Elephant rally 2008
 

Hi,

Is anyone going to the 2008 Elephant rally? I've ridden to 5 events this year solo and would prefer a bit of company on this one. Setting off from West Yorkshire, England.

G

So where is it exactly and the date in 08???. Regards Brian B:confused1:

Late January, Bavaria in the snow - good fun from all accounts.

Bundesverband der Motorradfahrer e.V.: Elefantentreffen
(babelfish or similar will do a translation) - Damn, just click on the English button on their webpage!!!!!!!!!

I will prob be returning to norway again this jan, but I have done the elefant a couple of times now, if you want any info, shout, It's a superb event. Where do you hail from? am from Skipton myself.
What bike are you on?
There is always a brit contingent there, some guys from hudds area, seems to be a northern brit thing :mchappy:

elephant rally 08
 

Hi,

I'm in the North Leeds area just off the A65. I mainly ride a Harley Sportster now coz my old XTZ750 Super Tenere is in bits in the garage. Not the ideal touring bike but it's done 15,000miles of touring this year so it does get out a bit.

The Elephant rally is listed on Bundesverband der Motorradfahrer e.V.: Startseite as being from 25/01-27/01 2008 at Loh bei Solla, Bayerisher Wald. 40km North of Passau, Germany. Although my link on my laptop at home gave me another date so I'll have to check that one out before booking anything.

It's one i've always wanted to do.

Another biker from Leeds who is a friend of a friend did it last year on a Ural so I thought it would be a good crack.

G

Just spotted that you are off to Dumfies this weekend, you will find me in the yellow van (knee not fit for 2 wheels yet).
There are always harleys at the elefant, not as daft a choice as some may think. It is all down to the tyres and the rider. the low centre of gravity is no bad thing, the biggest problem will be the front washing out going downhill!
The other date may well be the altes-elefant at the nurburgring, later in febuary. the one near Loh is the biggy.
Good cold weather protection is essential, holland can be variable, the western side of Germany will start getting chilly, and when you gradually climb towards regensburg, expect to be riding down to -18c.
But, when it gets properly cold, it is dry cold, not as bad as the dismal muck we get here. get your bike waxed or some good anti-rust stuff, it will see a lot of salt on the way down.
Do it, every biker should go at least once, it is the winter mecca...

the elephant
 

Hi Joe,

I was in Austria for this years Faaker See Harley rally and rode up through a couple of alpine passes at 2600m in light snow. On the way back I took the motorway North out of Villach and hit 8 hours of snow (road clear/2ft of drift at the edge) and sleet which was nice. Needless to say I wasn't totally prepared for it since it was only the end of August/start of September and the only dangers at last years rally was the drink and sunburn!

Read a few posts on the HUBB and ADVRider about snow riding nothing beats experience though and you've got to do it to get there.

I've got the weekend off for a change and I saw the post for the meeting near Dumfries and thought it would a good little trip. The Harley crowd I ride with aren't up for riding past September so it's nice to see fellow bikers on the road.

Sorry to hear about your knee.


Regards,

G

Glad to know a harley rider who can ride!
2006 I did the elefant, then went south to the tauerntreffen in austria, those passes in winter are something else.
The winter biking fraternity are like summer bikers, but even more friendly, with a skip load of camararderie thrown in.
to be honest, unless riding with spiked tyres, the harley would be better in the snow, easier to keep upright!
The crowd at dumfries are superb, andy and maya are something to behold, the meet is very laid back, and yes, I have been on the ale. hic

elephants in germany?
 

what i didn't say was the back end was occasionally travelling in a different direction to what i'd intended on those alpine passes...... ;-)

I was wondering if any of the others viewing had any opinions/advice for this years Elephant Rally. The pictures i've seen on the Hubb/ADVRider show that both the camping area and the entrance/exit is very busy.

Judging by the camping pictures I could do with a folding spade to dig a hole for the tent and i'm wondering how my nice super lightweight alloy tent pegs are going to cope with frozen ground. Might be time to invest in super cheap nasty steel ones and a large mallet.

If anyone else is going from wherever you are, Scandanavia, UK, or continental EU what kind of preparation you are doing and what bike/kit you are taking.
Some old boys from Leicester,UK took 1940's vintage bikes when they went so it seems it's not only for GS riders.

Once again if anyone foolish enough has any intentions of doing this rally and wants a bit of company let me know. If only to help pick each others bikes up. ;-)


G

Will sort you a site map and some pics,
All bikes go, my choice being the venerable honda c90.

Get yourself some 6" nails for the frozen ground, cheap as......6" nails:thumbup1:
You can always lose them if you have to as well!


Trophymick

frozen elephants
 

that idea might just work mick!

blue elephants
 

cheers Joe. I'd rather be picking up a C90 than a 250kg Sportie.

How far do you go on the venerable ticking clock and how often?

every year, either bavaria& Austria or Scandanavia, on two wheels, on ice, 30mph is as fast as i dare!
The things never go wrong, mainly cos there is not much to actually go wrong, no battery reqd for the engine etc.
However this year I will have to resort to 3 wheels with a very shedlike transalp outfit due to a knackered knee. feels like cheating!
http://www.scarabis.com/Photos/AndyScand07/1260053.jpg


:funmeteryes:

that looks amazing. beats a travelodge anyday.

Brass Monkeys....!!!!!!
 

