largest motorcycle magazine in Britain. Very nice indeed. Links are in the top menu of this page.

    In autumn, two articles were published about me and my tours and bikes. First, a whole one-pager in the prestigious ‘Süddeutsche Zeitung’ and somewhat later a paragraph in an article about high mileage bikes in Bike, the largest motorcycle magazine in Britain. Very nice indeed. Links are in the top menu of this page.

    End of October, I rode to the European Ride to Eat at the Faaker See in Carinthia in Austria, stayed for the dinner and started a business trip the next day that lead me to the Lago Maggiore and back to Miesbach and Belgium. A relaxed, but most fitting trip to conclude the year 2024. All in all, a more kind of ‘average, good’ year 😁, with the exception of the Nordic trip with the XBR. That was epic, even or because of the outcome.

    What’s up for 2025? Well, the usual rallies – BBR, Celtic, M12 – and the six days rally through France, Spain and Portugal. Looking forward to that. And there’s another possible job for the old XBR to visit another, so far unknown country: I heard that it is now possible to enter Algeria on motorbike…more on this channel.

  • European End-to-End Ride on a 1986 Honda XBR500: Up for the Challenge

    European End-to-End Ride on a 1986 Honda XBR500: Up for the Challenge

    Visit the two furthest points North and South on mainland Europe drivable by road in three days. On a 1986 Honda XBR500.

    In the beginning, there was the idea to join the European Ride to Eat in Estonia. A ride to eat is a get-together of IBA riders to meet for a picture on a Saturday at 4 p.m. and later having dinner together. In case of a Europan R2E, this place can be anywhere in Europe. The June meeting is located in Tartu, Estonia. My old Honda XBR500 has been to every country in Europe – except Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and….Estonia! So it was a no-brainer to decide to join the R2E with the old thumper.

    So far, so good. Some months ago, fellow IBA rider Arjen had an idea and shared it: is there anybody interested to do a European End-to-End ride afterwards? The website of the Ironbutt Association UK states:

    “This ride is a multi-day challenge, with three levels to suit the rides LD riding ability. Planning the route and managing their ride time, sleep and fatigue is an important factor for success.

    The two furthest points North and South on mainland Europe drivable by road. 

    • Nordkapp, Norway, 71.169466, 25.783198
    • Tarifa, Spain, 36.008538, -5.606893

    The ride is classed as Extreme at the three Levels which are categorised by time taken to undertake the ride.

    End to End (less than 78 hrs)

    Insanity (less than 72 hrs)

    Insanity Gold (less than 66 hrs)”

    When being up in Estonia, you’re almost close to one possible starting point, aren’t you? Not quite. Northern Europe is big. I had this ride on my mind…why not doing it now?

    There is only a small problem. The ride is considered an extreme ride, but should pose no big problem for an experienced LD rider…on a modern bike with >1000cc, fairing, high windshield, heated grips, heated saddle, etc…And my choice is…a 38 year old, 498 cc, one cylinder bike with 402.000 km on the clock. Quite an obvious choice, isn’t it?

    I last visited the North Cape on July 1st 1993 on the same XBR…at 7 degrees and totally frozen. The forecast predicts some 5 degrees for next Tuesday. As I said, modern bikes are rolling living rooms. The old XBR is not.
    Another challenge will be my traveling speed. While my 110 – 120 km/h is sufficient for Norway, Finland and Sweden, it is rather slow for the rest of the trip. And no, a cruise control is not available.

    The ride is similar to the Finnish North Cape – Gibraltar ride that existed for many years. In the Halls of Fame of both IBA Finland and IBA UK, almost all successful finishers had big bikes and nobody used a bike smaller than 650 cc. Well, that seems like a challenge!

    But first, the bike needed some nursing. The last ride was two years ago, the trip to the Balkans. The XBR still carried the dirt of Albania. One idea was to increase the protection. I had bought a large(r) windscreen in the US that should replace my screen that served me over many years and countries. Another plan was to connect my 17 L auxiliary tank of the BMW. I just needed to i) build a mounting base and ii) connect the fuel line to the carburetor. And need to mount a new GPS cradle for the new Garmin Sumo XT. And to connect the tablet. And the heated gear. And a full service with fresh tyres.

