DIRT biker Mike Etienne says that he was ‘something of a loony’ when he was young – and some might argue that he hasn’t mellowed with age.
While the majority of people might celebrate their 50th birthday with a nice bottle of red with a few friends, Mike went the way of the two-wheeled hooligan. To mark his half ton, he decided to have a blow-out at one of the craziest bike events going, at Erzberg in Austria.
Mike joined more than 1,500 other bike nuts for a four-day party with some extreme mountainside racing thrown in for good measure.
He drove down to the event in his camper van with the bike on the back. ‘I did it to celebrate my 50th birthday, even though the event did not quite coincide with my actual birthday,’ said Mike. ‘They had 50 years, but the Austrians could not quite get the dates right.
‘I did it in 2006. I was in Germany for the World Cup and heard about it and just thought it sounded good – and it was just round the corner in Austria.
‘Two years ago I did it on my old bike, a 1,150 c BMW, and I thought, ‘‘This is amazing, I am going to have to do this again”.
‘I was fortunate to be able to get a new bike, a BMW HP2, with better suspension which was easier to ride. I thought it was a pretty good birthday present.’
The event was held between 22 and 25 May in a stunning part of the Steirische Alps. It was the 14th time the event had been held and attracted riders from all over the world. The 1,500-strong field included some of the best off-roaders around, from Dakar winners to top stunt riders.
Full story in today’s 16-page motoring supplement
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