Moin, dear AKF team,
I've been riding Simson for 14 years, first an S50 from 1977 and then also a 1967 Schwalbe, which I sold to a friend. In addition, I had a SR2, which my grandfather used to get to work, and a Tatran 125, both of which I had to sell for lack of money. In the meantime I had for forest and field a MZ Es 175/1 from 1967 and my partner a Schwalbe KR51/1, which I restored completely eight years ago. Now I drive since scarcely four years a MZ ES 250/1 in the original condition.
Her name is Else, the globetrotter. I found pleasure in traveling and of course in the most important thing in life, the motorcycle. So I wanted to combine the two. In 2014 I travelled together with a friend from Eberswalde near Berlin via Rotterdam to Harwich in England, then across the country to Liverpool. It went by ferry to the Isle of Man to see the Classic TT and then back through Wales to London to the ACE Cafe. From the ACE Cafe we went to Brooklands and then to Dover, Calais and via France, Belgium and the Netherlands back to Magdeburg, from there back to Eberswalde and finally back to our former home Greifswald. In 20 days we covered about 4200 km. Me on the ES and my buddy on a TS 250/1 with a sidecar.
Travelling like this and talking to people from all over the world is just great. In 2015 I only did small rides, sometimes a 250km tour over Usedom and Rügen, sometimes to Rostock or to Berlin for the Pure & Crafted Festival, but also to Swinemünde in Poland. In 2016 my partner and I went camping on Else to Denmark and southern Sweden. Almost 1000 km for two with camping equipment on a 16 hp motorcycle is a challenge, but it goes and is fun, even in storms and heavy rain.
This winter the engine will be checked again, after all in the last 17000 km only the oil and the spark plug were changed. Next year there will be some festivals, Trip Out in England, maybe Fückers in Sweden and the Kustom Kulture Forever-Show in Herten, in summer we might go to Croatia. After all, Else should get to know Europe, all of Europe.
Many greetings
Philipp
We wish Philipp and Elsa many more great travel experiences. Have a good trip.