    Well, what is the plan? Well, first I will ride to the Ride to Eat in Estonia on Saturday and take the ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki on Sunday and ride up to the northern end of the Baltic Sea. The next day, I will pass the Inari Lake and arrive at Honningsvåg, the northernmost town in the world:

    On Tuesday morning, I will set off at the North Cape and arrive not later than 78 hours later in Tarifa.

    After a relaxing evening and night in Tarifa, I will head back home in a relaxed way in two days. You will be able to follow me via my GPS track that will be active from Thursday evening onwards.

  • The 2023 Motorbiking Review

    The 2023 Motorbiking Review

    This is my usual writeup of the major events that happened this year. And what a year it was! After four meagre years, long distance rallying had a high tide again. In total, 25 rallying days in the saddle. That’s….quite a lot. Approximately 500 hours of riding pleasure under competitive conditions. The highest number ever which will not be reached again. Let’s see what happens if I use this new “AI button” and ask it to write a summary of this post:

    Summary of Motorcycle Year 2023

    The year 2023 was an eventful one for the rider, encompassing long-distance rallies and memorable journeys. It commenced with a European ride to the Olympic Stadium and included a switch to a new bike due to unforeseen circumstances. A significant highlight was the Iron Butt Rally, where the rider demonstrated competitive prowess and resilience, earning a Gold Medal finish and securing the title of best European rider. This victory was followed by the 12 Days European Rally, marked by strategic riding and scenic adventures. Additionally, the rider triumphed in the Brit Butt Rally, reclaiming the winning position after facing previous setbacks. Culinary experiences during the rallies added a unique flavor to the year. The post reflects on the impressive achievements, acknowledges room for further growth, and hints at a promising future in motorbiking adventures. With a diverse array of rallies and ride events, the year truly encapsulated the spirit of long-distance motorcycle riding.

    Artificial Intelligence provided by WordPress
    Motorcycle Year 2023

    Hmmmm, pretty good, albeit not perfect. Maybe I should stop blogging and leave this to A.I.? No, I am still here to stay. Let’s start.

    Preparations in spring

    The year started off easy with an European ride to eat to the Olympic stadium in Amsterdam in February, meeting again many of the weirdos in this sport. A short trip from the Belgian lowlands, just the right distance for a quick winter ride. In March I realized that my once refurbished rear shock of the BMW was leaking which caused a panic attack. As I was an entrant to the Iron Butt Rally 2023, I had only a few weeks until I had to ship the bike to Canada.

    This meant that there was no time to fix the bike as the shock had to be removed, sent to the seller (warranty) who would send it to the manufacturer and then the whole thing backwards… This would leave me with no time to test things before the IBR, and probably the deadline could not be met anyway. So a decision had to be taken.

    The only logic decision was to get a new bike. Seems unavoidable, doesn’t it? I sold the 65.000 km red K1600GT to my dealer and bought a 7.500 km white K1600GT from him. I had to wait for the registration and the swapping of all the farces from one bike to the other which meant I had to ride to the European Ride to Eat on my old Honda Pan European. My old trusted steed took me to Barcelona and back without any issues. Actually I had a big time on my favorite route at the Costa Brava and around the Montseny. Meeting point was the Olympic stadium of Barcelona, followed by the usual dinner.

    Back home I finally could pick up my new bike, just in time to do a test ride to Italy and a Benelux Four Corners Ride that I completed, but I never handed in. In any case, the new K1600 behaved very well and I could ship it to Canada with a optimistic conscience.

    But before that, I had to do my first rally this year; the Magic 12 Rally in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Everything went well and I could book my first win this year. After the debacle of the previous year, this was quite satisfying. The bike and the new rugged tablet worked perfectly; All of this above and more can be read in this post.

    During a week back home in Bavaria, it was the only time to do a proper ride with an XBR this year: a ride along the Bavarian Alps reminds me how beautiful this area is. Especially in May.

