Motorcycle demo on Kesselberg on Easter Sunday: B11 will be closed

In the midst of the expected heavy excursion traffic, hundreds of motorcyclists want to paralyze the route over the Kesselberg at Easter.

They protest against driving bans.

Kochel am See

- At Easter, you can expect a lot of excursion traffic in the region.

In Kochel am See, an additional factor should make the traffic chaos perfect on Sunday: The group "Blue Peers" is planning a demonstration with 300 to 400 motorcycles rolling over the Kesselberg towards Walchensee.

The B 11 will be closed for the rally.

The motorcyclists want to protest against route closures for bikers - in general and especially on the Kesselberg.

As early as July 2020, over 20,000 motorcyclists had paralyzed the Mittlerer Ring in Munich.

At that time, the district administration department had not approved a registered demo, but the bikers rolled in in droves anyway.

The scenario on Easter Sunday in Kochel will not be comparable with the dimensions of that time.

“We invited around 300 people,” says initiator Gábor Kovács from the “Blue Peers”.

“Maybe a few more will cheat their way.

If there are 400 at the end, it's still good. ”The District Office has limited the number of participants to 500.

Motorcycle demo on the Kesselberg under the motto "Accident prevention instead of driving ban"

The event is under the heading "Accident prevention instead of driving bans".

Kovács relates this to road closures for motorcycles in general - for example on Sundays and weekends - and specifically to the driving ban on the Kesselberg.

This was introduced in 1978 and applies on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in the direction of travel from Kochel to Walchensee.

Kovács does not consider the reason given by the Tölz District Office that this measure serves to prevent accidents to be sound.

The number of accidents has declined, and in many cases it is the driver's fault.

“If you say I will block a road because it is dangerous for vehicles, I would also have to block the A8 or the A96,” he says.

Kovács sees Raser am Kesselberg as a problem.

"But to be honest: Those who simply drive up and down the mountain quickly, you can see them during the week after 8 p.m. when the Kochel police station is no longer manned." On the weekend, however, this clientele is not interested at all to follow the whole caravan ”.

On Saturdays and Sundays, all individual traffic is the problem on the route, according to the demo initiator.

But not only the motorcyclists can be picked out for a route closure.

The demo organizer often drove the Kesselberg in forbidden directions

"It is a cheek to tell motorcyclists: If you want to go to Jachenau, Eng or Vorderriß, you are not allowed to use the Kesselberg." Kovács even considers this to be constitutionally questionable.

The biker frankly reports that he has often driven the B11 in the blocked direction on weekends.

He would even have welcomed a ticket.

"Then I could complain against it." But it has never been checked.

Incidentally, on Sunday too, the entourage moves in the direction that is actually taboo for motorbikes on weekends.

But as a registered assembly, the parade is allowed to do so, as District Office spokeswoman Marlis Peischer confirms.

“The ban on motorcycles at weekends and on public holidays is overridden by the right to freedom of assembly enshrined in the Basic Law.” The assembly takes place in the open air and is properly registered.

There were no grounds for prohibition.

 "We want to give those citizens who are in favor of driving bans food for thought and show what it's like when you can't go to Walchensee at the weekend."

Gábor Kovács, "Blue Peers"

Instead of driving bans, the “Blue Peers” rely on other forms of accident prevention.

“We work great together with the police motorcycle control group,” says the spokesman for the “Blue Peers”.

This grouping also works towards a sensible, safe driving style in the motorcycle scene, at round tables, group excursions, workshops and driver training.

Aren't the organizers afraid that their action in the middle of the biggest excursion traffic will arouse a lot of anger?

The date was chosen deliberately, says Kovács.

"We want to give those citizens who are in favor of driving bans food for thought and show what it's like when you can't go to Walchensee at the weekend."

Even the local population should not be happy about the additional traffic chaos at Easter.

Here Kovács promises that the motorcycles will "not be so loud".

“We're slowing down and slowing down.

From our side there is the clear announcement: no overtaking in the convoy, no roaring engines, no wheelies or other tricks, no rubbish lying around -Wear protection or a closed helmet and keep the minimum distance.

Expiration and blocking

The motorcyclists gather at the Trimini parking lot.

From there they start in a column at 11 a.m. through Kochel and - only on the right-hand lane - up the Kesselberg.

A stop for a minute's silence is planned for motorcyclists who have crashed at the car park at the top of the pass at around 12.15 p.m.

According to the District Office, the B11 is closed on both sides for 30 minutes during this time.

Then the participants drive off towards Walchensee, where the demonstration dissolves.

The car park at the top of the pass is closed from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.

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