Nordschleife over Easter

Now then

Off to 'The Ring' for Easter, me and 6 Mates including Wee Al from FBR and me mate Gavin who has the Speed Triple with no back end

Weather look's good, can't wait to set off. The meeting up and the ride there and back are all part of the fun

Now where's me anti radar suit and paint

Sound great ! I want to go this year

You lucky bugger, hope you enjoy it....!

I went about 10 years ago with 5 mates and had a great time, spent several days getting there via various different countries, two days at the ring and touring the roads around it, and then several days coming home via several countries.

The only hotel we had booked was the one at the ring, the rest of the time we just picked a good road followed it and then found a hotel at the end of the day, it was great just following wherever the sun was shining and we ended up staying in some mint little towns and villages that we never knew where there. We also ended up in having 2 mad days in Frieberg where there was a festival going on and getting absolutely hammered and having a great laugh.

Best holiday ever!

Kevb> Do it if you get the chance


Monkey> Hope we have as good a time as that sound's



Haggler>


Speak to you all next week

Nice one
JT,, Have a good time.... may do it next year..

Wish I was going too..............now I,m depressed............pi55 off before I start to blubber.

Have fun .............and watch out for the tight left/right 7 mins into it........

Now then

All home safe and sound. Got back 7:30 pm last night after a 620 miles trek home.

Story and pic's later

Now then

Wed 21^st April

Wee Al arrived at our house from Irvine in Scotland, on his CB1300 at 19:30. I’d bought a couple of Ham and Pease pudding long bun’s because Al hadn’t had never had it. He’d heard me on about it before and asked if I could get some for him to try. So I got them and we had them with wedges for our tea. A couple of beers washed them down with a bit of chat then we were off to bed.

Thur 22^nd April

I’d not had chance to get the attachment I needed to fit My sat nav onto my Blade and so at the last minute I tried the car screen sucker on the inside of my bike screen and it worked, bonus. We set off at 08:00 in bright sunshine, which thankfully was the forecast for the full weekend.











First stop was at Castleford Honda



















I took the bike to have the rear footrests hanger’s removed because it’s a ‘right palaver’ having to strip the whole back end to get to the bolts and so let them do it. Worth it though, no bolt holes on view when removed and it opens the back end right up. We walked to a local café and had breakfast while they sorted the bike and a couple of hours later she was done and we were off again heading For Bob’s in Harlow.

As we approached Grantham I was ready for some grub, so pulled over at the Colsterworth junction and rode the B676 to Melton Mowbray for lunch. What a glorious road that is, think I’ve done it before but I couldn’t remember all the bends. Got my knee down in a couple of places though and felt tip top. It was pretty quiet too, which was nice. Asking a couple of young lads in the high street, where to go for a bar meal in a beer garden, they directed us to Wetherspoons. We parked over the road, in clear view of the pavement tables and chairs.

























































It was very hot but no complaint’s, we were very happy with that. We finished our sarnies and chips and trundled out of the centre, quietly, seen as I had my baffle out. Along the road that leads to the B676, there was a line of cars parked outside a row of houses. There was two groups of teenagers walking along the pavement enjoying the sunshine, as I got level with the first group I couldn’t resist, pulled in the clutch and twisted the throttle to the stop. Well, I nearly wet myself laughing at their reaction. They must’ve jumped two foot off the ground in shock and their faces were a picture, childish I know but good fun.

We arrived at Bob & Sara’s at 16:30















dumped our luggage, had a quick drink then Bob, with his son Jack on the back led us to The Ace Café. It was the monthly XJR meet that Thursday and we’d planned to go without telling anyone so two Northerner’s turning up would be a surprise for them all. As we pulled into the car park the XJR’s were all parked as per normal outside the left hand door’s of the café. Bob and Al parked to the right of the XJR’s but there was on place right in the middle so I pulled into that. The look’s the lad’s were giving me and then when I put the engine into the red line, they didn’t look happy at all, until I lifted my visor and they all calmed down.







































































It was great as usual to meet up with fellow XJR rider’s, most I knew but there was some new faces and even new members who turned up that night so it was a crackin’ night for us. We had our tea and left just after eight. I put my clear visor on just to be sure. A couple of beers and we were off to bed to be up at 04:30.