    With 680cc in paradise.

    The Iron Butt Rally

    And then it was time for “the Big Dance”, aka the Iron Butt Rally. This time, my objective was a different one: as I had achieved a finisher status in 2017 at the second attempt, I planned to do more of a competitive rally this time, although I planned to hold my horses in leg 1 and 2 to get used to the competitive pace of the IBR. I am still preparing a report about this adventure, it will be published at a later stage. For the time being, I give only a short summary of this epic ride.

    After some interesting pre-start days in Pittsburgh, we set off on a Monday morning (see 3:38 min) to be 11 days on the road. I played it very safe in leg 1 and did not dare to ride at night through the forests of Vermont. And indeed, the first riders ended up in hospital when they crashed into some deer there. I visited Boston area and New York City by night instead. After a quick visit to Atlantic City and Baltimore, I headed west for the first checkpoint in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I had indeed taken it slow, as I was only on 37th place of 110 riders. For the second leg, I had to ramp up the effort a bit. In order to increase my points, I had to go to L.A. via El Paso and Phoenix. From there, I crossed the Nevada desert and blinding Las Vegas to end up in Utah. The next day, I crossed the Rockies and arrived early in Denver for a tyre change before the arrival at the second checkpoint in Denver. I climbed up 10 places in the ranking to the 27th place with this leg, but the biggest chunk was before me: the third leg with five riding days. In order to improve further, I had to go west to San Francisco, down to San Diego and back to El Paso. From New Mexico to Kentucky I rode 22 hours without any bonus point location. I went to Delaware and up again to NYC before I turned west and rode the last stint to the finish in Pittsburgh. I had done it again! This time, with a “proper” ride with 11.100 miles and without any problems, enjoying many rest breaks. I lost some points due to a missing picture and a malfunctioning SD card, but my final standing was quite good under these circumstances: Gold Medal finisher and best European at 16th place! I knew I could have done better, but this was a kind of apprenticeship in competitive IBR rallying, so I was quite happy with the result.

    • IBR ceremony
    • Arizona
    • Gilroy, garlic capital
    • San Francisco
    • Road closure? – use the flag method!
    • Group picture, leg 1
    • The trophy
    • Arrival at Denver checkpoint, leg 2
    • At the start in Pittsburgh
    • Before the start
    • Find the right corn cob among a hundred!
    • Katz’s, New York City
    • The first bonus point location visited
    • The parking lot at the start
    • Final standings. 16th out of 108 starters and 94 finishers
    • Total mileage during the 2023 Iron Butt Rally (17196.4 km)
    • Philadelphia cheese steak

    After the rally, I returned to Toronto and flew back to Paris. I used July to relax and to prepare the next big thing: the 12 Days European Rally. Nominally even longer than the Iron Butt Rally, it was an event that would lead you through the whole of Europe.

    The 12 Days European Rally

    One advantage was the location: the start and finish was in Eindhoven, only 25 min away from my place in Belgium. The participation was unfortunately rather low for such an event, many people in Europe felt probably overwhelmed by this task to compete 12 days, interrupted only by one checkpoint in the Alps. Without going into details, I was not happy with the layout of the rally and how the interesting locations were distributed over Europe: Northern Europe, the British Isles and South-Western Europe was basically not worth visiting through the layout of the combination bonuses that were mainly located in Central Europe. Additionally, at least 19 countries needed to be visited which meant that all the smaller states including the Balkans were high on the list.

    I figured out that the key was to combine combos for maximum efficiency. In terms of riding style, I applied the same focussed, but rather relaxed approach as in the IBR, leaving room for rather long rest breaks.

    As described in the dedicated rally report, at the checkpoint, my mate Stefan organized a fantastic pit stop that included a wheel/tyre and oil change. On the second leg, I visited the whole of Italy, crossed by boat to Albania and worked my way upwards back to the Netherlands, overcoming some critical situations that should not form part of any rally on purpose. As mentioned in the report, I will not speak about these incidents in public. I tried to make the best out of it and maintained my steady pace, having fun on many of the twisting roads such as the Dalmatian coast road in Croatia. Although my execution was not flawless (I rode past a huge combo location in the rain on the first day), I had most points at the finish at won this probably one-time rally by a large margin. In the end I had visited 22 countries in 12 days: The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Andorra, Monaco, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, San Marino, The Vatican, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. The report can be found here.

