Guess where I went last week?

[Bruno]

Sorry. If I don't show off, I think I'll burst.







Mark

[Boxered]

The nordschleife?

was that your race number or your top speed

Nice pics

Steve

[Bruno]

Hi Steve,
Yes, two days training with Motorrad Action. Thirty one laps, fast instructors, nice food, and evening lectures at the Dorint hotel. Twenty six degrees or so, training groups of 5. Bliss.
It was going to be a bucket-list thing, but now I'm saving up for next year.

Mark

[Blackal]

31 laps! That's a fair amount of track-time!

In the first photo - you look like you are going: "Oooooh!"


Al

[andy griff]

Bruno,
Good for you. I did it in 2008 and really enjoyed it, but also worried about binning my newish K1200S all the time

Give us some more details - were you with the English speaking group ?
What condition was the circuit in ? How many bikes did go down ?

[Bruno]

Ha! The facial contortions are an effort to remember to breath!

I stopped at the Dorint Hotel which is right on the circuit and about half a mile from the stating carpark for the tourist days. There were about twenty groups of five or six.
The first day started at 7:30 but we were slightly delayed by mist on one part of the course, past Kallenheld, so the first excursion for Einsteigers and Aufsteigers (Beginers and Improvers?) was about 8:30. There were half hour sessions and mostly we, as novices, could manage two laps. If you were amongst the first out for a session and made it back a couple of minutes before the session ended, you could get a third lap in.
I started in an English speaking group with three ZX-10s an R1 and a gorgeous MV naked triple. Our instructor was a chassis test engineer, car instructor and 'Ring taxi driver for BMW called Jurgen and he spoke excellent English. He had a brand new company 1000SS.
As the pace increased, common sense overcame my ego and I asked to be moved to a slower group. Everybody has transponders and the data suggested a German group with a KTM, an Aprillia Tourno, a Diavel and a K1300S. The chaps all spoke English and were very accomodating. The instructor was a car racer called Eckhart and again spoke better English than I did.
We weren't quite so fast on the first afternoon, so I could concentrate more and panic less. By the end of the second day I was faster and smoother than when I was in the starting group.
A couple of people slipped up. One chap crashed on the first day, duct taped repairs and carried on .....to crash again on the second day.
Another chap managed to get his bike over the Armco, where it burst into flames. We only had one red flagged session (on our second lap) and one where we were directed off piste around a closed section of track.
The lady on the MV from my initial group proved so fast that she was given one-to-one guidance from Helmut Dahne who was one of the Konner instructors.
The weather was superb. There was support from Ohlins and Metzeler. There were two on call mechanics, and test bikes by KTM. There was free water and fruit all day and we were given lunch vouchers to use at The Devils Diner, which is the cafe on site.
The evening meals were supplied at The Dorint on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and were excellent. There were lectures, in German, on Tuesday and Wednesday from Helmut Dahne and Horst Saiger who was very funny, once my group translated for me.
The organisation was very slick. I loved every minute and can't wait to go back. I keep playing back sections of the track in my head. Unless you've been, you have no concept of how steep some sections are (the track rises and falls by 300m, 1000 feet) and how long some of the bends are. It even makes me want to loose weight and get fit for next year. I did worry about my shiny new bike, the first ever new bike I've owned, but we were fine, and I really got to know it well.

All in all, I'd recommend it to anyone. There were groups with GS's S1000's and Hyabusa's. There was even a tuned R75/6. If you get chance, do it.

Mark

[Hayden]

well done Bruno, nice photos.

I`ve been lucky enough to go on a couple of occasions but never on a proper organised training event as you did, sounds like a perfect way to experiance the `Ring`, I`am really envious!...

[andy griff]

Boxertrix adventure 2016... sort of Flashtours on sterioids ?

[Mitch1100]

Awesome photos..what an experience!

[Dog Tyred]

Sounds like a plan for next year. Having done the Ring a few times on public days an all bike affair with instruction sounds like a brilliant idea.

Now all I need to do is work out how many days I need to ride the HP2 over there

DT

[Blackal]

Sounds like a plan for next year. Having done the Ring a few times on public days an all bike affair with instruction sounds like a brilliant idea.

Now all I need to do is work out how many days I need to ride the HP2 over there

DT

Ferry overnight Hull to Rotterdam, and the next day to get there - easily.

Al

[Dog Tyred]

Sounds like a plan for next year. Having done the Ring a few times on public days an all bike affair with instruction sounds like a brilliant idea.

Now all I need to do is work out how many days I need to ride the HP2 over there

DT

Ferry overnight Hull to Rotterdam, and the next day to get there - easily.

Al

Al

I was thinking more about the number of stops I would need to take once on the bike. About an hour is my limit before my wrists start screaming and I need to get off the bloody thing

DT

[Bruno]

Its about 216 miles from the Rotterdam Europoot to the Dorint Hotel via satnav. On the way back I went north towards Bonn on the B258, which was really picturesque. I checked out at 11, had a leisurely lunch and was still early for the ferry at beer o'clock.
The Eurotunnel might be cheaper and more convenient for Southerners, 'cos the ferrys run overnight crossings that call for a cabin.
The state of the Euro helped with prices. The course was 990 Euro and all you needed apart from that was B&B. The Dorint was posh, handy and worked out at £75 a night with the exchange rate in my favour. I managed 31 laps. I think a lap on a public day is about 27-30 Euro and you'd struggle to get many laps in. On Wednesday evening it was open for two hours, and was red-flagged twice.

Greg, there were a couple of HP2's. 100 miles after breakfast, 100 miles after lunch. Theres a sauna at the hotel.

As a newbie I'm still babbling, but I don't think the novelty will be wearing off any time soon.

Mark

[Blackal]

Al

I was thinking more about the number of stops I would need to take once on the bike. About an hour is my limit before my wrists start screaming and I need to get off the bloody thing

DT

Ah-hah! You need to go faster!

Not sure what to suggest for that? A tank bag, maybe?

Al

[f90x]

Sounds like a plan for next year. Having done the Ring a few times on public days an all bike affair with instruction sounds like a brilliant idea.

Now all I need to do is work out how many days I need to ride the HP2 over there

DT

Ferry overnight Hull to Rotterdam, and the next day to get there - easily.

Al

Al

I was thinking more about the number of stops I would need to take once on the bike. About an hour is my limit before my wrists start screaming and I need to get off the bloody thing

DT

Streetfighter bars. It would be unique