| Author | Message | ||
     1313 |
 I hope the title to this thread hasn't scared anyone off, because in German gute Fahrt means good trip.  Now for a little background information. I work for a German company and when I first started over 5 years ago I spent a total of 12 weeks (during my first year of employment) in Berlin - with a few weekend trips to other areas in Germany. With fellowship being paramount in the Buell community, both in the US and abroad, I managed to make a few friends with some German Buell riders during my previous trips. One of these friends came over to the US for the Buell/BRAG (remember them?) Homecoming in 2005: Frank's visit for Homecoming 2005 Frank has always tried to get me to go over to Germany for the annual BORG Buell Owner and Repair Group MSM (Mid Summer Meeting). During my first year of employment I was hoping that one of my trips would coincide with the BORG MSM, but it never worked out that way. Then sometime this past May the local head of development asked me if I had a passport and mentioned something that I should participate in an FMEA for a new product we are developing that would be held in Berlin. Initially I thought 'Cool! It's been over 4 years since I've been to Berlin.' As the details started to fall in line, the FMEA meeting would take place in early June and the consensus was that just a 1 week trip would be too short to accomplish much, so I would be in Germany for nearly 2 weeks. Then it was time to investigate what would be going on in Germany during my stay for entertainment. As I began surfing the web, I found a Marilyn Manson concert in Glauchau if my stay extended into the 2nd weekend. Then it hit me - the 2nd weekend was the middle of June & wasn't the BORG MSM traditionally held in the middle of June? A quick web search revealed that the BORG MSM for 2007 was indeed would be held on the 2nd weekend that I would be in Berlin - if I could somehow extend my stay. Talking with my boss, I would be willing to take vacation time in Germany if it would allow me to take in this event. Fortunately for me I was able to schedule enough appointments with the development people in Berlin that I only had to use 1 day of vacation and would be able to take in the MSM. Since the airfare was cheaper for me to stay the 2nd weekend, all my expenses (minus the beer, of course) were paid by my company. This was fortunate for a big reason due to the price of gasoline in Germany. The first time I refueled the rental car (when the exchange rate was ~$1.35/Euro) regular gas cost the equivalent of $9.00 a gallon. Still think $3.00 a gallon is expensive? Even though I had to work during the majority of my trip there was still plenty of cool activities involved. Everything from German food, an amazing visit to an amazing place that can only be described as a revolving, living museum, a visit to a gothic bar, a visit to a shop that only carries a somewhat esoteric liquor, a random hearse sighting, visiting a couple of Buell dealers, a Marilyn Manson concert and of course the main attraction - the BORG MSM 2007. It should go without saying that this Tale Section entry is bound to be a long one. I hope I can get all the interesting experiences up here in a timely manner. So go grab some popcorn, feel free to skip over the points that aren't of interest to you and sit back and enjoy reading about (and of course - looking at pictures from) a gute Fahrt in Germany. 1313  | ||
| 1313 |
Since I couldn't sleep on any of the flights it would be pointless to go into work on the day that I arrived. Because it had been over 4 years since my last trip to Germany, my first priority was to get one of my most favorite foods in Berlin, actually a Turkish creation called a Doener Kebab:   Some might say a Doener Kebab is nothing more that a Greek Gyro, but I beg to differ. Sure they both traditionally use lamb meat, include various types of salads and have great sauces, but nothing can compare to a Turkish Doener in Berlin. After satiating myself with my first Doener Kebab of the trip it was time to find my hotel. I printed out Mapquest directions before I left the US with some of the directions I would need during my stay in Germany. Usually Mapquest directions are great for Europe, however the street to get from where I would be working to the hotel had some road construction so my first experiences with Mapquest directions during this trip didn't start out in a good way. That's right, I got lost, but only a little bit. In the end it was a good experience though as I never would have stumbled upon this Humber Hearse if I wouldn't have gotten lost:   1313 | ||
| 1313 |
A little inspection of the right hand drive Hearse showed that it was part of the Classic Hearse Register based out of the UK.  This prompted me to do some online searching when I got back to the US. I found this picture of the same car taken in 1989. Don't believe it's the same car? Check out the license plate... Searching today I also found that the Hearse appears to have been sold recently. But when I saw the Hearse this in one of the side windows:  The advertised website can be accessed directly here. 1313 | ||
| 1313 |