It was cool but not too bad really when we set off at 05:00. It was still dark but brightened up quickly and we’d plumbed for our black visor’s which turned out to be the right choice when the sun appeared. It was odd, riding along the M20 we’d suddenly come into a very mild patch, this happened twice and we had no idea why but it was welcomed. As we pulled up to the ferry port the other 5 lad’s who were going with us were already there. Gavin-Speed Triple, Taff-CB1300, Andy-R1, Ricky-R1 and Simon on his Blade. We had a coffee and made the introductions for those that had not met before and we made our way to our boarding lane.







































It wasn’t long before we were on the Sea France ferry and off to Calais. Everyone had breakfast and before we knew it we were leaving the car deck and back on ‘Terra firma’. One thing annoyed me, it looked like someone had maybe tried to nick my sat nav. It wasn’t sucked to the screen anymore but I had cable tied it to a couple points so wether put them off I don’t know but from that moment on it wouldn’t stay sucked to the screen for more than ten miles after not moving for the 300+ miles from home to Dover via Castleford, Melton Mowbray and the Ace Café. The weather was as glorious in France as in England and so I led us away from the ferry port along the E40 towards our destination. The French sure know how to lay tarmac I thought, as I’d done every time I get off a ferry and ride in France and we made good progress to our first stop just before Leuven in Belgium.







































A few tasty British reg cars pulled in as we had a drink after filling up and it turns out they were heading for ‘The Ring’ too so we had a bit of banter with them and set off on our way. Not long after this stop it went a bit pear shaped. I didn’t have the voice instructions to follow and was relying on the picture only but with it not being in a postion to read I had to keep lifting it up to look at it. That actually is a poor excuse because we knew where we were going and I just read the sign’s wrong. Not the first time and won’t be the last I’m sure. Anyway, we did a tour of a Belgian town, cobbled streets and all before getting back on the E40 and on the right route. Once we got to Aachen, we turned onto and followed the 258 right to ‘The Ring’.

It was 17:30 when we finally pulled into the car park at ‘The Ring’. We’d filtered past about 50 cars queuing to get to the car park to drive round. It was ridiculously busy. The two main car parks were full as was the overflow one on the other side of the roundabout at the entrance. More than one in two cars was a performance model of one kind or another, there was everything from a couple of old Opel Kadett’s to Lambo’s and Ferrari’s. The track was very very busy and we hung around hoping it would quiet done so we could get a lap in before it closed at 19:15. I got talking to an English lad as I went to buy four laps at the kiosk. He had some Redline vouchers which each bought a lap and he and his mates had a bloody great handful of them each. He agreed to sell some to me cheaper than we could buy laps from the kiosk so 4 of us made a deal and bought four lap’s each and saved 30 euro’s each, result. There was an announcement over the tannoy that the track was closed, as sometimes happen’s when there are a few accident’s then they close it and go recover them all at once. There must’ve been a big accident because the next announcement said they would not open the track again that day. We left and headed for Adenau to our dig’s. The road to Adenau is an absolute ‘belter’. Tarmac to die for, perfectly laid and twists and turns to rival an Alpine pass with a couple of very tight hairpin’s chucked in for good measure. Our apartment was at the track end of the small town of Adenau. It was set back off the road, on the third floor of a modern building next to the main building of the Hotel An Der Nordschleife, overlooking two café/restaurant’s which were busy with ‘Ring Goer’s’ and a hotel with an outside eating area on the other side of the road.































Right next to these was a bridge over the road which was part of the Track. We could see a bit of the track from the balcony of our apartment as it descended to the bridge and then twisted up and away from it back into the forest. Next to one of the café’s was a second entrance and exit to the track. You are about a third of the way round the 13 miles at this point but can buy 1 & 1/2 lap ticket to make it worth going on there. We didn’t find this out till during the Saturday but we know for next time.

The apartment had plenty of bed's, 13 in total in 4 room's. A bath with a shower in it and a seperate shower cubicle too, two sink's but only one tiolet which was restrictive but we managed.







































We all showered and changed and went out for our evening meal. We went to the restaurant over the road and sat outside to eat because it was so warm and still bright. The food was very good and very good value too. Two large pork escalopes in breadcrumbs covered in a mushroom sauce with ‘Pommes Frites’ and side salad for less than a tenner was spot on.

























tbc

Looks amazing JT, nice pics and looks like a great time had................how was the riding most importantly ?

click on this first pic for a short video





When I got off the bike I thought bloody hell, it’s very hot and it’s taking it’s toll on me, I better get some water in me, that never happened and I just carried on. Gavin arrived with his new seal in and was ready for the track so went straight out. Over the next few hours I did a few more laps, 9 in total for the day. The last one was littered with accidents and I was nearly taken out while passing a 911 so called it a day finishing sunnyside up and having the best track experience on a bike ever. I would say that that day was better than any track day I’ve ever done, it was brilliant. Gavin, Simon and myself rode back to the hotel with the other lads already there. I started to go downhill and felt really knackered and stiffening up. I ran the bath and thought, I’ll have a soak, that’ll help. Well, I got in the bath and started to shake, uncontrollably. I didn’t know what was going on, I felt freezing cold and shouted the lads. They reckoned it was a combination of dehydration, heat exhaustion and sun stroke. They got me out of the bath, wrapped me in towels and three duvet’s off the beds and laid me down on my bed. I just shook for 30 – 40 mins and gradually the shaking slowed and then stopped. Simon and Ricky had walked to the shops for some isotonic drinks and I forced them down. I felt a lot better after an hour but wasn’t 100 %. We all got showered and went out for an Italian. We sat outside and it was glorious. All night long, in fact all day long, cars are up and down the street blipping the throttle and blasting 20-30 yards making noise, it’s a great place to be for a petrol head.





















