A Ride to the former DDR

Two weekends ago we had a nice motorcycle tour with Laura and Sean Ruddy (friends in the military), my wife (Judith) and three friends, Steffi, Wieland and Christian.

L - R: Steffi, Wieland, Christian, Sean, Laura and Judith: Photo by Sean or Laura

We headed North from Nürnberg and met Sean "Rocket" Ruddy and Laura "MacGyver" Ruddy in Bamberg. The meeting point was to be a Bäkerei (bakery) that turned out had closed in 1985 (thank you Garmin Maps for the up to date information).

Our Route

After we managed to connect at the non existing Bäckerei we headed out North towards the Thüringer Wald region. This is in the former DDR (East Germany), where we found some very nice roads and great scenery.

On the way, Rocket Ruddy lost one of the two screws holding his license plate on, and it was threatening to come completely undone (supersonic speed seems to do funny things to hardware). Between all of us there were no extra screws or zip ties (a very well prepared group - eh?). However, Laura MacGyver Ruddy came through with a roadside repair using an old keyring and a pair of pliers and some duct tape.

MacGyver at work

"I am going to get this thing on no matter what!"

After the repairs were completed we all got a little hungry, so we stopped at a Gasthaus across from the Basilika Vierzehnheiligen for coffee and cake. No... I did not take this picture. I stole it from the Web. The Basilika was covered in scaffolding undergoing a renovation.

The baroque Wallfahrtsbasilika Vierzehnheiligen was built by the famous architect Balthasar Neumann.
http://www.vierzehnheiligen.de/en/

Alter

Next stop was at Confiserie Lauenstein, where these two group photos were taken. The Confiserie Lauenstein make absolutely killer Pralinen, Trüffels and Schokolade.
 

: Photo by Sean or Laura

: Photo by Sean or Laura

I picked up some supplies there, as well as a set of tools in case another roadside repair was needed.

Supplies

More Supplies

 

 

Special Tools

Later in the day we also ran into a guy with a 1920's something DKW at a Tankstelle (gas station). DKW is an old German motorcycle manufacture located in the former Eastern Germany sector.
 

: Photo by Sean or Laura

An old DKW getting some modern Air

Old bikes have a lot more levers to make manual adjustments to ignition, choke and throttle position in order to get them to start within a reasonable numbers of kicks.

Sorry, but I did not get many pictures, as we didn't do much sight seeing standing still. A couple are from Laura and Sean.

It was a super tour even though Sunday turned into a fairly rainy day and we headed pretty much for home. There is another tour mid May with the cast of characters.

Logic and the Führerscheinstelle im Ordnungsamt*

Logic teaches rules for presentation, not thinking. 

-Mason Cooley

Logic is neither an art nor a science but a dodge.

-Stendahl

Logic! Good gracious! What rubbish!

-E. M. Forester

Such is logic when it comes to obtaining a German Drivers License - especially with a Motorcycle Endorsement.

I may have mentioned earlier that there is a nice little "logical" agreement between many of the States in America and Germany, where your American drivers license is exchanged for a German drivers license with no need to take a written or driving test - just pay the fee. So happens that my PA drivers License is honored in the exchange agreement.  This makes one of the necessities when moving to Germany very easy.  

Oh yeah - hold on!  Not so if you also need a Motorcycle Endorsement.  

For some reason the Führerscheinamt (Department of Motor Vehicles) has it in their "logic" that it's OK to just give an American a German drivers license (provided you pay the fee) for an automobile with no written or driving tests required.  Mind you the driving laws and road signs are not insignificantly different here, but never mind that.

But, if you also want the Motorcycle Endorsement on your American drivers license to be transferred to your German drivers license - "Forgedaboudit" (this is not German, it's New Jersey-ese).  

You must take the theory (written) and practical (riding) test.  OK - so what's the big deal, other than an inconvenience?  Well, let me tell you...

TÜV administers the tests for all of Germany.  In order to be eligible to take the tests a Fahrschule (driving school) must recommend that you are ready to take the test.  This means that you need to sign up with a Fahrschule.  Fortunately, Judith knows some very nice people at Peppel's Fahrschule.

They organized everything and I was able to study the German regulations on line, which a good thing because there is no little Driving Test Study Book like in America.

