Intermot 2006
Alright then, after a longer period of non-writing and a short nonsense entry here's something real to look at (and this time it's not (only) me) *wink*
While we were on the way to Jason's friend to celebrate my birthday we have heard something about a fair in Cologne. It was something like "yadda, yadda, yadda, motorcycles, yadda, yadda, yadda, Cologne, yadda, yadda, yadda, Intermot, yadda, yadda, yadda, Oct. 11th - 15th."
Jason: "What did he just say?"
Me: No clue. Something about a motorcycle fair in Koeln Messe or something. "
Jason: "WHEN???"
Me: "In three days! Until next Sunday. Wanna go?"
Jason, with HUGE eyes: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? YES!!!"
Alright, this sounds like a decision then.
We didn't talk about the fair for exactly 3minutes, then we started making plans when we're going, whom we are going to take with us, for how long we are going and whether we're going on the bike or by car.
I defenitely wanted to take the bike. This was my chance to show my honeybean that it IS possible to ride on the back of a sportbike for longer than 45 minutes.
As we found out some other people wanted to go there as well, there was even a mail going around at the base to everyone with a bike and ride as a huge group to Cologne, but we didn't feel like joining them. The reason: they wanted to leave about 7am and ride on their Harleys at about 100km/h, which absolutely doesn't work for mr. Kling. "I have a sportbike, I can make 260 on that baby and I'm gonna make 260!"
Thank God that didn't happen, we ONLY made it to average 210 and that was the best workout for me back and neck in the last 4 years.
One day before the trip (Friday) we went to the Hein Gericke shop to buy pants for both of us. After thinking hard, whether it's worth it or not, we both decided that biking pants are perfectly ausable for snowboarding and skiing. This was the point where we defenitely decided to get those pants, which was not as easy as it sounds: We first tried kid's size for me, which was alittle bit too small. 36, which is something like S was a little bit too big and there was no smaller one. We still haven't taken the kid's size because we figured if I put jeans underneath the "bigger" pair it will be just perfect - and it was.
Actually there was another someone named Joel who wanted to join us, but Joel decided to sleep until 2pm instead. Well, shit happens! He cought up with us the following day (Sunday).
As we entered Cologne at the end of the highway there was a guy in a yellow glowing jacket who gave all motorcycles the sign which way to go to "Intermot". I think he was kind of annoyed and half frozen, but uh well, as I already said: shit happens.
Shit also happened to us, but it wasn't that bad - we got lost in Cologne. Not really lost, but it took us a couple loops to find the right way and the right way was a group of bikers. They also had absolutely no clue where they were going, but one of them decided to ask one of the yellow jackets (no, not the yellow pages!) and after a while we were parking "Nina" in the Messe Koeln garage.
After entering the hall we tried to get hold of Greg and Keith, who actually went up there on their Harleys and don't ask me how, but they made it there in the exactly same amount of time as we did, so I'm still absolutely sure, we've taken the longer road.
I'm really sad I couldn't take any pics of their bikes, because they both look gorgeus, especially Keith's bike (sorry Greg!), but maybe another time.
As I expected Jason simply followed his instinct and where did he go first? Oh yeah - where the Buells were.
I think it was the same hall where the Kawasakis were, so I'm still not sure, which one made him go exactly this direction *lol*
After calling each other about 15 times we finaly met Greg and Keith, who were looking around already up from shortly to 10am, which makes 3,5 more hours before we got there.
I actually never got the chance to talk to Greg for a longer time: first time we met was at his wedding. Second time we met him and his wife DIANE (more about the name a little later, right Greg? ;) ) at the wine fest, but Jason and I had a reservation in a restaurant, so we couldn't stay. They both came over for movies later on, but there's not a lot of talking while you're watching a movie. So this was actually the very first time and you're a wonderful conversation partner, Greg!
Keith I met for the very first time in my life and you're absolutely funny.... daddy :P
BTW. have you seen me in the car today (Wednesday) or not? I swear I recognized your car before Jason did, although I had no clue what license plate it has on. I just have seen a red Corvette and an American license plate and I was like " That's Keith!!!"
If you're still interested in eating GOOD Sushi, we'll probably go on Saturday again. I'll pay your dinner if you let me drive your car! Just kidding...
...about Julie... Diane. Yeah, I really called her Julie and now don't ask me how I came up with Julie! I have never known a Julie, but obviously Greg's former wife's name was Julie and so it was a rather strange coincidence and I am STILL sooo sorry about it!
