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     1313 |
Since we *knew* early that Homecoming would be centered around the races at Elkhart Lake this year*, I had my vacation request in at the start of the year. Then as the year progressed, I found out that I would have to go to Germany for business the first week of June, and that I'd have to leave Saturday June 1st. OH NO, what do I do? After getting some questions answered, I found out that it was OK if I flew in and out of an airport different from the rest of my colleagues that were also going to Germany at the same time. Incidentally, flying in and out of Milwaukee's Mitchell Field was actually cheaper than my other colleagues itineraries. So, OK, I'd have to cut my Homecoming visit short - and not catch any of the official racing - and still be able to do both. One thing was certain with my adjusted plans, and that was the fact that I would be cramming a lot into a little time - not as extreme as my other Homecoming & Germany trip adventures - but still a lot of stuff in a short time. Of course, there was NO WAY I could miss Homecoming 2013... Since it's been so long since the trip, I'm going to keep this brief. Some Homecoming pics. Super Blastard, always awesome to see:  Interesting Buell/Ducati mix, Buati:  Ourdee had what had to be the most interesting accessory on his XB12XT:  S1 with a complete S&S engine:  Some 'character' from the filming of the 1190RS in action (mentioned elsewhere on BadWeB):  Geoff May's ride from last year, with a smattering of Buell's in the background:  A naked RR 1000:  It wasn't too smart of me, but I had installed a new rear tire and new saddlebags before the trip - and hadn't even ridden the bike with those changes until I left for Homecoming. Fortunately, both changes performed flawlessly:  * I think there shouldn't be any question anymore about Homecoming being centered around the races at Elkhart Lake. That is unless EBR, or the AMA or Road America, changes the time of Homecoming. Next up a few pics from the activity at the racetrack on Friday, 1313 | ||
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Something I never tire of seeing:  Nubbins:  How easy is it for 2 guys to get a bike up on a table? Apparently pretty easy... Back it up:  Get the back end up:  OK now the front end:  Done!:  My favorite pic from the track (the only thing better in my book is if a single bike could have the number 1313):  What's this world coming to? A wide whitewall rear tire?:  Next up Germany, 1313 | ||
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OK, since I work for a different division of my company, my business trip to Germany wasn't to Berlin, but deep in Bavaria to the town of Traunreut. Sure it was still Germany, but with a different flavor. Instead of a large bustling city like Berlin, it was to a small town with a lot less nightlife. In Berlin you had to really search for a German restaurant, but in Traunreut it was the rule, not the exception. And, boy, was the cuisine MOST EXCELLENT! When I had transferred to this division of my company, there was a Traunreut colleague - Willie - working in the US. A fellow rider, I helped him to get the Softail he bought in the US shipped to him in Germany. I was hoping to get to ride his Softail in the US, but come the day for the shippers to pick it up the clutch plates in the open primary he installed had stuck themselves together and the back tire was flat. Oh well, wasn't meant to be. Once the bike was safely in Germany Willie completed his modifications to the Softail and since I was going to spend some vacation time staying at his house in Germany I'd finally be able to see it in completed form. Willie has a handful of close riding buddies around him, one who happens to own a Buell! So, my first day in Traunreut I was met with the following: Bennie's Buell:    Personalized plates, even in Germany... Willie's friend Willie's shovelhead (yes, that is a car tire on the back):  And finally Willie's modified Softail - the Snake:  With a complete S&S engine:  Before he went back to Germany I had given Willie an EBR keychain, which he gave to Bennie, which apparently inspired him. Here's Bennie's new airbox cover:  After my worktime in Germany was over it was time for a little vacation time - which is what's coming up next, 1313 | ||
