Roll Call Germany and neighbouring countries

[Twitch]

Hi there,

I´m new to this forum. I live in Aachen and sometimes dwell around Frankfurt.

I ride since 2004, but since half a year I have my first own bike, kawa zephyr 550, which I consider my recent learner and later commuter bike.

where do you guys come from and what do you ride???

Cya,

Twitch

[CDN]

Welcome to STN  

Poll me 30 years from now and I'll be living half the year in my chalet on the slopes below Magdalensberg, Karnten    

[Global Rider]

Where do you guys come from and what do you ride???

Where? Canada, but most of my "quality" riding takes place in Europe and the Alps.

What? Four BMW GSes of different years and one Kawasaki KLR650.

I'll probably be moving there either permanently or part of the year. I'm in the process of applying for my EU citizenship and passport which I'll get automatically due to circumstances.

[RBEmerson]

Schön Grüß aus (manchmal) Bad Schwalbach (Main-Taunus-Kreis)!  

[gforce]

  Herzlich wilkommen!

Wir kommen gewöhnlich zweimal im Jahr nach Frankfurt-Niederrad, wo meine Schatz ihr Familieheimat hat.

Bis jetzt aber lieder ohne Motorrad.  

[RBEmerson]

Leider, ich auch.    

[Global Rider]

Bis jetzt aber lieder ohne Motorrad.

Und ich...immer mit meine R1150 GS Adventure.  

Von Allround Motorradvermietung in Frankfurt kostet eine R1200 GS nur €510 pro woche.

http://www.motorradvermietung.de

[Twitch]

Wow, didn´t expect so many replies so quick. Thanks for the welcome!

Thats a pity - the bikeless time... a friend used to roast me about that... now he has a seasonal registration and I´m the one riding all year round, and I haven´t seen winter yet But honestly - riding alone is great, but I´d like to have a group ride once in a while (like march).

So who is riding currently?
Hat jemand Bock auf ne Runde durch den Taunus - vielleicht im März??? Too many riders over here have a seasonal registration, which sucks considering the great weather and good riding conditions

[RBEmerson]

Ab anfang April bin ich wieder in Bad Schwalbach.  Bock hab ich!  Na ja, Motorrad... dass ist problematich.  

Aber rund ins Wispertal zu fahren... das wird sehr fantastisch sein!  



(I'll be back in Bad Schwalbach in early April.  I've got the desire.  Um, er, a motorcycle... that's a problem  But to ride around in Wispertal... that would be really fantastic!  

Wispertal is an area east of the Rhine, in the western end of the Taunus region, and it's basically a region full of Deals Gap-like roads and realistic [well, generally] speed limits)  

[Jeff N]

Umlaut control, please.  

Meine Mutti ist Berliner, und meine Papa hat raus Pommern gekomst und meine Deutsch ist ganz schadlich.

Ich bin ein Redding, Kalifornia rezident.

Guten tag!  

[RBEmerson]

Umlaut control, please. 

Meine Mutti ist Berliner, und meine Papa hat raus Pommern gekomst und meine Deutsch ist ganz schadlich.

Ich bin ein Redding, Kalifornia rezident.

Guten tag! 

Here's a useful site for tuning up your German - www.leo.org - now with German/English, German/French, and German/Spanish sections.  This is not a Babel Fish site (home of some very scary translations) but more like a "I know the word, I just can't think of right meaning or grammar" site. 

Um, gosh, your mother's a Berliner?  Time to hop over to leo and look that up.  Sie ist eine Berlinerin - Berliner sind auch Kreppeln oder Ballen benannt und sind sehr lecker.  Wie es ist mit Ihrer Mutter, ich hoffe, ist etwas anders.   

Sorry - it's an old joke that goes back to JFK's pronouncement in Berlin: "Ich bin ein Berliner" which also means "I am a donut".  "Berliners" are sort of like the sugar-coated, jelly-filled goodies found at Dunkin Donuts, etc. and they're associated with Fasching, German Mardi Gras.  And "Berliner" is also the masculine form for someone from Berlin.  Anyway, translating, "She is from Berlin - "Berliners" are also called "kreppeln" or "balls" and are very tasty.  How it is with your mother, I hope, is somewhat different."  Yeah, yeah, yeah... if you have to explain 'em, they aren't that funny. 

Grüß und tchüß aus Skippack!   

[Ralf]

I live just south of Germany in Munich, Bavaria's capital city I moved here from Stuttgart about a year and half ago.

