Unfortunately it's time to say goodbye to this awesome group of people who rode with us for 7 days ! `Thank you all for your great company, friendship, laughs and fun. Great routes, fantastic food & hotels and last but not least: super event European Bike week 2015!!

Hope to see you all on one of our great HD tours next year

CU

Ted & Rob

Ricardo & Sonia.... great world tourers! ( Sonia: get a leash for Ricardo )

Gino ( giving us hard times.... )

The last day of the European Bike Week tour.      An OUTSTANDING DAY,  we were to head over the Passo Di Falzarego, which we did..........  then it was time for Passo De Gardena and Passo Di Sella..................HOWEVER, due to a bicycle race the latter two were closed......with quick thinking an alternate plan had to be made....With a quick look at the map the solution was to go over the Passo Di Erbe......AND MAN  .....   WE SCORED!!!!!!!!!! What a great ride it turned out to be...the twists and bends and rythum on that road is a very fun time indeed.....I think EVERYONE truly enjotyed the last day of riding!!! !    Everyone had a smile on thier face as a welcome beer or wine awaited us in SEEFELD.....   hard to believe the tour flew by so fast.....and yet we did so much.......from the Mozart Dinner ...to hanging out at the EUROPEAN BIKE WEEK..........we covered it all on this tour....Tonight at the final group dinner we will reflect on the great ride we had.........   for me  I can sum it up like this:   Like AC/DC is to radio, this tour is to Edelweiss....IT ROCKED BABY!!!!!!     See you next year for the EUROPEAN BIKE WEEK TOUR........"SCREW IT, LET'S Ride" !!!!!!!!!  Adios Amigos!!!!! 

DAY 7

Villach - Cortina di Ampezzo

What a fantastic day to ride today! Clear blue skies when we left our very comfortable hotel in Warmbad VIllach. A bit sad to leave the European bike week but also excited to get into the Dolomites! Rdiding in the Dolomites is always something special. The steep greyish rocks seem to be all around you wherever you ride. The morning coffee stop was at the Plöckenpass, just before entering Italy. Again (!) a nice apfelstrudel and a perfect cappucino and two huge hot chocolates for Gino and Dan!

Following the valley south of the border we had several foto stops, just because there are so many nice views. In the small village of Sappada we had a nice lunch ( right, Erin?

Not much motorcycles on the road today, they all seem to be in Faak am See. Unfortunaely the tour has almost come to an end. Still one ay to go, that will take us further into the Dolomites with some nice passes to go.

Day....6     "rest day"   yeah right,     like we are gonna hang out by the pool and have cocktails or something all day....  HECK NO!!!!!!!   we came here to ride, and RIDE we did.   What a gorgeous day, the first true sunny day we had on the tour.  Although the tour guides make sure to add some sunshine of thier own at all times.  We cracked the throttles open this morning as we pointed our bikes towards Wurzen pass,  which at the top crosses over in to Slovenia.   The old Tank on the top reminded us of darker days in that country as at one time it was an EASTERN BLOCK country under Soviet control.  Those days are long gone now as Slovenia is a country belonging to the European Union.   After a brief stop at the border we are on our way to the magnificent Triglav National Park.  The only National Park in Slovenia.   The road up and down has over 50 switch backs, and all but ONE of them is cobble stoned on the way to the top and there on top is a view to behold.  The stunning beauty of the mountains here is beyond any picture.    Then we were headed down and crossed the border in to Italy...MAMA MIA!!!!!!!   We were only there for a short time...but TOMORROW we will hammer some more miles out on our hogs in the Dolomites, everyone is looking forward to that....after the ride it was a day at everyones leisure,,,,,,,  some went for a spin, some went to enjoy the final day we will see at FAAKER SEE!!!!!!!!!!   It has been an epic journey so far,    we say good bye to EUROPEAN BIKE WEEK 2015......but we say hello to 2 more days of great riding.....CIAO for now AMIGOS!!!!!!!!   S.I.L.R!!!!!!!!        

DAY 5

Restday 1 - Faakersee (Villach)

European Bike Week

This morning we got the change to sleep in a little bit, but at 10 a.m it was again time to start up the V-twins`! Today's ride got us to the Nockalm pass, where we even got a little bit snow (!) today. But regardless of that  it was a great ride: beautiful winding roads, good pavement and as a reward a nice cup of hot chocolate at the top of the pass. After that we descended to slightly warmer grounds and visited the Porsche museum in Gmund. But after we filled up our gas tanks we headed back to the hotel in VIllach and shortly after that we headed for the European BIke week event.And finally over there the sun came through and everyone enjoyed the scenery of great bikes and a lot of fun! 

Tired but satisfied the group was back in the hotel to have a drink together and looking forward to tomorrow's ride to the Triglav national park in Slovenia

The ROBSTER on the SPORTSTER (baby bike...bit too tiny maybe, Rob??

