If Carlsberg did Euro rallies, they’d have been behind Euro Lambretta 2026. But instead of a brewery, it was the Lambretta Club of Austria that put this fantastic event on.
Before we get to covering the actual event, we had to actually get to the event, and that’s usually the best part of any Euro adventure. We left England on the Hull party boat on Tuesday, June 2nd. Tagging along with Leeds Central SC, our group was made up of 10 scooters. Engines varied from RT 230s, to GT 240s, TSI’s, a 2-stroke KTM-engined Lammy and everything in between.
All at sea
The party boat lived up to its name, but I still managed to get a decent few hours’ sleep until the bing bong lady woke us up at around 6:30 am. After scrambling out of bed, all we could see was sea. Usually we’d be in the docks at Rotterdam by this point. Apparently, an overnight medical emergency on board meant our boat had to anchor up during the night and wait for a helicopter to medivac a poorly patient off. None of us had noticed that the ship was stationary as we downed ale late into the night. This meant we were two hours late, so after a bacon butty and coffee it was back to bed until the next call.
Get a move on!
We left the ship at around 10 am and the usual customs routine had been slowed down with the addition of biometric booths. Every passenger had to leave their vehicles and go into a booth to have fingerprints and photos taken; then passports were checked. This meant we were queuing for two hours. Very frustrating.
The Morgan and Porsche drivers were out of luck on this trip…
Düsseldorf
Our destination for today was 140 miles away in Düsseldorf. We were cheating slightly on this trip by taking an overnight train from there to Innsbruck on the way there. It saved a couple of days and, more importantly, time. The ride was without incident, luckily after the delays, and we made it in plenty of time for the 7 pm train. German efficiency let us down, though, because it was over an hour late.
It seemed like it was overbooked as well; Bill, with his lovely TV175 and sidecar, was told he couldn’t get on because his outfit was too big. Luckily Sarah (our travel agent) had sent the measurements in when she booked the trip. We’d also had three people cancel on our booking so we had extra space available.
A couple in a vintage Morgan and another in a very tasty Porsche weren’t so lucky. Both their cars were soft-tops, and they were told they couldn’t travel on the train, even though they’d both booked. Apparently cabriolets aren’t allowed. They were forced to drive an extra 450 miles overnight!
Party train
I’d never been on an overnight train before and had been promised fine dining and Orient Express-levels of comfort. I was to be disappointed. Before riding onto the open-sided carriages, we were told to put our helmets on and for once this was a good decision. The steel roof of the carriages was very low, and even with my head down, I took the top vent and rear spoiler off my Arai as I rode along to our parking space. The scooters were strapped down, and we were shown to the ‘Orient Express.’ The carriages were a bit ‘1960s’, and after walking the length of the train looking for the à la carte restaurant, we found it. Or at least we found an alcove serving bottled beers, Pot Noodles and spicy sausages in tomato juice. Oh, how we laughed. It was actually a good crack on the train, though, and the fold-down bunk beds meant the dated cabins slept four people fairly comfortably.
Riding a BMW GS or KTM wouldn’t have been much fun on this train
Fresh air
After many beers, cheap food and a surprisingly good night’s sleep, we woke up to fresh mountain air as we reached Innsbruck. Although it seemed like our scooters and the following carriages had all dropped off during the night. We found them when we arrived at the station thankfully. The train had stopped during the night to shunt things around, and the scooters arrived before us.
It wouldn’t be long before we polluted that fresh mountain air… I love the smell of two-stroke in the morning.
Trouble ahead
With scooters unloaded and food consumed, we set off towards our first destination. Things were going well for the first half mile. We were only tootling through town when Steve Goodfellow’s S2 decided it was tired; it stalled at a junction, then locked up when he tried to restart it.
Luckily it was a public holiday, so the town was pretty quiet, and we were able to camp up in a bit of shade for a few hours whilst the scooters were fixed. It quickly turned into a full gearbox-out feat of bodgery and ingenuity, and after a few hours he was back on the road again.
Scrap yard
During that time, other scooters were stripped down, Neil swapped the stator on Sarah’s Lammy, as well as every other electrical component before realising it had run out of fuel…
Other scooters were fettled and repaired. The Scottish contingent were with us for this part of the trip and the train straps had snapped Wilkie’s handlebar. He was forced to ride it for the rest of the trip with a bodged gear change. The town centre looked like a vintage scrapyard and the oil stains will be there for years.
