Well I have tried and here it is, writings not exactly a forte of mine.
Report from my trip to the Nurburgring July 2005.
Well I havn’t been for three years and I had my reasons for going this time. There was a guy who used to ride the ring by the name of Jurgen. He died out there a couple of years ago when he crashed on oil spilt by a car. Although I didn’t personally know him I felt like I did, I had watched hours of his ring videos before I went out the first time and had learnt much about the place. I hope he has found a race track in heaven.
Before going my 636 had its 4K service and new Pirelli Corsas as well as Carbon Lorraine brake pads installed, ready for the trip. Took bike to my mates house Thursday evening in Thunderbird 10 (that’s my VW Transporter) where we finished off installing the mini indicators and had a go at putting in the new camera system. (Mates son (slave labour) washed the van for his pocket money, his daughter washed the bike). Spent a couple of hours working out getting the video system to operate, got it on the bike and then it was loaded back into Thunderbird 10, it was now 19:30 and I had to be back home to load my mate up with his R1 at 20:00. Pegged it home and packed my clothes and stuff, everything was getting to be a real rush!
Anyway, mate and R1 installed at 21:30. Off to the ferry we go! Arrived nice and early for a Norfolk Line crossing to Dunkirk. No chance of an early crossing apparently, so it was sit it out in the van waiting for the 01:45 run. My mate (name is Tim) decides to fall asleep and snore his head off in the van, no chance of some shuteye for me then! Eventually we get to board the ferry, crossing is late, apparently a P&O ferry got in the way! Got on board and set sail half hour late, was annoyed already!
Well the ferry was rubbish to say the least but then it was over forty quid cheaper than P&O who were supposedly doing a deal! Drivers lounge on reclining seats for a couple of hours shuteye for me, well that’s what I planned. Wrong, Tim decides to fall asleep again within seconds of getting his seat, more snoring emanating. Went for a stroll, had coffee and contemplated the journey ahead. Got off the ferry and away from Dunkirk at just before 6 am continental time. Tim is awake, he has the map and route instructions!
Out of Dunkirk port (what a tip!) and onto the A16 heading to Brussels we go. Well we hit the M way and Tim starts snoring again! Managed to get on the ring road round Brussels (don’t ever go into Brussels by car), now Tim decides to wake up! We got round the ring road before much traffic was about, stopped at the next service point for refreshment/loo break. Off to Germany we go, me quite happy with the progress despite the problems with the late ferry. Carried on rocking through Belgium and into Germany, got to mention here that the VW Transporter is one great van! Another point to note here is that the Belgian side roads do not seem to be all that but the German ones are much better. Finally reached Hotel at 10am, not bad really, just shy of 300 miles in 4 hours including stop, and, all in a loaded up van!
Anyway, hotel greets us and provides us with breakfast. Well, German breakfast, which I am none too keen on, but it was food. The ring was to open at 15:30 so unpacked the essentials for the hotel and tried to get some valuable shuteye. Tim decides to do the same, boy can that dude sleep. Well it was back to the same problem for me, the snoring was not letting me sleep. I finally drifted off for a bit, woke up, back off etc. 14:00 came and up, showered and bouncing around like Tigger I go. In the van we jump and off to the ring, it’s about a twenty mile trip along a glorious road from the Hotel we are based in.
We get to the ring and unloaded the bikes, it’s not open yet but we really need to fuel and warm the bikes up so we hit the local garage and prepare the machinery up a bit. The new corsa’s, despite being brand new, instill confidence straight away. I havn’t been to the ring for 3 years and have only done twelve laps before, question is can I remember it! I had a quiet few minutes to myself to say my goodbyes to Jurgen and contemplate the blast ahead. Tim was a ring virgin but eager to get out there. We wait for the pack to leave when the ring opens and go for a lap, Tim following me. That’s a fair bit of responsibility knowing how dangerous the place is. Well off we crack, actually put in a very good lap for a sighting one, just over ten minutes. Tim’s R1 is shod with new Continental Attack tyres, he hasn’t run these before but says at £105 for the pair it was too good to turn down. We decide to do another lap but come off at the half way café to take in the ambience. So off we crack again, half a lap and pull off for some liquid, the temperature is sky high, we are both sweating buckets already. That’s the heat and the nervous tension for you. We watch some of the activity on the track, well what you can see from this point anyway, there are already some major nutters out there! A BMW M5 rocketed past, four exhausts, you could hear the air being gulped as the foot was put down! We finish the second half of the lap and meet up with the rest of our party at the start point. I put in 3 more laps that afternoon and was really starting to remember it all, still very scared though but having a great time! Time was down to 9.5 mins which was my aim before I went out there. 10.5 mins is a respectable time for a novice and that’s what I still am. The whole party enjoyed themselves and we rendezvoused back at the hotel for a nice evening meal and general chit chat etc. I was absolutely dog tired, but, elated all the same. I was really looking forward to the next day, although the forecast was not good and there was no way I was riding the ring in the wet. The place is dangerous enough in the dry without throwing in the damp.
