LE Mans 24hr Bikes

[Robbo SPS]

Anyone here going ??

Group of 11 just booked up for it, managed to get an all inclusive ticket from the ACO ( organisers ) which is for a tent, already errected, entracne ticket and bike parking. All in for 165 Euros's , and thats for 2 people.

Good bargin.

Also got ferry tickets for £110 each, which isnt too bad.

The tunnel are doing £42 returns !!

[ninjaboy]

Doesn't sound like a bad deal i've always had a soft spot for endurance racing cause the range of machines on track is much greater even buell have raced in it i think

[tubbinthug]

Went last year, on our way to the WSB round in valencia. I quite enjoyed it but my mates (who are a bit older than me) didn't like the atmosphere. Lots of very,very drunk Frenchmen. Doesn't have the brit presence that the car race has. We were the only bikes on the ferry to Le Havre! It was damn cold in a tent. Woke up in the morning with sheets of ice on the bike. Ifelt sorry for the poor riders spending the night riding round in those temperatures.

[moto_traxport]

Le Mans 24h Bikes is awesome. Atmosphere is typical hard as nails French Motards. It is always freezing that time of year at night -take a decent jacket to keep you warm and has a million pockets for all the beer bottles you've got to smuggle in (alcohol ban inside the circuit).

[Robbo SPS]

moto_traxport said:

Le Mans 24h Bikes is awesome. Atmosphere is typical hard as nails French Motards. It is always freezing that time of year at night -take a decent jacket to keep you warm and has a million pockets for all the beer bottles you've got to smuggle in (alcohol ban inside the circuit).

What......


Never. How, why. At the car race its an imence drink up, if you fancy it ?

[moto_traxport]

Robbo SPS said:

moto_traxport said: Le Mans 24h Bikes is awesome. Atmosphere is typical hard as nails French Motards. It is always freezing that time of year at night -take a decent jacket to keep you warm and has a million pockets for all the beer bottles you've got to smuggle in (alcohol ban inside the circuit). What...... Never. How, why. At the car race its an imence drink up, if you fancy it ?

I haven't been for a couple of years but I cannot imagine its got changed. 10 people got killed one year (illegal wheelie competitions along the Mulsanne while very pissed etc) and the french politicians threatened stopping the race. The organisers saved it by promising an alcohol ban.

This ban doesn't stop it being a massive piss up. You will be sat that there at the start chuffed you've managed to smuggle in 10 bottles about your person and then watch loads of people walk past each with a crate on their shoulder and think "How did they get that in??!!"

Le Mans cars is a top do - lots of middle class people leting their hair down in the sun - beer, TVR's and water guns.

The bike event I enjoyed just the same amount but it is certainly different! If you want a mental image try and picture a world war one battlescence (Stalingrad will do - cold, stripped trees, bodies, fire and mud) absolutely flat out drinking with a soundtrack of Rammstein and bikes at 16000rpm (and that's just those in the car park burying themselves into the gravel). You do tend to think "Wahoo - I'm still alive!" at the end of it.

[sjtscott]

moto_traxport said:

Robbo SPS said: moto_traxport said: Le Mans 24h Bikes is awesome. Atmosphere is typical hard as nails French Motards. It is always freezing that time of year at night -take a decent jacket to keep you warm and has a million pockets for all the beer bottles you've got to smuggle in (alcohol ban inside the circuit). What...... Never. How, why. At the car race its an imence drink up, if you fancy it ? I haven't been for a couple of years but I cannot imagine its got changed. 10 people got killed one year (illegal wheelie competitions along the Mulsanne while very pissed etc) and the french politicians threatened stopping the race. The organisers saved it by promising an alcohol ban. This ban doesn't stop it being a massive piss up. You will be sat that there at the start chuffed you've managed to smuggle in 10 bottles about your person and then watch loads of people walk past each with a crate on their shoulder and think "How did they get that in??!!" Le Mans cars is a top do - lots of middle class people leting their hair down in the sun - beer, TVR's and water guns. The bike event I enjoyed just the same amount but it is certainly different! If you want a mental image try and picture a world war one battlescence (Stalingrad will do - cold, stripped trees, bodies, fire and mud) absolutely flat out drinking with a soundtrack of Rammstein and bikes at 16000rpm (and that's just those in the car park burying themselves into the gravel). You do tend to think "Wahoo - I'm still alive!" at the end of it.

I went in 2001 and it was just brilliant, I loved the whole riding down thing and round the town as well. Traffic Light GPs as well! I pulled a massive wheely purely by accident on one occation caused by me giving my Aprilia Falco too much berries away from the line.. I've never laughed so much!.
My overiding memories of the event were the amount of broken Kronenburg green beer bottles that littered the circuit ground along with the burning tyres, burnouts, the engine off the limiter til it broke in the campsite. Nutters.
When did the so-called booze ban come into effect?

>> Edited by sjtscott on Tuesday 10th January 11:51

[rsvmilly]

There isn't a booze ban as such - they sell beer in the circuit. If you read the back of the General Entry ticket it is illegal to bring glass bottles into the circuit, IIRC.