1995 European Motorcycle Tour
May 08, 1995 Air Canada Cargo.
This is my 1980 BMW R65. The pallet was made up from 2 used pallets supplied by the airline company. I supplied the 4x4 lumber to stiffen up the structure as well as the 4 tie down eyes. Tie down straps were on loan from the airline company as well. The paintwork, the instrument pod and headlight were then covered with foam.
May 23, 1995 Loser Panorama Strasse, Altaussee, Austria.
I'm on top of the Loser Panorama Strasse. This toll road (ATS 100) can be reached from the town of Altaussee, Austria. From this scenic viewpoint, a 2 hour hike along well marked trails will lead you to the top of the Loser at 1838 meters. Once on top, there are countless hiking trails.
May 23, 1995 Loser Panorama Strasse, Altaussee, Austria.
The view from the scenic viewpoint at the top of the Loser Panorama Strasse. The road was dry with the exception of some daytime runoff here and there. In the background, Hoher Dachstein at 2995 meters can be seen. An aerial car can be taken to the top of this mountain.
May 23, 1995 Loser Panorama Strasse, Altaussee, Austria.
This parking lot is a short way down from the scenic viewpoint on top of the Loser Panorama Strasse. A hang glider is about to take off from the ramp behind me. Wherever there are mountains, you'll see lots of hang gliders, para gliders and sleek gliders.
May 23, 1995 Loser Panorama Strasse, Altaussee, Austria.
Does this rider look happy or what? This is real riding and I haven't even reached the really great roads yet.
May 24, 1995 On a very narrow road between Faistenau and Ebenau, near the Salzburgring, Austria.
I came across this road by accident and aren't they usually the best ones? This road is wide enough for one car. It is well treed and most turns do not allow for much advance warning of oncoming vehicles, so taking it slow is a good idea. A portion of this road follows a deep gorge. The tunnel behind me is only about 15 meters long with a slight curve in it. I like this road so much that I've taken it every year that I've come to this area.
May 24, 1995 Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, Austria.
A view of myself standing at the Fuschertörl (2428 m asl) where the air is crisp and thin. The Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse toll road (ATS 210) is one the best mountain roads in Austria. From north to south, you'll pass the Fuschertörl (2428 m asl), the Mittertörl tunnel (2373 m asl) and the Hochtor tunnel (2504 m asl). A short, very twisty, steep road takes you from the Fuschertörl to the Edelweiss Spitze (2571 m asl). This short road is mostly cobblestone, the main road is very well paved.
May 24, 1995 Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, Austria.
A view of myself taken at the Fuschertörl (2428 m asl) with the Grossglockner (3798 m asl) in the background.
May 24, 1995 Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, Austria.
A view of myself at the Edelweiss Spitze (2571 m asl). This is the highest point along this road. A restaurant, 2 souvenir shops, as well as an excellent scenic viewpoint are located here.
May 24, 1995 Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, Austria.
This is a view of the short section of cobblestone road between the Fuschertörl and the Edelweiss Spitze. There was about 2 meters of snow along this section of road and as much as 3 meters of snow along other sections.
May 24, 1995 Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, Austria.
This is a view of the short section of cobblestone road between the Fuschertörl and the Edelweiss Spitze. You thought you had snow piled up alongside your driveway. My passenger is about 1.6 meters tall.
May 24, 1995 Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, Austria.
This is a view of the Hochtor tunnel (2504 m asl and 311 m long).
May 24, 1995 Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, Austria.
Taken from the Hochtor tunnel and looking northward towards the Mittertörl tunnel, Fuschertörl and the Edelweiss Spitze.
May 25, 1995 Postalm Strasse, near Wolfgangsee, Austria.
The Postalm Strasse toll road (ATS 50) doesn't take you to any great heights but it does provide one with some of the nicest riding. This road starts in the town of Strobl and leads to a plateau at 1284 m asl before descending down the other side to the town of Rigausau. Since the road tops at 1284 m asl, you are always below the tree line. Once above an altitude of about 1500 m asl, the tree line ceases providing unimpeded views but terrain that tends to look barren.
May 25, 1995 Postalm Strasse, near Wolfgangsee, Austria.
Taken from the Leierhof (1025 m asl), this section of road lies between the Postalm Strasse plateau and the town of Rigausau. It's times like this that I wished I had my Suzuki RG500 Gamma instead of my BMW R65. These turns are almost endless.
May 25, 1995 Wiestal Stausee Road between the Salzburgring race circuit and Hallein, Austria.
The sign tells it all but I'll translate just in case: "Motorcyclists, slowly please! The Wiestal is open again (to motorcyclists)... it should remain so". This road has claimed many sport bike riders that are no longer with us. The fact that the Salzburgring is right down the road probably doesn't help matters. There are some very tight corners with a rock face on one side and a gorge on the other. Occasionally, the Gendarmerie could be found standing next to their BMW R80s at a rest stop along the road while keeping an eye on drivers.
May 26, 1995 Salzburg, Austria.
I'm standing in the old part of Salzburg on Getreidegasse with St. Blasius church in the background. The church backs on to the mountain and a short walk to the right will lead you to the Mönchsberg lift, an elevator that runs through the vertical rockface. Once on top, relax and have a few cold ones at Cafe Winkler. The outdoor cafe is situated right on the cliff, providing a excellent view over the city.
May 26, 1995 Salzburg, Austria.
This is a view of Mozart's Geburtshaus (birthplace) located in the old part of Salzburg on Getreidegasse. Getreidegasse is a narrow promenade packed with small boutiques and restaurants. Unfortunately, a McDonalds has made its way here as well ... sort of takes away from the old world charm.
May 26, 1995 Salzburg, Austria.
This view is taken from Elisabethkai next to the Makartsteg pedestrian bridge that takes you to the other side of the Salzach river. In the near background is the old part of Salzburg. Festung Hohensalzburg (castle) is situated on the top of Mönchsberg and can be reached either on foot or by the Festungsbahn, a cogged rail car. This castle has been featured on "Great Castles of Europe" on one of the cable channels.
May 26, 1995 Salzburg, Austria.
I'm standing in Mirabellgarten, a garden full of flowers and nicely trimmed shrubs. Festung Hohensalzburg can be seen atop Mönchsberg in the background.
May 26, 1995 Graf Ferienwohnung am Mondsee, Unterach, Austria.
There's nothing like a few beers after a long day on the road. I think I'm sampling this one. Most of the beers are brewed locally within the region, although others brands are also available.
May 27, 1995 Mondsee, Austria.
The town of Mondsee is on the north shore of the lake of the same name. The town has many outdoor cafes with some of the best pastries in the world. I found Austria to have very picturesque homes and buildings as can be seen in this view. The town church is up this street to the right. The wedding scene in the Sound of Music was made there.
May 27, 1995 Mondsee, Austria.
The altar of the church in Mondsee. Anyone that has seen the Sound of Music might recognize this as the altar where the wedding scene took place.
May 29, 1995 Near Hof, Austria.
This is the entrance to the Salzburgring race circuit. It is off the Wiestal Stausee road at Highway 158. The motorcycle Grand Prix has been held here on numerous occasions. The great Niki Lauda, three time Formula One champion, surely walked these grounds.
May 30,1995 Füssen, Germany.
Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria. Walt Disney modeled his castle after this one.