Poland / Germany

[tinman]

Ok going to Poland from Leeds at the end of the month. Is there no speed limits on the AUTO BAN in Germany ?

Are the roads in Poland to Auswitch ( spell ) good condition as driving a busa and not too sure of handling fully loaded on dodgy roads ?

First time so any other tips welcomed

[Jake]

Hi Tinman, there are speed limits on the autobans in germany and there are sections where you can go whatever you want to. Generally speed limits come into force on bends near junctions and intersections you will soon get the hang of it there.Driving in Germany is easier than the UK. Beware flouting the rules as the police will hammer you if you are speeding where you should not be.In Poland I found the car drivers terrible and in the evenings a lot were alcholed up a bit to, some of the roads have huge subsided and uneven surfaces which can be hard to see, mainly subsidence caused by lorries and in the rain these can be terrible as you fall into long trench like areas in the road and they can cause a few handling problems, these were worst in northern and eastern poland but if you dont go mad you should be fine. Havwe a safe journey.

[tinman]

Thanks adventure950
So that's quick in Germany and easy as you go in Poland.

Can't wait

Tinman

[Oletimer]

Hiya mate, I lived in Germany for 10 years
so had a lot of riding time there. Speed limits on Autobahns have to be very strictly
observed or you face really hefty fines.
Once out of the 'restricted area' you will see '130' kph signs with a black bar thru
it, indicating its time to let the handbrake off :-).
Normally, the speed limits are very sensibly set so it will be observed by all drivers. Germans are very bike savvy so you should
not have too many 'bad' experiences - don't
forget that Germany is a European crossroads so it aint only Germans that use the roads!!

Try not to overload your bike, there are some really good stops for bed and breakfast which don't cost an arm an a leg. So you don't need to carry a months worth of kit.
A lot of the truck stops also have laundry facilities available - becareful of spilt diesel from the trucks!!

On the road front, Germany has spent loads upgrading roads over the last few years, but becareful of the sign ' spurlingen' - it means watch out for the ruts that heavy trucks cause when their hot tyres melt the tarmac and leave two deepish furrows - they can be scary if you aint encountered em before!. Otherwise roads in Germany are generally good for the biker. In the older towns and cities they still have cobbled streets, not funny on a bike when they are wet!

In Poland the roads vary from Yuk to downright crap, with every variation in between. Don't ride after dark if you don't know the road and ride with extra care at all times. As you will see, you can be surprised several times a day by the sheer lack of maintenance the roads get.

Having said all that, you will have a magic trip, most people on the continent of Europe have a softer spot for bikers than applies here, you will make new friends all over the place.

Don't forget to post your report when you get back, we all like to see how you've got on.
Cheers George
Wolverhampton UK.

[seanh]

I just rode from Berlin to Krakow, a new road is under construction and the current road is bad for the most part. As a rule, people drive 20 km/hr more than the limit. If you take it easy you should be fine. Where there is new road, the surface is good. Be careful of deep ruts in some places, worn by constant truck traffic.
Sean

[seanh]

If you're in Krakow, go for a quick 2 day ride into Slovakia around the high Tatra's. The road south from Krakow is relatively good and the roads in Slovakia even better.
Sean

[whele]

Good accurate information given here. I have just returned from a four week 4,000 mile trip from the UK through Holland, Germany, Czech Rep, Slovakia and Poland. I hope this information reaches you before you go.

Dutch and German roads are way better than in the UK. The Czech roads were a bit rutted and patchy but the polish roads were awful. We were on a Ducati 916 and an R1 so hardly touring bikes, however we had to curtail our original planed routes in Poland because of the unpredictability of the surface. Often 100yards of new super smooth tarmac followed by 200yards of 12 inch deep ruts and pot holes. It is not the actual surface that is the problem it’s trying to predict what’s around the next corner in readiness. We found it very tiring and decided that after five days we would go over the border and find better riding conditions.

For your safety I would advise avoiding most of the Polish motorway from the German border to Krakow (A4/E30) we rode over 130 miles on a contra-flow system made up of concrete slabs with 6 inch wide 12inch deep gaps between them. We came across two bike accidents (minor) where the bikes front wheel had got stuck in a gravel filled rut and spat the rider off.

As Seanh says Slovakia was the revelation to us, we spend 8 days there, riding great mountain passes with little traffic and a warm welcome. We found this much more suitable for touring on sports bikes than Poland and there is a lot of history and culture, its just a little more difficult to find because its much less commercialised. The High Tatra’s are bordering Poland and easily accessible.

[tinman]

Originally posted by whele:
Good accurate information given here. I have just returned from a four week 4,000 mile trip from the UK through Holland, Germany, Czech Rep, Slovakia and Poland. I hope this information reaches you before you go.

Dutch and German roads are way better than in the UK. The Czech roads were a bit rutted and patchy but the polish roads were awful. We were on a Ducati 916 and an R1 so hardly touring bikes, however we had to curtail our original planed routes in Poland because of the unpredictability of the surface. Often 100yards of new super smooth tarmac followed by 200yards of 12 inch deep ruts and pot holes. It is not the actual surface that is the problem it’s trying to predict what’s around the next corner in readiness. We found it very tiring and decided that after five days we would go over the border and find better riding conditions.

For your safety I would advise avoiding most of the Polish motorway from the German border to Krakow (A4/E30) we rode over 130 miles on a contra-flow system made up of concrete slabs with 6 inch wide 12inch deep gaps between them. We came across two bike accidents (minor) where the bikes front wheel had got stuck in a gravel filled rut and spat the rider off.

As Seanh says Slovakia was the revelation to us, we spend 8 days there, riding great mountain passes with little traffic and a warm welcome. We found this much more suitable for touring on sports bikes than Poland and there is a lot of history and culture, its just a little more difficult to find because its much less commercialised. The High Tatra’s are bordering Poland and easily accessible.

If you see this message please ring me on 07891273098 to discuss before 5.00pm 30/9/05 thanks Gez