The great BTE Autozug trip with Pan America to the Allgäu and Tyrol in 2021
The tour into the mountains of beautiful Tyrol - Part 2
I am now taking the Pan America to the BTE Autozug in Lörrach - After a nice evening, I set off again, intending to drive back to this filling station in Stanzach to deal with the trauma of the forgotten fuel key. I had quickly covered the 120 kilometers, which the Pan America does very well, it is really fast and cuts a very good figure if you want to be a bit sportier on the road.
The Pan America attracts curious glances
The loading staff are very friendly and show me the waiting area for motorcycles, where I park the Pan America for the time being. As time went on, other bikers arrived and it was clear that there were curious questions about the Pan America, and I was particularly interested in the acceptance in the Harley community. In my opinion, it was very difficult at first, but the mood changed for the better.
The cornering light of the new Harley is an issue
In general, I've heard from other riders that they really like the new Adventure Harley, but some still have to get used to the design. The headlight bar above the actual headlight is particularly intriguing. Most people assume that it is the main beam, but it is actually the cornering light, which illuminates the road in three stages when cornering. Depending on how far you drive into a bend, the light is scattered outwards.
Thomas his snack bar at the car train
But there are no more bends today, so far everything is fine, I have moved into my compartment and opposite the wagons is Thomas with his barbecue on the car train. He is well known to many bikers, I am surprised that so many bikers use the Autozug.
Sometimes there are even whole rocker clubs, as Thomas tells me, and lots of bikers from Scandinavia who want to get from the cool north to the sun and Swiss who want to go up north. In any case, I can recommend his currywurst with chips and especially the currywurst sauce.
Arrival in Hamburg Altona
Before arriving at Hamburg Altona station, the wagons with the vehicles have to be shunted to the front and so we enter the station. The luggage is lashed down on the car train, or shortly after leaving the wagon in the station, where any passengers are also picked up and everything can be checked again before continuing.
It was noticeably cooler in Hamburg this morning than in the south of the republic. On my journey further north, it became more humid and the fog rolled across the fields. The 130 kilometers home are not an issue, I arrived home rested, which was a rather unusual feeling for me.
My conclusion about the BTE car train!
The cabins are ideally suited for 2 people, if you have luggage with you and still want to move around, it would otherwise be too cramped. If you can find a solution for your luggage, you can of course save a lot by sharing a couchette car with four people. The advantages are that you arrive rested and can set off straight away, but the biggest argument for other bikers seems to be that they don't want to drive over 800 kilometers on the always overcrowded freeway in their own country.
That's just the way it is, the infrastructure in Germany is totally overstretched and has been completely neglected in recent years, traveling on German roads is unfortunately less and less fun! Overcrowded roads, few overtaking opportunities and consequently traffic jams and snail's pace, that's what you can get around in a relaxed way with the Autozug. I had fun trying it out, and for touring drivers who don't want to waste their miles pointlessly, it's definitely a good option for traveling!
The article as a podcast
Now the adventure begins with the Harley-Davidson Pan America Special 1250Now the Harley-Davidson Pan America ride report 2021