After getting some pictures of the Hearse it was time to find the hotel and unpack my luggage. Luckily it was really just around the corner from where I had gotten 'lost'. While I was unpacking in the hotel room, I realized one detail that I had forgotten about Germany - air conditioning is a rarity. The temperature during my time in Berlin hovered around 30°C (about 86°F), and without air conditioning in the hotel room I had to go for a ride in the air conditioned rental car after I unpacked to cool down a little bit. Another colleague from the US arrived a day or two earlier than I did, so my plan was to do some of the things he might not find very interesting when I arrived, so I already knew I would end up at Classic Bike H-D/Buell during my first day anyway.     1313 | ||
| 1313 |
My previous trips to Germany taught me that most Buells over there are rarely stock - except maybe on the showroom floor. Here's an obviously personalized X1 on the floor at Classic Bike.  Is it just me, or do the peg mounts remind anyone else of the S2 sideplates?  However, the rest of the Buells on the showroom floor were pretty much stock.  But they did have a good selection of apparel.  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
Here's what the VIN label of a German XB looks like:  The constructive principles:  Gee - Buell isn't a sideline in Germany?  The difference in price between the US market and the German market didn't seem to be as high as during my previous visits to Germany.  However, at the $1.35/Euro exchange rate, the price of this Uly converts to about $16,000. During all of my previous trips the US Dollar was worth more than the Euro & I recall both H-D's and Buells price in Euro's was about 2,500 more than the US market price. 1313 | ||
| 1313 |
Something every Buell dealer should have:  Or how about equal billing?  The Buell salesman I talked with at Classic Bike, Steffen Karst, owns a XB9R and also races the Classic Bike V-Rod Destroyer.  Unfortunately Steffen would not be able to make the MSM due to having to race the Destroyer in Austria (IIRC) that weekend, but he is definitely a true Buell fanatic. 1313 | ||
| 1313 |
After a nice time talking with Steffen and getting a couple of Buell T-shirts and some German brochures it was time to explore and attempt to remember how to navigate around Berlin after an over 4 year absence. Oh yeah, and also do some dashboard sightseeing. Here's Victory Tower:  And (what I found out during this trip to be the backside of) Brandenburg Gate:  Heading back to the hotel in an attempt to meet up with my US colleague I went right by BMW Motorrad Werk:  View from my hotel room after I got back and the other US colleague had already eaten dinner.  Here is about the same view in daylight:  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
The next day after work I forced the other US colleague to go back to BMW Motorrad Werk to get a couple more pictures:   Notice me pointing to the Buell logo on my shirt...   One of the most interesting business names we found cruising around Berlin that night:  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
Fast forward to Saturday and it's time to check out some of the artistic aspects of Berlin.   While I went to do some shopping for friends and family at Ka De We, the other US colleague set out on foot armed with my camera along with his and took these photos:      1313 | ||
| 1313 |
Then it was off to a quite unusual place that another US colleague who has spent a bunch of time in Berlin found on one of his trips: MeilenWerk We were both totally blown away by what we saw at MeilenWerk. I took so many pictures at MeilenWerk. So as not to bore you, here are the most interesting 70-some... Well, OK, these first 4 were actually taken outside MeilenWerk. Including this 3-wheeled Reliant Robin:   This Citroen and Volvo wagon:  And this Volvo PV:  I remembered seeing a short article in an old Hot Rod magazine about the Volvo PV cars. If one is chopped, sectioned and channeled, it ends up being shorter in height than doing the same with the classic 49-51 Mercury customs. 1313 | ||
| 1313 |
If that is what was on the outside, we could only wonder what we would find on the inside. Until we went in. And boy, what an interesting smattering of all kinds of cars (and some various motorcycles - if you wait long enough). Late model Ferrari:  Not just a Messerschmitt,  but a Messerschmitt that you could actually rent:  And one of a few Model T's present:  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
OK, here's a V-Rod with a 300 mm back tire:  Don't worry, there are more bikes - with even more character - to come, somewhat later. Don't know if this was just a Rolls Royce converted to a pick up truck or if it was actually an old flower car, but it sure was unique.  I don't believe I've ever seen a Lancia quite like this one before:   It's kind of interesting what Wikipedia has to say about Superleggera especially if you own a tube-framed Buell... 1313 | ||
| 1313 |
The Porsche 959 is probably considered a classic now.  You don't know how hard that statement hits, especially when you remember the cars being new when you were a kid... Do you consider this a classic Rolls Royce?  If not quite, then how about this one?  Kind of reminiscent of the Munster's Koach, ain't it? Well, maybe just a little bit... The 'Flying Lady' hood ornament was actually inscribed with 'February 6, 1911':  And lastly another shot of the Rolls Royce pick up/flower car or whatever:  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
A newer Citroen than the one that was outside:  Even a DeLorean:  Another late model Ferrari (there was also a black one of this model there):  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
