Thousands of people with and without motorcycles came to the annual motorcycle rally in Kulmbach in Upper Franconia. The Upper Franconia police headquarters were initially unable to estimate how many participants there were on Sunday afternoon. Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU), as patron, arrived on two wheels himself and used the opportunity to call on drivers and motorcyclists to comply with traffic rules and show mutual consideration.
The CSU politician complained that there were still far too many and too serious traffic accidents on Bavaria’s roads. According to this, there were 333 traffic accidents involving motorcycles and 273 injured bikers in the Free State this year by the beginning of March, significantly more than in the first three months of the previous year. “Due to the comparatively mild weather, many motorcyclists were already on the road,” said Herrmann.
The two-day motorcycle meeting is taking place for the 21st time and, according to the organizers, is the largest motorcycle meeting in southern Germany. In 2023, after a three-year Corona break, there were almost 40,000 people. The annual highlight is the motorcycle parade through Kulmbach city center. The focus is on road safety; the motto this year was “Arrive instead of perishing”. The Bavarian police are represented by all police departments.