1974 February

Last month I announced the Elephanten Treffen Rally that was to be held in January. Well, due to the fuel shortage, all winter races and rallies have been cancelled here in Germany. This, the Sunday pleasure driving ban, and the severe winter enveloping Europe, has put the snafu on motorcycling activities for a while. In fact, by the time you read this, the ban may have been extended to cover Saturday afternoons as well. With a sigh, we winterize our mounts, sit back and dream of all those wonderful tripe we’re going to take when spring comes, provided the ban is lifted!

In the last issue, I mentioned that we had 23 known members in five European countries. Meanwhile, I found that we are spread over eight countries. We have one member each in Ethiopia, Holland, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey; two each in Greece and Spain; three in England; and twelve in West Germany. Vie welcome our members in Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia to our little European county. Most members are military, some are U.S. civilians working for the U.S. Forces (like myself), and a few are foreign nationals. Since we are so spread out across the map, it is difficult to form a local BMW Club. However, I understand that Bill Hoenig in Madrid, Spain, recently received a “Start your own local BMW Club” packet from Dave Malcolm Lu Araxos, Greece. I’d be interested in learning how you make out, Bill, as I understand that BMW’s are rather scarce in Spain.

The BMW News is now being mailed 1^st class to all APO’s and 120’s. Please let me know when you are receiving your copy, so that we can determine if it’s getting to you 1’ aster than in the past. If 1^st class is still too slow, we may be able to get the News sent by air mail.

The European Listing has been updated and sent out to all European members in December. If you haven’t received your copy, drop me a line and I’ll send you one. And for those of you who are rotating, be sure to let Susan Kilt know of your new address, so that you can still receive your BMW News without delay.

In a letter I received from Tim Shaffer, our Technical Advisor, he listed quite a few road riding tips he gained from his nine years of riding experience here in Europe. These tips cover riding techniques, rules of the road, things you should take along with you, safety aspects, etc. Space does not permit me to list them all, but I’ll mention them and others in subsequent articles.

Road riding is different from riding in the States, and f or that matter, each European country differs from the other, and the lack of knowledge of some of these differences can turn an otherwise beautiful trip into a disappointment, both for the newly arrived serviceman and the tourist. This has prompted me to suggest the idea of putting together a booklet on European road riding, written by BMWMOA members who have had experience on European roads. This booklet would cover such topics as the tips above, European driving habits and riding technique, camping in Europe, and interesting sights, just to name a few.

However, a project of this magnitude requires your support if it is to be of any value. Toss it around, and if you have any ideas or suggestions along this line, let me know.

Auf Wiedersehen