Ducati Sporting Club UK - When your ready fellow DSC'ers

A Typical Trip

Open your mind …..

Day 1

It’s Friday morning and you arrive at the Port. Parked is the Subaru Support Vehicle, fully loaded with all appropriate tools and equipment for the journey ahead.

You are greeted by me (Keith), a 44 year old motorcycle factory trained fully qualified technician, with the added bonus of the man himself being a first class European route master, and a biker!

After some informal greetings and a roll call to make sure everyone is present and correct, we board the vessel for the first leg of our journey. On the boat we gather round while the formalities of the trip are discussed, names and information are exchanged. For the next 2 hours you can ask as many questions you feel necessary to put any concerns that you might have to bed, whilst relaxing and getting to know any other members of the trip.

After disembarking, we group together and set off on the journey through France, Belgium and into Germany. There are many organisations that have a different angle on what, and which, routes to take. I have done this journey well over 100 times in the last five years and have put together a route that gets us to where we need to be within an easy time frame with plenty of breaks, without losing your licence and without having to pay the heavy fines that the European police can impose. So, our tried and tested route and system enables a steady pace of approximately 75-80 mph. Each leg of the journey is no more than 1 hour 20 minutes in the saddle, stopping for fuel, coffee and snacks en-route.

Just as you think it’s starting to get boring, we arrive and experience some of the nicest scenic, twisty roads the Eifel Region has to offer. In short, breathtaking ! We carry on to our final destination, a 3* hotel nestling in a valley, owned and operated by a typical German family who have run the business for generations. Tomas (the Head Chef), and owner, was incidentally trained at The Dorint Hotel. Spacious rooms with en-suite facilities, underground secure parking and a balcony with a view second to none, where we can sit and consume a well earned cold beer at the end of days riding.

After you’ve washed and changed we can meet in the restaurant and sit down for the all inclusive evening meal with a nice bottle of local wine from the Mosel Valley. By now, and after a few more beers, an early night is recommended in anticipation for Day 2 of your holiday.

Day 2

Rise and shine, and make your way down for breakfast, which is typical continental with a twist of Tomas’s interpretation of ‘bacon and eggs’.

At this point I (Keith) will be down in the garage checking your tyre pressures, lubing your chains and generally checking your bikes over before the days ride. (Chain lube etc supplied ‘free of charge’) Then when we are ready to go, it’s off up to The Ring. When you pull in the gates you can feel the hair on your arms stand on end, as what you will be greeted with is a paddock area by the Ticket Office with a selection of bikes and cars ranging from the locals tricked and tuned up performance bikes and performance cars in the shape of dodge Vipers, Nissan Skylines and the typical German Porsche, Audi and BMW!! I once stood there and at a glance counted over £2 million worth of performance cars and bikes in six car park slots!!

Once we have gathered for a Ring Safety Talk and de-brief you ‘pays your money and takes your chance’!

There are many myths about The Ring. In my opinion, and it’s only my opinion, I would rather ride The Ring than take my chance on the M25 in London at 5pm on Friday night!!! Enough said!

Mid afternoon, for those who are interested, can take the short ride down to The Nurburgring Motorsport Museum and participate in all the things it has to offer, including Go-Karting and the souvenir shop where you can buy your Nurburgring sticker to proudly put on your bike.
(P.s. Make no mistake – it’s your holiday, these are only suggestions – it is up to you whether you want to visit the museum or stay at The Ring.)

Then it’s back to the Hotel for a few more beers, your evening meal, and a long chat about the day’s events and your experiences.

Day 3

After breakfast, it would be silly not to experience some of the local roads with their switch-back 180 deg bends and awesome scenery, and for those who want to, will head off on roughly a 100 mile ride out with coffee and refreshment stops before heading back to The Ring for a late afternoon/early evening session. Or, if you want to, you can relax at the Hotel or indeed spend the day at The Ring.

On this day, any support you need will go with the ride out, so if you do have a problem it will be taken care of as I’m only a phone call away, and it will be sorted when I get back to the ring. Again, this is your holiday you decide how you want to spend your time.

Day 4

Today we will have a late breakfast, the usual bike check over and maintenance will be carried out and we will kit up, do 100 miles of twisties and head back to the Port for our boat home.

Once you have all cleared customs, we will meet at the petrol station, say our ‘bon voyage’ farewells and head our separate ways.

Our trips will run every Friday (see separate schedule) and all that’s left for me to say is I hope this has wet your appetite and look forward to seeing you in the very near future.

Kind regards

Keith
:eureka: