1975 July

It was Saturday, the eighth of May and the weather was warm and hot – a beautiful start for the third annual BMWMOA Schmidtburg Treffen. We were located on the edge of a wide open filed on the fringe of a forest, just outside the town of Bundenbach in the heart of the Pfalz area, Germany. From early morning till mid afternoon, members and invited guests came rolling in, pitched their tents and got acquainted with one another. Members, like Paul Lammerant and his friends, rode all the way from Brussels to attend. The longest distance rider within Germany was Paul Lowe from Stuttgart. All in all, a little over fifty people attended the rally, which is not too bad when one considers that the majority of members are scattered throughout Europe and that we do not have a chartered club.

As with the past two Schmidtburg Treffens, Tim Shaffer did a splendid job of designing the fliers, arranging for the camping area with the local officials and insuring that everyone was kept well informed on what was going on. In lieu of motorcycle games on Saturday afternoon, Tim led us on a short ride through the scenic countryside to a point overlooking a valley,where in the distance stood th ruins of the 12^th century Schmidtburg castle. A two kilometer walk down the side of the mountain took us to the castle to review the ruins. Surprising how much longer it took to climb back up the side of the mountain to our bikes. However, a couple of members started the first known BMW taxi service, riding down the side of the mountain across fields and down gravel roads to pick up tired hikers and transport them back to the top. There we all took a breaks before riding back to the campsite and we were treated to a show put on by “BMW Miles” Reichenback, who demonstrated his skill of riding his sidehack on two wheels – in the dirt yet!

Back at the campsite we prepared our suppers, finished unpacking and them relaxes around the campfire enjoying the cool, clear mountain air and listening to the comforting evening sounds that can be heard out in the countryside away from the busy city life. Paul Lammerant, who is president of the Moto-Club in Brussels, boasting over a hundred members, invited is for a three-day weekend (yet to be decided upon). As out host, he will take us on a tour of Brussels and provide us an opportunity to meet and chat with Belgian riders. We may plan this for September if possible.

Sunday morning greeted us with a cool, brisk day and a sun that promised to be hot but beautiful day. First, hot coffee to wash away the cobwebs, followed with breakfast, and we were ready for the morning activities. At 9 am, Tim along with Buck Buford, took off to lay the “scent” for the Hound and Hare Chase. Forty-five minutes later, the “hounds” took off. The trail led through small villages, criss-crossed around twisting roads and led back to the campsite. The winner, Lay Koster from Frankfurt, won a bottle of wine and a round of applause.

The morning was topped-off with a tour through an old slate with Tim Shaffer translating into English the tour guide's German. Around one PM, the members started packing up for their long ride home. All in all, a good time was had. However, the times too short, so maybe next year we will try for a three day treffen.

By the time you read this, Paul Lewis will be back in Washington D.C. Paul has done a splendid job as author of the “European Corner” for the past year and answering the many letters sent by interested readers. Paul has been a good friend of mine for the past two and a half years, and I wish him the best of luck in his new endeavors.