Meet 3 young German guys living the dream….. They had decided to tour Scotland on their beloved classic mopeds. Not that unusual you may think, other than they rode their mopeds all the way from their home in southern Germany!
The 50cc mopeds consisting of a Zundapp Combinette and a Kriedler Florett each capable of a top speed of only around 30mph, or 35mph downhill and the wind behind you, their only means of transport on what must have been a bone shaking experience!. You wont be surprised to learn that in typical German efficient and organised manner, they were followed by a van driven by a friend who also happens to be a mechanic.
When they turned up at Bonnie Park they soon had their one man tents, food and beer neatly set up on our riverside pitches and promptly invited me over to admire their rather well preserved examples of German engineering. Talk soon turned to current affairs and the inevitable Brexit, Ukraine and cost of living crisis. A refreshing and sobering discussion washed down with a can or two of Scotlands finest tinned lager revealed, perhaps unsurprisingly, that we not only shared a passion for classic mopeds, but also travel and languages.
I’m the owner of a Raleigh RM4, have travelled the world and able to speak German myself. We also shared a passion for gadgets which soon had them rummaging through their side panniers digging out lithium Ion powered digital tyre inflators and other magical modern contraptions, that juxtapose with the very basic and simple two stroke engineered mopeds they have entrusted their journey and to an extent their lives with.
Their visit was brief only staying one night with us before setting off early the following morning to catch the ferry back home. They were unsure whether or not to catch a ferry in Harwich or to continue further to Dover, one thing they were certain of is they described their adventure as an epic moped ride through a landscape that was as beautiful as it was challenging. Scotland can do that for you!
