Simson Road Trip – 1528 km on cult mopeds all the way to Spa

Sometimes you do not need a 1200 boxer or a V4 superbike to tell a real motorcycle story. Sometimes a Simson is enough.

The ZDF documentary series “Simson Road Trip – 1528 km through Germany” follows eight friends from Niederbösa in Thuringia on a journey that is as crazy as it is wonderful: on their DDR cult mopeds, each more than 40 years old, they ride across Germany, through Luxembourg and on to Belgium – with one big goal: the legendary Formula 1 race circuit in Spa-Francorchamps.

Friendship, breakdowns and the dream of Spa

Marco, René, Martin, Daniel, Marcel, Mosi, Bonter and Stephan share not only decades of friendship, but also their passion for the Simson – the quintessential moped for an entire generation from the East. What begins as a dream of adventure quickly becomes a test for man and machine.

The lads cover up to 250 kilometres a day, repair their mopeds themselves at the roadside, wild camp and battle their way through everything that a real tour entails. No breakdown assistance, no support vehicles – just eight men, their tools and the next horizon.

But then, on the second day already, the inevitable happens: a serious accident leaves two people injured. What follows shows what real friendship means: the remaining six carry on – in the name of their two mates, who can no longer be there.

No horsepower monster – yet still a hero story

Anyone who is into power charts and technical orgasms is in the wrong place here. But anyone who wants to know what motorcycling is really about – freedom, solidarity, a thirst for adventure and trust in a machine you keep alive with your own hands – should treat themselves to these four episodes.

The group is not a leisure gang, but a close-knit group of friends who have already explored the Côte d'Azur, Czech Republic and the Baltic Sea on their Simsons. Spa is the crowning glory – and the thought of riding a 50cc moped on the same asphalt where F1 cars race has a magic all of its own.

Now in the ZDF media library

The four-part series has been available in the ZDF media library since 30 April 2026 – each episode is around 25 minutes long. The four-parter will air on linear TV on 20 May 2026 from 0.45 am.

👉 To the documentary in the ZDF media library

Conclusion

My impression: this documentary is the best argument that motorcycling has nothing to do with horsepower. Eight friends, Simson mopeds more than 40 years old, one goal – and more character than any 200-hp machine could ever deliver. Anyone looking for a weekend full of authenticity, tinkering and road-trip romance will find exactly that here. A pure recommendation – and the opposite of what algorithms normally churn out as “motorcycle content”.

No Bike No Life – and that also applies to 3,6 hp from Suhl.