Our founder Roger (now retired) brings us another report from his recent European rally adventures.
I recently attended the Dutch and Sloper rallies on my 1932 SB, which is perhaps not the greatest bike for long distance work as its comfortable cruising speed is around 40 m.p.h. However romantic it sounds to pootle across Europe on a slow old bike taking in the sights and smells of lovely countryside the practise is a little different when the weather is wet for half the trip and the bike is not running properly, so is even slower than it should be.
Things didn’t start well as I lost my mirror on the way to the ferry at Harwich but arrived in good time. Although Friday’s forecast was for rain it was dry in Hoek van Holland, however I was prepared for the rain that started not far down the road and was with me for the 130 miles to the rally site in the South East corner of The Netherlands. The camp site was a trifle damp so I moved up the gentle slope from my allotted pitch to dryer ground. Most participants went on a short 60 km run but I had had enough of riding in the rain.
Saturday’s weather was better for the 100 km run that was the usual gentle meander through nice countryside to the lunch stop. In an attempt to improve the running of my bike I raised the needle by a notch but then couldn’t get the bike started. Steve Carter gave it a go and she started but immediately it stopped again. Herman and Steve both suggested that perhaps the needle wasn’t moving and I remembered some advice given to me years ago that when something goes wrong always check the last job you did. Yes the needle clip was not clipped into the needle – and away she went.
Sunday dawned bright and sunny, it would later become very warm. After the concourse competition I left for the Sloper rally that was to be held at Hirschaid, North of Nurnberg, about 325 miles away. Even a Slowper would have no problem making that distance in the 5 days that I had in hand so I had decided to visit some motorcycle museums in and around Chemnitz, which would make the journey about 550 miles.
On Monday I continued East accompanied by rain all day. I passed an Elvis museum that I am sure I have seen before, I wasn’t tempted; a little later I saw signs for the Thermometer Museum, I thought about it for a moment but rode on. At some point I passed the Hambach open-cast coal mine, the largest in Germany with viewing platforms and a café, not to mention a 14,200 tonne bucket wheel excavator. In the afternoon arrived at my first Umleitung of the trip. These are annoying road closures that can have very long diversion or Umlietung. The usual procedure is to ignore the signs and ride on, as it is frequently possible to get through or to take a shorter route. On this occasion there were men with big machines and the road completely dug up, as I turned the bike round to trek 5 miles back to the diversion I noticed a gravel track round the back of the village that seemed to have been in heavy use recently, sure enough it came out on the other side of the roadworks. When I stopped for fuel and a break another motorist pointed out that one of my panniers was open so I had lost my shoes and almost as bad my ham and cheese sandwich that was to have been my lunch so I had to buy a sandwich in the garage. Tonight’s hotel was very pleasant with one of my favourite German beers on draught but no food and no food in the village. The charming receptionist who was from the Chechen Republic was keen to improve her English and suggested that her friend the Ukrainian cook might make me a club sandwich. 3 firsts in one evening, meeting a person from Chechnya, drinking draught Kostritzer and eating a club sandwich.
Tuesday morning and it was still raining, I waited to see if the rain would stop as I only had 100 miles to go to Chemntiz. I eventually left at 10.30, still raining but the roads were dry for the last 3 miles. Piston seized again, I really ought to remember to switch Oil on. The hotel in Chemnitz was reached at 2.30 after a detour down GDR concrete road to industrial site for fuel that turned out to be closed and only sold diesel; not Aunty Google’s finest moment. The Museum of Saxon Vehicles is on the ground floor of one of the world’s first multi storey car parks built in 1928. I was shown round by one of the volunteers who had studied in Sheffield. As its name suggests the museum is dedicated to this small part of Germany that was host to hundreds of motorcycle manufacturers, several of whom became very large and famous, such as DKW, Wanderer and MZ.
