- Pre-Registration
- Pre-Register to attend the Meeting
- Present YOUR travel adventure!
- Present YOUR Tech Clinic - good at something of interest to motorcycle Travellers? Please do a Tech Clinic for us!
- Vendors! Register here
- Press! Magazine, newspaper, TV, radio etc with credentials, Register here
- Please Volunteer to help out! Odd jobs, registration, gate, etc. Just 2 hours of your time, and it's a great way to meet people! Register on this page and tick Volunteer box, OR here if you have already registered and want to add volunteering.
- Pre-Register to attend the Meeting
- Meeting Location - Where is it?
- Camping on site
- Other Accommodation
- Information about the area
- Membership
- Rides
- Local hosts, information
Event
poster available! Please post it everywhere!
Want to know what people thought of other HU Meetings? Is it worth coming to the Meeting?
"I'm so looking forward to another UK meet. My only problem is that I simply can't get to every talk I want, such is the amount of terrific presentations on offer. Each year I've been astonished at how articulate, intelligent, informative and entertaining the speakers are. I'm willing to help with anything that doesn't keep me from a talk - and my timetable will be full to bursting!" More comments here.
The Plan
The plan is simple. Show up on Thursday or at the latest Friday afternoon, meet people and setup. Travel Presentations and Tech seminars are planned throughout the meeting, starting Thursday night. More Detailed Schedule here.
We can always use some help! If you want to assist, please sign up to volunteer to assist on the day or here for advance work or to ask questions. Thanks!
2012 Speakers and Tech Seminars
Get Inspired!
- 2-wheels 1-world 0-money
- Daniel Rintz
A day-dreamer rides around the world on a motorcycle, surviving on the money he makes on the way, until he finds what he what he wasn't even looking for.
War zone borders, engine trouble and the difficulties of making money to survive couldn't outweigh the thrill of adventure and discovery I encountered while motorcycling around the world for over two and a half years. This is an intimate portrait of the changes a man experiences after numerous encounters with foreign cultures and beliefs.
- Daniel, born October 30th '77, Filmmaker, Designer, Handy-Harry, and who is known to be creative, spontaneous, curious, impulsive, restless and yet sometimes absent-minded.
Why am I an Open-Explorer? Traveling is my passion. It always appeals to me to expose myself to difficult situations. I'm convinced that this will make me grow. Experiences from extensive previous travels have changed the way I see the world today. With the Open-Explorers project I hope to take things a step further and attempt to prove to myself that it's possible to travel this world under the least luxurious circumstances which inevitably are going to make me dive into different lifestyles more deeply.
I'd be delighted to find other people encouraged to travel themselves and therefore lead the world's course towards more goodness. I believe that the exceptional and intense experiences made during a journey lead to a pattern of behaviour that is defined by tolerance, understanding and good nature.
- Richard Winter, TravellingStrom, Australia, on RTW,
Heading south, destination Dakar Rally and the southern tip
- Daniel Rintz
- Social media on travels (Live Podcast),
- Claudio Gnypek (muthoka) and Sonja Ritter
Welche social media kann ich für Motorradreisen nutzen? Erfahrungen und Praxistipps von Teilnehmenden sind erwünscht.
What can I use social media for motorcycle trips? Experiences and practical tips from participants are welcome.
- Claudio Gnypek (muthoka) and Sonja Ritter
- "theotherway" to Asia
- Marc Wibbels
From green woods to dry deserts -passing the deepest salt lakes and highest mountains in the world.
- Marc Wibbels
- Arizona to the Panama Canal
- Lynn Brown (USA) & Thomas Beez (Germany) will share their eight-nation tour from Arizona to the Panama Canal. The trip lasted five weeks and covered 10,000 km (6,200 miles), exploring eight countries and negotiated nine international border crossings. Lynn and Thomas visited colonial cities, rode the Devil's Spine (one of the 10 best motorcycle roads in the world), explored old mining towns and ancient Mayan ruins in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. The trip also included Costa Rica, Belize, and crossing the Bridge of the Americas over the Panama Canal. We plan to continue the journey in 2012 into South America.
- Alles klar, my best friend?
- Martin and Pepi Jungowski
A trip around Tunisia in October 2011, right before their first free elections after ousting Ben Ali.
Tunisia 2011 - Martin and Pepi Jungowski
- On 50 Euros to the Mediterrean Coast
(as written about in Tourenfahrer)
- Jens Ruprecht, Germany, HU Germany meeting organizer and Edelweiss tour guide
Durchgebissen: Für 50 Euro ans Mittelmeer?
