Black Forest - Caution

[AlanI]

Just a word of warning for motorcyclists visiting/passing through the Black Forest this summer. If you're wondering why that motorcyclists behind you makes no attempt to overtake but insists on keeping pace with you then be careful of your speed and where and when you overtake. New this year are Police motorcyclists (unmarked) with side cases full of state of the art video recording equipment and a camera(s) fitted to the front. He'll pull you over and, depending on the severity of the offence(s) either hit you with an on the spot fine or radio the chase car travelling a kilometre or so behind to transport you to a B&B other than the one you expected to end up at. This evenings news bulletin showed them in operartion and I think last weekends action has already paid for the bikes.

 

[GADGET]

Nothing new there then, observation & moderation is the name of the game now, seems to me that a reckless minority has spoilt the game for the majority.

 

[bowser]

thanks for the warning, off down there in a few weeks, just as a matter of interest we have quite flexible plans, we are travelling down through Belgium, and Luxembourg and down to Friedchshafen, and then back up to the Rhine stopping at the Asbach Distillery, and off to a bike do in Begburg.
any suggestions of routes or places to stay in the area of the Black Forest?

 

[Ropey]

I just stopped in Lindau this week and can recommend Max
hotel.... 10min walk to the island, nice secure residential area for parking, lovely hotel, 70 eur, great breakfast and free wifi.

Baden Baden looked nice when I scooted thru and the B500 is a must.... Great road heading south!!!

I stopped in Trier and Heidelberg and two cracking campsites.... Granted the weather was Spanky helped!!!!

J

 

[bmwrover]

That was the 2009 model:

 

[big stu]

Cheers for the heads up, some times it is easy to enjoy a road too much

 

[Freddie]

Just a further comment on the usually dead straight Austrian law-enforcement officers. June2010 - a sunny Sunday morning ride along some winding roads south of Baden, we came up behind a line of caravan/camper vans struggling in first up the hill. Rounding the last bend and onto a short straight into the village (entering a 50kph zone) we overtook the first two vehicles (both of which were doing circa 20kph, so we probably reached the dizzy heights of 40...I DID see two blue/white Boxers up ahead, so checked the speed). At no time did we go over the limit, but 100yds ahead, out stepped a shiny booted uniformed enforcer, who flagged us down. He explined that on Sundays, in Austria, speed limits in villages was 30kph - which we were over. Would I care to contribute to the retirement fund to the tune of 50Euros?. I handed it over, awaited a receipt - which never came. We stared each other out for (a very brave...) 10 seconds, before I looked at his blank face, uniform, gun and 'yeah, what?' expression. I nodded, said goodbye and we went on our way...I'm certain we were just nabbed for even looking like we were overtaking naughtily, disturbing their Sunday. C'est la vie....Occupational hazard enjoying such great euro roads year in year out....

 

[The Grey One]

Just a further comment on the usually dead straight Austrian law-enforcement officers. June2010 - a sunny Sunday morning ride along some winding roads south of Baden, we came up behind a line of caravan/camper vans struggling in first up the hill. Rounding the last bend and onto a short straight into the village (entering a 50kph zone) we overtook the first two vehicles (both of which were doing circa 20kph, so we probably reached the dizzy heights of 40...I DID see two blue/white Boxers up ahead, so checked the speed). At no time did we go over the limit, but 100yds ahead, out stepped a shiny booted uniformed enforcer, who flagged us down. He explined that on Sundays, in Austria, speed limits in villages was 30kph - which we were over. Would I care to contribute to the retirement fund to the tune of 50Euros?. I handed it over, awaited a receipt - which never came. We stared each other out for (a very brave...) 10 seconds, before I looked at his blank face, uniform, gun and 'yeah, what?' expression. I nodded, said goodbye and we went on our way...I'm certain we were just nabbed for even looking like we were overtaking naughtily, disturbing their Sunday. C'est la vie....Occupational hazard enjoying such great euro roads year in year out....

Never heard of a 30kph Sunday limit here in southern Austria. Also as this thread is about the B500 and you mention "south of Baden" might you have been in Germany? Of course Austria is south of Baden Baden but then so is Africa!

John

 

[bmwrover]

In Germany you cannot get done for speeding just because the plod "estimated" that you were quick. There needs to be a mechanical proof for the speed.
Not so with overtaking in a No pass zone...that can be done by eye witness of the police officer.

The description of the bike and the shiney boots sure sound like one of the Austrian village plods that would feel equally at home in Mexico

 

[The Grey One]

In Germany you cannot get done for speeding just because the plod "estimated" that you were quick. There needs to be a mechanical proof for the speed.
Not so with overtaking in a No pass zone...that can be done by eye witness of the police officer.

The description of the bike and the shiney boots sure sound like one of the Austrian village plods that would feel equally at home in Mexico

Our local police might take offence! I have heard, and Ros has had experience (expensive experience) of police in the Tirol being a little - eager shall we say. Here in Kärnten we almost never see a speed trap other than in a village or occasionally at junctions that have a 70 kph limit. With so much open road to play on it really should not be much of a problem to behave in towns & villages.