Example of the On Line study guide - same thing as the actual test

But, the regulations are pretty different and there is a lot of them and they are really bizarre.  For example, can you figure this question out?

You want to turn out of a road with a sunken kerbstone into another road.  A car is coming from the left.  What applies here?

1. Whoever turns into a road over a sunken kerbstone must wait
2. The rule “right before left”
3. The sunken kerbstone is of no relevance for the obligation to wait

What the hell is a sunken curbstone?  No one knows...




After taking about 175 (no kidding) practice tests on line I felt I was ready to go to TUV and take the test.  The big day was this past Monday.  The test is given by a computer program.  So promptly at 10:45 on a gray and rainy Monday morning myself and about ten others gathered at TÜV for the test.  Most everyone was taking the normal driving test - not the motorcycle test.  I was of course the only American.  I did get to take the test in English at least.


Twenty minutes later I was finished and even though I know the answer to the "Sunken Kurbstones" question they didn't ask. BTW, the correct answer is number 1.

I did however Ace the test!!!

Now... the riding test is next.  Weave through little orange cones, go in circles, panic brake, blah, blah blah.  But the catch is there is also an on road test after the little orange cone test.

The test is in about two weeks - wish me luck!








------------------------------------------------
*License Office in the Clerk's Office

Major Milestone Achieved!! Second Sonderparkberechtigung Obtained

NEWS FLASH!
May 22, 2013, 9:00 AM Central Europe Time
Nürnberg, Germany

A second neighborhood parking permit has been obtained!!!

What you say?  Why is this such a big News Flash?

Normally there is only one Neighborhood Parking Permit (Sonderparkberechtigung) issued per household.  Without the permit you need to look for somewhere to park that is not a permit area.  These are sometimes pretty difficult to find.  Park in a permit area and you'll get a Knöllchen - Parking Ticket - and then be allowed to contribute to the economy of Nürnberg.

Judith's Sonderparkberechtigung needed to be renewed, so we made a trip the the Stadtamt this morning to do so.  Just for the hell of of it we asked for two permits.  The nice lady said sure, why not.  I could hardly contain myself I was so happy.

Antique Motorcycle Club of America - Europe Chapter Meet

So after attending several Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA) meets in America, where I had the 1968 Triumph Bonneville that I restored Judged, I decided to attend my first European AMCA Meet. 




The meet was in Geldrop, the Netherlands, which is just across the border from Germany - about 550 kilometers from Nürnberg.

I took my two Triumphs (’68 Bonneville and ’68 TR6C). These were the first British bikes ever entered in the AMCA Europe meet.  The Bonneville was judged and received 99-3/4 points out of 100 possible (it was judged at 99 points at Jefferson, PA AMCA meet last Oct.), which is pretty fabulous (thanks to a lot of help from David Schostkewitz of Classic Cycles Ltd.). 

Classic Cycles Ltd.

The TR6C was not judged, but did take home a 1st place trophy for Period Modified, which is a local Chapter award. So at the end of the day I was a happy guy.

A total of 24 bikes were judged. The age range was 1912 to 1968. The European Chapter is very heavily into American bikes, mostly Harley-Davidson. There were a couple of Excelsior's as well. The quality of the bikes was just excellent. Not a dog in the bunch, plus several original and unmolested bikes that were super. Amazing to see so many fabulous vintage Harley-Davidson's in Europe.

The vendor scene was pretty small unfortunately, but this is really a very small meet with a narrow focus, so I guess this is to be expected. I think England, Germany and Holland were the countries with biggest representation, along with 2 or 3 folks from France and Italy.

There was a modest spectator turnout, and several of the spectators rode in on some great bikes. The venue itself was a real nice park - outside of Geldrop in some farm & horse country. Very pretty in deed. 

The Attic Find Trio

The highlight for me was a trio of "Attic Find" bikes brought in by a gentleman from the Netherlands. If I understood the story correctly, he was given a hint that there were some old motorcycles in the attic of a Dutch farmhouse. He went to the farmhouse to find out what was going on and what he found was pretty amazing - four motorcycles had been hidden in 1939 behind a brick wall to keep the Nazi's from confiscating them. They had been behind the brick wall up until just a few months ago when Garret (do not recall his last name) retrieved them. There were two Harley-Davidsons (a circa 1920 V-Twin 20 J (?) and a circa 1919 Model W Sport 584 cc Flat Twin Engine), a 1926 MB1 Motobecane and a very rare Eysink (manufactured in the Netherlands). The Eysink went to a museum, but the other three were at the meet.

