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The Brief Nurburgring Review.
The fact that the Nurburgring even came to my attention was by accident. It all started 4 years ago. Through a close friend, I meet up with a bloke who rode an R1. One day he mentioned that he had been invited, by some copper mates, onto a trip to the Nurburgring in Germany.
Where? I said. Never heard of it. 2 months later I am sitting on a ferry with 8 Policeman on my way to Calais. Weird. They turned out to be a good bunch of lads and I have teamed up with them ever since on ring-dings. They ride fast and safe and hate speed cameras as much as you and I do.The Fun Side.
The trip down to the ring with your mates can be enjoyable. Most of the trip is on motorways, E40 mostly, but once you get almost through Belgium you get off the Motorway and use the fantastic A258 road all the way to Nurburg.
https://www.nurburgring.org.uk/directions/calais/index.html
There is a point on the E40 when it runs alongside the high-speed train to Paris. The road is not smooth, or flat or even straight but it is enough for a prolonged max-out! We use it each trip to see how fast your bike is. It goes on for miles. It’s great fun. 2000 ‘blade, soft panniers, 176MPH. Next year should be quicker on my new 04/05 ‘bladeThe best place to stay (in my opinion) is in Nurburg itself and the friendliest hotel is the Lindenhof. It’s not the poshest by any means but for 25 Euros a night for B&B you can’t argue. The food is lovely, the rooms are okay and the beer is great. The bar stays open as long as you want and the owner is a lovely woman, really friendly. They even showed me how to pour a local draught beer without getting a massive head on it. Where else would they let you behind the bar to get your own drinks? If they know you everything is on a slate. You pay at the end of the night. The owner’s hubby even painted one of my mates nails bright red with nail polish while he fell asleep at the bar after another heavy drinking bout. Good people, always up for a laugh. The food is fab. German fare and plenty of it. Grillhax (or however it’s pronounced) is gorgeous.
The bar is frequented by locals and some of the local track bods and the father of the famous M5 Ring Taxi driving Sabine, frequents the place (just watch Clarkson on Top Gear driving a Jag diesel around the ‘ring).
https://213.239.207.198/nuerburgring.de/99.html?&L=1The Serious Side.
Once you pay your 16 Euros (or whatever it is this year) you are free to pass through the barriers and start your lap.
The circuit is 13 miles long with at least 73 bends. One thing you will need to remember. It is madness.
It is one way, overtaking is to the left only, everyone is faster than you, use your mirrors, often, certain cars like Porsches or anything being driven by a local WILL pass you, sometimes mid-bend, it would be best to let someone faster pass you and you mess up 1 bend than hit the armco, other slower vehicles use the track – including coaches! I have chased (not for long) the Ring Taxi and have seen it drifting using opposite lock around bends. There will be numerous other cars doing similar things. Cars and Bikes crash everyday. People get hurt, people die. I have seen so many crashes, so many trashed cars, bikes and helicopters whisking injured people away. Please take it easy.
https://www.nurburgring.org.uk/warning.htmlWe go to the ‘ring at least once a year and usually someone does something silly and damages a bike or gets hurt. I have crashed twice, once through no fault of my own and the other I don’t remember but I did break my collarbone. Ambulance, hospital, bike on a trailer home, pain, shoulder in a sling….not good. A 998 riding mate crashed on the last bend of his last lap before heading off to get the ferry! Broke his shoulder. We keep going back though. It’s such a speed junkies paradise.
Really loud exhausts can cause you to fall foul of their noise meters and they have started to clamp down on tank mounted video cameras which is a pity as I have made some good ones over the last couple of years.Summing Up
It is the experience of a lifetime for sports bike riders. Fast circuit, nice bends, generally smooth tarmac, markers on the bends to show you the peal in points, good marshalling, fast response in the event of a crash – which is needed as they happen often and track re-opened as fast as possible. It has a decent cafe overlooking the car park and the main straight and the prices are reasonable. If you have done some track days in your time and fancy something more then this place could be for you. If you have any questions…
Note: The R1 owner who introduced me to the ‘ring hated it so much that not long later he sold his R1 and bought a car. It scared him and it made him realise, aaccording to him, that he was not that cut out for bikes.
2004 Fireblade
Sounds good Jayas, loads of grin power……but without the broken bones Lol!
I’m not riding fast, I’m just flying low. and please DONATE to this website
You are right, tons of grin power, but scarey as well. you have to treat the place with such respect as broken bones do hurt.
Jay
2004 Fireblade
Interesting stuff Jay. The Ring truly sounds an awesome place. I worry about doing a normal track day, and as yet have not plucked up the courage to do one.This just sounds like it is on a different level. Any chance of posting those vids you took?
I could murder a currySuperb write up!!! Would be nice to see some pictures if you have any.
Go out with a BANG… Light a fart!
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