Everybody got sorted though, and we were on the road again in just a matter of many hours…
Moped mayhem
Once we finally left Innsbruck, we had a very pleasant ride through the beautiful Austrian countryside. At one point, as Jon’s Lammy struggled uphill, two teenagers on 1980s 50cc sports bikes appeared amongst us and spent about 15 minutes racing us and getting amongst the pack, just larking about, but it put a smile on our faces.
At some point we crossed back into Germany and that’s where we’d be spending our first ‘proper’ night of the holiday.
Nuns on the run
What are the chances? You’re in the middle of the set from The Sound of Music, and a happy-looking nun walks out of the petrol station.
Berchtesgaden
Lots of English, Scottish and Welsh scooterists ended up in Berchtesgaden for Thursday night, us included. Many drinks ensued, and a few of us ended up walking up a mountain to the village later that evening. Me and Nick walked on ahead to try and find a bar that was open. Once we arrived at a very lively local place, we phoned the others and were told to “Order us seven pints”. The beers arrived; our friends didn’t. So what do we do?
Be careful where you sit
We spent the next couple of hours listening to heavy German rock/oi with some excitable local skinhead types and drinking seven pints of beer between the two of us whilst a very inebriated local tried to use my head as target practice for his darts. A traditionally dressed local farmer took a shine to us, and we almost ended up swapping lederhosen. It was a bizarre night to say the least. Like all good reporters, we drunk our drinks, made our excuses and wobbled off into the night unscathed.
The Eagle’s Nest
Despite drinking copious amounts of warm German beer, escaping the crazed skinheads and getting out of another bar at around 3 a.m, we were up bright and early the next morning to visit the Eagle’s Nest, or Kehlsteinhaus to give it its proper name. This was a secret hideaway for high-ranking Nazi officers to do whatever those types do to relax at the weekend. It’s built at 1,834 metres high, nestling on a sub-peak of the Hoher Göll and surrounded by breathtaking scenery. Built in 1937 and finished in 1939, just in time to celebrate Adolf’s big birthday.
He certainly knew how to put on a party for his 50th.
Nazi gold
The Eagle’s Nest is accessed by a very steep and twisty road by coach, then by walking through a long ornate tunnel lined with marble, and into a huge polished brass elevator, decorated with Venetian mirrors and green leather. Everything about this place is opulent and was paid for by the Nazi Party.
The Eagle’s Nest itself is a very extravagant building used to hold functions, meetings and even the wedding reception of Eva Braun’s sister back in the day. Nazi leaders, including Mr H, came here to relax away from the stresses and strains of world domination and ethnic cleansing. A tiring business.
These days it’s a very profitable tourist attraction with the buildings turned into a restaurant, bar and gift shop. There’s also a charge for the tickets and a coach ride up the hill. Nazi gold is still being made in these beautiful mountains.
Rally time
With the morning’s rain clearing (the only rain during our trip) and history ticked off, we were back on the road and heading to the rally. Today’s ride was only around 80 miles, and we arrived at the rally site by mid-afternoon in blazing sunshine. No dramas, just a good day riding scooters.
A long way away?
Swapping tickets for wristbands at the gate, I could see our accommodation a long way away. Or at least the wooden sheds we’d be sleeping in looked like they were a long way away! As it happens, they were quite close and very small.
The Austrian shed keepers gave us a nice cold beer and showed us to our humble abode. Despite first impressions, the huts were perfect for four to share. Bunk beds on either side and steps in the middle to climb into bed and store things. Cosy.
All about the ride
I’ve been to a few Euros, and quite often I find myself thinking I’d rather keep riding rather than spending a weekend with dodgy entertainment, questionable food and basic facilities. The Euro is the thing that makes us go on a scooter adventure, but it’s not always the main reason we travel.
Not this time, though; the Austrians proper nailed it. Everything was spot on; the site was in the middle of nowhere, but that didn’t matter because it had everything you need for a great weekend. The evening dos were proper bangers, with busy dancefloors on both nights. A bit of Austrian Oompah from the band on Friday night set the tone and people could sit outside on the many tables and chairs, eat from the excellent catering units and drink from the fast-serving bars. The shower blocks and toilets were hot, clean and abundant.