John

 

[Whele]

He explined that on Sundays, in Austria, speed limits in villages was 30kph

The phrase "done up like a kipper" springs to mind.

 

[Doon]

Nothing new there then, observation & moderation is the name of the game now, seems to me that a reckless minority has spoilt the game for the majority.

Seems to me that if observation and moderation is the name of the game, then the reckless minority would only be spoiling it for the reckless minority

 

[LBL]

thanks for the warning, off down there in a few weeks, just as a matter of interest we have quite flexible plans, we are travelling down through Belgium, and Luxembourg and down to Friedchshafen, and then back up to the Rhine stopping at the Asbach Distillery, and off to a bike do in Begburg.
any suggestions of routes or places to stay in the area of the Black Forest?

Bowser,

6 of us are heading down on 26th and i have a few routes sorted via Bouillon, then through Verdun to frieburg and a few other German towns with routes all around into Italy etc.

They are on Mapsource for a Garmin, if you want them PM me and i will email them to you.

Lloyd

 

[AndyT]

....seems to me that a reckless minority has spoilt the game for the majority.

I must admit its a little different on the B500 Black Forrest High Road as EVERYONE I have ever seen on there is thrashing their bikes to the limit. I've done it myself several times as its one of the best roads in europe but afterwards I question my actions.

Good to know about the camera bikes though.

 

[Rasher]

any suggestions of routes or places to stay in the area of the Black Forest?

Yes, I have just got back from there, staying for the fourth year running at Pension Williams:-

http://www.pension-williams.com/

They are just off the B500 at what I would call the start of the good bit which is about 20 miles South of Baden, the road just gets better and better towards Baden for roughly 20 miles. Keep clear (or take it steady) at the weekends and you should be OK, the Local Plod are really after the nutters and in 4 years I have not had a problem when "Making Progress" on the twisties (Speed traps tend to be on faster / straight sections) I have also heard they do not like race pipes.

The other way is more flowing and is good on a sportsbike if you don't mind running way over the speed limit. At the Junction right onto the B28 the road is a corker, a smooth descent of almost Alpine like Hairpins to a place called Bad Peterstall, from there carry on to Wolfach.

From the North end near Baden try the L78 to Gernsbach or L79 to Forbach (or both) the latter is narrower and bumpier (great on the GS)


Generally the K & L roads are better for bikes, the Black Forest is quite well inhabbited and many of the B Roads (Equivelent to our A Roads) can carry quite a bit of traffic and tend to have many lower speed limits (Like the UK the Germans have been lowering many limits on major roads so they are now slower than the back lanes)

Overall the traffic is still well below what I am used to in Oxfordshire, but keep to the lesser roads and you should find everything better (Scenery / Bends / Traffic)

The place is not huge (Smaller then Wales) so you can get around much of it in a few days and repeat some favourite rides, other stuff to do:-

Technic Museum at Speyer
Roman Baths at Baden
Theme Park at Rust (Europark)

Most Hotels have brochures for off-bike stuff and you should get free Public Transport with your Hotel Accomodation.

 

[AlanI]

Here's a clip from the regional news on Thursday. It's in German obviously but you'll get the drift from the video itself. The first guy (French) got lucky with a 120€ fine, the second guy (German) will get a fine plus either a 1 or 3 month suspension to be decided by the court for travelling at 160kmh. Location - B500 Schwarzwaldhochstrasse
http://swrmediathek.de/player.htm?show=0b628820-954e-11e1-be17-0026b975f2e6

 

[mrsroynie]

Not wholly relevant to this thread but could be good to know if you are likely to pass through Paris at any point in your travels ...

If you ever feel the need for speed around the Peripherique, the PN also have a plain-clothes branch called the Gardiens de la Paix who ride two-up on sports bikes in plain black leather on the lookout for 'rogue' motorcyclists. Their only identifying features are the red stripe on their helmets and a discreet armband ...

 

[NLC]

thanks for the warning, off down there in a few weeks, just as a matter of interest we have quite flexible plans, we are travelling down through Belgium, and Luxembourg and down to Friedchshafen, and then back up to the Rhine stopping at the Asbach Distillery, and off to a bike do in Begburg.
any suggestions of routes or places to stay in the area of the Black Forest?

Landhouse Lauble very good. PM if you need the address and I'll dig it up.

 

[NLC]

thanks for the warning, off down there in a few weeks, just as a matter of interest we have quite flexible plans, we are travelling down through Belgium, and Luxembourg and down to Friedchshafen, and then back up to the Rhine stopping at the Asbach Distillery, and off to a bike do in Begburg.
any suggestions of routes or places to stay in the area of the Black Forest?

Landhouse Lauble very good. PM if you need the address and I'll dig it up.