FIM Rally 1986 - Budapest - Revisted Part 1

I was looking through a box of stuff and came across the paperwork for the first FIM Rally we ever went on. It was 1986.

I was a bit fed up at work and Audrey, my partner at the time, was a lecturer at a college in North London, she had time off of course for the summer. So fully expecting to come back and easily find a job, I quit.

We were full members of the British Motorcyclist Federation (BMF) and also affiliated members through the Suzuki Owners Club. Audrey was also a member of the Women's International Motorcycle Association (WIMA) and affiliated there too!  These memberships allow access to the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and all the events it puts on from racing to touring categories.

The outward journey would take us through Western Europe and into Austria.  Out first port of call was to visit my long term friend, Ivan Benda, in his home in Bohunice, a suburb of Brno in what was still Czechoslovakia then. We stayed in an inn called U Nedbálků in Ostrovačice. This is where the first meeting of the Czech Centre of the Suzuki Owners Club was formed just two years before.

Entering the 1986 version of Czechoslovakia was a bit like to see in Cold War movies. Lots of barbed wire, ditches and barking dogs, and of course unsmiling guys in uniforms with machine guns. we chose to enter through Zollamt-Drasenhofen to the north of Vienna. 

We were waved through without a glance on the Austrian side, down the slope and across the Včelínek river that formed the border.  On the Czech side were rows offences and barbed wire etc as mentioned above.

The border guards looked to be about 18 if not 19!  They all had plenty of stars on the shoulder boards (epaulettes) and were jovial enough and interested in two almost new Suzuki motorcycles.  Mine a GSX1100E and Audrey's GSX750E. we had consecutive number plates too!  Passport disappeared and re-appeared and we were waved off. The only doubt was that we had a couple of intercom radios with us. They had a short range and they asked if we could talk to "The West" on them. We said not. We were told not to use them anyway.

We found Ivan's apartment easily enough. A ride around the old Brno GP circuit to meet to Moto Klub Brno members and then to Ostrovačice went okay. Ivan got the bus home. I don't think he was used to being pillion!

We had a day's sightseeing in Brno. One bike left in Ostrovačice the other at his apartment parking.  Our first experience of trams in Brno later and we had a dinner he made for us.  Some sort of peppers and meat.

The next day we would go to Luhačovice, a spa town in the east of Moravia.  Ivan had booked a cabin on the outskirts of the town. It was so hot that he slept outside and we had the bed inside. On the way from Brno he took us on a few old road racing circuits where he had raced and become Moravian champion. These make road racing circuits in Northern Ireland look like Silverstone or Le Mans!

After an afternoon trying the sulphur spa water, the nights are spent drinking beer!  For the spa visitors at least. Audrey is tea-total. That meant I was too!

The next day we togged up. Bade goodbye to Ivan and we set off into Slovakia for the border island at Komárno/Komárom.  Once again all the paperwork was in order and off we went to Budapest and the rally site inside the grounds of the Nepstadion. Tent up. 

Three days of rides out (including a ride around the Hungaroring!) and entertainment on site until they chucked us out as Queen were live in the stadium itself at the weekend. 

Sadly, even the "fixer" at the hotel across the way couldn't get us a ticket, so instead we sat on the hotel steps and listened to the whole show for free.

After that it was time to make our way back home.  But which way? Balaton? Yugoslavia?