Morocco 2013.....EDC.....
 

Have a wee peep here??

If anyone is interested by all means make yourself known....


After the inaugural ride out to Maroc with the EDC (French for 'Team of Goats')....

See here for a laugh and a half....

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=841901

If any one is interested ...probably scooting over to Maroc again about end of October.

I've been before a good few times in my capacity as an off road guide..(albeit on Honda CRF 450's) and in 4x4....I know what's what..speak French...and can introduce anyone who wants to take that first step to experience Africa without breaking your bank.......free of charge and with the knowledge that some one somewhere apparently knows what they're doing LOL

From my house in France ....budget is max €400-450 per week all in.

For example if 4 riders rent a 4 bed bedroom it works out at about €18 per night with an evening meal and breakfast thrown in.

Ferry is about €85 return from Spain for one rider and one moto.

Stash €100 per month until October and you'll be good to go..... when the Southern weather and temperatures are perfect...a great winter break!!

Thinking about a dose of wild camping thrown in this time just for more of a laugh...(so it'll be cheaper....approx €300-€350 per week??).

.....main aim is as much OFF ROAD PISTES as possible...like this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZO9O3PEraE







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Another video from another one of the EDC....

Enjoy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxrFCypRFVU





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This sounds like a very good idea and I am surprised no one has replied to date.

I originally got my XT to do a 'Morocco Trip', now I am not so sure, there is an awful lot of KM's between me and and there. Also there is a lot of space in Morocco, I was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of planning that would be required.

I would still love to do it and this sounds like a great way to piggyback on someone elses knowledge.

I would be interested for sure.

Hi

At present there's a possibility there could be two riders from the UK.
I think there'll be six,at present, from the last trip who want to go back.
Three enjoyed their first ever off road riding and introduction to Africa and want to try more.

I wouldn't worry too much about the kms that need to be ridden. If you look at the High Mileage thread in the forum there's one with over 200,000kms on it.

I rode mine all that distance from here to there,about 4-5k,no difference in riding that same distance in Ireland IMO. :)

Always remember too that Moroccans need what we need ,ie,food,tools,fuel etc etc and there's always a way of sourcing if a mishap occurs...By being out of the European comfort zone you'll find yourself pleased and proud of yourself after where you've ridden.

In respect of planning....there's no need to be overwhelmed...hence that's why if you do come there'll be free advice/guiding and on that we all work within the concept of 'frank and friendly' so there's no yapping about anything...works well.

I have stashed €200 so far so by October I'll have enough and not even miss it!!

Anyway....all this to say if you've any questions about anything that I may be of assistance with fire away.

If you do end up coming by all means ask around and if any one else wants to go bring them along....the craic will be good...the more the merrier

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hi ohlins im up for it
ill be travelling to bilbao most likley at some of the boats disembark at 1245 giving some riding time

ist boat in october wed 2nd arraive thurs 3rd 1245

next boat sunday 6th arrive mon 7th

so on wed sunday sailings

algerciris is 1049 km 600 and somthing miles so 10.5 hours riding to be safe id expect to be there late afternoon sat 5th

this is only a example based on the first two ferrys available

rough cost if anyone wants to share a two berth cabin with me is 275 quid return

so thanks for the offer and if you give me a firm date to work with ill get booking the ferry

thanks

steve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XDvCKSQnZI

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps70ac9ef7.jpg

last time the morrocon AA were superb helping to recover cliffys bike :laughing6:

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps3b4cfde2.jpg

http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/c...pse29a216c.jpg

the repair shop did a great job too repairing a fractured swingarm for 15 quid
http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/c...psec9d40d2.jpg
http://i527.photobucket.com/albums/c...ps208bb9a8.jpg

Great pictures/video and they reinforce the fact that if anything goofy happens there's always a way to get help.....for others,the whole remote countryside there has a code of stopping and helping each other...that's how it's done.

Did your buddy price a new swing arm?

Anyway Minkyhead,at present it'll probably be at the end of October/start of November......does that work for you?

The EDC are having a get together at the end of March where I'll put everyone on the spot so as to get definite timings...

Phil from www.pyreneesmotorcycletours.com is coming over today for tea and sticky buns so I'll ask him what suits hims best..that'll be a start!!

It'd be great to have you along...as stated the more the merrier....I'm almost getting worried now that the Team of Goats is potentially expanding and the quote of

"I thought I was going on holiday with my friends and not the Marx Brothers" might again become current....lol

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not too worried
if its possible can you work the algeciris crossing to fit in with
the timings of the bilbao boat

so saturday or wednsday seems a logistacally good day for anyone on the ferry to make it to the port

thanks

steve

Hi

Funny before I read this that's what Phil and I were discussing ...we'll work around any boat coming from the UK to allow those that want to go,for it to work. In mainland Europe we can ride more or less when we want without that consideration.

