A MASSIVE THANKS TO…

Take a seat and get comfy, because there are quite a few messages of appreciation to fire out there. This test was one of the best I can ever remember being a part of, taking us to a bucket list destination on the kind of bikes we could have only dreamed of a few years ago. It was ambitious and hard work, but massively rewarding. It was also largely down to Johnny. He put the graft into organising it and turning a vision into reality, which is no mean feat. Of course, it wouldn’t have been possible in the first place if it wasn’t for the support of our friends and sponsors, including our mate Alan, who didn’t hesitate for a second when asked if we could borrow his Lambo to hammer around the world’s most precarious racetrack. It goes without saying, but that bloke is a legend. And so too are the guys at Dunlop, who backed the test and kitted the bikes with fantastic SportSmart IIIs – the perfect partner for this test, tackling everything from racetrack shenanigans to roads so wet you could have mistaken them for rivers. As ever, RST, Arai and AGV had our backs (and heads), keeping us safe and comfy throughout, while R&G’s Gleam was on hand to keep the bikes shiny. And then there’s Dale, a man who gave up his time and his sanity to babysit us around the Ring and the surrounding Eifel region. Without him, this test would have been a nightmare. Rich, Andy (logistics), Chappo (video) and Chippy (photos) should also take a bow, and everyone else who played a part in this performance. It was an absolute cracker and an experience that’s going to take some serious effort to top in 2024. So, on that note, we’d better start planning...