V11 Rally Germany 2006

[antonio carroccio]

Jaap, slapen in een tentje? Camping of vrij natuur?

Als ik mee ga, kunnen we samen rijden?

 

Antonio

[Admin Jaap]

Kamperen! Ze hebben daar een klein veldje achter het restaurant/herberg en doches/wc's. Alle kamers zijn al volgeboekt.

 

Is een leuk treffen met bijna alleen maar V11en. Mooie omgeving met veel bochten. Voertaal is wel duits...

 

Samen rijden lijkt me leuk. Houdt er wel rekening dat ik door mijn arm geen doorrijder ben en helemaal niet van Autobahn houdt. Als je wilt kun je van donderdag op vrijdag bij ons overnachten en op de terugweg natuurlijk ook.

 

(Sorry to the other readers that you have been confronted with a bit of Dutch on this forum.)

[Guzzirider]

Geen probleem

 

Guy

[antonio carroccio]

Grazie Jaap

[Martin Barrett]

(Sorry to the other readers that you have been confronted with a bit of Dutch on this forum.)

75181[/snapback]

 

Met behulp van freetranslation com zijn wij niet uitgesloten. U krijgt, verliest een ruw idee slechts sommige van de gramatical nuances. Ik moet een laptop en satellietschakel kopen als de Duitser leren heel goed ga niet.

 

With the help of freetranslation.com we aren't excluded. You get a rough idea just lose some of the gramatical nuances.

I must buy a laptop and satellite link as the German learning isn't going very well.

 

How close was that?

[Admin Jaap]

That's not bad Martin! Only one thing wasn't very clear: You say "You get to lose...bla..."

 

That translates in "Je krijgt, verliest" which means "You get, lose" Which is it?

[antonio carroccio]

Jaap, maybe Martin is going to say that he will lose it or better, he will get lost

Just try to stay close to him in Germany, you never know...

[Guest bikermedic]

My first post on this site. Hello to all and i'm envious of the 2006 rally asI lived (stationed with the Army) not far away in Fulda back in the early seventies.

 

The roads ARE fantastic, especially if you go North East beyond Fulda in the area of Wildflecken. (We called it "Wildchicken") I don't know about the UK riding but the farmers CAN leave their manure spreaders dripping 'stuff' into the roadways of the more rural one laners. Vorsicht!! Those V11 front fenders can allow an interesting aroma to waft up from the crankcase. medic

[V11UK]

We depart for our German tour tomorrow, finishing the week at the V11 Treffen.

 

I contacted Jens Hofmann at Dynotec and asked if we could visit his company early next week. He's invited us to Hockenheim race circuit on Monday (12th) afternoon to see their Guzzilla and Benelli Tornado RS race bikes being tested. On Tuesday we will visit his workshops to see all their Guzzi developments.

I'll be like a big kid in a sweetshop .....

 

[Martin Barrett]

That's me done, Bike bodged back together, washer as additional rear bearing spacer. Electrical fault fixed and John O'Sullivans gear linkage part still fitted. I'm about to retire for the night. It's now tomorrow Central Europe Time so I'll see you tonight Jaap and Antonio bodges permitting.

[antonio carroccio]

Thank you to all guys, I have had a great time there.

Glad to see Jane, Chris and Martin again. Have some beer and some more and some more.......

Tha pic's on the gallery, the first V11 is mine, the second one (with the gold wheels) is Jaap's.

[Martin Barrett]

I'm just back from the German V11 Treffen.

 

I crossed the Channel by the Euro Tunnel Folkestone to Calais. I'd arrived about 1/2 an hour early. Evry other car there seemed to be a Porshe 911 or some sport car. It took a while for the penny to drop. The Lemans 24hour race is this weekend and thats were they were all headed. Due to some problems carrying on from the night there was a two hour delay on crossing

 

A choice of Trans Europe travel. There were several Astons there but only one Guzzi

 

Despite the delay I still arrived when I had wanted to, about 1/2 five. 520 miles of mainly motorway. I'd pitched my tent and just found a beer, when Antonio and Jaap arrived.

 

Antonio's tent is exactly the same as John O'Sullivan's except for the colour.