As we’d finished or meals and were sat talking a Lambo and a Ferrari, both jet gloss black pulled up into the car park of the restaurant, it was awesome, what a sound.























It’s odd but the whole place at that end of Adenau closes early, everyone disappears and the restaurants and cafes just shut up shop. We walked back to the apartment and I went straight to bed, buggered, it was 21:30.
Sun 24th April
I was still feeling a bit weak next morning when we got up, loaded the bikes and went for breakfast. The sun was shining bright again and the temperature was good. We said our goodbyes to Freddy who ran the hotel and made our way out of the car park.















The road we chose out of Adenau was another cracker and as soon as we were on it I felt great, better than I had in the previous few hours. It was the L10 which eventually led us to the A61 Autobhan. There was a 130km speed limit for a good few miles before we saw the national speed limit, which means there is no speed limit of course in Germany. I beckoned the other lads forward and going down a few gears we all set off at once. It was brilliant going flat out through the gears, legally on the Autobhan. Ricky’s R1 was geared down so would lose touch after about 150mph and Simon’s and my Blades wouldn’t read any more than 185mph but they were still accelerating, just. We repeated this 3 or 4 times for a mile at a time I reckon cause the roads were pretty quiet and had a right laugh. We would slow and wait for the naked bike boy’s each time before going again. The 320 miles to Calais was pretty uneventfull and boring after leaving Germany and we had to filter through very heavy traffic in Belguim but the sun was high in the sky and it was dry so we were happy.




















We timed the ferry perfectly. We rode through passport control and then the ticket booth and were ushered straight onto the ferry. We got off the ferry at 14:45, all filled up in Dover, said our goodbyes and headed off at 15:15, Gavin, Andy, Ricky and Simon to Brighton area, Taff to Lee On Solent and Al and myself to Thirsk. We rode together along the M20 before parting and me and Al headed round the M25 then North via M11, A14, A1. I’d made sure I took on plenty of fluids that day everytime we stopped but yesterday’s episode and the journey were starting to take it’s toll. I’ve got to say the Blade is very comfortable for a sportsbike on long journey’s. I’ve got 34” legs and take some tucking up onto a sportsbike but that’s as good a position as I’ve had on one and had no arse ache at all. My knee’s, leg’s, shoulder’s, arm’s and everything else it seemed, riding up the A1 were crying for me to stop but Al was at work on the Tuesday so we had to get back to our’s today so he could rest overnight and get back home to Scotland on the Monday. We pulled into the drive at 19:30 after 11 & ½ hour’s travelling, covering 620 road miles in the day. Al’s wife Hazel had come down to spend the w.end with Lesley and so we had a shower and ‘slingout’ Chinese to finish the day. The fly and moth kill on the front of the bikes was a sight to see, that’ll take some cleaning off we thought, finished our beers and went to bed.












Mon 25th April
Al and Hazel set off mid morning back to Irvine and I did absolutely nothing. I put some PJ’s on and beautiful though the weather was outside, I just relaxed on the sofa all day, I was knackered. I wanted to clean the bike but just didn’t have the energy, it’ll wait till next w.end. The w.end was fantastic, ‘The Ring’ is a box that must be ticked, do it as soon as you can.

Cheers

Superb write up mate, top class.

Fantastic write up,enjoyed the read.With any luck I should make it out to the ring twice this year,been there a few times and always had a good time,its unlike anywhere else.

Now then

Found these on the net from our trip to 'The Ring'

JT.............nice write up buddy.................And thats the same Hotel we stayed in,might even be the same room...........how canny is that?

We jumped the fence and did the Ring tarmac.............Haggler wuz ere sort of thing.No sound with your vid?

Now then Haggler

Thanx. Good place to stay eh.

You 'Graffiti Yobo's'

Just checked vid, sound Ok for me dunno ?

Wow what a wright up should work for performance bikes mate makes me want to stick a tank bag on call in sick and leave tonight? Never been, It's so on my to do list this post has defo moved it to the top? Thanks for great info. Really hope I get to go next year.

Now then stotty



Glad you liked the write up Mate and I hope you get there next year, you'll love it