On Wednesday the weather changed to cold but dry all day, about 10 degrees. The first destination was Saint Augustusborg Schloss, about 10 miles away up a very steep hill that Slowper was not impressed with. One of the attractions was another motorcycle museum, fortunately it was possible to view the museum without having to traipse round a stately home. The exhibits were similar to Chemnitz but did include an Ariel Leader. There was a display dedicated to none of the world’s greatest designers, Ernst Degner who revolutionised two stroke engines that ultimately led to Suzuki and Yamaha dominating the smaller capacity classes in the Grand prix from the 1960’s. The next stop was at the bottom of the hill to pose in front of a covered bridge with a beer mat from my local hostelry that offers a prize for the furthest travelled beer mat each month, I was now 660 miles and along ferry from home. Next stop was again just down the road at Zschopau the home of the old DKW and later MZ works with another museum that wasn’t open. As I was leaving I met two guys on UK registered MZ’s that had been to an MZ rally in Poland, they were a bit annoyed that the museum wasn’t open but it was dedicated to enduro machines, so I wasn’t worried. Another 90 miles to tonight’s hotel, looked grim but good food and beer. BBC Weather app promises warmer weather tomorrow. 3 Umlietungs.
Thursday the weather was cool but bright increasing to hot near finish. An uneventful morning ride brought me to the small town of Hirschaid, South of the medieval town of Bamberg on the Main-Donau-Kanal and the location of the Sloper Rally. Only 2 umlietungs today. Nicest hotel of the trip. The hotel’s car park filled up during the afternoon as other participants arrived and unloaded vans and trailers. Klaus Gerhard, the organiser, had thoughtfully taped off an area so that the bikes could be parked together.
Friday morning Klaus outlined the programme and handed out tee shirts, maps, posters, steins and local guides. The morning run was supposed to be 60 miles to a schloss but Jens and I were distracted at the start by two breakdowns before we had even left the hotel, Henrik (Danmark, SG) with a fractured fuel pipe and Sandra (Österreich, SB) with a sticking valve. After only a few miles we rounded a corner to see Rein and Henny (Nederland, SB) with a flat tyre. I had a spare tube and the farmer, outside whose gate they had stopped, had a compressor and other equipment, what a nice chap. We set off again only to notice that Henrik and Lizzie weren’t with us, their bike having failed to climb a long steep hill after his clutch gave up, then came one of the Jiris (Czechia) with a broken cable. Both went in the breakdown van to be repaired in the evening. Lunch was at a brewery/pub with excellent nosh. When we returned to the hotel the spanners were out with a vengeance as well as the two bikes mentioned there was Hans (Deutschland, SF) with a damaged primary chain and shock absorber, Stafano (Italia) with buckled rim and wonky tyre, Mrs Jiri Havel (Czechia VH) had problem with a non-returning oil pump. I had to join in an attempt to cure the poor running of my SB so I dismantled the Magneto to remove shims to correct the end float and stop the points wandering about. I then took the head off to check the timing and decided to replace head gasket as it had a small gap in it! Not a bad result for 60 miles and 30 bikes. Looking around the restaurant in the evening I noticed that the nine tables had a wonderfully international flavour, Danish-German, Italian-English, Austrian, Dutch, Czechia-Austrian, Czechia, English-German, Slovak-Austrian and Austrian-German. After dinner it was back to the parc fermé for more spannering and a bit of drinking, one advantage of arriving in a van is that copious amounts of alcoholic beverage can be carried, I drank beers from 6 countries.
Saturday was made up of several short journeys between attractions. The first was 20 miles to impressive museum of Abarth tuned and racing cars, very exotic, one of them was fired up with a terrific din. After the museum we had lunch and a beer, rode to another schloss, this one with a winery and a collection of old tractors. Next stop was for ice cream followed by a river crossing on a current powered ferry. Back at the hotel there was the obligatory photo of no fewer than 27 Sloper riders standing behind their bikes. Only the one mechanical problem today, Hans started the day with a bit of noise due to a tight small end.
Sunday saw me leaving on the long ride home, only the one umlietung in the morning but rode straight through as nobody working, it being Sunday so no trucks and very few shops open. Very warm today 22 to 24; I was aiming for half way to the ferry which was 225 miles, actual mileage was 224.
Monday. The forecast was for rain just after midday for about an hour all along my route. In the end I missed all rain, although there was some to the right and to the left. Stopped for lunch and fuel, stolen roll again, once the bike had cooled a bit I checked tappets as running had become progressively worse and found them with almost no clearance on a still warm engine, so nothing when hot. Ran like a dream from then on, typical nearly home. Weather about 24 degrees and humid after the rain, arrived at Hoek in good time after exactly 224 miles! Time for a beer!
10 days away, four countries, 1474 miles/2,358 kms. No breakdowns!