Glemseck 101: The spirit of motorcycling

The weekend saw the annual Glemseck 101 event which took place in Leonberg, Germany. 

Now in its 12th year, Glemseck saw teams from all over Europe gather for a celebration of all things custom motorcycles and speed.

One of the key things that the event is well-known for is the famous Essenza sprint races, where riders aim to take glory on the 1/8-mile drag strip.

It’s attracted some epic bikes in the past, with the nitrous-fed Lucky Cat Speed Beemer becoming a favourite of previous years.

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French custom outfit, FCR Original and their Triumph Street Twin custom, dubbed ‘Alienor’ took the top award for the best bike design, as voted for by the public. 

One of the other highlights this year was the clash between Freddie Spencer, riding a Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP, and Kevin Schwantz aboard a GSX-R1000, as each wanted to get the better of the other.

In the end, it was Fast Freddie who was to claim the dual. 

Glemseck 101 2017 #hondaeurope #hondaukmotorcycles #alpinestars #araihelmets #araiusa #glemsek101 #germany #2017 #19 #zep pic.twitter.com/N1KFkUcjCl

— Freddie Spencer (@Freddiespencer) September 5, 2017

It’s not all about racing, though, with custom builders and manufacturers from across the globe displaying new custom builds. Indian’s Miracle Mike machine won second place in the public voting for the design award. The American manufacturer also unveiled a new custom: the Louis Bike, a cafe racer built around the Thunderstroke 111 engine.

Join the party at Glemseck101 – Germany 2017! https://t.co/sOD4IuGpEk#AceCafeLondon #AceCafe #Glemseck #Germany pic.twitter.com/WXDqYscUuT

— Ace Cafe London (@acecafelondon) August 9, 2017

Best Design (public voting): 
1. FCR Original, Triumph Street Twin
2. Indian Motorcycle, Indian Scout “Miracle Mike”
3. Radical Guzzi, Moto Guzzi MGR 1200  

Best Design (jury votes):
1. BMW Motorrad, BMW Custom RnineT
2. The Reunion, Triumph Truxton R
3. Kawasaki Deutschland, Kawasaki Versys 650

What is Glemseck 101?

Glemseck 101 is a European motorcycle event with tens of thousands of visitors, guests and participants who represent the entire motorcycle scene and who live the ‘Spirit of the 101’ for the three days straight. It stands for pure motorsport tradition in southern Germany.

Up to the 1960s, two and four-wheeled legends of motorsport were engaged in thrilling fights on the legendary Solitude race track around the Glemseck, which seeks to preserve this tradition for a wide audience. It also offers free entry for the visitors and is open to all brands from any motorcycle ‘scene’.

It centres on a mile-long paddock and ‘International Village’, consisting of customisers and clubs from all over Europe. This unique gathering brings together the motorsport history of Glemseck, local sponsors and dealers, and the added attraction of 1/8-mile motorcycle sprint races, and live music throughout the weekend.

It might be in German, but we think this video gives a good taste of what Glemseck 101 is all about:

The event is as much about style and craftsmanship as it is about speed though. With award given for not just winning races, but winning hearts too as the bikes are thrown to the public vote.

This Guzzi MGR 1200 is one such example. Coming third in the public vote, the bike was built by German duo, Stefan Bronold and Kai Riemann, turning it not just into a sprint racer, but a work of art. It features a beautifully made exhaust system and lines that will make you swoon, with additional upgrades across the board.

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