We like it hot

The eleventh "TOURENFAHRER Hotel Tour", in short "THT", took place again from 29 to 31 July at the "Waldhotel Eisenberg" in the Palatinate. 45 readers spent a hot weekend in the truest sense of the word and rode together around 270 kilometres through the Palatinate Forest to the Northern Vosges and back again.

Normally I avoid riding my motorbike in temperatures well above 30 degrees. And then, properly dressed and sitting behind a protective fairing - the wind doesn't stand a chance ... But what else do you do for a THT? After all, these are very special events! Almost exactly three years ago, the first tour of this kind took place at the Waldhotel Eisenberg in the Palatinate, followed by others in other regions. There were already 35 participants at the debut, and there were many more at the eleventh event again in the same hotel.

With four groups of ten to twelve motorbikes each, we just about managed. Since there was little traffic on the entire route and everything was mostly off the main routes, the groups stayed together and were not separated at a turn-off or even at a traffic light. However, in order not to run into another group and thus create a very large crowd, not everyone rode exactly the same route. Only two stops were fixed: refreshment at the "Café Nicklis" at Johanniskreuz and for lunch in Ludwigswinkel at the "Gasthaus zum Landgrafen" near the French border. In view of the temperatures and the fact that there would be a barbecue buffet in the evening, light food was the order of the day. A delicious salad was just right.

The afternoon break was organised by each group, preferably in a café or an ice cream parlour. After the lunch stop, a few paid a visit to the "Area 1" memorial zone, a former special weapons camp, which involved a short walk.

Otherwise, the route ran like a big crooked eight with Johanniskreuz as the intersection, often on narrow winding roads through the hilly landscape and lots of shady forest. Short stops were made at the Dürkheim Giant Barrel, at the Hermersbergerhof viewing platform with a wide view over the Palatinate Forest or at the oversized park bench on the southern outskirts of Leimen.

Good for those who rode a naked bike and had enough air vents in their jackets. After the tour, I arrived soaking wet at the hotel car park, where we were fortunately welcomed with ice-cold drinks. As with the first THT, Claus and his Eisenberg team had organised everything perfectly; this time supported by the professional tour guides Dani and Sascha as well as Steffen. Not to mention the impeccable food, attentive service and pleasantly cheerful atmosphere.

The participants
Andreas: BMW F 800 GS • Armin + Doris: BMW R 1250 GS • Claus K.**: BMW R 1250 GS • Claus S.: Yamaha XT 1200 Z Super Ténéré • Dagmar: Ducati Hypermotard 950 • Daniel: Yamaha Ténéré 700 • Daniela*: BMW F 800 GS • Dieter F.: Honda Forza 350 • Dieter K.: Yamaha XT 1200 Z Super Ténéré • Erika: BMW F 800 R • Friedhelm: H.-D. Fat Boy • Fritz + Regine: Triumph Tiger 800 • Gaby: Yamaha TDM 900 • Gerhard: Kawasaki ZZR 1400 Gespann • Gustav + Thea: BMW R 1250 GS • Hans-Dieter: BMW R 1200 GS Adv. • Harald: BMW R 1250 GS • Heiko: Yamaha XJ 750 Seca • Kay-Uwe: Kawasaki Versys 1000 • Lisa: Yamaha MT-07 • Manfred: BMW F 750 GS • Marko: BMW R 1250 GS • Michael: Yamaha XJR 1300 SP Michaela: Honda CB 750 X • Olaf: Honda CBF 1000 • Peter + Ulrike: Suzuki GSF 600 Bandit • Sascha*: BMW F 800 GS Adv. • Siegbert: Yamaha Tracer 900 • Stefan: Honda X-ADV 750 • Steffen*: BMW R 18 Transcontinental • Thomas: BMW R 1200 GS • Thomas + Heidi: Suzuki V-Strom 1000 • Thomas + Monika: BMW R 1250 GS • Thorsten: BMW R 1200 GS • Toni: BMW R 1250 RT • Udo: BMW R 1200 GS Adv. • Ulrich: Triumph Tiger 800 XCX • Uwe V.: BMW R 1200 GS • Uwe A.: BMW R 1150 R • Werner: BMW R 1250 GS • Wilfried K.: BMW R 1250 RS • Wilfried S.: BMW R 1200 GS • Wolfgang + Marina: BMW R 1200 GS

* Tour guide       ** Hotelier and tour guide

to the hotel