:)

:icon_salut:

See I think of flogging mine and something like this comes along. Got to be tempted by doing this, even if I went back to an older tenere. In fact if I sold my new Ten and bought an older one I would have the funds for it !! The only downside is I would probably prefer the new one for doing all that mileage down there and home again

It's always the way isn't it ? LOL

Wouldn't be any harm in riding an older one,at present it looks like Phil will be taking his Yamaha TTR 600 instead of his Tiger...just remember a good pair of cycle shorts to stop monkey butt !!

:)

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That sounds like a really good trip, what a kind offer from Ohlins.

I am interested in coming too if that's ok? I'm not 100% sure and time is my biggest problem. Also I'm not very fast riding off road.

Hi Craig..
No problem with coming at all........it doesn't even matter whether you ride fast off road or not.......it's all about all like minded people of different levels experiencing Maroc.....The first EDC ride out last year there were riders who had never even ridden off road let alone being able to ride fast off road!!

Anyway....still hankering for end of October and to work around UK sail timings.....

Don't forget to read the ride report to make sure you know what sort of donkey heads you'll be exposing your self to!!!


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have we had a good hankering yet ??

Good morning Minkyhead....

We have a meal planned on 30.03.13 at one of the donkeyheads house's here in France,where I'll poke all of the EDC and give them date to work with.

Went for a sunny ride out yesterday with Phil and he has a possible two more goats that want to go.

I'll have a wee peep at the sailings and put it before the President of the EDC for approval where he'll no doubt approve it whilst wearing a propeller hat whilst swinging a rubber chicken around his head.

(For Phil his bookings dry up end of October at present,so he's on for end October too)

Wait out for the next enthralling installment


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Minkyhead... have you worked out a real world cost to do this trip ??

hi ive replied to your pm


Hi best guess based on my last trip is 1600 quid cheap and 2000 comfy

bearing in mind that fuel insurance and ferries will be near 800


it wont be that far off as a guess ..i wont be camping though its that cheap im maroc its not worth carrying all that crap around
will probable stay a caceres camping site in spain share a basic challet with a shower for around 14 euros a night each

Cheers the more I sit and dwell on this the more I really fancy doing something like it. I never know if I will be financially able or healthy enough or even want to do this kind of motorcycling again. So want to take the opportunity if I can. Will have to mull over some figures !!!

Definative dates will make any decision easier mind as timescale to arrange work time off is also a massive factor

i understand its a big comitment but
one thing im sure of is once you have done it ypou will want to do it again .... no question :042::hello2:

Agreed... :)

Wide...once I get dates then you'll have something to at least work with....and once we see what's what exactly...I've a rough route in my head but that depends again on those dates that we have to thrash out....no doubt after a couple of bottles of finest Bordeaux red the EDC will work out dates for going to Outer Mongolia or Bognor Regis ..... honestly!!!

:)


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I await the sighting of black smoke from your chimney once decisions have been made:icon_salut:

Roger


:)

I would like to know, if a trip to Maroc was undertaken, would you ride there with the stage 2 DNA filters and the like and although the bike has been decatted now are there any other issues that needed to be addressed. Sorry to ask a possibly stupid Q but Im a useless mechanic and no even less about fuel injection stuff... crazy then to buy one really I guess, but these Tenere's are really reliable Im told !!!!:112:

Hi Wide,

Convoluted tale.....

I bought a foam filter not long after I bought my moto. I stashed the paper filter in my workshop.

Trip was organized so I put my paper filter in a took my oiled foam filter with me in a plastic bag,as I had lots of room.

Halfway through,after the drier going after the Atlas and on to Merzouga,I threw it away and installed my foam filter.

I ride with my snorkel cut off only and my foam filter installed. I seal my airbox side lid with a layer of grease as the fit is not air tight(If you don't know this get your grease out!)and the air box interior liberally sprayed with foam filter oil to catch any other dust that may slip through.

With my moto I have Leo Vince's on and the anti pollution stuff taken off but I was still getting loads of popping on overrun. My local Yamaha dude plugged it in and adjusted it and ended up adjusting the TPS to make it run richer. I just get the odd pop every now and then these days.

Filter.....petrol dissolves the glue holding the top on and it separates. At home I have to re glue same and spray filter oil on from a can.