Bikes:

'88 Yamaha TDR250 (located at my in-laws' place in Bohemia) and
'92 Honda CBR600 (with seasonal registration!).

My CBR's still stuck in Stuttgart, but, to be perfectly honest, my two little ones and work keep my riding time down to a minimum.

[Ralf]

Hat jemand Bock auf ne Runde durch den Taunus - vielleicht im März??? Too many riders over here have a seasonal registration, which sucks considering the great weather and good riding conditions

You should have been here last winter. It was a long, cold and snowy winter. Actually, quite the opposite of this indeed very mild winter. Overall, seasonal registration makes sense if you don't have studded tires for the winter and/or don't mind a salt-covered motorcycle  

[Twitch]

~RBEmerson: Thanks for that hint... I´m in Hanau until the End of this month, so will have one or two occasions to hit that area  

Hey, would you rent a bike for a weekend or even a week???
Some friends of mine and me are kicking an idea around... having a trip over the alps to the middle sea...

Yummy... this sweet talk makes me hungry - unfortunately the Fastenzeit has begun Carnival is over  

~Ralf: You´re propably right, but I´m really excited about the good conditions, even tough I would consider this weather bad - It´s just dry, which increases riding time   Why is your bike still in Stuttgart? Is the area around Munich good for riding? I really like the blackwood forrest - been there during my service, but wasn´t riding at that time, and ever since I dreamed of a tour to and through it... maybe this year - to visit friends in freiburg...

[Jeff N]

Here's a useful site for tuning up your German - www.leo.org - now with German/English, German/French, and German/Spanish sections.  This is not a Babel Fish site (home of some very scary translations) but more like a "I know the word, I just can't think of right meaning or grammar" site.  

Um, gosh, your mother's a Berliner?  Time to hop over to leo and look that up.  Sie ist eine Berlinerin - Berliner sind auch Kreppeln oder Ballen benannt und sind sehr lecker.  Wie es ist mit Ihrer Mutter, ich hoffe, ist etwas anders.  

Sorry - it's an old joke that goes back to JFK's pronouncement in Berlin: "Ich bin ein Berliner" which also means "I am a donut".  "Berliners" are sort of like the sugar-coated, jelly-filled goodies found at Dunkin Donuts, etc. and they're associated with Fasching, German Mardi Gras.  And "Berliner" is also the masculine form for someone from Berlin.  Anyway, translating, "She is from Berlin - "Berliners" are also called "kreppeln" or "balls" and are very tasty.  How it is with your mother, I hope, is somewhat different."  Yeah, yeah, yeah... if you have to explain 'em, they aren't that funny.  

Grüß und tchüß aus Skippack!  

Ya, I know about the JFK Berliner joke. Meine tanta lived on the square where JFK made that speech. She witnessed it.

Schonn gruss aus California.

[RBEmerson]

Hanau... it's been a looooooong time since I was there.  In army green.    

I've thought about renting locally.  There's a Honda dealer in Bleidenstadt (on B54 - part of Taunustein) I keep meaning to talk to about that.  But I'd have to bring all of my riding gear with me from the States on top of everything else we drag along.  Na ja, alles, mit glück, ist möglich.  

Carnival is history for this year.  At least we had something that looked like kreppeln last night after dinner.    

[Ralf]

~Ralf: You´re propably right, but I´m really excited about the good conditions, even tough I would consider this weather bad - It´s just dry, which increases riding time   Why is your bike still in Stuttgart? Is the area around Munich good for riding? I really like the blackwood forrest - been there during my service, but wasn´t riding at that time, and ever since I dreamed of a tour to and through it... maybe this year - to visit friends in freiburg...

By all means enjoy the mild winter we're having, but bear in mind this is not a typical German winter (unless this is a sign of things to come, i.e. global warming ).

Even though Munich is the doorstep to the Alps, my CBR still languishes in Stuttgart While living in Stuttgart, I used go to the Black Forest regularly, and it is indeed great for motorcycles. Freiburg would make a great destination.

[RBEmerson]

And further north, Odenwald and Michelstadt.  We drove around there a couple of years ago in early April, lots of great roads and scenery, and almost nobody on the roads.  Except for some guys doing some serious kneedragging in the corners.  Although I do remember going past one stretch of road where there was a "no speed limit" sign (white circle, black edge, and three diagonal stripes) and no more than 100-200 meters down the road a 70 km speed limit sign.  Sitting in the bushes (really!) were two police with a radar unit and down the road was a green and white car with blue lights on top.  Nasty, nasty, nasty!  