- Jens Ruprecht, Germany, HU Germany meeting organizer and Edelweiss tour guide
- The Frog Princess
- Benedikt Frank
Germany to Nepal: The story of a little green motorcycle on the way from Germany to Nepal - via Iran, Central Asia, China and Pakistan
- Benedikt Frank
- Patagonia
- Jens Ruprecht, Germany
Learn!
- GPS Technical Seminars:
- "Bertrand"
1 - Adding Google Earth IMGs to GPS
2 - Getting and adding maps from OpenSource
3 - Creating Custom POI's - Electrical Gremlins workshop
- Workshop, by Ben Frank
- Workshop, by Ben Frank
- BMW F650 Modifications
- Workshop, by Bertrand
- Workshop, by Bertrand
- Cheeky, sneaky, legal backup preparation - German Documents
- Hanno Krusken (spooky)
I came back from my local vehicle registration office today, for extension and renewing some of my documents for traveling. Lots of cheeky tips on how to get a 2nd or even 3rd set of all travel documents in Germany, that including a 2nd Passport, 2nd int.driving license, 2nd int. vehicle license and how to get some more original green-cards for free out of the insurance companies, all perfectly legal. So there would not be any need to colour copy and laminate any of this papers for the risk of being called a fraud to fool foreign police officers. Now this workshop is very heavily regarded to the German documents and authorities, how to get them legally. This workshop would be most interesting for the international HU members on the meeting as well to listen, that the Germans are not that over correct as they may appear to be... :) Anyway, the international HU-members on the German HU-meeting would be able to use this workshop, to adapt for there own needs and national conditions, so I will hold this workshop in English with German inlays for the Germans for better understanding.
- Hanno Krusken (spooky)
- DIY tools workshop "help-your-self"
- Hanno Krusken (spooky)
With this DIY-workshop I would like to support other HU members to do their own service, show what minimal tools they need to be able to actually do their own service or emergency repair, not being worried about getting dirty or helpless in such situations.
- Hanno Krusken (spooky)
- Fix that flat! How to change a tire anytime, anywhere
- Workshop
How to prevent flats in the first place, and fix them when you get one. The best tools and how to use them for tube and tubeless tires. Hands on practical and tire changing contest for beginners to experts! - How to write and publish your travel book!
- Jens Ruprecht, Germany
Want to get your story published and on Amazon? Jens did it, and here's how!
- Jens Ruprecht, Germany
Tech session
-
Women only
- a very popular session - I'm told it's a must for the ladies, so be sure to plan on being there! A chance to talk to experienced travelling women without the men around!
- Experienced Travellers Panel - ask the experts anything you want!
- and more to come as they register with us.
- How about YOU? We're all here to learn, and there's LOTS to learn! We want to do more presentations and clinics - but we need volunteers to give them! Any topic you can contribute having to do with motorcycle travel, maintenance, planning etc, lasting 20 minutes or more, would be great. Tell us about your trip, or area of expertise. Sign up here!
To give you an idea of what we plan to have for you, here's the seminars for last year's Meeting:
-
2011 Speakers and Tech Seminars:
Presentations in English or German as possible.
- eMMenreiter - A high adventure with low 20 PS
- Michael Linke and Susanne Hein
An unforgettable ride on two old MZ-Bikes from Germany into the Himalaya and back.
- Michael Linke and Susanne Hein
- Africa
- "Betrand"
3 Humanitarian Missions to Orphanages in Mali
- "Betrand"
- Packing right
- David and Heidi Winters
A gear whore's tale, Tips on how to do more with less and what you shouldn't leave home without
- David and Heidi Winters
- Brasil De Moto
- Claudio Gnypek and Sonja Ritter, Pegasoreise
A motorcycle journey through Brazil from the south to the north in 3 months.
- Claudio Gnypek and Sonja Ritter, Pegasoreise
- Lone way round
- Tobias Mosungo
Lone way around Africa on Honda Transalp
- Tobias Mosungo
- The Frog Princess - Germany to Nepal
- Ben Frank, Germany
The story of a little green motorcycle on the way from Germany to Nepal - via Iran, Central Asia, China and Pakistan.
- Ben Frank, Germany
- The world is not a straight road (Movie)
- Frank and Artur, Germany
Through Africa with an 8 year old passenger - Artur
- Frank and Artur, Germany
- The slow way down
- Florian Rolke
On a Simson Schwalbe (50ccm) from Hamburg to Capetown
- Florian Rolke
- On 50 Euros to the Mediterrean Coast
- Jens Ruprecht, Germany
Durchgebissen: Für 50 Euro ans Mittelmeer?
- Jens Ruprecht, Germany
- Patagonia
- Jens Ruprecht, Germany
- Women only
- a very popular session - I'm told it's a must for the ladies, so be sure to plan on being there! A chance to talk to experienced travelling women without the men around!
- Kay Forwood will lead the session, with an introduction into travelling as a woman.
