From: ivan@erich.triumf.ca (Ivan D. Reid)
Subject: Finally did the Autobahn thing
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Keywords:  time-dilation
Organization: TRIUMF: Tri-University Meson Facility
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 10:30:00 GMT

	Well, today the weather finally co-operated and I got to do what I have
long been promising.  I ducked over the border to the nearest Autobahn, and
answered the age-old (well, year-old :-) question:  Can a GSX600FL make redline
in sixth?

	Early to bed (after the contestants' march-past in the Olympics), and
awake at first light or so.  Discovered that my leathers have shrunk :-( and
there's no way I can get into the jacket, even without the back protector
underneath, so I had to wear my everyday m/c jacket.  Pants seemed OK.  Broke
out a new pair of E.A.R. plugs and arranged essentials like wallet, credit
card, passport, Auslanderausweis, etc, in various pockets of the jacket and
tank bag (which I bungee to the seat since the straps disappeared along with my
GSXR-750).  The clock on the Catholic church was showing 0655 as I headed out.

	The sun was hidden behind early-morning cloud/fog, and it was actually
chilly for a while -- at least compared to the 30+ temperatures we've been
having lately.  Putter up to Waldshut, nod to the guards on this side of the
bridge, find no-one on the other side so just keep on going.  Just past Tiengen
I stated looking for Rte 314; I started out on a new section of Autoroute just
past Tiengen, before coming onto 314 proper.  Nice road.  Fairly open and
very wide and smooth at the southern end.  Tightens up a bit in the middle,
then has a section of old, narrow, road before the final few km of sweeping
uphill climb (2 lanes up, 1 down).  Took me a while to realise that the yellow
village signs must mean 50 kmh, and the yellow sign with the red diagonal
stripe leaving the villages is the "end 50" sign.  Had to get stuffed by a
couple of cars before this sank in.  Not the last cars I saw passing with
limited visibility.  St Christopher must hear quite a few prayers from Germany.

	Turned onto Rte 27 near Randen and headed up towards Doneauschingen
where I picked up an Autoroute that led onto the Autobahn proper.  All the way
the traffic had been quite light, but it was starting to build up by now.  Saw
that Stuttgart was only 110 km away, so decided to go as far as the outskirts.
Started working up the skills and experience, gradually getting the throttle
further and further open.  Discover that at about the DoD recommended speed,
my jacket starts serious flapping behind the neck, wagging my head around so
hard I can't really see too well.  The vibrations even transmit into the bike,
shaking it a bit.  Slow down, or crouch behind the fairing?  Decide to crouch
and the buffeting goes away.  On a few stretches of clear road I see the rev
counter above 11K, sometimes 11.5; the speedo is reaching beyond 200.  Only
scare is a Belgian towing a caravan who pulled out into the fast lane to pass a
Czech pulling a trailer at 80 kmh with a Lada or whatever.  Realise almost too
late that closing speed is still considerable and take a hard long pull on the
brakes.

	Right on cue, the bike goes onto reserve at 283 km (since last time it
hit reserve).  I'm passing someone at 180+ at the time, but managed to find the
tap without drama.  Go another 30 km and start looking for petrol.  Misinterp-
ret a road sign (easy to do at those speeds), and turn off into a village
instead of the Rasthof a few km further on.  Realise my mistake, and carefully
back onto the Autobahn to find the service station.  Put in DM 24 or so of
Super unleaded -- could have taken more, but I'd forgotten to put the bike on
the centre-stand before starting to fill up.  Pull away at 0850, with about
175 km total so far.  33 km to Stuttgart, so I go on a bit further before
deciding to head back.  Stop under an overpass to read the map and make sure
I'm taking the right Autobahn, and off into rather heavier traffic headed
southbound.

	Here's where I discover that the belief that the Germans are very polite
and considerate Autobahn drivers is a bit of a myth.  It's only two lanes both
ways, and as long as they can see someone in the slow lane ahead, they won't
pull across to let you past.  Had about 70 km of this mobile chicanery before
it cleared out and things were more like the trip up.  One more "Omigawd I'm
closing fast" incident and one idiot little car that couldn't make up its mind
whether to let me go before passing slower traffic so it straddled the centre
line until I blasted it with high-beam.  Then it decided to pass!  That earned
a waggle of the finger when I finally got by.  Finally, on one stretch I
realised that the revs were above 11.5K, and the road was clear for a few km
except for a bus in the slow lane, so I kept the throttle open until it hit
redline -- 12,000 rpm and 230 kmh indicated.  It was still accelerating, but
since the question was not "Will it go _beyond_ redline in top?", I stopped
at that point.

	Once off the Autobahn, the going was a bit slower due to the heavier
traffic.  Particularly slow in the first part of Rte 314 as I had a tour bus
and seven autos in front of me.  When the bus pulled off, it was replaced by a
Kombi, but eventually I got clear to enjoy the sweeping southern section.
Stopped just before Waldshut to take out the earplugs, but the Swiss guards
showed no interest in stopping me.  Ran over some back roads (there's a really
nice sweepy section with new pavement just north of Leuggern) to get here at
work at 1050, so a total of 375 km in just a bit less than four hours (Autobahn
total about 200 km).  And I never saw a cop the whole trip.

Ivan Reid, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH.     			ivan@cvax.psi.ch
GSX600F, RG250WD.	SI=2.66     "You Porsche. Me pass!"	DoD #484