[throttlemeister]

Unlimited is only on the Autobahn. The same sign is used on the B/K/L roads indicating a max speed of 100kph. From what you are describing, you were not on the Autobahn. If this is correct, it is not that nasty as the Germans typically do not put a 70 sign up for no reason. Germans are pretty good at setting correct speed limits, contrary its neighbor, my own fucked up country.

[RBEmerson]

This was not on the autobahn but on a landstrasse or kreisstrasse.  However, the 70 km/hr limit was very clearly a trap as shortly beyond the parked police car was... another black circle and three stripes.  It was all very odd as, of course, there are all manner of radar cameras around but, for some reason, this little 500 - 750 meter stretch of no speed limit (well, 100 km/hr), 70 km/hr speed limit, no speed limit,basically in the middle of nowhere, was being controlled with real live people hiding in bushes.   However, it's worth remembering it was a road that seemed to attract the knee-dragger crowd.  

I know of one other obviously anti-bike sign set.  Take a look at a map of Bad Schwalbach (WNW of Wiesbaden, along B54) and locate L3374 (Reitallee in Bad Schwalbach - I can't remember the name once it's out of town) between the town and B260.  This road is a delightful climb out of town but it's posted at 30 km/hr for motorcycles only.    

[Twitch]

booooh... i don´t get it - of course there are turns, that are easier to navigate by car, and then I´m grateful for such a speedlimit, not only, because the roadraging driver behind me gets the idea by looking at the sign, but some of them are pretty much useless, i believe some are just forgotten, after they renewed the road.  


where do you come from, throttlemeister?

rbe~ in which of the camps were you? wolfgang or auheim? i believe there are 2(now, for sure) to 4. Or was it the barracks in the inner city - lamboy??? They made a nice quarter out of it after those buildings were abandoned by the US forces.

[throttlemeister]

Twitch: Netherlands

[RBEmerson]

I honestly don't remember which post I was on in Hanau.  I was only there a few days and then off to first a kasserne near Bad Schwalbach and later one  near Herborn (in Dillkreis).  Both postings were to small US units actually in German kassernes.  

[Twitch]

throttlemeister - are you anywhere near the dreiländereck netherlands-belgium-germany?
I return to aachen in a few days, and yet have no riding buddies... do you still ride?

My bike is dutch I got to know a member of another site from den haag and got the old ride of his wife.

[throttlemeister]

Nope, I am near Rotterdam. But looking forward to some nice weather to go play in the Eifel for a weekend again.

[ninjadad66]

Currently in Rodenbach Germany. Been here since Nov. 2006

[RBEmerson]

Er, which one?  There are several Rodenbachs in Germany.  

[ninjadad66]

Er, which one?  There are several Rodenbachs in Germany.  

  Hmmm, Not sure if it's Rhienland Pfalz or Saarland so I'll just say the one that's closest to Kaiserslautern

I'm stationed at Ramstein Air Base if that helps any

[Ralf]

  Hmmm, Not sure if it's Rhienland Pfalz or Saarland so I'll just say the one that's closest to Kaiserslautern

I'm stationed at Ramstein Air Base if that helps any

It's probably this one

Rodenbach in the Palatinate

Good location for some nice tours  

[RBEmerson]

Ramstein AFB works for me.  Or "K-town".  Happily, I only passed through there on occasion while stationed in Germany (in places even the locals didn't always know about - really!).  Hmmm... a bunch of names I used to know or deal with there... Baumholder, "Graf", Pirmasens... used to go to an ammo depot there for all kinds of fun "toys" that went boom.  

Anyway, hop on the A6 headed east and you're headed for Odenwald, Michaelbach, and some really fantastic places to ride.  Go west to Saarbrucken and on to France.  I envy you!  

[ninjadad66]

   Hello again RB, I see you know this area very well. I went to the Odenwald this past summer, but I've forgotten all the good passes.  When I was here before (1997 - 2002), we use to hit this trail in the Odenwald at the end there was a Biker hangout with good eats.  Tried to find it and ended up getting lost and ended up at the same starting point    By that time I was loosing day light and decided to head home.  Nonetheless, it was still a great ride.

[Jeff N]

Here's a useful site for tuning up your German - www.leo.org - now with German/English, German/French, and German/Spanish sections.  This is not a Babel Fish site (home of some very scary translations) but more like a "I know the word, I just can't think of right meaning or grammar" site.

Many thanks for the link. I'm not going to pretend that I can speak or type 'Auf Duetsch' from now on. I can hear it in my head but.....

