Danish Skagen Run 2003

This run is organised by the Danish Veteran Motorcycle Club and this year ran from Skagen at the northern tip of Denmark to the capital Copenhagen over the three days 29-31 May. About 220 pre-1935 bikes do 100 miles per day through about 25 check points per day. For the first and last days, predetermined average speeds have to be maintained, while for the middle day only the checkpoints have to be passed. The run is typically over flat farmland B-roads with some town running at the end of the days to approach the hotels. The price of about £150/250 euros includes two nights in good hotels with banquet style dinners, plus breakfasts and snack lunches and a final awards dinner.

There were three of us going from the UK, but in the end it was only me that turned up. The most popular makes are Harley-Davidson, BSA, Nimbus (the Danish four cylinder bike) and Indian, with average bike year 1930, and a male competitor in his fifties doing the run for the tenth time. I hit most of the averages, but was doing the run for the first time and it showed. You go off roughly in order of bike age (oldest first), and are given the average speed and route for the day on leaving the start. You then need to park up for a couple of minutes while planning your route through the checkpoints. Speedometers have to be covered, and experienced competitors rig up map stands and watches on their fuel tanks, and gear down their bikes for the modest speeds required.

The weather was gorgeous: dry and about 25 degrees Celsius, and the ride exhilarating through the country lanes. The other participants were very friendly, with good conversations over the excellent dinners and plenty of camaraderie at the interesting sites chosen as intermediate stops. This was the 37th running of the rally and the organisation was excellent. I managed to break my gearbox case and had to retire, but was not the only one on the ‘trouble truck’ sweeping up behind the rally. The bike was fixed and completed the Banbury Run a couple of weeks later, so no lasting harm was done. I can thoroughly recommend the rally to AMCA members, but you will need a well fettled machine and some navigational skill, and will get maximum fun if part of a group. Next year the rally will run from Copenhagen to Skagen, and Lars Soerensen from the DVM can give you details. Check the Web site at www.dvm.dk, or Email Lars.Soerensen@DVM.dk, or telephone him on +45.9854.1030.