We rumbled through the valleys, the twists and turns were EPIC!! ...........it was another mighty fine day on this journey to the biggest bike event in Europe.......    the anticipation had been building.  But we did not rush, no, that is not our style.  We took a nice relaxed ride through the beautiful Austrian country side.  Our first highlight of the day was a stop near Koflach, where we visited the world famous Lipizzaner horses,  you know, the famous trotting ones.  Which were actually trained to do that to stomp the skulls of fallen  soldiers on battlefields back in medieval times that were not quite dead......     beautiful beasts indeed, and very elegant too.  After that, it was time to thunder down the road to FAAKER SEE......... and the thunder got louder and louder, as at first we saw a few Harleys here and there.   The closer we got to Faak,  the more and more American made elegant beauties we saw. (speaking of beautiful beasts) NO ARMY on horses can match the Army on Harley's.   At the Faaker See:  We took a spin around the lake and stopped by Harley village to collect a few souveniers.   Harley riders LOVE collecting Harley T Shirts from wherever they go in the world.......now we will spend three nights in this paradise made for two wheels......and we will certainly enjoy the company of over 100,000 Harley souls on an annual pilgramage.........the true mountain riding starts tomorrow............  its gonna be a ROCKIN GOOD TIME!!!!!!       S.I.L.R    

DAY 4

Fohnsdorf - Villach (Faakersee)

Day 3 

Gmunden - Fohnsdorf

What a day!! Starting at 5 a.m. (!) in the morning for the most of us with the set up of the weekly fresh market  next to the hotel plaza. Luckily the van-tourguide-of -the-day Rob managed to get the support van   manoeuvred out between al the market stands!

Still a little fresh but nevertheless hopeful to meet some warmer and  sunny weather, the group took off at 9 a.m southbound to our first stop at the Hallstattersee. Slowly the cloudy skies were clearing out so that we very much enjoyed the village walk and the nice coffebreak with awesome pie ( ......and Dan's new friends from Japan!). After we found lost Ricardo again we followed or way west towards Eisenerz

During the ride through the Gesäuse National Park finally the sun got through and we had our lunch outside at a very nice restaurant where everybody warmed up a little bit 

The last part of the day was leading us through the sunny valle up to the Red Bull Ring which we drove up to the north stand and where we could see some training sessions of cars and motobikes.

In the meanwhile Schloss Gabelhofen was prepared to receive the"Wild Hogs" and after we arrived we made ourselves up for the diner in this fabulous and unique place. 

In the meanwhile everyone is already getting more excited about getting to Faakersee in the afternoon tomorrow to get to the big event of the European Bike week. More to follow tomorrow!!

Day 2

Salzburg - Gmunden

After the rainy day yesterday it looks a lot better this morning when everybody woke up. On the roof terrace floor, the group was enjoying the splendid breakfast and of course the view at the old inner city of Salzburg. So:

Time to start up the V- twins from Milwaukee!!

This day it was  tourguide Rob's turn to guide the group. 

The first highlight was already ahead after a short morning ride: the Eagles' Nest on top of the Obersalzberg. Better known in this area as the Kehlsteinhaus, where Hitler and members of his party spend some time during the second worldwar. When we got up in the impressive elevator , the luck was on our side this day: the skies were spectaculair and so were the views all around. So time enough to walk around and have a coffee!

after the Nest:

WE absolutely ROCKED IT today,  what a spectacular ride.....   we were all smiles at the end of the day.  Is that not what it is all about.....having fun, riding and hanging out..... ?     we are  going to be a tight group by the time we hit Europe's BEST AND BIGGEST bike rally................. the twists and bends we had on the road today are simply a preview of the days ahead..   The weather forecast is looking warmer and brighter too ...and that is JUST what we need to hammer out some curves down at the Faaker SEE!!  It is gonna be one hell of a ride.............        and "THIS is why we ride"!!!     Check in again tomorrow for updates from Rob and Ted's Excellent adventure....with our AWESOME guests!!!!!!

Day 1

Seefeld - Salzburg

And the thunder tour is on! 

After the welcome briefing, the motorcycle handover the group had a wonderful welcome diner at the start hotel in Seefeld. Although everybody is already very much looking forward to the European Bike week event at the Faakersee, we first have three beautiful riding days to go!

On the arrival night the weather gods decided to put some first snow on the mountain top s aroudn Seefeld what dropped the temperatures quite a bit in comparison to the week before! But in a great mood the groups left with tourguide Ted riding the first day and tourguide Rob in the support van.

It was a great day to get used to riding a Harley Davidson in the hilly and mountain areas around the border between Austria and Germany. 

When we finally arrived in Salzburg finally the rain stopped and after a refreshing warm shower it was a good time to stroll a bit in the old town.

In the evening there was a surprise for the group because there was a music diner booked in the oldest restaurant of Salzburg.

For a lot of people over there  it was a kind of weird combination to see a group of bikers coming in for a diner with a classical music orchestra and two opera singers. But in the end it was for everyone a one of kind event. And so after enjoying a last drink at the amazing roof terrace of the hotel it was time to go to sleep