I have attached a link to photos of an overview of the meet. Double click the thumbnails and you’ll get a larger picture with captions.
AMCA Europe 2013 Pictures

Hope you enjoy...

1st of Mai Tankstelle Motorradtreffen in Nuernberg

An ARAL Tankstelle (gas station) on Münchener Straße in Nürnberg is an unlikely focal point for a motorcycle event that draws several thousand motorcycles and even more people.

Every May 1st is Labor Day in Germany and a holiday.  A number years ago (legend says it started in the '70's) a small group of motorcyclists, like motorcyclists will tend to do, decided to meet at the ARAL Gas Station on Münchener Straße on Labor Day and then go on a ride to some place.

Each year a few more friends and friends of friends showed up.  There was no organizer, and the gathering still has no organizer.  Matter of fact it is never advertised, there is no Web Site - nothing.  But now several thousand motorcycles show up and many more people than that.  Some come to just watch, like we did.  So many people come by car to just watch that we parked about a Kilometer away and walked into the meeting area.

Because this event has no organizer no one can be held responsible for any problems, but it seems that there are not any problems.  The Polizei are present, even Polizei from outside of Nürnberg, but only as a "gesture" and they might do a little traffic control.  It's a stretch of about two Kilometers along Münchener Straße that is full of motorcycles, as well as any where else you can park a bike.  One lane stays sort of open for people to ride through, make a U-Turn at some point and do it again, or park.

There was a potpourri of motorcycles to see.  You can my pictures at: Nürnberg Motorradtreffen

Plus a video on You Tube (not mine).  Nürnberg Motorradtreffen on You Tube

The video is pretty long, but if you watch the first few minutes you'll get the idea.

Hope you enjoy.

The Visa Saga

Germany allows you to stay in the country for 90 days without the need for a Visa.  The U.S. State Department web site sort of suggests that even though you can start the Visa application process before you leave the U.S. it's just as easy to start it once you arrive in Germany.  Hmmmm!  Not necessarily so.

About two weeks after arriving I started the process.  Filled out lots of guess what?  Paperwork.  Submitted everything to the Ausländeramt and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Nothing!

The application is for both a Visa and a Work Permit, and since I have a pending work contract to do consulting for a company in Nürnberg I started getting a bit anxious.  Not to mention that 90 days was rapidly approaching.

My friend Christian, who owns the company I have the pending work contract with, and I went to the Ausländeramt in our nice business suits to see what we could find out. Christian, being the sweet tonged devil that he is manged to get us in to see the nice lady who had my file.

Now since the original application was made Judith and I were married in Reno in February (that's another installment).  After explaining this fact it seemed to make a significant difference in my status.  Being married to a German citizen negates the need for a Work Permit - you only need a Visa.  Ah Hah - good news.  Well sort of...

All we needed to do was get a certified copy of the marriage license from Washoe County and an Apostille from the State of Nevada's Secretary of State.  What is an Apostille you may wonder?  It's simple - an Apostille is a certified document that says the other certified document is certified - a certification of a certification.  This is actually a very simple process and was accomplished with no fuss or muss.

But... there's one more tank trap to get across as well.
 

I must pass the German Language A1 test.  Not so easy!  This all has to do with integration of aliens into the German society.  So OK, I've been taking German lessons for awhile now.  But, I can tell you, passing the German Language A1 test was not going to happen before my 90 days in Germany was up.  Fortunately, the nice lady understood this dilemma and gave me a six month temporary Visa.

In addition to the private lessons I've been taking I have enrolled at the Buildungszentrum (Education Center) for intensive German lessons.  Oh Boy!! 




So far, all of this must sound pretty daunting.  Well yes, it is, but I have a wonderful wife and friends who are helping and supporting the effort.  It's a matter of chipping away at each hurdle a bit at a time.  There's been a fair share of upside things going as well, and I'll get to those.

In the mean time the Container arrived in late January - that was a relief!!