- Three great GPS Technical Seminars:
- "Bertrand"
1 - Adding Google Earth IMGs to GPS
2 - Getting and adding maps from OpenSource
3 - Creating Custom POI's
- "Bertrand"
- KTM LC4
- Workshop, by Ben Frank
Hugely popular last year!
- Workshop, by Ben Frank
- BMW F650 Modifications
- Workshop, by Bertrand
Can't let those KTM guys have all the fun!
- Workshop, by Bertrand
- Fix that flat! How to change a tire anytime, anywhere
- Workshop
How to prevent flats in the first place, and fix them when you get one. The best tools and how to use them for tube and tubeless tires. Hand's on practical and tire changing contest for beginners to experts!
- Workshop
- How to write and publish your travel book!
- Jens Ruprecht, Germany
Want to get your story published and on Amazon? Jens did it, and here's how!
- Jens Ruprecht, Germany
- GPS Tech clinic
- Matthias Zörcher, http://www.rswolf.de/ (30 minutes from the meeting if you need anything for GPS, Ducati or Suzuki)
Friday and Saturday presentations on using a GPS
Matthias at the GPS session
- Matthias Zörcher, http://www.rswolf.de/ (30 minutes from the meeting if you need anything for GPS, Ducati or Suzuki)
- Experienced Travellers Panel - ask the experts anything you want!
- eMMenreiter - A high adventure with low 20 PS
There will be slide shows and talks Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, as well as all Saturday morning and afternoon, so come early and make it a great weekend! We recommend planning on riding Friday, and leaving time for Seminars all day Friday.
Rideouts
Rideouts are limited to 6 or 10 people per ride, no exceptions.
All rides will be back on site at or before 5.00pm
Road Rides - two planned, details to come.
Off-road - we could use some help - any ideas, locations, routes, off-road tracks?
The cost of going on any ride is included in the registration fee.
All rides are "register on the day." There will be signup sheets for each ride posted the evening before. First in best dressed.
Travel Equipment Vendors
We're looking for Travel Equipment vendors to come and display your products, and sell as well. Please contact Grant in London or Jens Ruprecht in Germany.
2012 Vendors to come as they register.
2011 Vendors:
Kedo Performance Products "Heroes Legend Race to Dakar" support, travel goodies and more/
Petra Friedrich from OutdoorFieber will be there with motorcycle and outdoor products.
Charity
Last year we raised almost €2000 for Riders for Health or Motorcycle Outreach, through the sale of raffle tickets and the generous donation of prizes from all the vendors on site and from afar at our HU Meetings worldwide. Many thanks to everyone, let's hope we can raise even more this year. And if you'd like to donate a prize, please contact Grant or Jens in Germany.
Free stuff - A 'Scratch Patch'
We all know how expensive these overland travel dreams can be, but also how you often manage to accumulate travel equipment and bits and pieces that just end up gathering dust. That thingamabob that you have been meaning to give away for ages could be exactly what some broke newbie is in need of before a first trip.
The 'Scratch Patch' is a place where people can put those extra inner tubes for the bike that they already sold but forgot to give to the new owner (clearly labelled as to size of course ); that jerry can that you bought that doesn't fit your mountings; that Lonely Planet for Mongolia - anything that might be a big help to someone else.
(of course, anything that does not find a home by the end of the weekend will need to be reclaimed)"
Bring your left-over/unwanted junk - oops, I mean, Good Stuff! :)
Camping
Camping is INCLUDED in your registration fee. NO 4 wheeled vehicles in the main camping fields, there will be an area specifically for you.
Dogs - Noisy dogs will be ejected.
Books - get your signed copy direct from the Author!
Jens Ruprecht
Schedule will be posted here, with a print version as well, when it's ready...
...so check back and plan what you want to see. The schedule is subject to change, so don't hold our feet to the fire - stuff happens! But we will try very hard to ensure that it goes off as planned. Check the latest schedule to be posted at the meeting on the day.
All times - and everything - approximate! 
An up-to-date schedule will be posted at the Meeting.
Thursday morning
CHECK-IN and sign up! You MUST be registered to go on a ride or for entry to any events, seminars etc.
Friday
08:00 - Breakfast, all morning, €5
CHECK-IN and sign up! You MUST be registered to go on a ride or entry to any events, seminars etc.
09:00 Ride briefing. Be gassed up and ready to ride if you're going.
Friday night
21:00 Speakers presentations start sharp at 2100, so be sure you've eaten early!
Saturday morning
8:00 - Breakfast, all morning, €5
8:30 - 9:00 Late Check-in.
9:00 Ride briefing. Be fueled up and ready to ride if you're going.
