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About meeting friends and roadside repairs
Well, this is the place where such stupidity usually begins
http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...P1010793-L.jpg My friend Birols Mechanic Workshop in the industrial suburbs of Ankara. And this is how such ideas usually begin, by misusing the motorcycle lift : http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...P1010818-L.jpg My name is Andreas, Austrian, 47 of years and chief of Administration at the Austrian Embassy in Ankara for three years now. In May 2011 I had visited RTW-Dougs place in Bulgaria and had been cut in the ditch by some cager there, resulting in a broken collarbone that made for a short riding season last year (though usually we don't care much about season, see the winter ride report in my sig line) http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...P1010822-L.jpg Birol than had borrowed the bike and burned a hole in the piston, old Ninja rider that he is. But anyway, the engine setup had not been ok or tuned to much to the anatolian high plains, to lean and no good for long distance highway riding. We had bought a scrap bike, changed the cylinders, worked on the jetting, etc. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...P1010820-L.jpg The Bike itself is a 1994 Jawa police modell. A few had been imported for tests, but not accepted by the cops and sold on the open market. After I had hacked my MZ 301 for the winter trip to Austria I didn't want to pull her apart again, as the setup was just perfect. So I needed a cheap solo bike and we found this one on turkish e-bay. Birol, who had sold his sportsbike three years ago due to a costly divorce had in the meantime bought a Rotax-MZ 500, which had proven to be up to all situations thrown at it, including a ride to Georgia (the one in the Caucasus). http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...P1010831-L.jpg İn spring, we had made two trips to the black sea, one of them because I didn't get the vacation for our planned Balkan trip approved (had to take over for a colleague seriously ill). http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...0856-001-L.jpg For autumn I had planned a ride to eastern Turkey, as the last year of my tour here had already started ( our placements are usually four years, than you move on). http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...P1010854-L.jpg It was on coming back from our second black sea trip that Birol said ' the bikes are running well, even the Jawa will hold - we go to the meeting in Germany in October' And so it was decided. I didn't object, as Birol is the master-mechanic - and it had at least come to my mind anyway that taking care of friends, which in our nomadic lifestyle are far to often left behind, is much more important than seeing old stones. And so we stood outside the workshop on a Wednesday night http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030097-L.jpg so after this long introduction, let's get rolling, rolling to this place http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2135-L.jpg after I'm back from family shopping, that is |
http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2010-L.jpg
I had hoped to leave work early and that we could make it to Istanbul; wasn't going to happen, the ambassador wanted a full briefing about ongoing projects. I couldn't really complain, as with our workload at that time it would not have been unreasonable for him to refuse my vacation application. Anyhow, we had decided to go nevertheless as it meant being on the road - who knows when me might effectively get away next morning. Just ride as far as we get; next day we wanted to stay in RTW-Dougs camp in Bulgaria, a rather long trip anyway. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030098-L.jpg My rear tire was a bit flat under the load, but the gas station compressor didn't work. Luckily the trucks around here carry compressors, and this guy was only the first of a row of help full truckers. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030367-L.jpg We had made it over the mountains to the small Town of Düzce when we called it quits long after midnight; the hotel was cheap and clean, and the breakfast typically Turkish, which is good but for the lacking coffee (had made some on the Coleman in the room before though) http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030368-L.jpg room with a view http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030364-L.jpg tightening the chain before Istanbul http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030371-L.jpg tea break somewhere on the european side already http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030373-L.jpg remnants of the past in Bulgaria http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030381-L.jpg loaded with self-made ovens http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030386-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030387-L.jpg on self made roof-racks http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030389-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030388-L.jpg having arrived at Dougs place after a 750 km stretch a bit late in the night; for those who don't know her - this is Harley, the dog http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030390-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-1986-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030395-M.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030394-M.jpg Toys http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030396-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030397-M.jpg an other traveller, Jens from Germany, coming back from Central Asia http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030399-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-1993-L.jpg a quick breakfast and we left Poly and Ivo to head to Serbia, where we want to stay with my old friend Slavisa. Doug was in the US, having just had finished the Canonball. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-1995-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030421-L.jpg next : Why are we going where and that on bikes a normal or better sane rider wouldn't touch with a bargepole |
This looks good:clap:clap -- bring it on. Good to see RTW Doug's place.
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In 2004 I was recalled to Vienna, having had my 3 postings to different countries.
I had started riding again in India, after having been a keen mopped rider in my youth and some small commuter bikes in Africa I had hardly ridden - my Dad had sabotaged me effectively when making my bike license, preferring to have a living son. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo.../0/L/065-L.jpg near Dharamshala; my brother and a borrowed Enfıeld to the left; my beloved TVS Fiero, a bike having been tuned and used by an Indıan Rally Rıder, Rhajeev Whadwa, in the Raid de Himalaya - unfortunately no chance to legalize that one in Austria So I 'made' :D a license in India, which, after a practical test, was converted into an Austrian one. And it was my wife that encouraged me to bring an Enfield to Austria. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...P5301601-L.jpg And with the Enfield we are back at the narrative. Trying to solve some of the technical problems that invariably come with it, I got in touch and in the end became a member of a loosly organised group of enthusiasts of old and strange bikes, the AiA, the 'Alteisentreiber iG' or 'Scrap-Drovers Association'. a pic to illustrate : traillering the AiA way : http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...P6010071-L.jpg The point here is to not only have an old or Russian/Indian/Chinese made bike, but to really ride it. Members do have other bikes, even Harleys have been seen, but it's about riding, repairing and sometimes customizing the old stuff - and taking part in some of the meetings. The most notorious one is the 'Tauern-Meeting' at the end of January in the Austrian Alps -at the same time as the well known 'Elefanten-Treffen' in Germany, but at 1.750 meters - and not in the flat lands http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...001_6362-L.jpg Me and the MZ, Mehmed and the Jawa to the left There are others and participations in 'Grab the Flag' races, and as AiA spread out from Austria, our German mates began organizing the 'northern meeting'. But the main thing is the people - I've never met such a bunch of simply nice guys in one place. From the moment when Albert the 'Bulletwallah' after one Internet-chat brought me the Enfield parts I needed simply to my office mind you, a guy he had never met, I was hooked and went to a ride and at once I never felt so much at home in a group of people. Want to ride with us ? Move closer round the fire, there's a new mate. From Brick layer and chimney sweeper to Lawyer and museum director - just doesn't matter who or what you are Albert and Uwe http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...PA100601-L.jpg I took part in the first 'northern meeting' 2 years ago, flying into Frankfurt, where Justus the main organizer of the meeting borrowed me a bike to participate and afterwards make a tour into Austria and to my parents. Typical scene : trying to find a DNEPRs spark in the middle of the night; once they transfered a DNEPR fınal drive to an URAL - in a snow storm http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...PA090569-L.jpg Last Year I flew in with Birol, getting borrowed 2 Beemers this time and making a nice tour through the Austrian Alps http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...P1000983-L.jpg So this time we decided - or Birol decided - we do it as it should be done; arriving 'on the axle' as we say in German. 3.000 km on 'Scrap' |
I'm speechless. This is just too cool, keep it coming. Danke.