I hope you'll forgive me at least when I say: "Greg, you're da maaaaaan"... at least on this picture. Don't ask me why, but I think that pic turned out great. Too bad Keith wasn't looking:
Thanks as well for calling and checking whether we made it home OK. Eccept for freezing my hands off (I need different gloves) we made it home just fine. We even used the chatter box and listened to music. It wasn't perfect, but we were still able to talk to each other and listen to music while driving 135km/h.
On the way home we stopped for dinner. We both aggreed on going the following day, but this time we'd take the car simply because there werw other people who joined us and riding a bike, especially a sportbike is exhausting for both - the driver and the passenger. Besides tempertures droped over night, so that was a total NO.
Jason went straight to bed that evening. That was my plan as well, but I was a little delayed by a couple phone calls. Another reason to take the car, because you defenitely can't sleep on the bike!
The next morning we woke up at 6:20am.
We picked up our friend Candice and Carlo, who is a shop assistant at Hein Gericke. Too bad Gerd, the managing director, couldn't go, but he had some family affairs to take care of. I'm sure if he joined we all would have had a lot of fun, 'cause Gerd is very easy going.
The day before (Saturday) I signed up for a little beginner's driving class. Jason was all excited about it. He didn't expect me to be really interested in motorcycles. Keith and Greg wanted to see me embarrass myself on Saturday, but there were no more places left for the class. But guys I tell you what: I think I managed it not too bad, at least I was the only one out there who started driving after something like 10minutes and Frank's (my tutor) words were something like "I think you got it, the driving school won't be able to make too much money on you!"
...and no, it's not a kid's bike.
I tell you it wasn't!!!
There are more pics and even a video, but it's not that exciting, even though Jason shows it around as if it was something special. He's such a cutie :)
One really cool thing is that Alex and Edgar (a friend of mine from school and her boyfriend) also joind us to Intermot. Edgar doesn't have his bike for a very long time now and I"m not really sure if Alex is interested in bikes, but still they went and it seemed as if they had fun being there.
I absolutely loved when Edgar said: "OK, I want to see 'Ural'. Where is the Russian stand? Olgaaa! Where are the Russians? THE RUSSIANS!!!"
Me: "I'm not sure whether it was hall 6 or 9, I really don't!"
Edgar: "OK then, let's have something to eat."
Another funny part was when he discovered the BMW bikes. With shaking hands he gave Alex his jacket and said something: "Hold on to this, this is an B...M...W!!!!" and his eyes were defenitely bigger than his whole head...
He sat down on the bike, stood up and sat down on another one. Alex actually hasn't seen him changing bikes and after Edgar changed there was another dude with his girlfriend checking out the bike. Alex' face changed as she looked at some chick sitting down behind her "boyfriend" and she went like: "What the... oh, never mind."
Rock'n'Roll, baby!
Except for paying almost 12 Euros for a freaking salad the fair was amazing and we defenitely going to go in 2008.
Carlo has brought lots and lots of posters and catalogues for the store and even had time to look at the bodypainted girls. I still can't believe we missed them. ON BOTH DAYS!!!! The pictures Greg took of the girls were absolutely smashing, so please, forward them to me, K?
Big "Hell Yeah!" for Hein Gericke, who's stand offered free beer and even not the cheapest one *g*
I wish Carlo told me about the Suzuki stand, which offered you a whole steak with potatoes and salad PLUS coctail, before I bought my 12 Euros salad.
Really cool that Joel made it to the fair as well.
And last but not least: I got my very first airbrush t-shirt, which says "My First Ride" and I got it on my very first motorcycle fair and best thing of all: it has Nina on it.
PIIIIIICS!!!
There is no motorcycle fair without little eye catchers...
...even better like that...
Also no fairs without BIG eyecatchers like those here:
He was just about to land and still didn't have the bike straight!!!
No hands, no feet:
Of course there was the "Cage Of Death". It's empty on this pic and I'm standing in front of it praying to my sandwich...
Da Man...
...and his Lady...
Real bikers don't use plastic bags? Think again!!! Greg:
There are many ways to use a bike. This is how it CAN be used...
...and this is how it HAS TO be used:
Did you kind of try to look like thos models on the poster? You need to work on you HAIR :-P ...Waiting for Greg and Keith...
Last but not least....
