Thursday, 29.08.2013
I begin my long day as usual. 07:15 alarm rings, I make the children ready for school. I can’t eat now, I’m only preparing some breds for later. Then the last (and succesfull) toilette walk for many hours.
Start is shortly after 08:00, so I 'm not in the rush hour.
Official launch point is the 1st gas station near BASF in the Brunckstraße. Bill from 08:20 which is also the official start time. The clock is now ticking... and my GPS notes a real start time of 08:23.
North onto the A6 (A means Autobahn=highway), a bit lively rush around Mannheim, then at Viernheimer triangle up to the north.
Frankfurt area is reached shortly after 09:00, there is only a little rush hour, I can pass this area easily.
At first I am proud of my traffic avoidance schedule, but then I see a big traffic jam on the opposite lanes.
They would be far too late to start work at 9 clock, I probably just had luck around Frankfurt.
Up to 2nd Gas station Reinhardshain Süd the ride is fluent. Arrival 10:03, bill from 10:06, departure 10:10. I eat my first bred and drink a slug. Same procedure at the following stops.
Route according to googlemaps 147km to here, but you could shorten (kilometers, not time) through town Lampertheim. I have to consider such potential abbreviations, only the shortest possible route counts (for an IBA ride).
Now I head east.
In the area of Bad Hersfeld, the first noticeable inclines, my desired speed of around 90kph isn’t always possible. I drive past the "Monte Kali" at village Herring, a huge artificial salt mountain, see the mountains Wasserkuppe (birthplace of sail planes) and Kreuzberg in the distance. Unfortunately I have no time for the mountains.
Berlin is already indicated – about 400km away. Kind of depressing, because I have to go much further and everything back.
On maps.adac.de I had always looked at the traffic situation. Here on the A4 near Gotha, a "Germany building site. Road closed. Local detour signposted" is displayed. I think this is a programmers joke.
Behind Gotha I suddenly get honked and a van driver shows me the exit. Huh - I am allowed to drive here!?
A short time later I get honked again. Let's see if there is anything wrong with my scooter. And yes, the heat shield from the exhaust dragging on the road, mostly blown up by the wind.
Yet only fixed by a single screw. Fortunately, the screw is loose and I can unscrew it with my house key (optimistically I have no tools carried with me). And the heat shield fits into the helmet compartment.
Passing Weimar there suddenly is a traffic jam. People have formed an emergency lane in an exemplary habit, I roll through (illegaly). Too late I realize the police van that was driving on the very outside and was long concealed from the van behind it. I move on, don’t showing any uncertainty and no begging for a ticket. And the officers don’t care. This traffic jam was due to road markings and 2 of 3 tracks were blocked.
I leave the highway at Stadtroda to reach the 3rd gas station Hermsdorfer Kreuz Ost on urban roads. Leaving the highways is a time loss, but a variety during riding. 389km, times 13:06-13:08-13:14.
Now I head north. Around Leipzig many construction sites and 2 major congestions on the opposite lanes.
Shortly the cooling water warning light comes on, but I know that it is very sensitive. Soon it’s off again and never went on again. Berlin's west ring has a short cut through the city Werder, but of course this would take too much time. The Havel (river and lakes) scenery is very beautiful, you can see a lot from the highway, but unfortunately you can not stop at the most beautiful places.
4th gas station Wolf Lake Ost, 630km, 15:59-16:01-16:10.
I'm getting a cramp on the underside of the thighs. Some gymnastics, stretching out my legs during the ride helps. Problem does not occur again. Slipping the butt regularly back and forth is a matter of course. Unfortunately I can not stand up like on the pegs of a motorcycle. Too, I carry a garden chair cushion under my butt (even if the now flattened probably only 1cm accounts) that would blow away.
It is now windy, of course headwind. But only further, further, further.
5th gas station Recknitz Ost, 782km, 17:55-17:57-18:07.
Very first need to urinate. Yes: Less in, less out: saves time. And with the digesting system sleeping, there is more energy left for concentration.