Ride out
Saturday was another scorcher and lots of scooters left the site for the ride out. I had a ride out of my own, though. Lutz Lambretta had asked me to test ride his twin-cylinder 84bhp Lambretta, and I had a most enjoyable ride (but that’s another story).
The dealers’ stalls included SIP and Scooter Centre, plus a few others, so most parts and oils were available. People could also have scooters fixed or take part in the fun and games on site.
It was a lovely chilled-out vibe.
A proper feast
Saturday night was the gala dinner and the various clubs were changing into club colours. Everybody was in high spirits, and the Lambretta Club of Austria welcomed us all into the two huge wooden halls with thunderous applause and accapela rendition of the White Stripes. A very nice welcome indeed.
Clapped and sung in by the host nation, a nice touch
Lambretta Club d’Italia have a lot to live up to next year!
Mega mixed grill
Euro meals can range from awful to offal, and trying to feed that many people in one go is never easy. Once again, the Austrians nailed it. There was a fine selection of help-yourself cooked meats, sausages, salad and potatoes. It was a mega mixed grill. Everything was hot, plentiful and served on real plates with metal knives and forks. Brilliant.
Italy 2027
For myself, this was the best Euro Lambretta I’ve ever been on. There was nothing to criticise; the Austrians well and truly nailed it and have set the bar very high for the Lambretta Club of Italy next year, as they host the Euro to celebrate Lambretta’s 80th birthday.
After a feast fit for a king it was party time until the wee small hours. The dancefloor was kept busy all night and the atmosphere was like an old school scooter do. Superb.
Time to move on
The final breakfast soon came around. Departing scooters had been leaving the site (spoiling my sleep) for hours before we ventured down to the huge mediaeval-style barn. Amazingly, I was told that the massive wooden structure was to be dismantled and moved a few hundred yards, then rebuilt ready for another function after we’d all left.
Again, the free breakfasts were fantastic. Typically continental with bread, meat, croissants and coffee, but also fresh salad. The bread and meat were delicious, again, served on real plates.
Nick had absolutely no idea how to read a map
X marks the spot
A word of warning: if you happen upon a big red cross on a road sign whilst riding abroad, don’t ignore it. Also, don’t ignore the road-closed signs further on, or the men with heavy machinery waving at you to turn around.
There’s a high chance of the road being closed and it taking you about an hour of riding around country lanes trying to find a way through. We even had to do some off-roading on a dug-up section of road. Neil suffered his first puncture soon afterwards.
Nobody ever had a bad night with two local lorry-driving meth heads (Just in case you were wondering, they’re the two men in this photo)
Heading home
There was to be no ‘cheating’ on the way home for us, and we had around 600 miles to cover before our ferry home on Thursday night. We stopped in the German towns of Regensburg, Fulda and Paderborn. Then a night in Arnhem before our final day back to Rotterdam. Other than Neil having three punctures in two days and the chain snapping on Trevor’s KTM-powered Lambretta on a German autobahn, I don’t think we had any real issues on the way back.
His and hers, a fine pair of Italian stallions
RT 230’s
After breaking down on the way back from Scarborough, my cast iron Series 1 barrel needed reboring and a new piston. With the Euro looming and the thought of running a stage 4 top end in before Austria, I decided to go down the Race Tour route.
Rob Miller at Simply Retro built my engine using a 60 x 110mm BGM crank and the RT225 top end to give me a nice RT230. For me, it was an easy choice to make; Linsey has been running the same set-up since 2021, when we built her RT 230 for this feature. There’s quite a bit of useful information in there, along with videos.
It surprised me just how long ago that engine was built when I looked up the link. That engine has been faultless and has been lovely to ride on the few occasions I’ve ridden to or from rallies on it.
Probably the best touring kit
Pound for pound, I’d say the RT is the most reliable, fuss-free and economical rally-going Lambretta kit money can buy. I’d only done 70 running-in miles on it before leaving for Austria. 1200 miles later, and I’ve not had the panels off.
Linsey’s has covered thousands of miles since it was built; we’ve only changed the rings on that so far. Other than electrical issues, her scooter hasn’t missed a beat. You can get yours direct from Scooter Center, or any UK dealer, including the SLUK Shop.
Words and photos: Iggy