Something to laugh at:
http://download.yousendit.com/B91C96440C9D1710
And something to marvel at:
http://download.yousendit.com/3C96743431C7EF40
While we were on the way to Jason's friend to celebrate my birthday we have heard something about a fair in Cologne. It was something like "yadda, yadda, yadda, motorcycles, yadda, yadda, yadda, Cologne, yadda, yadda, yadda, Intermot, yadda, yadda, yadda, Oct. 11th - 15th."
Jason: "What did he just say?"
Me: No clue. Something about a motorcycle fair in Koeln Messe or something. "
Jason: "WHEN???"
Me: "In three days! Until next Sunday. Wanna go?"
Jason, with HUGE eyes: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? YES!!!"
Alright, this sounds like a decision then.
We didn't talk about the fair for exactly 3minutes, then we started making plans when we're going, whom we are going to take with us, for how long we are going and whether we're going on the bike or by car.
I defenitely wanted to take the bike. This was my chance to show my honeybean that it IS possible to ride on the back of a sportbike for longer than 45 minutes.
As we found out some other people wanted to go there as well, there was even a mail going around at the base to everyone with a bike and ride as a huge group to Cologne, but we didn't feel like joining them. The reason: they wanted to leave about 7am and ride on their Harleys at about 100km/h, which absolutely doesn't work for mr. Kling. "I have a sportbike, I can make 260 on that baby and I'm gonna make 260!"
Thank God that didn't happen, we ONLY made it to average 210 and that was the best workout for me back and neck in the last 4 years.
One day before the trip (Friday) we went to the Hein Gericke shop to buy pants for both of us. After thinking hard, whether it's worth it or not, we both decided that biking pants are perfectly ausable for snowboarding and skiing. This was the point where we defenitely decided to get those pants, which was not as easy as it sounds: We first tried kid's size for me, which was alittle bit too small. 36, which is something like S was a little bit too big and there was no smaller one. We still haven't taken the kid's size because we figured if I put jeans underneath the "bigger" pair it will be just perfect - and it was.
Actually there was another someone named Joel who wanted to join us, but Joel decided to sleep until 2pm instead. Well, shit happens! He cought up with us the following day (Sunday).
As we entered Cologne at the end of the highway there was a guy in a yellow glowing jacket who gave all motorcycles the sign which way to go to "Intermot". I think he was kind of annoyed and half frozen, but uh well, as I already said: shit happens.
Shit also happened to us, but it wasn't that bad - we got lost in Cologne. Not really lost, but it took us a couple loops to find the right way and the right way was a group of bikers. They also had absolutely no clue where they were going, but one of them decided to ask one of the yellow jackets (no, not the yellow pages!) and after a while we were parking "Nina" in the Messe Koeln garage.
After entering the hall we tried to get hold of Greg and Keith, who actually went up there on their Harleys and don't ask me how, but they made it there in the exactly same amount of time as we did, so I'm still absolutely sure, we've taken the longer road.
I'm really sad I couldn't take any pics of their bikes, because they both look gorgeus, especially Keith's bike (sorry Greg!), but maybe another time.
As I expected Jason simply followed his instinct and where did he go first? Oh yeah - where the Buells were.
I think it was the same hall where the Kawasakis were, so I'm still not sure, which one made him go exactly this direction *lol*
After calling each other about 15 times we finaly met Greg and Keith, who were looking around already up from shortly to 10am, which makes 3,5 more hours before we got there.
I actually never got the chance to talk to Greg for a longer time: first time we met was at his wedding. Second time we met him and his wife DIANE (more about the name a little later, right Greg? ;) ) at the wine fest, but Jason and I had a reservation in a restaurant, so we couldn't stay. They both came over for movies later on, but there's not a lot of talking while you're watching a movie. So this was actually the very first time and you're a wonderful conversation partner, Greg!
Keith I met for the very first time in my life and you're absolutely funny.... daddy :P
BTW. have you seen me in the car today (Wednesday) or not? I swear I recognized your car before Jason did, although I had no clue what license plate it has on. I just have seen a red Corvette and an American license plate and I was like " That's Keith!!!"
If you're still interested in eating GOOD Sushi, we'll probably go on Saturday again. I'll pay your dinner if you let me drive your car! Just kidding...
...about Julie... Diane. Yeah, I really called her Julie and now don't ask me how I came up with Julie! I have never known a Julie, but obviously Greg's former wife's name was Julie and so it was a rather strange coincidence and I am STILL sooo sorry about it!
I hope you'll forgive me at least when I say: "Greg, you're da maaaaaan"... at least on this picture. Don't ask me why, but I think that pic turned out great. Too bad Keith wasn't looking:
Thanks as well for calling and checking whether we made it home OK. Eccept for freezing my hands off (I need different gloves) we made it home just fine. We even used the chatter box and listened to music. It wasn't perfect, but we were still able to talk to each other and listen to music while driving 135km/h.
On the way home we stopped for dinner. We both aggreed on going the following day, but this time we'd take the car simply because there werw other people who joined us and riding a bike, especially a sportbike is exhausting for both - the driver and the passenger. Besides tempertures droped over night, so that was a total NO.
Jason went straight to bed that evening. That was my plan as well, but I was a little delayed by a couple phone calls. Another reason to take the car, because you defenitely can't sleep on the bike!
The next morning we woke up at 6:20am.
We picked up our friend Candice and Carlo, who is a shop assistant at Hein Gericke. Too bad Gerd, the managing director, couldn't go, but he had some family affairs to take care of. I'm sure if he joined we all would have had a lot of fun, 'cause Gerd is very easy going.
The day before (Saturday) I signed up for a little beginner's driving class. Jason was all excited about it. He didn't expect me to be really interested in motorcycles. Keith and Greg wanted to see me embarrass myself on Saturday, but there were no more places left for the class. But guys I tell you what: I think I managed it not too bad, at least I was the only one out there who started driving after something like 10minutes and Frank's (my tutor) words were something like "I think you got it, the driving school won't be able to make too much money on you!"
...and no, it's not a kid's bike.
I tell you it wasn't!!!
There are more pics and even a video, but it's not that exciting, even though Jason shows it around as if it was something special. He's such a cutie :)
One really cool thing is that Alex and Edgar (a friend of mine from school and her boyfriend) also joind us to Intermot. Edgar doesn't have his bike for a very long time now and I"m not really sure if Alex is interested in bikes, but still they went and it seemed as if they had fun being there.
I absolutely loved when Edgar said: "OK, I want to see 'Ural'. Where is the Russian stand? Olgaaa! Where are the Russians? THE RUSSIANS!!!"
Me: "I'm not sure whether it was hall 6 or 9, I really don't!"
Edgar: "OK then, let's have something to eat."
Another funny part was when he discovered the BMW bikes. With shaking hands he gave Alex his jacket and said something: "Hold on to this, this is an B...M...W!!!!" and his eyes were defenitely bigger than his whole head...
He sat down on the bike, stood up and sat down on another one. Alex actually hasn't seen him changing bikes and after Edgar changed there was another dude with his girlfriend checking out the bike. Alex' face changed as she looked at some chick sitting down behind her "boyfriend" and she went like: "What the... oh, never mind."
Rock'n'Roll, baby!
Except for paying almost 12 Euros for a freaking salad the fair was amazing and we defenitely going to go in 2008.
Carlo has brought lots and lots of posters and catalogues for the store and even had time to look at the bodypainted girls. I still can't believe we missed them. ON BOTH DAYS!!!! The pictures Greg took of the girls were absolutely smashing, so please, forward them to me, K?
Big "Hell Yeah!" for Hein Gericke, who's stand offered free beer and even not the cheapest one *g*
I wish Carlo told me about the Suzuki stand, which offered you a whole steak with potatoes and salad PLUS coctail, before I bought my 12 Euros salad.
Really cool that Joel made it to the fair as well.
And last but not least: I got my very first airbrush t-shirt, which says "My First Ride" and I got it on my very first motorcycle fair and best thing of all: it has Nina on it.
PIIIIIICS!!!
There is no motorcycle fair without little eye catchers...
...even better like that...
Also no fairs without BIG eyecatchers like those here:
He was just about to land and still didn't have the bike straight!!!
No hands, no feet:
Of course there was the "Cage Of Death". It's empty on this pic and I'm standing in front of it praying to my sandwich...
Da Man...
...and his Lady...
Real bikers don't use plastic bags? Think again!!! Greg:
There are many ways to use a bike. This is how it CAN be used...
...and this is how it HAS TO be used:
Did you kind of try to look like thos models on the poster? You need to work on you HAIR :-P ...Waiting for Greg and Keith...
Last but not least....
Something to laugh at:
http://download.yousendit.com/B91C96440C9D1710
And something to marvel at:
http://download.yousendit.com/3C96743431C7EF40