Austria 2007

The Austria part of my trip started with me leaving my Rhineland digs and travelling down the banks of the River Mosel stopping at several places to take in the sights before cutting over land to Saarbrucken where I met up with Graeme and the rest of the group and spent the night before we all made the rest of the journey to Landeck, Tyrol in Austria. Over the previous 9-months I’d met everyone in the group with the exception of Paul, so I knew I was with a good set of riders. That evening we went out as a group for pizza and a few beers then a good night’s sleep before the next day’s riding.

The next morning we’d decided to make a start into the days long 350-mile journey, riding for about an hour before stopping for breakfast at a motorway services, so we set off around 9:00-am. We met outside the hotel in the car park where the bike had caught the attention of a few Arabs who were staying at the hotel and wanted to have their photo’s taken with the bikes. So some of our group were apprehensive when some of

the Arabs went to sit on the bikes but I could see a positive side of this as we came to leave… all the damp morning dew on my bikes seat had been mopped up by the Arab who sat on my Pan and I had a dry seat to ride off on.

We set off on our long journey making regular rest and fuel stops. After the first stop and a spot of breakfast, a couple of the guys decided to take advantage of the un-restricted autobahns and shot off into the distance taking their machines well into 3-figures then backing off and allowing the rest of us who were travelling between 80 to 90-mph, to catch up. I was tempted to wind the Pan up and see what it could do but thought better of it and stayed with the main group. The two guys, Steve on a Honda Blackbird and Ian on a Kawasaki ZZR 1200 continued to play about with blasts of high speed until we came an intersection where we changed autobahns, that was everyone except Steve who during a blast of high speed completely missed the turning. We continued for a while aware

Steve was missing from the group and pulling into a lay-by to discuss what to do. It was decided Steve could find his way back to the group okay so we headed to the next services for refreshments and to wait for Steve who, rolled up after about 45-mins to a round of applause.

Now we set off again on the final leg of the days run. While we were waiting for Steve, my Sat-Nav had turned it’s sound off so as we were overtaking a group of trucks, the guys in front of me pulled into the right as did the guys behind me, leaving me overtaking while everyone else was exiting the autobahn. I didn’t want to back off and risk something coming up behind me at speed, so I opened the bike up and passed the trucks and catching the guys up in front who were on the off ramp and slowing up for the right hand corner. Conscious of not wanting to cut anyone up, I passed them all and banked the bike hard into the bend allowing it to loose speed naturally in the corner. Graeme later told me when he saw me bank

the bike over he was expecting to see sparks. With the speed wiped off, I turned at the junction ahead and let Graeme take the lead once more.

We made our final stop at a petrol station just before the Austrian boarder where we all purchased a Vignette. This is a type of motorway tax disc sticker which it is advisable to buy just in case you do use the Austrian motorway, get caught on the motorway without one and it’s a 200-euro spot fine. Much easier to pay 4.80-euro for a 10-day Vignette.

We finally arrived at the Hotel Enzian where we were to stay for the next 7-nights about 6-pm, having refuelled ready for the next days ride out as we came into the town of Landeck. The first impression of the hotel was fantastic, we went up to our room, Tim and I had a room on the third floor. Walking in to our room was a double bed with a door at the other end of it, a little unsure we opened the door expecting to find just a bathroom at first, at the other side of the door was the bathroom and also

another door leading to another double room, both rooms sharing the same balcony. Once unpacked, showered and changed we met up with the others for the evening meal and a few beers. Gradually we all headed back to our rooms for a well deserved, good night sleep.

The next morning we were up around 7:30-am for a continental breakfast consisting of a variety of cold sliced meats, bread rolls, cereals juices and coffee. A cooked breakfast was available also if we preffered. Next we all met up at the bikes ready for the days riding, this was to be the norm for every morning of our stay. Each morning we would get on the bikes and head up into different mountain passes, on a couple of occasions we where accompanied by a couple of German guys, one of whom was a guide and who took us around some fantastic scenery and on some excellent ride outs. Following Michael and Defleap we headed around some very nice twisty bit and every so often Michael would video us enjoying the ride. On one occasion Michael suggested we all set off and he would pass us one at a time and film

us all riding. Unfortunately he picked a road that was just made for riding big bikes around at speed, so off we went, Steve in front on his Blackbird, Defleap second on the BMW K1200R, me on my Pan European ST1100 and finally Ian on his ZZR1200. This was such a great ride but not without a heart stopping moment. Everyone was of the same opinion when we pulled up at the lake where Michael had told us to. We all commented how good the ride was but how the cattle grid right on the apex of the bend had nearly caught us all out. We seemed to be waiting quite a while for the rest of the party to catch us up, so time for a few photos.

