Adventure for sissies...
 

Just got back from my first ever Marocco trip. Absolutely the best motorcycle experience in my life so far. This is why I love all-road riding: leave the tarmac and ride the map where it says there are no roads! Cut the engine and listen to .... no sounds at all, just the wind blowing... Superb!

A few piccies:

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Me, John Doe, loyal husband and father of two young children, would not dare to undertake such a trip without support/permission of my wife (yes I'm a sissy) joined a trip organised by a few experienced guys (Arjan Brouwer; 7 time Dakar contendor), with the support of a complete service truck (!).

We did some parts of the Tuareg road book, topping a 200km unpaved on a day (+200km on tarmac), not always easy to ride (rocks and boulders, small dunes). Actually the service truck is now on its way to Holland where it will drop off the bikes and luggage, only to load up and return to Marocco for the Tuareg rally!

Discovered that the bike, and I, can do more then I knew! Knowing that a detour will be 100km, makes it easier to cross that obstacle :)

All together: a great experience!

HJ

good on you http://www.xt660.com/images/icons/icon7.gif http://www.xt660.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

Looks fantastic. I have some questions though:

• What tour company did you go with?
• How did you fare against the KTM Adventure?
• Did the GSers get jealous over the thumper?
• Did you ride down?

I'm off to Spain in two weeks and two days for three days solid riding on the Southern coast - can't wait..

Organised by Arjan Brouwer Trading, Memo tours (rally support truck), Hans Hendriks driving school (all-road training), Rally Adventure Shop (parts supply)

He and I were equally skilled but not good enough to push the limit of either one of the bike. I dropped it every day, he dropped it only once or twice. Other then 2 flat front tires and a brake pedal to be straightened I had no technical issues. The KTM lost its front suspension oil and had some damage to the fairing (bit flimsy). He had a michelin desert as a rear tire which didn't give much confidence on tarmac (which we had to cover quite a lot). I was on TKC's and Supermotarded my way down on a paved mountain pass .... YEEEEHAAAA!

The R1200GS' ers? Don't think so... these guys were new to off-road riding... took it VERY easy in the dirt and the boxer is well balanced at low speed. Only if you want to speed up, you'd be longing to something that's not as much as a hand full as a GS.

The F650/800GS' ers? Don't think so: performed quite well/similar as the Tenere (mostly determined by riding skills).

No. Memo Tours took the bikes in an enclosed trailer to Almeria. Then we took the ferry and unloaded at Melillia.

We did spent one day riding around Almeria, just along the edge of the Sierra Nevada. Very nice! But off-roading is VERY limited nowadays in Spain (Alto Turia was cancelled). Have fun!

HJ

Awesome! More pics would be nice. Any incidents? Funny moments? A little RR maybe?

Hope I'll get a chance to do something like that one day. =)

Sissies!
 

I wouldn't say that. I think these organised trips are just the ticket for lots of people and lots of reasons. I know when I first took off on my own I was very very nervous, and I've done loads of traveling through work anyway.


in 66 days we'll be heading off for some wilderness travelling, your picts just make me want to carry on south, without the turnaround........

Morocco - the closest far away place I know (name the nutter who said this)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_7JwvF2Ofj-M/S5...0/DSC00463.JPG

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http://lh5.ggpht.com/_YIAhxVKuPTE/S5...2010%20184.JPG

more pictures over here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/10032100...ROKKOTour2010#

http://picasaweb.google.com/11340041...5/Marokko2010#

http://picasaweb.google.nl/Transalpi...at=directlink#

Funny moments? Got whipped (?) from the seat after hitting 2 ditches in a row = hitting end of suspension travel! Picked up the bike, bend the brake lever back to its original shape.... and on we went! Tough bike... but I already knew that.

Having GPS and roadbook but still lost in the dark: guided by a boy on a moped through the darkness over the piste... you really don't need knobbies, 45hp and Xenon headlight !

Took some concrete buildingblocks to put my bike on when I wanted to fix the flat front tyre.... but these were crushed by the weight of the bike! And they build houses with that stuff!

Other guy ruined his bibmousse on long high speed stretches on-road. Had it fixed with a tube in a small workshop. Not much tools (but they did have a hydraulic tyre lifter), but very skilled! Need job!

HJ

Very very very very jealous now:cry[1]:

thanks for sharing your trip with us, the photos are great, as for being a sissy no way, personally roadbook and all it's more like dakar rally preparation!

i went on a tour on lightweight bikes and loved it,[recognised one of the hotels and a few of the passes] plenty to catch you out and truly brilliant terrain i hope to go back this year on my tenere. did any one make it up the really big dunes at the erg chebb?

the company we used motoadventure/patsy quick told us every year they have to seek out new trails as the tarmac advances losing yet more ground, so go before it's all gone!

Look like a great trip, thanks for sharing.

Is your seat the one from offtheroad.de ? How does it compare to original?

Well done, looks like great fun. Certianly not for the faint hearted!

Congratulation SingleMinded :) I know exactly what you feel. On 28.02 I returned home after 2444km in Morocco. 1 XTZ + 2 fools on top :lovers[1]: :) Great, great experience. 244km in the desert from Merzouga to Zagora.

Saw them, a motoradventure.com LandRover and a woman (Patsy?), at the Ports du Desert hotel in Merzouga, waiting for a bunch of Brits on KTM's to come in.

I did have a go on the dunes, and though riding them wasn't too much of a problem (just need to keep up the speed; have some on-board video to proof it!), my lack of fysical endurance was. So after a few miles I returned to the hotel and spend some time at the swimmingpool :icon_redface:

One guy, Jan Hofland (youtube that), slightly nuts but very skilled rider, did ask me to time how long it would take for him to reach the top of the highest (200m) dune... ....

...

... 2,5 minute on his KTM 530(?) !!!! He's the dot coming down the hill in this picture:

http://picasaweb.google.nl/100531768...57743206846658

on his way back to the backyard of the hotel...

http://picasaweb.google.nl/100531768...57743206846658

http://picasaweb.google.nl/100531768...57743206846658

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... 5 minutes to get up to the top and back!!!

Teriffic to watch him roaring up that hill along the steep side of it!!

HJ

no that sounds like susan the company co owner, very like yoda but would tear you a new one she would. not a lady to be messed with! though runs a very professional and organised business

i have a few photo's, took a lot of cam footage though for my own veiwing, until you are at the dunes it's hard to visulise the sheer enormity of the piles of sand!

It is indeed. I like it a lot 'cos it enables me to more actively ride the bike, especially in the dirt. You can move around far better, shift your weight to the front or the back easily.

The downside is ofcourse the increased seat hight: for me, 1m76, I can only get one foot down if I slip my but from the seat to one side.... but you'll get used to it and only on some occosions it's really inconveniant.

More info here:
http://www.xt660.com/showpost.php?p=120505&postcount=29

HJ