 

 

 

Some of the bikes outside the Oldtimer. There were two groups of 15 that went out on the rideout on Saturday and a good dozen or more V11s dropped in at other points during the weekend. As well as some other stuff, the Old timer Cafe seems to very similar to the ACE Cafe in this respect.

 

Sorry a bit of a short report , but I'm too tired and going to go my bed. Might finish it later - more pictures here

[Martin Barrett]

I've had some sleep so I'm a bit more with it now. I've just checked and found I hadn't down loaded some pictures off the camera, covering our little ride out.

 

Jaap's throttle body being put back on by Antonio and Jaap.

 

Antonio. We'd just caught up with the main group following our repairs, and waiting for them to helmet up.

 

Coffee stop.

 

A very lesuriely trip. didn't cover a great distance, which was fine after the previous days trans european effort. I've done longer distances doing the RBR but with picture and fuel stops it's more relaxing than just slogging along the motorways.

 

 

On the way back accompanied Antonio and Jaap for a short distance before heading west whilst they went north. Then a six hour trip across 400miles of motorway. I kept at around 85-90 mph comfortable cruise and reasonable fuel economy. I arrived at the Channel Tunnel with just over an hour to spare. Again the returning cars from Lemans ment that there was no chance of getting on an earlier train. Saw two Nobles there as well as the more common sports cars.

 

Having got back to England it was noticeably cooler. I took an hours diversion off my route to photograph a windmill for the RBR, and arrived home 2130 ( 2230 CET) Just as the family were parking on the drive from their trip out. Just as well as I hadn't taken my house keys with me.

 

1200 miles covered in the three days, I did less than 125 on the Saturday on the ride out and a mini rideout (22miles) on a preride fuel trip.

[Admin Jaap]

I had a great time too!

 

Highlight of the weekend: Pulling Antonio's chain...

He missed out on the Dutch AND the Italian football game, because the TV was kaputt...

 

Seriously, it was all good. The ride to the meeting with Antonio, meeting people again after a sometimes two years lapse, german Häfeweizen beer, lots of great V11s, good fun at the bar on saturday evening, beautiful weather, etc.

 

But (yes, there is a but) a lot of people on the german V11 forum complain about the bad food, the indifferent innkeeper and the under standard sanitary for the campers. They are seriously looking for a different location.

We'll see...

 

Total score:

Throttle body blown off by backfire (easy fix, thanks Antonio!)

Speedo cable busted on the way back (spare on the shelf)

Extreme vibrations at 4500 rpm. (that means a visit to TLM for a TB balancing session I guess)

 

Oh, Antonio's bike had a small defect just before we paused on the Autobahn. Again an easy fix with a tie rip.

[V11UK]

What a brilliant weeks holiday, one of the very best! Not one drop of rain from start to finish, though it was a bit too hot at times with 33 deg C .

 

Jane and I arrived home this morning at 9.50am after another smooooth ferry crossing - no lumpy sea conditions this time .

 

We visited Hockenheim on Monday 12th as arranged with Jens Hofmann of Dynotec and spent a very enjoyable afternoon watching some very tasty Italian bikes thundering around.

 

 

Race Guzzilla having his battery charged in the paddock and Jens about to take him out for a blast.

 

On Tuesday 13th we visited Dynotec's workshops and I was lucky enough to ride the street version of Guzzilla, a V12 Centauro, a very special one-off Guzzi and a Quota.

 

 

My favourite bike was this silver bike worth 32,000 euro ..... It was everything a Guzzi should be. 118 BHP and 120 NM combined with light weight and Ohlins (the forks are Triumph with Ohlins internals) suspension - what a machine! The petrol tank is hand-made in Berlin by a guy who restores Bugatti's. The engine is Dynotec V11 Sport unit with modified 5-speed gearbox. It was a dream to ride and I want one.....

 

 

Jens showed us around the engine workshop and explained how they modify Mandello's rather basic design. Their V11 'Torque Kit' costs 1250 euro or 1700 euro with twin-spark. After riding the silver bike it's something I'd like to have done to my V11.

 

After touring the Black Forest we headed up to the Oldtimer Cafe to meet old and new friends at the V11 Treffen. A fitting end to the holiday. We had a great time and it was good to meet Jaap, Antonio and Martin again - we haven't laughed so much for ages... .