CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO DIGITALNOMAD HOMEPAGE

Click here to go to Travel Notes Table of Contents

Frank the Kawasaki KLR650 Maniac

21JUN-7JUL2004 Frank and Jenny are very special people.  When I emailed them about my frustrated search for a motorcycle for my European tour they responded, "no worries, mate.  We'll work something out."

Frank picked me up at the train station in Kiel in his BMW with sidecar.  While I waited I drank a 1 liter (masse?) German beer and bought my helmet.  It's not easy to drink beer with a full face helmet.  Kiel week, a huge celebration ,with sailing ships from everywhere, was in full swing.  I sipped my beer and listened to a live band.  We went from band to band and saw the tall ships.  I really enjoyed a Jimi Hendrix cover band all the way from Seattle (I thought they were singing with an American accent).  

Frank had already searched for Deauvilles but he had an interesting alternative plan.  He had a KLR650 with a bad crankshaft and a spare engine.  He asked if I was interested in that bike and after test riding his other KLR650, I said sure.

So, with the help of Paul, a young neighbor, we gathered the parts and began building a bike which I christened the "Thunderbolt Grease-Slapper".  We put new parts in all the critical places and mounted Frank's heavy duty aluminum panniers and...presto...a great touring bike.  Building the bike was quicker than arranging the bureaucratic paperwork.  We got the roadworthiness certificate, the custom license plate RD DN (digitalnomad)99, and the insurance greencard all straightened out.  Frank wrote a permission and got it stamped with offical German customs stamps---he's a customs officer, and then I was almost ready to go.

I stayed with Frank and Jenny at their beautiful house in Klein Königsförde, a small village about 20 km south of Kiel.  They have a stunning view of the beautiful Schleswig-Holstein countryside.  There is a wheat field, then a green field, then a strip of forest and ,in the distance, seven windmills.  My bed was right next to the window wall and I had a fabulous view especially at dawn and dusk.

Jenny made chili and one night we cooked steaks on the grill.  There was a constant supply of really good German beer:  Dithmarscher pilsner and Oettinger swarzbier.  And the German bread was delicious.

We visited a Viking festival in Haithabu.  Only 30 km away, this town was one of the main trading post during Viking times.  Frank took his son, Johannes and we all rode on a replica of a Viking ship.  We visited the museum and had a great time in the Viking market.  People from all over this part of Europe came and dressed as Vikings and set up their tents and sold replicas.  There was music and mead and games.  It was a lot of fun.  An interesting way to spend the 4th of July.

I did a test run to Lubeck and then returned for final adjustments.  We replaced a leaking rear shock, I added a top box for storage, and we studied the maps and Frank circled special places to see. 

One of the best things about traveling is the wonderful people you meet.  Frank and Jenny opened their house and their hearts to me and made my European tour possible.  I can't ever thank them enough.  They said it was their way of repaying the kindness people showed them on their tour and I hope I can pass on the kindness to someone else.

I'm taking off today and heading for Estonia via Poland.

Click here to go to Travel Notes Table of Contents

CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO DIGITALNOMAD HOMEPAGE