I am doing a rideout to the Nurburgring, Germany this weekend if anyone wants to come along.? We'll spend a couple of days doing some hot laps then come back next Wednesday or Thursday at the latest.

Anyone interested ?

Have fun....try not to crash !

I'm back and all's fine. Very Happy too.

The 'ring had mixed conditions. It was a bit damp or wet for some of the time, other times dry for the two/three days we were there. Since all my previous laps / courses were on the dry this - much to my surprise - turned out to be a nice change and I enjoyed the variety. Smile

There were slightly more significant accidents than usual - but only one serious injury (broken legs) which is (in my mind) par for the course. Remember that 130 riders 'full time' on the ring for two days at a considerable pace is alot of quick laps.

On the last day they cancelled the competition where they judge your laps for line and pace. Apparently because of earlier accidents and mixed surface conditions and annoyingly they also closed the circuit while it was raining. Soon dries though. Also they (unusually) had no section training, where you thoroughly examine and practice a series of corners / section of the track. So overall the course felt alot "looser" and more open with free-lapping being nearly all of it. More like a regular track day I guess.

While I never time my laps and no-one (that I know of) videod their laps, telemetry from a Ducati riders shows a mild 9m 27s in slightly damp at start of course.

As ever I found riding the ring exciting, challenging, enthralling and special to ride. Thinking back, I believe I prefer it to (UK) track days for many reasons, but mostly because it has so many long, lasting fast corners as well as the variety of them plus being closed in by Armco and trees gives greater sense of speed than the open run-off areas of race tracks. I also like the comraderie and of course - the bullsh*t in the evening bar.

A little error: Rolling Eyes I failed to velcro close my tank-bag map-pocket and the D. Hoho straight sucked my i-pod out of the tank bag. I found it a lap later by the bridge looking rather battered and no longer working. So had no tunes to listen too while razzing the ring and more disappointingly for the 500 mile blast home. Boo hoo!

Will I go again next year. Absodamnlutely !