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The Mahdentalrennstrecke

Stuttgart West Germany

MOTORCYCLISTS GATHER on Sunday mornings at spots all around the world, but few places have the heritage of Germany’s Mahdentalrennstrecke, an abandoned Gran Prix circuit that has been converted into a public road. Located near Schloss Solitude, one of King Ludwig’s many castles, the Mahdental is a short ride from Stuttgart in southern Germany. And on Sundays, over 500 German motorcyclists resurrect its past life while worshipping speed and praying for traction.

Despite 25 years of disuse, small garages still stand in the abandoned pits on the main straight-

away. The straight gradually turns into a series of fast esses that twist back and forth alongside a river. The track then rises into the hills, surprising the rider with a couple of tight hairpins. After a romp in the mountains, the road drops back down to the finish line.

Because the track has a nice little restaurant and hiergarten next to it, the usual Sunday morning routine is to stop, warm up with a little coffee, then take a couple of laps around the Mahdental’s seven miles of scenic twisties. After that, a rider might come back and check out the day’s lineup of machinery, and drink a beer waiting for lunch.

All that’s left then is to head south for a ride in the Black Lorest.

Paul Van Zuyle