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Since Willie had to work on Friday, I had the day to kick around Traunreut some on foot. Between his house and the city center, was a place that I always like to check out no mater where I travel - a Friedhof, or a cemetery in English. It's always interesting (to me) to see how different cultures remember their relatives, and this was definitely an interesting cemetery - beautiful and well kept, with lots of visitors tending to their relative's graves. Since this is likely not as interesting to most, I'm only including a couple of pics of the cemetery:   There's always some interesting cultural event going on in Germany:  As I was looking through the motorcycle (Motorrad) magazines in a store in the mall in the city center someone came up behind me and said something in English. Wondering WTF was going on, I turned around and it was Bennie. After picking up a Doener Kebab - a Turkish food similar to, but MUCH BETTER than, a Greek Gyro - for lunch Bennie drove my in his car (blasting Iron Maiden) back to Willie's house as Willie would soon be returning home from work. We were finally going to visit Willie's "Motor Pope". I had NO IDEA what I was in store for... I got to ride Willie's Snake Softail, Willie road one of his other bikes, and Bennie met us there with his Buell. It was interesting for me as it was the first time I rode a bike with n open primary. The only thing I really had to get adjusted to was that the footpeg was higher than 'normal' due to the open primary. But when we arrived at Willie's "Motor Pope", I was overwhelmed:   Then Bennie arrived with his Buell:  After some very in depth Buell motor discussions with Geho, proprietor of Geho's Vehicles - specializing in Harleys, Indians & Buells, Willie came over and asked me a question. Would I like to ride a Buell to Rosenheim instead of the Snake. I was hesitant at first because I thought it would be Bennie's Buell - with the slightly higher seat height - I finally said of course I'd rather ride a Buell. Well amazingly, after not knowing him for more than 30 minutes, Geho let me ride his '08 XB9SX that with his tuning netted around 94 hp:  Willie, Bennie and I rode to Rosenheim to check out some motorcycle gear shops, Dianese and the Louis Company. Unfortunately I was unable to find gloves, so it just ended up being a FUN ride on the German backroads. We returned back to Geho's and with a Buell smile on my face I graciously thanked Geho for allowing me to use his XB9SX. On Saturday we were expecting a visit from one of my best Buell riding buddies in Germany, 1313 | ||
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Originally the plan was that we would meet Frank at a US Car and Bike Show in Geiselwind, but due to the excessive rain earlier in the week the show field was expected to me squishy. So we changed the plans that Frank would come and visit us in Traunreut and we would go into Austria to check out some interesting things. Crossing into Austria from Germany proved just like we cross into other states. Except we don't - usually - have such pieces of artwork at our borders:  Standing on the Germany side and looking at the Austrian side, here are the 3 amigos; myself, Frank and Willie:  One of my goals for the trip, since Traunreut is so close to it, was to visit a quaint little village in Austria:  The beer that I'm holding is a German beer called ••••••• Hell. As a side note, Hell (or Helles) in German means light, as in light beer. So just an innocent play on words... A short while after leaving •••••••• we happened upon a small brewery/winery in Austria that had an interesting sculpture in front that inspired a photo op:  Sucrose ferments into alcohol...which sometimes subdues the person who consumes it... Really, I was stone-cold sober! I didn't drink the ••••••• Hell until I got back home to the US - and boy, was it ever good! But I was definitely not expecting what we did next, 1313 | ||
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Our main destination in Austria was Salzburg. OK, I thought, let's see what a city is like in Austria. Difficult to navigate with construction, but we finally made it to our destination: Hangar 7 Hangar 7 is a privately owned Hangar by the Salzburg airport, owned by the founder of Red Bull, and is known as the 'Red Bull museum'. Unbelievable! Planes, helicopters, Red Bull sponsored racing vehicles of all kinds, and for those so inclined - a restaurant and bar! Hangar 7 is actually the building to the left, with Hangar 8 being the building shown completely:  Restroom sign from Hangar 7:  Statue outside of Hangar 7:  To give you some idea of the lay of the land around Hangar 7:  Only some of what is inside Hangar 7:    The world's most expensive model car, made out of real carbon fiber.    A carbon fiber covered steer skull:       Then a scenic drive back to Traunreut, 1313 | ||
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Since we were in the Alps, we decided to take a scenic drive back to Traunreut. An interesting Chevy dealer in Austria:  Once back in Germany, we stopped to check out the view:    Some information - in German - about our first stop to check out the views:   Our last stop on the way back to Traunreut was near the Eagle's Nest, and was full of beautiful scenery:    Definitely motorcycle friendly:  The rest of my trip was 'normal'. Delays in flights causing a missed connecting flight, and over 1,000 miles to ride back home once I arrived in Milwaukee. You know, the stuff that makes up a motorcycle adventure... Here's looking forward to my next adventure - whether to Germany or not - it will definitely involve motorcycles, 1313 | ||
| Greg_cifu |
Hangar 7, huh? Was the Stratos capsule on display yet?  Very cool photos. You must hate business trips.  |
