My duties as an organizer meant I spent a large part of Friday afternoon handing out starter packs and registering participants. Fortunately, Bandzior and my son Kazik helped me out. There were beautiful commemorative T-shirts (though my wife didn't care for the color, thinking it looked like a gathering for nudists), as well as stickers, ID badges, and a welcome gingerbread cookie.

It is worth noting that, in addition to motorcycles brought in on trailers, others arrived under their own power, ridden by steadfast riders undeterred by uncertain weather forecasts. The toughest among them were: Janek (404 km), Krzysiu (200 km), Miłosz and Łukasz (115 km), and Radek and Zbyszek (379 km).
A large group of first-timers from Wrocław also showed up, and guests from Gniezno stopped by briefly. Darek was the last to arrive, showing up late in the evening.

On Friday, we visited Fort IV. There were plenty of children, torches, and a fantastic guide dressed in the uniform of a Prussian soldier from the Toruń Fortress's heyday. The fascinating stories he shared about the history of Toruń's fortifications really captured the participants' interest.

The rest of the evening was spent chatting in the paddock and prepping the bikes for the ride. There was also a briefing for participants ahead of Saturday’s rally, along with a demonstration of my "discipline" whistle.

Later that night, things got exciting when the night owls—Miłosz and Łukasz—returned from town and tried to force their way through the fortress's iron gate.

We kicked off Saturday morning with an early breakfast. We set out in groups, with the first one departing promptly at 8:45 AM. Moments later, the rain started, staying with us all the way to the route's furthest point: the ferry crossing in Nieszawa. The riders who had wisely put on rain gear were the lucky ones. We crossed the Vistula in two batches and regrouped in the center of Nieszawa. The ferry itself is a historic piece of engineering—powered by two side-mounted paddle wheels—and serves as a local attraction.

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, the ferry made only two crossings that day. Consequently, three motorcycle crews—who arrived at the landing last due to weather conditions and minor mechanical issues—were unable to cross the river and had to return to Toruń via the same route.

From Nieszawa, the entire group—escorted by the police—headed to Ciechocinek, where we joined the main road to Toruń at Wołuszewo. Kudos to the traffic police officers; riding with their escort felt much safer, and everyone appreciated their assistance. Once in Toruń, we spent some time at the viewpoint on Majdany Street, enjoying "Teatralne" wafers and local "Krystynka" mineral water. Naturally, we also took group photos with the Toruń skyline in the background.

Afterwards, we headed to the Stawki Inn for lunch and a chance to chat together at the table. There were even tears of emotion from Mundek, who recognized my mother-in-law as the daughter of a late friend of his. With our bellies full, we made our way to the Toruń Fortress Museum to display our motorcycles alongside military hardware exhibited by the army. There was no shortage of automotive enthusiasts admiring and photographing our bikes! Those interested had some free time to visit Toruń’s Old Town. Twenty-seven motorcycles completed the rally route.

Finally, on Saturday evening, it was time to wrap up the event with a barbecue.

The following awards were presented:
– Rally Motorcycle: Krzysiu and his phenomenal "welly boot" with a wicker sidecar,
– Elegance Contest: won by Oliwia,
– Longest Ride to the Rally: Jasiek with his "Bumblebee" (*Trzmiel*),
– Oldest Motorcycle: Rico (Germany) – 1925 NSU 502 T.
Special Mentions:
– Bandzior, for the rally graphics and organizational help,
– Bartek, for roadside service and rescuing those with bad luck,
– Ola – my wife, without whose help I couldn't have managed the event organization,
– The photographer (and my father-in-law), Krzysztof,
– Rally Bikeress: Agnieszka,
– T-shirt sponsor: Krzysztof (Kärcher Włocławek),
– The Wrocław crew, for an impressive debut at the NSU Rally.
Acknowledgments:
– To the motorcyclists on slightly newer machines, Cezik and Karol (we’re waiting for the videos)—you provided a phenomenal escort and great help,
– To the crew of the GAZ vehicle,
– To "Number One" for the NSU badges,
– To Marek, Edzio, and his wife for the additional prizes—rubber motorcycle parts.

There was also a rousing rendition of "Sto Lat" (Happy Birthday/Best Wishes) for the Rally Commander. It was the best reward for the hard work of organizing the event and two sleepless nights. Guys, I was truly moved! I had a long conversation with Skrzydlaty and his daughter. I’m rooting for Oliwia as she chooses her field of study! We spent the rest of the evening feasting and chatting at length.

Sunday brought the time to say goodbye, and we all headed home.

Thank you to everyone for coming and for the great time we shared. As NSU motorcycle owners, we really form a tight-knit, friendly group. To quote my wife after the rally organized by Heniek: "You talk about that rally longer than you were actually there—give it a rest already." I think she changed her mind this year, though, since she got to meet you all in person.

For me, it’s not over yet; I’ll soon be riding my "Agrafka" to Włocławek to thank the sponsor who provided the T-shirts.

I’m waiting for someone to step up to the challenge and organize next year’s rally. I’ll admit I plan to organize a similar event myself in the future—it will certainly be much easier for me than the first time around.

Interestingly, even as the organizer, I still don’t know what the rooms at the fort are like. I didn’t see any of them because I was so tired that I just went to sleep in my van.

Best regards, Krystian ("rybki66") – Organizer of the 5th NSU Rally.

For future statistics and comparisons, here is a list of the motorcycles that appeared in the paddock: