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The Nordschleife is the northern section of the
original Nürburgring which used to extend south of the village and
included the South Curve, where the present Grand Prix track now
is and which was home to the pit lane and start straight, and the
Südschleife, which looped down through Müllenbach but has almost
disappeared nowadays under public roads. Some of the Rassrück section
can still be seen running alongside the L93 road with the upper
section now forming access roads for the modern GP circuit.
Visiting the ring today means riding the Nordschleife,
over 12 miles of bendy ups and downs with a few straightish bits
thrown in; the map shows the basic layout. The old car park at the
top of Hohen-Rain was getting far too crowded as the 'Ring became
more popular, especially with cars, so in the late 90s the new much
larger car park was opened down on the main straight, hence the
start point is now on the straight between the 18 and 19km marks.
Unfortunately the new car park also meant new ticket barriers and
automation, so the days of getting free laps when the ticket collector
was busy were over. He was usually on his own, and every lap you
were supposed to queue up by his hut so he could clip your card,
but when it was busy it was a simple matter to just ride past the
queue. If he glanced at you a confident nod was required so you
looked like a season ticket holder!
The local guys used to wait at Turn 1, and if you looked a bit
handy taking the bend you'd find a rider or two tagging you through
Hatzenbach.
The change to the car park also meant the loss of the full main
straight and the challenge of maxing it under the bridge. A shame,
but no way would the old set-up work with the traffic the 'Ring
has to take now.
Hatzenbach |
OK, first off we should get one thing straight here
- the Nürburgring is a very dangerous place to be on a motorbike.
That's why they stopped racing there, and those guys get paid to
take risks. It is quite possible you will be killed at the Ring,
plastered onto the armco barrier and smashed to bits. You may be
lucky and just lose a few of your less essential parts and be able
to limp home a few weeks later. This is no trackday. And it's not
even as if you can just poodle round and enjoy the view. Dozens
of mad bastards in outrageous cars and nutters on bikes cutting
you up on every bend will soon make you realise that Dorset is better
for sightseeing.
 So,
having decided you're as mad as a hatter, buy your ticket, go through
the barrier and onto the straight, max it under the bridge, straight-line
the kinks from Tiergarten and then brake and turn late into the
first proper right hander into the Hohenrain chicane - there is
a section of run-off tarmac on the left here you can use to give
a wider entrance. Bit of care needed here as sometimes the next
couple of bends are blocked off and you are sent down the old pitlane
- apparently too many people stop to watch lëderhosen tugging
contests on the GP circuit .... Into the next left and then a short
squirt up to the right hander towards the old 0km mark. This is
a bit tricky as the bike tends to run out wide if you go in too
early, so keep tight to the armco on the right as you apex. A quick
blast then brake and down 2 gears into the dropping left T13 after
the old pits exit. Don't turn in too early as the bend will throw
you out wide.
Approach to Flugplatz |
Now into the Hatzenbach section. Downhill, 2 fast
rights (keep tight to the rumble strip on the second apex to miss
the bumps or you'll bounce off too far left), a fast left and then
braaake into a longish double apex right. Then a sequence of left,
right, left, a short straight and then Hocheichen, a right and tricky
downhill left onto the straight. Big throttle, keep left to avoid
the bumps, over Quiddelbacher Höhe (who makes these up?) and
then some air as you leap Flugplatz and into a high speed double
apex right - let the bike run out in the middle and clip the second
apex. Wind on the throttle and the next section is flat out, straight-lining
the kinks up to Schwedenkreuz, a very fast off-camber left. Then
brake into Aremberg, turn in late and gas it under the
bridge.
In a spin at Adenauer Forest |
Fuchsröhre |
Breidscheid bridge with Ex-Muhle beyond
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Now comes Fuchsröhre, a very fast downhill section
which kicks the bike about a bit. Straight-line the kinks but don't
clip the kerbs, then uphill and roll it off a shade for the fast
left hander, keep close to the left curb and down a couple of gears
into a right and then uphill to a tight left which must be the most
crashed-on bend, Adenauer Forst. Turn in really late (it feels like
you're at walking pace by now) then immediately right and watch
out for dirt and gravel on the road as you exit. Screw on the throttle
for a flat, open blast then down a gear for the first bit of Metzgesfeld,
a fast left which really tests your hero limits, then brake into
a tightish cambered left. This climbs to a blind right kink, so
don't run out too far right. Downhill again for another crasher,
Kallenhard, a nasty, nasty little off camber downhill right with
lumps, which bites - wait for the faded little marker by the left
kerb, turn in and aim to apex about 2/3rds along the rumble strip.
A quick blast down through a left/right chicane and then a fast
(be very,very brave) load-the-front long blind right, 3-Fach Rechts,
which should give you a hit of adrenaline if you get it right. Stay
out a bit on the first apex, hit the second and run out on the third.
There is a white paint marker to show you the peel-in point if you
look hard enough for it. Then stand on the anchors for Braiklikeshite
- sorry, Wehrseifen - a drop into a tight left hairpin.Use just
about any line you like, but if you've got the fast section right
you should wind up at the peel-in marker on the right. Accelerate
through the opening right hander and then max it downhill to Breidscheid
Bridge.
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Entering Breidscheid bridge, the end of
the downhill run from Aremberg. This is the only exit from
the circuit apart from the start line - some nice cafés
here for lunch.
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Climbing out of Ex-Muhle towards Bergwerk
- the camera bike is just about to hit the jump. This is
the start of a long climb up Kesselschen to the Karussell
and Hohe Acht. |
Exiting Bergwerk |
Fast left over the bridge (don't show off to the
spectators too much and watch out for riders turning off right for
a plate of Bratwurst in Adenau) run out right then let the bike
continue back to the left of the track and then try not to brake
as you wizz uphill and sling the bike right up Ex-Mühle (why is
it Ex? ... and where's Mühle? ... apparently it means Water Mill).
Aim to apex right by the rumble strip as the bend will throw you
out to the left. There's a lot of compression here on the front
suspension. Bit of a wheelie and slappy front as you attempt to
max it up the steep hill, then a flat-out left (where Nikki Lauder
lost it) then brake deep into Bergwerk - possibly the best bend
on the circuit. Wait until the concrete kerbing ends and then turn
in right through this wonderful climbing bend, hard on the throttle
up the hill to Kesselchen. The climb is pretty steep and if you're
on a 600 or 750 you'll really have to scream it through the gears
to maintain a decent speed. Two flat lefts, some flat out squiggles
with the odd bump and then roll it off a shade (unless you're a
complete hero) for the last left, Angst Kurve.
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Wipperman |
On yer ear up to Klostertal, jumpy little right kink
and brake into a short-circuit right hander, sort of a big hairpin.
Screw the throttle up the hill, stay a couple of feet off the right
kerbing where it juts out and head for the little square marker
on the armco. This should drop you spot-on into the Karussell (oh,
don't forget to brake and change gears while you're doing all that).
Bumpy, bumpy round the horrible concrete Karussell. Whatever you
do, don't try and exit early if you don't like it - you'll wind
up in the armco, hard. Out fast, flat out right, then uphill to
two lefts, Posten 147, the first one's very fast, the second one
isn't! Then a climbing right up to Hohe Acht, the top of the hill.
Eschbach, towards Brünnchen |
Latish entry into the next right at Hedwigshöhe to
miss the bump and down through Wippermann, a nice sequence of left/rights
- try to keep a constant throttle and let the bike do the work.
This section needs a fair bit of practice to avoid running out of
road by the end. It's followed by a climbing blind right, and you
must stay to the right so that you're in position for the left hander
Eschbach - another popular crasher. Getting the turn-in here is
tricky - don't apex too early and remember there's a downhill right
to follow, so don't drift out wide.
The Ring taxi doing it's thing at Brunchen
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Eiskurve |
Now it's downhill into Brünnchen, where there is normally a good
crowd of spectators to heckle and abuse you. It all gets a bit tricky
from here as most of the bends are blind. A climbing right turn
out of Brünnchen, then get over to the right as you go up the hill
to Eiskurve, a tightening left bend with a blind crest followed
by a right kink - this bend catches a lot of people out as they
turn in too early, drift right and run out of track at the kink.
Stay out to the right to straightline the next left.
Pflanzgarten 1 |
Brake before the jump and drop down into Pflanzgarten
1. Then a lovely climbing double apex right followed immediately
by a couple of dropping lefts at Pflanzgarten 2, then another climbing
right leading to a very fast blind kink, Sprunghugel. Pray your
steering damper hasn't fallen off as this is all tank slapper territory.
There are many crashes in the Brunchen/Pflanzgarten section, perhaps
partly due to drivers and riders showing off a bit to the large
crowds of spectators, so take extra care.
This is all very fast and a bit scary. Now down to
a fast right which tightens, into a funny uphill left - kinda creeps
up on you and very tricky to get the line right. Stay middle right
of the track and turn in fairly late (at the end of the rumble strip)
- take it a bit easy to make sure you miss the bumps out on the
right or you'll be on your ear. Quick squirt of throttle and a late
entry into the mini-carousel, Schwalbenshwanz. Up the hill, then
into the last bend, Galgenkopf. Once into the bend let the bike
run out towards a little marker plate on the left and then turn
in again to finish this very long, quick bend which leads onto the
final straight, Dottinger Höhe.
Oh, nearly forgot, the Ring is a public one-way road
with limited access, so no silly stuff! (but if you can't do it
in 8.30 you're a big girl).
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As
the ring is a public road all the usual insurance stuff applies,
so you should be covered if you dump the bike and if someone takes
you out you can claim against them. As Germans drive on the right
then that is where you should be unless you are overtaking. As far
as we know, the only odd thing is if someone crashes into the back
of you when you're wobbling about on the left side of the circuit
and don't get out of the way - apparently under German law you're
to blame. So use your mirrors, and if someone comes up behind you
assume he's quick and will want to get by! Many people on the circuit
are driving or riding with 100% concentration, and may not realise
that someone faster is behind and trying to get by. Don't be impatient
and be careful if you force an overtake. No one here is getting
paid except the ambulance guys. For bikers it's worth remembering
that there are some very quick cars out there, especially noticeable
in the tighter sections where their superior grip really gives them
a speed advantage. If you hear the dreaded squeak of rubber behind
you get out of the way ... you can always try to get your own back
in the uphill sections!
Tyres