Turn at the next exit at Kritzkow and passing Recknitz West. Now I've done about half of the distance and returning home. I planned to pass this position in 11 hours or faster, after only 10 hours is of course great.
I am relieved and try to drive a little more comfortable now. But because of tailwind barely slower.
The same way back would be but a little too short, so over Nürnberg. Now approximately 500km to the south. (Such long straight distances are very uncommon in Germany.)
Soon, the oil warning light comes on, but it automatically comes every 2000km. I make sure that its separate odometer has just jumped over 2000km and just keep driving.
6th gas station Flaming West, 1022km, 20:50-20:52-21:08.
Now the night has settled and it is getting cold. I dress with my raincoat which is printed as a reflective vest. The check shows perfect oil level despite the very high proportion of full load, I reset his odometer.
In contrast to the previous short stops now a medium length stop.
In the dark, the Navi is helpful to have some variety. In addition, the altitude informs why the scooter gets slower (or faster) despite running (nearly) WOT.
The Navi wants fresh batteries, so I make a short nun fueling stop at Köckern.
(And my butt is grateful to have a break.)
7th gas station Frankenwald West 1244km, 23:49-23:52-00:59.
All the traffic james I have seen before have dissolved.
Here I dress with everything I carry with me lie down for an hour on a bench at the rest stop. The seat cushion is now used as a pillow. Of course, I cannot sleep and become cold soon, the area is quite high here too (650m altitude). But it is a light refreshment anyway.
For the first time I meet a night construction site on which people actually work. I never thought that there is one in Germany, usually we see only abandoned construction sites even during day times!
I recognize that uphill some trucks are slightly faster than my scooter. I have no chance against them.
8th gas station Schwabach truck stop (south of Nürnberg) 1398km, 02:46-02:49-03:58.
Again, one hour "relax" on the floor of a McDonald childrens playground (designed with rubber mats).
Then I'll take it even lazier. At Simsheim again a battery stop. It’s dawning, morning fog lies in the valleys.
About an hour earlier than necessary, I 'm back.
9th gas station near home, 1619km, 06:47-06:50.
The scooter odometer indicates 1658km, but that does not count as a verified distance. The Navi says 1622km (little detours at the rest areas) with topspeed 97.6 kph (downhill) and a total of 8880 meters altitude climbing (calculated with its barometer, but possibly influenced by buffeting and much too high).
53.56 liter fueled, the relatively high consumption of 3.2 liters / 100km (based on 1658km, even 3.3 liter based on 1622km) is a disappointment. I had hoped for less than 3 liters. Of course the engine is only carbureted and was ridden mostly WOT, but at the modest pace even larger two-wheelers (revving in economical range and being fuel injected) offer this consumption or better. Also the variator wear parts such as belts and flyweights need to be changed soon at 15000km, now the have lasted 14272km. But the wear parts will amount at most for 0.1 liters. Since I have not actually used 21 hours riding, I could theoretically (then of course without breaks) slow down and thereby reduce consumption. Just below 3 liters seems possible to me, but 2.5 liters is imho not possible with this scooter.
Scooter:
Yager GT (“Gran Turismo†!) 125.
Best torque at 7000 rpm and 70 kph (on the tour regularly exceeded into the uneconomic), red rev range from 8000 rpm (about 81kph), max power 11.8 hp at 9000 rpm (91kph) cut-off speed 10,000 rpm (approx 101kph).
Route in google maps:
http://goo.gl/maps/Kn6kDFixing the Navi with self-adhesive Velcro:
http://imageshack.us/a/img716/3193/s5an.jpgScooter with seat (-head) cushion:
http://imageshack.us/a/img690/7457/m8kg.jpgCertificate:
http://imageshack.us/a/img834/7248/ncbq.jpg(Approved distance of 1629km instead of 1619km is imho a type error.)
Imho the very first approved IBA ride with a Kymco (Globally) and with the smallest bike (specific to Germany).
