The top 10 bikers meetings in europe
 

Hi Chris,
I'm writing a script for a TV show. The story also involves visiting all the best bikers concentrations in europe. I hope this answers your question.
Thanks for your help.

Hi Fantastic,
I'm writing a script for a TV show. The story also involves visit all the best bikers concentrations in europe.
Imagine if someone gives you the oportunity to go to the best bikers meetings in europe. What meetings do you choose?
I hope this answers your question.
Thanks for your help.

Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers' Meeting - UK 2011

The biggest and best motorcycle TRAVELLERS MEETING in the world! :clap:

(if I do say so myself :blushing: )

Gawd, don't go near that event. I stumbled across it by accident this past September whilst riding from Switzerland to Turkey.

It was a disaster - thousands and thousands of Harley riders (almost all of whom had shipped their bikes there by road freight) riding around the town at 10 km/h, shouting 'show us your tits' and generally converting fuel to noise and beer to piss...

I was NOT impressed. It was a friggin' fetish convention, not a riders' event.

Michael

Each to their own
 

I ride a Harley (and a Victory) and managed to make it to Faakersee for a day this year under my own steam. It is a major biker event in Europe, which is what was asked for, it's also quite amusing watching big fat Germans pretending to be big fat Americans for the week. We all enjoy different aspects of motorcycling, so don't knock it.

I suppose it depends on what individuals regard as top events. They may not necessarily be the largest or attract the most riders in many people's eyes.

My votes would go to:-
Ripley HU meet.
Farmyard - North Yorkshire
Dragon - Wales

A couple I would like to go to sometime:-
TT week,
Faro

I've been to some of the big Harley European rallies and Laconia in the US. I enjoyed them, but the main attraction for me now would be the ride there and back.

Paul

Thanks for your answer, I can't tell you the best meetings as I haven't been to loads of them, but given the choice of all the bike meets in Europe I would put these in the show, as I feel they would give a good spread of the biking community

The Elephant Rally
The Faro Motorcycle Rally
TT week
HU Ripley
FIM Zadar

In Switzerland it's the weekly Trimbach meet every thursday.

But as an overlander I couldn't care less for this kind of meet. :innocent:

The best ones are the meets we organise ourselves and just have a handful of mates that have travelled the world. Invitation by word-of-mouth only. beer

+1 to that.

You could also include fixed meets like Squires Cafe Sherburn Yorkshire, Devils Bridge, Ace Cafe etc.

What I think you should include is why the events take place. The Dragon and Elefant have developed into tick box events for the badge collectors. The carpark at the last autobahn services is full of hired vans used to bring "Adventure" bikes from the hotel. Ebay in March is full of outfits "built for the Elefant". The organisers get the roads cleared and set up heated tents for idiots who turn up with kit still in it's packet and no idea what alchohol does to your body temperature. If you want to really camp in Alpine conditions it's the invite events you want not club 18-30 on ice. I guess it's how the "rebel" cruiser events turned into dress-like-a-pirate parades too. Fine of course if that's what you want and enjoy but I'd like to see anything published be honest and maybe refference to the invite events (I wouldn't name them, you wouldn't want people turning up uninvited and complaining it's cold and they'd like their extreme-adventure badge please before heading back for a jacuzi).

Andy

To add to the list, there are a lot of Alpine meets just as the riding season starts up again around April and May.

These can be huge (beyond 5,000 bikers) and they ususally have a priest that comes to bless all the bikers and pray for a safe riding season. I'll post a link when I find one.

From a TV standpoint, I think it would be really amazing to see this as it's both cuturally significant and a tradition in the Alps.

Nw200
 

My first vote would have to go to the TT on the isle of man. Great atmosphere, great racing, great riding.

If you like the idea of motorcycle events as opposed to meets one to try would be the North West 200. With around 150,000 spectators its actually one of the biggest events in ireland but the atmosphere is extremely bike friendly, with riders and race history part of local legend. As such the mix between riders and locals is greater than at most events and people come back year after year.

To be honest pretty much all of the Irish road racing tradition is warm and welcoming but the northwest is the biggest and in my experience the best organised.

Sometimes it's not just the wannabe's that fall into that category, occasionally even the locals are guilty. The picture below was taken in the French Alps a couple of years ago in the middle of a day long snowstorm. The thing the guy is looking at is the instructions for fitting his snowchains!
The car had a 38 plate for Isere so he lives somewhere in the area.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...quick/1529.jpg

A free bump for Jose!

The replies to date have been very UK-centric, so I''ll throw in another offering:- the BMW annual meeting in Garmisch Partenkirchen, just under the Zugspitze. It lasts all weekend, never has any trouble and attracts 1000s of visitors - camping and hotelling it.
Best turn up on a Beemer I guess (but you don't have to own a BMW to join the UK BMW club).

Here's another one outside the UK.

The Motorrad Club No Nord (Austria) hold a Crazy Biker Weekend every July. Free entrance!
The one in 1999 was pretty good and I'm sure it's got better and better ever since!

(I stumbled across the 1999 event completely unplanned riding my old Yamaha Serow. When I told them I was from England they shoved the 'Long Distance Award' into my hands and I still have the large magnificent brass plaque on my mantlepiece).

The Bol D'Or used to be manic :eek3: when it was at Paul Ricard. Don't know about now though.

I was planning to join the dots of all the bike meets I could find/get invited to in Europe as one of my next tasks!

I've been to quite a few, and my personal favourites are the middle aged cruiser club meets. They are fascinating on so many levels. I love to see bankers, accountants and otherwise sensible, responsible adults and parents let their thinning hair down and make-believe they are in Easy Rider.

The more affiilliation they claim with HA the better, the more patches they wear on their plus size leather waistcoats the better. Born To Be Wild, slipped discs and dropped bikes, born agains enjoying their rebirths after their chicks have flown the nest. They are magic.

Birdy