Hello,

Our last few days on the road before Munich starts in Brno, the Czech Republic.  It is not a large city but like most of Europe the history is all around you.  Our dinner this evening is in a Wine Cellar that was once part of the Abbey where Gregor Mendel, the father of modern genetics, educated the world.  Of course it was not until 1900, sixteen years after his death, that Mendel’s work was recognized for its importance.  One never knows from whom enlightenment will come.  A quick stop in Passau and on to Munich.  Having a few days in Munich was good and, well, good.  A new helmet and some gloves were in order for me as well as the opportunity to get some needed service for a few of the group.

The World Tour 2008 is over… and I'm sorry.  I’m sorry that I didn’t take more pictures.  I’m sorry that I didn’t deal with challenges as well as I could have.  I’m sorry that I didn’t know what was around every corner.  I must do this again so I can do better.

Happy trails to you, ‘til we meet again.

Cheers,

Hello,

We leave Munich for the short ride down to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.  The objective is the 2008 addition of BMW Motorrad Days.  This is a very major event for BMW AG and the largest gathering of BMW customers outside of the US BMWMOA Rally.  The venue is one of the best as Garmisch is the gateway to the German Alps.  And of course, a ride up to the top of the Zugspitze was a must.  BMW Motorrad Days is different from our US Rallies in that there are only a few BMW “Partner” Vendors and they don’t sell stuff like at our Rallies.  They did have very cool demo rides and clinics you could sign up for.  Unfortunately, I didn’t figure this out until I had missed my opportunity to do the BMW Enduro Clinic up on the Ski slope.  I’m sure the nightly entertainment was grand but I’m not much of a party animal so I was back to the Hotel and in bed by 10pm.  They definitely had the food covered though!  Next time, Enduro Clinic here I come.  By the way, if you want an event T-Shirt you had better buy one on Friday and not wait until Saturday ‘cause there won’t be much to choose from.

Cheers,

If you ever take the road less traveled on an overseas tour, chances are the most any other rider you chance to meet will be riding some variant of BMW's "GS" class adventure touring bike.  Certainly, there are other makes and marques up to the task, but most world travelers choose a GS based on their robustness and reliability.  The class is so popular it even has it's own entry in Wikipedia (see it by clicking here), and there are numerous websites dedicated to it, the most complete being The BMW RG/S and GS, hosted on Micapeak.com.

As a thank you to its many (motorbike) customers the world over, BMW holds an annual BeemerFest in Germany, now called Motorrad Days. Of course, this is not a GS-specific event, but as the best selling bike in BMW's growing line-up, it's a special pleasure to ride to the rally on one, especially if you've traveled from New Zealand or North America, through Japan, and Beijing onwards to attend!

This year, it's estimated 34,000 people attended.  We have it on good authority from a local taxi driver that not all of these were bikers, as many of the local townspeople attend just for the party.  BMW Motorrad spends lavishly for Motorrad Days.  In addition to the corporate displays and selected partners' booths, there are shows, demos (to include a dirt and enduro riding course set up just for the event), presentations, beer gardens and food (to include an enormous OktoberFest-sized tent), even a "beach"!