[RBEmerson]

In fact, I'll be near Wiesbaden in another week or so.  I hear spring kicked in early this year and things are looking great.  And me with no bike...  

It's too early to do it now, but the Aarlberg (western Austria) in June was a great place to be a couple years back.  The clouds were piled up to the west and we came through the St. Christoph pass (from St. Gallen) in almost zero-zero vis.  Traffic was crawling up the slope and, no joke, a guy on a mountain bike was actually doing better than we were.  But once we cleared the pass and dropped down towards St. Anton, the sun came out and it was serious "tourist weather".  There was, of course, still snow in the mountains but the ski season was over and the hikers hadn't shown up yet.  We had the place almost entirely to ourselves.  

[ninjadad66]

In fact, I'll be near Wiesbaden in another week or so.  I hear spring kicked in early this year and things are looking great.  And me with no bike...  

No worries RB, spring is gone and winter is back (snow included) for the next two weeks or so.

[Ralf]

No worries RB, spring is gone and winter is back (snow included) for the next two weeks or so.

But the weather's supposed to improve again next week...

[ninjadad66]

But the weather's supposed to improve again next week...

Oh man i hope so and our weather peeps are wrong.

[RBEmerson]

Schnee??  So ein Mist!  

(Snow?  S***!)

[ninjadad66]

Schnee??  So ein Mist!  

(Snow?  S***!)

HA HA..Well the good news is it's all melting now. However, if the temp keeps dropping I think we'll have ice and slush in the morning.  What a start to wonderful spring huh??

[Ralf]

HA HA..Well the good news is it's all melting now. However, if the temp keeps dropping I think we'll have ice and slush in the morning.  What a start to wonderful spring huh??

According to the weather report, it's going to be miserable until Sunday afternoon, but new week should be better ... at least in Bavaria...

[ninjadad66]

According to the weather report, it's going to be miserable until Sunday afternoon, but new week should be better ... at least in Bavaria...

What's up Ralf, man I tell you if nothing else, you sure know how to keep my spirits up  

I've been up to your area a few times, stayed at a friends house in Bad Worheshofein (spelling), and managed to make a few rides to Fussen to do the American tourist view the castle thing (ha ha).  That was in a car and the roads up that way are awseome so I know the summer will bring me back on two wheels this year.

How are you doing this morning?

[Ralf]

What's up Ralf, man I tell you if nothing else, you sure know how to keep my spirits up  

I've been up to your area a few times, stayed at a friends house in Bad Worheshofein (spelling), and managed to make a few rides to Fussen to do the American tourist view the castle thing (ha ha).  That was in a car and the roads up that way are awseome so I know the summer will bring me back on two wheels this year.

How are you doing this morning?

Bavaria's great, I moved down here from Stuttgart about a year and a half ago. However, my bike's still in Stuttgart (but I'll be bringing it down soon). Despite being really busy, I'm looking forward to getting in a couple of quality rides this year (and maybe to some more unusual places) 

You're right in the middle of the Pfälzerwald, the Weinstraße and the Alsace (I have a friend who lives in Landau), i.e. prime riding roads 

[RBEmerson]

Schön Gruß aus Bad Schwalbach!  Greetings from Bad Schwalbach!  We drove to Cologne yesterday (for the "Hobby und Handarbeit Austellung" - more knitting, crochet, and sewing stuff than I want to see again for at least another year!) - tons of bikes out locally between here and Idstein and many bikes on the A3 autobahn.  And I'm stuck in Ford Focus rent-a-racer.  Bah!  

[Ralf]

Schön Gruß aus Bad Schwalbach!  Greetings from Bad Schwalbach!  We drove to Cologne yesterday (for the "Hobby und Handarbeit Austellung" - more knitting, crochet, and sewing stuff than I want to see again for at least another year!) - tons of bikes out locally between here and Idstein and many bikes on the A3 autobahn.  And I'm stuck in Ford Focus rent-a-racer.  Bah!  

Servus aus München! ... great weather and I'm stuck in the office 

[RBEmerson]

Grüß Gott!    The weather looks great today (mostly sunny and 20C / 65F temps) but it seems the temps and clouds are coming down as the week goes on.  So it goes...  


(Bavarian greeting)

[Twitch]

Sooo, I´m going to have a little trip through the Eifel next Thirstday or Friday, since I´m heading from Aachen to Frankfurt.

So if anyone wants to have a little ride, I´d be in for a little detour on the way