NEWS PAGE

Kurt Klingspor 15.03.1964 to 24.12.2010

Long time MZR Club member and friend to many of us Kurt Klingspor passed away on Christmas eve 2010 when he lost his six month battle with cancer. Known by many of us for his laughter and dry sense of humour his passion and knowledge of all things MZ and his ability to throw an outfit around with great effect Kurt shall be remembered as a most valued and colourful member of our circle of friends.

I first met Kurt en route to Emmenrausch in 2002. He had organised a stopover at Hilcenbach Youth Hostel and an evening meal in a hotel close to his home for his friends at the UK MZ Riders Club.This was my first experience of the MZRC. Our friendship has grown over the years and has included our friends and families.

Kurt was an engineer based in Siegen Germany and travelled around the world commissioning, maintaining and fault finding machinery used in the manufacture of expanded metal.

Kurt helped many of us with technical advice and the sourcing of rarer parts for our beloved mounts, made all the easier through his impeccable grasp of the English language which was self taught and under continual improvement to the extent that he often questioned my incorrect use of grammar.

Amongst Kurt’s passions was his music and he played with Blaserchor Geisweid, his local brass band for many years, as an accomplished and respected musician. I had the privilege of attending one of Kurt’s band concerts some years ago in Netphen, Siegen , a most enjoyable experience. He forged links with British bands over the years and accomplished his ambition to play in a UK brass contest when he played with Torbay Brass in 2009.

It was always a pleasure to visit Kurt’s home which I have done many times over the years. We spent many hours pouring through his extensive collection of old Eastern block literature, talking “MZ”, discussing the merits of different musical instrument construction and putting the World’s wrongs to right. How the devil did he get a copy of “Twin town” in his DVD collection?? .

Our thoughts go out to Kurt’s family at this sad time. God bless you and keep you safe Kurt.

Life can deal a cruel blow from time to time and 2010 was especially cruel by robbing us of two of the greatest characters from within our ranks, Kurt and Mark .Two young men in the prime of their lives and two characters in the true sense of the word. Individuals, slightly eccentric, passionate about their interests and helpful to others beyond words. Above all, two of my closest personal friends. Saddened as I am by their passing, their enthusiasm and the good times we had shall always be there as a comfort and my life has been much enriched by their company. I know many of us will share the same sentiment.

Robin Davies

England Overland 2012 MZ Rider.
Hosted by Tony Melling

This trip is from Japan to the UK. On arriving in Vladivostok in Russia we will travel through :-

Khabarovsk, Chita, Ulan Ude, Ulaan Baatar in Mongolia, Retrace our steps to Ulan Ude, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Ekaterinburg, Moscow and then on through Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Holland and finally to the UK. Using a mixture of Hotels and camping.

Prior to embarking the ferry for Vladivostok in Russia, there is the opportunity to join Tony for a two week insight into the Land of the Rising Sun.

31st March 2012. Assemble in Japan. Participants will be met at Narita Tokyo and stay at Shizuoka.

1st April. Relax day. collect the bikes, familiarize oneself with Japanese traffic regulations and a welcome dinner.

2nd April - 14th April. Tony will guide riders to various places of interest including :-

Minobu famed for it’s Temples, Monzai family house and many other interesting features.

Circular tour of Fuji san (Mount Fuji).

Shinkansen (Bullet train to Tokyo)

Ueno (Motorcycle City)

Akihabara, a paradise for everything electrical. Computers etc.

Cross Suruga bay (at 2500 meters deep it is Japans deepest bay)

Izu peninsula. A ride around Izu is not to be missed.

Shizuoka. Craft shops, Toshu-gu Temple at the top of 1159 steps, Sengen Shrine.

These and other highlights will be covered.

There will be opportunities to try various forms of accommodation including Ryokans ( Japanese B&B )

All types of food are catered for. It’s not all raw fish and seaweed.

Bi-lingual guide most days if not all.

To participate in this trip you must be an experienced rider both in and out of town. Japan’s traffic is mostly organized but takes a little getting used to.And you must ride a two stroke MZ suitably equipped including a GPS.

For UK participants, you will have to ship your bike to Japan. You could ship your bike direct to Vladivostok but I don’t recommend it. You should ship your bike no later than 31st January 2012. If your rich you can fly the bike here same day.!!!

Crates are available from any BMW dealer (they are happy for you to take them away) ( don’t forget the tie downs ) Two MZs will fit in one crate. An enormous saving. An on-line quote can be had from James Cargo. They are based at Heathrow.

You will have to fly to Tokyo and fight for a one way ticket. It can be done. I’ve done it.

You will need a Carnet for Japan to be able to bring your bike into Japan and also to take it out again.

Insurance for the bike is obtainable in Japan and also available on entry into Russia.

Personal insurance is a must and it should include repatriation to your home country.

Your Visa card will not work everywhere. If you want to draw cash then main post offices are the solution.

For more details please contact Tony direct :-

mz { dot } rider { dot } jp { at } gmail { dot } com


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