Another terrible night was had due to Tims incessant snoring, I really needed sleep, its not good to ride the ring when tired. Anyway, breakfast was taken and then it was down to the ring to see what was going on. On the way I met a speedtrap, but, somehow didn’t get stopped. Another of te party got done later on his bike, 80 euro fine. I unloaded the bike at the ring and went for a warm up on the road. The Ring was quite busy already, 9:30 and the loons were out to play! Well I put in one lap and despite the traffic was sub nine and half minutes, but its no fun out there when its busy, you spend too much time worrying about what is going on rather than concentrating on yourself. I decided to rag some German roads and hope that it quietened down, there are some absolutely stonking roads around the Nurburgring area. After a while I returned to the ring, but alas, it was closed due to an accident. Turns out a BMW on it first lap decided to lose a load of oil on a downhill left, actually quite near to the start and 5 bikes had gone down on it. Fortunately not much damage to bikes and it appeared everyone was only bruised at the worst. Oh well, more roads and more chance to terrorise some foreigners. Landed up back at the half way café to catch up with my party and see what was going on. Apparently the ring had been closed yet again, major off by a Porsche. I saw some pictures but I could not tell what Porshe it was, there just wasn’t enough left of it! So the ring was closed for some time, more roads to be done then. By the time I got back to the ring, it was closed yet again! Gave up with it for the day and just went hooning instead, bit of a downer as only one lap but best to live and fight another day. Managed over 200 miles of German twisties, the road surface out there is brilliant. Most of the roads I found were up and down hill, very twisty and very smooth. The Corsas and the surface were a match made in heaven, knee scraping excitement for the day.
Pleasant evening and food had, Tim decided not to snore much and so I actually got some sleep! Forecast absolute crap for next day (Sunday). Woke early, looked out and despite it not raining ground wet, back for 40 more winks then, the Ring is not a place to be on 2 wheels when its wet! Up after another hour and the roads out front of hotel were steaming and drying nicely. Ass put into gear and back to the ring after some breakfast. Straight out I went, forget the warm up as it was looking quite quiet for a change. Great lap put in for the first one, just sub 9 mins. Still looked quiet so off again, even better this time! Then the rain came down, really heavy shower. Circuit got closed due to an accident, it was not looking like it was going to be a good day. Well the circuit re-opened but I was not going anywhere until someone came back and told me it was dry. It wasn’t! Another closure, British guy on a Mille highsided and got air lifted to hospital, found out later he escaped with just a dislocated hip, still sounds way painful though. More rain as it opened again so still not going anywhere.
On Saturday I got chatting to some guy called Bruce who comes from Reading. He rides a Gixxer 1000 but also drives a Golf Gti round the ring. He is a regular and has been for years, I learnt quite a lot from talking to him about the ring and surrounding area. He sidled over to me on Sunday and asked if I wanted to go out for a lap in the Golf. Well I am not missing out on a free trip by someone who knows the place, so I bite his arm off and jump in the car. What a guy, full running commentary on the way round, and so, so smooth with his driving. Despite wet patches you could tell he was completely relaxed and in control. Boy did he educate me as to what to look out for. We got back to the start and he couldn’t find anyone else that he was supposed to be taking out so we went round again, it started peeing down but he didn’t care. He pointed out all the really slippery points when its wet, had a bit of sideways movement in the car in a few places but you could tell it was all completely under control. Boy was I grateful for my education about the ring! Went out in a scooby for a lap after this with someone else, great noise but not as smooth by a long way. Gave me a chance to tell that the circuit was dry all the way round though so it was off on the bike to put what I had learnt into practice. Well it worked, shaved 30 seconds off my lap straight away. Did a few more laps and gained in confidence. Lots of knee downs both sides, crowds being entertained! Shattered but elated I stopped with one lap remaining on my ticket, I had already in my mind said that that was how I was going to finish my weekend on the ring. I know of too many people who have just gone out again to use the last lap and have had an incident. I had already had a great time and that’s how I wanted to remember my trip.
So I had a great time, blew Mr Clarksons lap time way out of the water! My aim was to do 9.5 mins before I went out, I came back having run 8 mins 23 secs. I learnt that Corsas are a great, great tyre on the 636. The suspension will need to be changed and set up to give me complete confidence, there are some really bumpy sections on the ring, and, unlike my ZX7, the front of the 636 is light and it chattered quite a bit in places. I didn’t get to the bottom of why my bike seemed to get so much attention from everyone though. Plenty of petrol heads kept checking it over. On the Sunday it was parked at the half way café while I had something to eat and drink, when I came back I couldn’t see the bike for people. At least 50 bikes in a row and they are all round mine, it was well funny making them all jump when I hit the alarm fob though! Perhaps it was the trick mini indicators? Maybe the nice R&G tail tidy? Perhaps the iridium screen? Possibly the crash bungs? Its beacsue it’s a Kwaka? Could be the fact that its green and stands out? The look of the molten rubber may have done it? My name being splashed on the screen perhaps? No, none of this – it was the WWW.LONDONBIKERS.COM sticker on the side, it just had to be.
So as depressing as it was, left Germany on Monday just before mid day. Hot and sunny all the way until we hit France, then torrential downpour ensued. Thankfully we were in the van, we only saw two bikes at this point and they were under bridges sheltering from the storm. Got back to the dump (Dunkirk Port) where my mate in another van got the third degree from customs. I opened the back of my van and the guy checking it just wanted a go on my bike, that in preference to the R1 sitting next to it! The French adore Kwakas. I had to dissapoint him as I was not unpacking for anything. I was straight through customs. 3.5 hour wait for the poxy ferry. Late again! This time it was due to a technical difficulty. Once on board, food only open for half hour, shop closed about the same time etc. This Norfolk line may be cheap but it’s a crap service. I don’t intend using them again.
Well I have some pictures and video footage that I will try and organise on the web. A complete and utter great and mental weekend. Roll on my next trip. For those of you that have never been to the Nurburgring, it’s a must. Ok, its frightening, scary, dangerous etc but once you have been there and ridden it or even driven it you will see why so many return for another go. You can kiss goodbye to your fairground rides, the ring pulls plenty of G force for you and is way more fun.
Report by ‘The Chuffster’
RIP Having said that, I guess you need to trust people even to go in any car with them.