Saturday Lunch
From 11:30, served all day. Payable to the venue on the day. Range of specials from the blackboard served all day, various excellent prices. Vegetarian meals available.
Saturday afternoon,
Rideouts - details here if you're riding on your own.
On road runs - we'll post a sheet of paper up for you to add your name to a destination, volunteers to lead appreciated!
Tech Seminar, details to come. If you want to volunteer to lead a seminar or breakout session, on any appropriate topic, please contact us. We have had lots of interest in seminars, ranging from 30 minutes to several hours, on subjects from GPS to packing lists to tire changing.
Saturday, dinner
See Saturday lunch above.
19:00 sharp:
Speakers presentations
21:00 (not sharp) - Door prizes - you have to be there to win!
Sunday
Breakfast served from 8:00, €5
Miscellaneous notes:
Organizers will be there most of Thursday, hopefully Thursday evening, if anyone wishes to arrive early and just hang out or go for a ride in the area. There is no problem arriving even a couple of days early, our hosts will be happy to see you and feed you, and camping is free. Please LET US KNOW you will be arriving early.
Pre-Register and save €10!
- Register and PAY before 1 June, entry fee is €35. Includes admission to all slide shows, and other events. Camping is also included in your entry fee for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. If you arrive early there is generally no problem finding a spot to camp, no charge. Just eat there and they're happy! Accommodation (other than camping), and meals are NOT included.
- At the door, admission is €45.
Sorry, Advance Registration is now closed for this year. There is loads of space, so please come, and register on the day!
Membership - Show you're proud to be a Horizons Unlimited Traveller!
Just to clarify the membership situation: Currently there is no requirement to be a member to access the website, the HUBB or to receive the monthly e-zine. For now, what you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive.
We will also upgrade your status in the HUBB to Contributing or Gold Member. In addition to recognising your contribution through your status, this will allow you to upload a custom profile picture and custom avatar, store more private messages, upload more pictures, add events to the calendar and create polls.
If you wish to buy a t-shirt, mug, fleece jacket or other Horizons logo product from the Souk, you can purchase Member or Gold Member logo products at the basic price. Just let us know and we can arrange access to the Members Private Store.
Note that new Memberships with your Meeting Registration are applied as of the Meeting date or as soon as possible thereafter, not earlier, unless you make a special request in the Comments box when you register.
T-Shirt Deal
Cotton: Top quality heavy cotton t-shirts in black or grey.
Synthetic: (Dri-Fit) t-shirts are in a beautifully made wicking material, and make great travel / riding t-shirts as well as all-round wear t-shirts. Available in a variety of colours at most meetings, and always black or grey. The order section will list the colours available.
Note that we will have a very few t-shirts extra at each meeting, but very limited - we can't carry many! So please pre-order and pay in advance so you can be sure of getting what you want.
2012 Tshirt slogan "The open road is calling, and I have a world to ride!"
Back:
(large, full back)
Front:
You can help!
If you have a few minutes, please download the poster (Adobe pdf format) and print off a few and hand them round your club or your local bike shop or anywhere seems like a good place.
(You may need to right click and choose "save target as...")
Poster in pdf format, English (300kb) full colour Event poster.
Poster in pdf format, Deutsche (300kb) full colour Event poster.
Thanks for the help!
The Meeting Location
Gasthaus „Zur Schneeburg“
69509 Ober-Liebersbach
(30 min. north of Heidelberg)
Getting There - GPS, Maps
GPS-Koordinaten „Zur Schneeburg“
N49 36.422
E8 42.421
Restaurant/Farm website, with details on getting there: www.zur-schneeburg.de
Map to the Meeting - click for more details.
If you have any links or details for the area please let us know.
Other Accommodation Possibilities
If you have any information for the area please let us know.
Pretty nice hotel:
Der Watzenhof
69502 Hemsbach/
Balzenbach
Tel: 06201 70050
Fax: 06201 700520
Email Hotel:
Information about the area
The Odenwald Region, a little bit south of Frankfurt, east of the Rhine river is a very nice area for motorcyclists because of its pretty little hills, forests, romantic villages and perfect motorcycle roads! If you have never been here – you will love it! A ride in the morning – an afternoon coffee somewhere in an ancient castle and then back to our campground with all these beautiful people – what else do we need? We are only 15 min. away from the nice little towns of Heppenheim and Weinheim. Once you are here in the region – don't miss visiting the old town of Heidelberg.
If you have any links or details for the area please let us know.
Local Hosts
Jens Ruprecht is the lead organizer of this event. Thanks go to Jens for volunteering to bring Horizons Unlimited Travellers Meetings to Germany, and all his hard work!
Christina and Jens
If you have any questions, contact with rideout registration, vendor, venue and speakers questions.
See you at a meeting this year!
Grant and Susan