    • Climbing up 255 stairs of a former blast furnace in Duisburg.
    • Croatian coast in Zadar.
    • Group picture in Dobrun, Bosnia. Worth 8000 points if five riders are present. Not.
    • Drina River, Bosnia.
    • Tara Bridge, Montenegro.
    • Iconic Castel del Monte, Puglia. Built for Friedrich II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
    • At the tip of the Italian boot: Calabria.
    • Salerno by night.
    • I had no time to receive Pope Francis. Never mind.
    • Hutzlmandl’s Service Team in action.
    • Simmerl and Stefan at the pit stop.
    • Getting caught in a hailstorm on a mountain in Switzerland
    • Casino in Monaco
    • Col de la Bonette, highest pass in Europe, too windy to take a picture standing
    • Time for a chat with Eric after a veeery quick ride together
    • Peine del viento, San Sebastián
    • Soaked at “Land’s End”of Bretagne, France
    • 12 Days Rally statistics

    Something I had not stressed so far this year how I turned the second leg of the 12 Days Rally into a nice example of “how to rally in style”. In contrast to the IBR, I took the time to check in early (as the mandatory rest breaks had to be started before midnight) and to have a good dinner…every night. Let me use this opportunity to put a bit of gastronomic touch to this blog 😇.

    • Autogrill road food, Calabria, Italy (delicious)
    • Fried seafood, Bari harbour, Italy
    • Grilled octopus, Montenegro
    • Lamb chops, Serbia
    • Mixed Grill, Slovenia
    • Wild boar goulash, Croatia
    • Sea bass, Salerno Bay, Italy

    The Brit Butt Rally

    Only two weeks later, I set off for the last rally this year: The Brit Butt Rally. After my golden period between 2015 – 2018 with four consecutive wins, I faced a series of setbacks in 2019 (DNF, leaking tyre and leaking oil sump), in 2021 (hiccups due to electronic scoring and total road closure of the M4, 6th place), and in 2022 (choosing the wrong route due to a tiny planning error, 3rd place). So I was happy to perform perfectly on a challenging route through the Midlands, Wales, Devon, London, East Anglia and back to Coventry. I had some issues with my malfunctioning auxiliary lights, but the new BMW performed perfectly like the whole year, a truly perfect rally bike as long as gravel roads can be avoided. So I received my fifth winning trophy, properly challenged by 2nd and 3rd places Arjen Steiner and Scott Lloyd who will be tough competitors in the future to be reckoned with.

    Epilogue

    As this year was composed mainly of rallies and Ride to Eats, I concluded the year with a business trip to Munich and the Lago Maggiore and a later Ride to Eat in Paris where we met in front of the Eiffel Tower and had dinner afterwards.

    In total, I rode about 48.000 km on the BMWs, 3.000 km on the old ST1100 and 200-300 km on XBRs. A totally different year from 2022….and probably from 2024 as well, as I plan to use again more the old XBR500 with 402.000 km on the clock next year. The new BMW K1600GT behaved very convincingly and I hope it will continue like this.

    After all these successes, there is of course a kind of void. Three wins and a gold medal finish in the IBR, how much better can it get? There will probably be no other European rally over 12 days, I have already won every major LD rally in Europe, so the remaining challenge could only be to perform better in the Iron Butt Rally. The 16th place was very good, but I know that there is still room for improvement, especially now that I know how to compete in the IBR. With more efficiency and longer riding days, I guess a potential finish in the high single digit places could be possible if everything works out perfectly. Anything better than this is basically impossible for an European rider IMHO, after all, rallying in America is fundamentally different from Europe. But when I will do another IBR, who knows…

    So next year will be a “small” motorbiking year again, but I already have some ideas to make it interesting…stay tuned!😉

    The year 2023. Not all trips were recorded, but most.