Roman Juriš reports from Glemseck…
This month marked the 18th annual edition of the Glemseck 101, said to be the largest outdoor motorcycle festival in all of Europe. More than 40,000 motorcycle enthusiasts congregate the first weekend of September at the Solitude racetrack (Solituderennen) in Leonberg, Germany, just outside Stuttgart, for a weekend of sprint racing and custom bikes…paired with beers, bratwursts, live music, and plenty of friends and fellowship.
This year, our man on the ground was once again Roman Juriš, who brought his Yamaha XS400 Roadster last year to display. This year, Roman rode the 1000 kilometers from his home in Slovakia on his custom Suzuki SV650.
In the process, Roman met three new “friends” who would prove close companions on the journey to Leonberg and back: lost satellite signal, connection interrupted, and hunger. The first two were related to his GPS, which kept going on the fritz and/or leading him astray.
It seems that chilling rain, European traffic radars, and the threat of Austrian police disliking the tread wear on his rear tire (which makes the US seem like a free-wheeling delight) were along for the ride as well — but hey, such headaches make for good stories down the road!
In the end, however, the ride was worth it, as Glemseck 101 2025 was a feast for the eyes, ears, and even the belly!
“A great mood everywhere, people are having fun, talking, going to watch sprint races, drinking beer, and eating wursts (sausages) and the like. Of course, many extravagant people and motorbikes, but also great custom bikes and people discussing professionally and sharing their experiences, especially with custom work or rare pieces.” -Roman
Roman couldn’t stay for Sunday’s sprint races, but he got a wealth of photos of the rare, exotic, custom, and downright interesting motorcycles on display or just in attendance at the show. For Roman, the highlight was a rare 500cc twin-crank square-four smoker that recalls such storied names as Marco Lucchinelli and Franco Uncini.
“This year, in my opinion, it was the wonderfully preserved iconic two-stroke Suzuki 500 Gamma. The civilian version of the motorcycle from — I want to write ‘MotoGP’ — but back then it was 500cc era.”
On the way home, Roman ran out of gas amid Austria’s north Styrian Alps, just short of the picturesque town of Mariazell.
“In the morning I set off towards Mariazell and enjoyed the winding paradise. On Monday morning there were almost no cars, only a few bikers. I was enjoying it to the point that I underestimated the fuel reserve warning light. Either I noticed it too late, or for some unknown reason it came on too late. Just 11 kilometers before Mariazell, the motorcycle stopped moving in a slight left-hand bend.
Over the last thirty kilometers, I’d passed maybe two cars, and about ten kilometers before I’d overtaken a white car Dacia Duster. I got off the motorcycle when the aforementioned Duster approached. I vaguely managed to wave my hand but the car disappeared around the bend. Bad luck…
I started to think about how I was going to get to Mariazell and back with a liter of gasoline on Monday morning, when a young man emerged from around the bend, walking towards me. There was no doubt that he was from the Duster. I explained to him what had happened to me and told me that he would take me to the nearest gas station. I was partially saved, because I would already have gasoline. When I asked if there was a taxi in Mariazell, he told me that he would also take me back to my motorcycle.
Good people have not died out. I was completely saved.”
We’re glad you found a better friend than lost satellite signal, connection interrupted, and hunger in the end, Roman!
Below, you’ll find Roman’s photos from the show — enjoy!
Glemseck 101 2025: Vintage / Custom Bikes
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Soooo much eye candy!
Definitely a bucket list destination!
Loved the article.
What a fantastic article. I’ve not heard of this event before. Thank you for this report and for all your awesome articles.