Hi there, will keep one eye open on this thread, I'm quite interested in doing extreams(going '08 Dakar etc).Sorry but very guilty of being a bandwagon jumper and bought Me sen a GSA last yr and fookin love it ta bits,"Ronseal".... "it does everything it says on the tin".......!!!!!!!!!
:mchappy:

wocha. i was thinking of going to the elephant this time round too. im based in bristol at the mo but mi folks are leeds based, so maybe we could hook up at some point? when were you thinking of going? do we need to book in advance or is it tickets on the gate? got to psyche myself up and invest in some woolly undies i think....

karl

Brrrr!
 

Hi, I just checked the website and there's no mention of tickets, prices or anything like that. No mention of max numbers either. Location would be on google earth "Thurmannsbang-Solle". If there's more than one then Bavaria should get it. Linzi.

20 Euros
 

My mistake. The entry is 20 Euros, but seems you just turn up and pay. It's on google earth at Thurmannsbang. It's on from 30 Jan 09 to Feb 09. Linzi.

The Elephant rally is one of those things you just have to do. Just don't use a decent bike to do it. If the ditches don't get you the salt will.

My advice, based on doing it four times, is to get something cheap, light and small (in the sense of being able to put both feet flat on the ground when you're on it), cover all the cycle parts (and as many of the engine parts as you can ) in grease and try to take spares for the bits that will break when you fall off (clutch lever etc).

You've got to camp. Don't wimp out and stay in a hotel! Geodesic tents make it a bit easier as you don't have to worry about trying to get pegs to hold it up. If you're camping on any depth of snow the tent will sink in over a day or two.

Lastly, make sure you get the badge!

A couple of pics from my early visits - on an MZ250 and a Suzuki TS100


http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...quick/mz76.jpghttp://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...uick/78ERO.jpg

The elefant is the last weekend of jan 2009.
There will be a british contingent there, a few will be catching it on the way back from the tauerntreffen in Austria.
The camaraderie is great, if you turn up on your own, there are plenty of campfires that will welcome you.
I don't think there is a true maximum number, you can always get a ticket on the gate.
BUT, do turn up early, Wed before the rally is when folk start arriving, if you land at the site on fri evening, you will struggle to find a flat bit of hillside/snow to bivvy up in. It gets VERY BUSY! If you arrive late, and have a heavy bike, be prepared to carry your camping kit several hundred yards.
MAG members get a discount (was 6 Euro's).
The best undies are norgies! (ex norwegian military)
Camping is required, unless you have booked in already into a local hotel.

The roads to the Rally can be unpredictable. The Germans are masters of keeping trunk roads open, so you will more than likely do most of the ride on dry salty tarmac. This will knacker proper knobbly tyres. So go for a catspaw type tread, they still work in the snow. The alternative main roads can be icy. I have to use these on the c90, and the run up the old road towards regensburg can turn "interesting" very quickly.
The older roads are much more interesting, if longer and slower. also you have less chance of interacting with a heavy truck in the occasional freezing fog. This is not uncommon in the Frankfurt area.

The main advice any experienced elefantonian (my new term) is be prepared for bad riding conditions. One day it will be beautiful blue cold skys, and it will turn into snowy, foggy freezing nastyness in hours.
Think high viz from the back, the Trucks are fast, and if you are forced to ride slowly on a motorway due to a freezing visor...... Oh yes, heated visors are great, but Fog City inserts work really well down to -15c. A normal clear visor will ice up, also a length of gaffa tape accross the top will help reduce glare.

hmmm.... i'll join the crowd keeping one eye on this thread. kind of feel like doing something my girlfriend would term as "loco" this winter...

who else is thinking about going from the uk?

Did it in 2004 and 2007 (failed). Would love to try for 2009, but saving up cash and passes out for a trip to somewhere hotter. My advice to first timers would be:

1. Allow enough time. Normally one or two days there or back from the channel is fine but if you find yourself on the autobahn going 40 mph due to a white out it takes longer.

2. Tyres are key. Some years a Bonneville on road tyres will be fine, others it would have made up there with a bit of pushing/picking up, others still (2007) you wouldn't get withing 50 miles after falling off dozens of times! Knobblies are fine if you can live with the wear, most old style tyres work well.

3. At minus 10 you need serious gear. With a heated vest or oil rig survival suit it's tolerable. With UK purchased so called winter gear, the warm drink stops every thirty miles really slow progress. Same goes for camping gear, items in UK camping shops rated at minus 10 mean you won't die, but you won't sleep either.

Bike wise, you need to look at the investment. In 2004 I used a perfectly good BMW R1100R road outfit that wasn't great getting going on snow and meant parking off the camp site but was otherwise fine. In 2007 I intended to use an MZ solo which would have been great if it hadn't siezed on it's motorway test run. The Bonneville was a no hoper on those tyres in that weather but would have made it other years. The Bonneville now it's got the chair would be pretty perfect. I'd gauge how reliable and how well you'd know a purpose bought lighter bike before trying to ride it across Germany in January. A 250 traillie is (as always) what you want for the last twenty miles, but the hundreds on the autobahn to get there might kill it.

Andy
Have a Gluhwein for me!

Alpkit.com
 

Hi snowmen, for strong pegs and very warm sleeping bags at LOW prices, check out alpkit.com Regards, Linzi