The next day we went out with Michael and Defleap again and today wasn’t without mishap. We came to some road works on a steep hillside, with traffic lights which were very long winded at changing so we all stopped our engines while we waited for the lights. When the lights finally changed, we all started our engines and put the bikes in gear ready to move off when Defleap

said something to Michael who leant over to hear better but the weight of his bike got the better of him and he fell against Defleap who just couldn’t hold him and fell over as well. Fortunately neither was hurt and no damage done and we can laugh about it now, but I really thought Defleap was going over the edge of the hillside.

The evenings were quite pleasant as well, when we got back from our daily ride out we would find fresh cakes and coffee in the dining room or chill out with a beer. While the sun was still shining we would sit outside with our refreshments but once the sun started to drop behind the surrounding hills, it soon became cool and that was our cue to get changed ready for our evening meal. The evening meal was a 4-course affair which we had chosen earlier at breakfast from a different menu every day. Firstly with a choice from the salad bar followed by a soup type of starter. Next came a very well prepared main course then finally an exotic desert to finish with. After our meal we would return to the bar area

and either chat or sometimes Michael would show the DVD of the day’s riding. On some evenings Klaus the owner would join us briefly with a round of very potent Schnapps. One of our party, Joyce had a birthday on the same night the local musicians were playing in the hotel, of course a trio came into the bar area to sing a traditional birthday greeting while the staff served up a birthday cake. As the cake appeared so did a little face, Annaleena whose parents were in the bar. Annaleena took to all of use especially Joyce as they both tried to communicate in each others language, I have visions of Annaleena greeting her mother the next morning with the phrase “Gutten morrgarn, why I”

The rest of the week passed very quickly and we took in some beautiful sights, scenery and fantastic roads. Michael and Defleap came out with us a few more days and videoed us riding around the passes. The Hotel Enzian also had the full range of BMW motorcycles for hire, so for the last trip of the week I decided to hire a 165-bhp, BMW - K1200S at a staggering cost of 20

Euros (£14) for the day with a limit of 350-kms. Today we were on our own with Graeme leading. Initially I was quite happy to ride along with the group while my confidence with the BMW grew. Soon I reached the point where I really wanted to have a play with the BMW so as we got to some nice twisty bits of road I was off. I’d shoot off in front of the pack for a few miles when we were riding the nice roads then when I came to a roads junction I would wait for the group to catch up and drop back into the group for a while before heading off again on another bit of nice road. Of coures I paid the price by needing to stop for petrol before we got back to the hotel.

The morning we were to leave the hotel Enzian to make our way back to Saarbrucken, everyone grouped down at the bikes after breakfast to load up the bikes for the long journey ahead. Michael was down there to say goodbye and take some more film of us leaving, along with Defleap. That morning Annaleena’s father was taking

one of the BMW’s out for a ride so Annaleena just had to have a sit on it and pose for pictures. Gradually we lined up on the road outside the hotel then we were on our way. 350-motorway miles lay in front of us and I wasn’t looking forward to it. From leaving home to meeting up at Saarbrucken I hadn’t touched a motorway because I find them very, very boring on the bike, never the less the journey had to be done and we did make regular stops. On the un-restricted autobahn the guys went for a play at high speed again and my curiosity got the better of me, I opened the bike up and shot off after them. With the weight of my luggage and the buffering of the wind as I was passing trucks as if they were in reverse I reached the point that made my Honda ST1100 Pan European, favoured by British police forces all over the country turned from a comfortable, agile tourer into a shivering jelly at 125-mph so I backed it off to around 115-mph where it seemed quite happy. Funnily enough I felt quite safe travelling at that speed,

as I caught up to the vehicle in front it pulled over for me and as cars caught up to me, I’d pull over for them, it all seemed to work like clockwork.

Eventually we reached Saarbrucken and the hotel where we’d stayed when we all met up. Initially I’d planned to leave the group the following morning originally, but had decided to make my crossing back to England with the rest of the group. Just in conversation Tim mentioned the system for strapping the bike down on the ferry and that North Sea Ferries didn’t provide ratchet straps to secure the bike. Would you believe it this was the first time I’d every been away and not fetched a strap with me. The next morning I was down at the services to purchase a ratchet strap. Once again this was another day of motorway riding but not as far as the previous day. We got to Burgge in plenty of time and stopped off for lunch. Although we didn’t have time to look around what I did see made me want to come back here another time. Now we headed for the docks at Zeebrugge where we booked in for our sailing. Soon we boarded and secured the bikes then a drink in the bar and a shower before the fantastic evening meal that was served before retiring and waking up back in Hull, England.

The next morning we headed to our bikes and waited to disembark from the ferry. Once on the quayside we said goodbye to Ian who was going to leave us straight away, I rode on with the others and said my goodbyes as they stopped for fuel at the ASDA store at Hessle. We then set off for home, I stayed with the group as far as the M18 split off the M62 where I waived to everyone as I turned off for home. I got as far down the M18 to the M180 turning and that was that, I just had to get off the motorway for the rest of my journey home but never the less I managed to reflect on the fantastic trip I’d had.