TRAVEL ALPINE TEST RIDES

I think I may just perhaps have made a New Best Friend. The NBF in question is Klaus Stubenböck, the owner and host of the Hotel Enzian in Landeck, Austria. Klaus has an offer that I can barely resist even as I type this. But let us, as they say, go back to the beginning and travel alpin test rides

I don’t know if you’re aware of the amount of interest in motorcyclists among European hotels and guest houses. There are at least three large cooperatives plus endless individual hotels that cater mainly to riders. Most of their advertising is online, which can make it a bit difficult to sort out the chaff from the grain – but some of them are smart enough to go for direct contact by attending bike shows.

Klaus was at both the Cologne and Milan shows this year, promoting his hotel in the mountains of Austria.

He is so serious about attracting motorcyclists that every summer he keeps a test fleet of 15 to 20 of the latest BMW’s at the hotel. These are available for one or two days for a charge from 69 Euros, including insurance. You can also rent one of Klaus’ own R 1200 GSs. It’s probably best to book the bike you want – by email to Susanne at info@hotel-enzian.com.

Check the availability dates and details on the website www.hotel-enzian.com; I just don’t have room to list them all here. But I do want to mention that Klaus will actually pick you up from Munich (Franz Josef Strauss) airport, although that seems a bit expensive to me. Better to just take a taxi (60 Euros) to the BMW Motorcycle Centre in Munich-Freimann and pick up your reserved bike there, rather than at the hotel.

The amazing thing is that you can swap bikes every couple of days (subject to availability) so you can test ride pretty much any current BMW model that has piqued your interest , over the course of a week or so – depending on how many bikes you’re interested in. Just try to book them ahead. And all this in one of the loveliest parts of the Alps, with most of the major passes including the Stelvio in easy reach. Check out Landeck on Google Maps to get an idea of the range of possibilities.

“We have been working with BMW for eight years,” says Klaus, “Hotel Enzian is renowned for the warm and informal atmosphere and it will spoil you with the fantastic choice of culinary delights.” Best take a riding suit with expansion panels, then. “Landeck is one of the best starting points for your biking trip.”

All this, and a daily choice of BMWs as well.

Now I haven’t been to the Hotel Enzian; I’ve only spoken to my NBF, but I have stayed in other hotels in the general area and I don’t imagine the Enzian is radically different. These places are terrific, with lots of route recommendations and even dedicated motorcycle workshops. The Enzian has its own workshop, and you can even book new tyres ahead of time if you’re going on your own bike and need rubber.

All right; this is an outstanding service. I know that a lot of us (sadly including myself) probably can’t afford either the money or the time (or both) to take advantage of it. So here’s the challenge: how about someone in Australia picking up the idea and running with it? Maybe in the Snowy Mountains (the Enzian in a ski hotel in winter) or the Victorian Alps?

In the meantime I think Klaus’ offer will be very hard to resist for anyone interested in BMWs who finds him or herself in, or can get to, southern Germany, Austria or Switzerland in summer. The telephone number is +43 (0)5442 62066; address is Hotel Enzian, Adamhofgasse 6, A-6500 Landeck.

Maybe I can arrange to take a look at this after all. What am I doing next year, again? And what will Mrs Bear think of the idea?

Now let’s see –right, then left, then right…

HO HO MOHO!

Just to give you an idea of the kind of accommodation available in the Alps, and the services you can expect, try www.moho.info . This hotel association, full name Moho Motorrad Hotels, stretches over four countries – Austria, Italy, Germany and Switzerland – and has some 34 members in the Alps. Typically the bike season is from May to mid October, and you can expect to pay a very reasonable 40 to 50 Euros per person in a twin or double room.