And now for a couple of interesting taxi's... The Checker Aerobus:   I think there might be a decimal point missing...  otherwise you can get the first 1/5 mile and I will get the next 2500 1/5 miles - sound fair? And a London taxi - hopefully with more reasonable rates:  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
This was one of my favorites from MeilenWerk, and it's just a chassis.  Most people don't realize that Maybach isn't a new name in German automobiles. This Maybach chassis is actually for a Leichenwagen (Hearse) with the build year being 1928.   And from a German automaker I'm sure you've heard of comes this older oval-window model.  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
Some more of the cars inside. A Jensen Interceptor:  A sign for a Leichenwagen (Hearse) that you could actually rent - but the car was unfortunately not there. The Hearse is actually a 1969 Model Year car and could have been built during 1968, so I don't know why the build year is specified as 1967.  The treats outside started with this wild variation of the venerable VW microbus,  and continued with this unusual sight to see in Germany, a late 50's GMC fire truck.  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
Outside some of the vehicles were obviously waiting for some restoration work,  while some appeared to be intended to be kept as they are,  while others appeared to be just visiting, like this SWEET Mercury:  or this Opel station wagon:  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
Maybe this Jaguar isn't such an unusual sign since it's for such an unusual place:  Proving that there's 'one in every crowd' there was this German style H-D chopper in the parking lot as well.  Behind it was this PRISTINE early 1970's Honda Civic. I don't think they were ever this nice, even when they were new...  And one of the very few pieces of American Muscle was this 1967 GTO convertible outside:  And before stepping back inside to cover the rest, this Ferrari was very tempting with the keys in the ignition:  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
About the only other piece of American Muscle represented was this early 1970's Ford Torino Cobra:  A couple of Psychedelically painted cars - an older Trabant on the left and a MG on the right:  Of course, no eclectic collection is complete without an Indian:  I'm not sure if this Norton powered bike is actually a Triton, but I'm sure some of you out there will be able to tell at a moments glance.  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
A little more traditional VW microbus with an unusual front end treatment:  Little yellow Corvette just doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?  Just like green Cadillac doesn't either...  For those screaming 'MORE BIKES! MORE BIKES!', how's this?  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
This painting says something to me about the people that buy the car pictured in the painting, but I will let you draw your own conclusions - because - isn't that what art is all about?  Here's a picture of a smattering of motorcycles taken at a different angle:  An interesting LaVerda:  And this superb 1920's Triumph with sidecar:  Now, can someone please tell those pesky chopper builders that levers that pivot at the end of the bars are not something new?  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
One 'wing' of MeilenWerk is actually a row of mechanic shops. A Mercedes shop, a Ferrari Shop, a Jaguar shop, a Citroen shop and probably a couple of others that I am forgetting. Here's a couple of Mercedes getting some underhood work done to them at the Mercedes shop.  A Gilera 125 Sport.  Talk about an unusual dirt bike:  Yes, it's a Triumph:  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
Now for an area I prefer to call 'Motorcycles that begin with the letter M'. First off is this group shot - from left to right; a Mondail, an MV and a Moto Guzzi:  But wait, what about that one in the background in the store front? What is it?  It also starts with M. It's a Maserati motorcycle.  To finish off the 'Motorcycles that begin with the letter M' area is this MZ (for some reason the LaVerda in the background just doesn't seem to fit...):  The front of the MZ sure looks like a praying mantis to me.  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
The last thing I expected to see in such a place in Berlin, Germany was Bubba's pick up truck:  But this Russian Zil limo didn't seem particularly out of place:  I don't usually go for the exotic cars much, but there was something I really dug on this Ferrari:  No, it wasn't the carbon fiber mirrors.  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
Nor was it the carbon fiber headlight panels.  It was the 'mascot' that was in both the grille up front and the valence panel in the rear.  Here's a Jaguar you don't see everyday.  And here's one that you don't see in this position everyday.  1313 | ||
| 1313 |
Of course, the Ferrari shop has to have a little panache.  And here's one of the original Wolfsburg editions:   1313 | ||
| 1313 |
Finishing off my photo tour of MeilenWerk is this Lotus Super 7:  and this Maserati:  WOW! That was a LOT to see!  But there is plenty more to see outside in Berlin... (PLENTY) More to come... 1313 | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
i'm enjoying a gute Fahrt... cool beans!  FB |