Doug |
let's start the new etap with some appetizers :
there will be food lot's of food, and I actually didn't loose weight as usuall on a trip and as hoped http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...DSCF1227-L.jpg Foto by Oliver and bikes, again lots of bikes http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2302-L.jpg the rather less brilliantly colored fotos are usually made by Birol with his mobile phone bikes, actually rather strange bikes sometimes, and the people who ride them http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030736-L.jpg but we have still the 28th of September and a long ride through the Bulgarian Countryside ahead of us. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030407-L.jpg Yummy, that's swine on the lorry. Unfortunately we often didn't ride the real small roads, which are real a lot of fun - to far to go to Slavisa's place in eastern Serbia. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030417-L.jpg but there were enough funny roads left http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030421-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030425-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030426-L.jpg and on and on, kilometer after kilometer, hour after hour http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030430-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030431-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030436-L.jpg I definitely have to come back to this beautiful country for a relaxed ride, before civilization as we know it takes over, here, too http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030433-L.jpg stopping only once in a while for petrol, a cigarette and coffee http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2004-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030099-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030100-L.jpg very much prevalent transport mode http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030103-L.jpg approaching the city of Montana and getting nearer the Danube plain http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030439-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030444-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030443-L.jpg petrol and some snacks at a gas station in Montana http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030109-L.jpg empty or nearly empty soviet-style office buildings doting the landscape http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030106-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030107-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030104-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030442-L.jpg and then very suddenly we were at the border, a very small border crossing near Vidin and a Bulgarian Border police office who rode a Jawa 250 for 5 years. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030110-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030111-L.jpg This was very much one pic after the other, but then that's somehow how this day was; riding through a beautiful country, but with time pressing down to arrive at our day's goal - somehow I have a bad talent to choose to long ride etaps, also on other rides chow call, read you later resp. see you on the serbian side |
Entertaining- thank you!
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Thanks Andy for sharing. Pics are better with the story.
Cheers, Ozgur |
home late after a shitty day at work; well I took a good measure of serbian 'Lozovacka' (sort of Grappa) as an antidote and now let's continue a bit
http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030112-L.jpg after having crossed the border we head northwest, to Golubac on the Danube. The first kilometers are so-so, but then we enter the mountains and the roads are first class twisties. Birol gives w.o. and takes a 20 min nap as is his habitude when we reach the pass. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030113-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030114-L.jpg My Serbian is not even rudimentary, but I think this spring was made by some family to commemorate it's members having been killed in the war, WW II that is. I had been posted in Serbia in 1999-2000, from Nato Bombs to the ouster of Milosevic. Crazy years, especially for an Expat being payed in hard currency. Both my wife and me put on 16 kg due to the fantastic serbian food ( as long as you are not a vegetarian). I still have friends from that time and we were going to stay with one of them. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2008-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2014-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2015-L.jpg just wonder how Birol made it to drive in the 2-stroke fumes; as I moreless knew the area, I rode in front here. the sun sets and we are coming down to the Danube plain http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2016-L.jpg dinner time, but I'll try to continue afterwards |
Arriving near Golubac, we found ourselves even some gravel roads while shortcutting through small villages. Unfortunately no fotos
http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2021-L.jpg This was where we would stay the night, the 'Weekend' - House. Slavko had earned quite some money in the good old embargo days, smuggling in petrol from Romania. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2211-L.jpg But first we went to the village and dug into the Jawa, which had developed unhealthy noises from the rear wheel. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030115-L.jpg Slavko in the front the tightening mechanism of the chain had loosened on the right side and so the wheel had wandered out of line and the chain was scrapping over the sprocket, which had produced an unhealthy noise for an unhealthy situation. Additionally the spring inside the drum break had broken and was now happily scrapping away at the aluminum of the rear hub. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030116-L.jpg the Cagiva is a nice, completely original bike Slavko got real cheap - but without papers - doesn't matter that much in the Village, though http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030117-L.jpg Then it was already a bit late, and the minds wandered - and instead of reassembling the Jawa, Birol started repairing the Mercedes. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030121-L.jpg Slavko had been told that the computer fucked up, maybe the Immobilizer, and that the car would have to be shipped to the main dealership in Belgrade - read that as $$$$$$$. Within 10 minutes Birol had identified a broken sensor on the crankshaft feeding nonsense signals to the ignition computer. Not expensive to buy and easy to mount. so after a good days ride and work we retired with a few beers. In the morning we had breakfast in the village - after I had had my coffee of course. Birol as a real Turk prefers Tea. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030451-L.jpg grilled meat, pleskavica, cheese....... http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030450-L.jpg As we are not real Serbs, we didn't enjoy what those people are having http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030449-L.jpg see the small glasses - yep, Rakija Romania on the other side http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2031-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030448-L.jpg those had been license produced in Yugoslavia, and a few are still around http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2034-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2036-L.jpg back at the 'village house' we reassembled the Jawa http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030455-L.jpg Birol working Me sleeping http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2040-L.jpg Slavisa is running a security firm, the Merc and those cars belong to that there's also some agriculture still going on, especially sheep http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030456-L.jpg late enough and not without a hearty meal we were on the road again. In hindsight I wonder why I didn't make more fotos here. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2042-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030457-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030459-L.jpg toll station before Beograd; our plan was to look for a hotel near the border. We had looked a bit in the Internet, which had not been conclusive, but I knew at least there was a good and cheap one a bit after the Croatian border - in the old days we had gone there to get lead free petrol for the service car, as lead free even the embassy was not able to get in Milosevics Serbia. having Tea - freshly brewed nearly everywhere on the Highway, courtesy of Turkish truckers http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030460-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2049-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2235-L.jpg a leak and a cig sometimes http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030461-L.jpg and, late enough again, at the Hotel http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030462-L.jpg just early enough for the Restaurant http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030463-L.jpg the real stuff, 'mesano meso', mixed grill for me, whatever he chose for Birol http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030465-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2055-L.jpg tomorrow will take us to my parents as a goodbye, a Serbian Biker; Foto from this summer (car trip) http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Fa...P1020040-L.jpg and at last, some more yummy things, from the same family trip http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Fa...P1030071-L.jpg NSFV (not save for Vegetarians - and, seriously, maybe city Kids) http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Fa...T7X2w&lb=1&s=A becomes this http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Fa...P1030092-L.jpg |
Thank you Andi :D
Lets make a Gourmet Ride to Serbia :D |
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a quiet breakfast behind the Hotel http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2057-L.jpg this time we got off late enough again - Birol was stuck in Facebook (I like books without faces) http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2059-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2060-L.jpg on the highway again, no time for the potentially lovely Bosnian roads http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2061-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030473-L.jpg wanting to use the bathroom, but the tourist bus was faster http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030472-L.jpg we'd follow suite those guys in the background http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030474-L.jpg a grey day on the grey anyway Slavonian plain http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2064-L.jpg by chance we met a friend, colleague and customer (of Birols wokshop) http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030479-L.jpg he had rammed some monument in Edirne, but most of the damage had been quickly repaired; some of the drive-train damage only yesterday, though http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030482-L.jpg we had some coffee at this station nice view http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030481-L.jpg and on we go http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2245-L.jpg http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030483-L.jpg deja vue http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030486-L.jpg direction Austria; at least after 25 years the Slovenes have now some roads to show for the exorbitant tolls they charge http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...raf-2073-L.jpg already on the Austrian side; Birols headlight had become loose in the fairing. Good we had enough of the universal spare - wire http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030487-L.jpg On the croatian side of the border there had been quite a queue, but no one protested, when we passed between the lines of cars and trucks. Not the first time that it had come handy to ride a former police bike. http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030490-L.jpg Outside the Gleinalm-Tunnel in Austria. As it was late - as usual - we stayed on the highway with it's toll-tunnels, and where caught in the next one - it closed down partially for cleaning at 8 p.m - we arrived at 08:03 http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030496-L.jpg one hour wait - arriving home and having at least a beer with my brother http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030497-L.jpg I'm not much in form today and call it quit's; tomorrow evening I have to attend a reception, but maybe I can do something at the office after work hours. I had promised roadside repairs - believe me, they will come, and some spectacular at that. We are now at my parents place, a long days ride from the meeting. a few glimpses http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030508-L.jpg what Birol did I will explain later but Dad couldn't believe we would ride with such dirty plates.The good and honest man had never seen how Turkish Sports Bike Riders mount their plates http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Mo...P2050312-L.jpg and Birol found an Airhead-Harley http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030609-L.jpg and smiles that had come back after a -then - somewhat long time http://asphaltmueller.smugmug.com/Ot...P1030626-L.jpg |
Was that last picture taken, when the Jawa was back together ?
Man, I do have a talent for making silly faces... :huh :D Please give some warm greetings to Birol, when you see him! |
awsome, thanks!
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Wow! Very different around the world, nice to see. Thanks for posting.
Bruce H, USA |
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