Now...for going back I will try and buy another make of foam filter that can be taken off the cage,rinsed with petrol and re oiled.

The feche-feche dust in some of the going there is really fine..the same as cement dust so it billows and swirls into every nook and cranny when the moto disturbs it.

When you drop a moto into it it kind of flows like a semi liquid into nooks and crannies too...

Having said that,if we agree to do some of the same route,in reverse this time,then there's only a short stretch of feche-feche..so no big worry.

The rest of the going will be fine air born dust that (like smoke) you ride through from the moto in front. Other going will be shallow sand here and there on top of hard pack similar to what you'd ride going up to a quarry or a farm on a dry day,so no need to be an expert off road at all.


No matter how many times I advise the goats to spread out they still bunch together in true herd style lol

In the two weeks there my filter was changed just that one time in Merzouga and when cleaned again at home it wasn't too bad at all. I think it was all to do with the fact that I hadn't any other side filter on.

My moto runs just fine over the mountains here at altitude and with sustained autoroute riding at about 120-130km/h. If the likes of Phil is riding this time again on his TTR 600 the average speed will be dropping on the autoroutes so no worries there.

My moto never missed a beat and luckily I suffered no mishaps other than three or four stupid slow speed tip overs in soft going...

..going by the number of Marx Brother's present it should've been many more... :)













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I will have to whip the airbox side off and have a look, I always used to grease my old XR and EXC airfilters to seal them to the airbox itself so I guess it makes sense. I dont think the DNA filters look that clever for dusty climates but I could be totally wrong, they may be amazing
It could therefore be wise to sit the filter on grease also before screwing it down

Until I see whether it will be financially viable to do I hadnt given thought to routes, but i would hope to follow along with Minkyhead if he is going

Yip...on my 2008 the small groove/channel in the air box just needs to be filled with grease....you'd almost expect there to be a rubber seal or a small foam seal where the side cover would press making a seal. Standard it's just a plastic side cover tongue fitting into the air box groove.

I grease the bottom of the snorkel lid so it provides a seal onto the top of my filter. I use Castrol air filter spray can oil...with Redtread we used this every night after cleaning the filters of the CRF 450's and never had a seizure or damage done in our time there,hence why I use it.

Just for your route if you can get more riders to come then rooms can be divided by the amount of people thus cutting costs... I suppose a day will get you down to the port and another to the hotel in Spain..at the halfway point....same as the last UK dudes I expect?



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:017: earth to planet zog ....... are you recieving over

just want to get things sorted ..or impliment plan B ...whatever that is:017:

oh dear it looks like plan b

ive just checked the boat times all return boats cease to operate
from the end of october so it looks like we are scupped at this end to get back
i can only find brittany ferries and there service from prtsmpouth and plymouth stops in november im afraid

What are you going to do now then Minkeyhead ,trawl back up through France to St Malo ???

Hi Ohlins I am very interested in your trip, at the moment I haven't got a bike and have not ridden a xtz660. By coincidence I spoke to Phil/Wide this Savo (Hi Phil) about buying his, but I hope he makes the trip!!. I have a Holiday to the good ole usa with the family in a couple weeks but will be back early may and will look at getting a bike then, so hopefully take a demo out then and if everything is ok buy a 660.
I did do a motoaventures KTM's tour down around Ouarzazate in 2007 but not ridden a bike since (wife,Mortgage and Kids..)
As far as the ferry I was thinking about putting new tyres on, then ferry from Plymouth to Santander and come back via St Malo/Roscoff.
But the long and short of it, is that I am Defo interested if you will have my useless ass along
Rog

Sorry I meant to say I live in Plymouth and have two spare rooms. So if minkyhead or Wide need to crash your both very welcome and that's regardless of whether I make the trip or not. But hopefully I will be there..

Haha its this that makes me want to keep my Ten. I hope its doable for me, not sure I would like to do it on an XT600 which is what I might get if I do decided to sell the Ten...but then Im a crazy fool.
I have the feeling you will find your ideal bike on your return from Hols Querty

first thing for me is to wait to see what dates are being touted
the last boat back sails on nov 2nd
its possible to ride back up im not adverse to a bit of iron butt if i have to ..one issue may well be tyres they will be pretty much shot before the long ride back
its 1200 miles from algiciras to roscoff and a further 300 miles from there ...so 1500 miles on a 4000 mile tyre
so lets see what happens with the dates and take it from there

Hi Inmates..

Firstly sorry for not getting back to you all sooner;this was due to my internet having crashed so the sfr dude arrived and replaced a phone wall plug after testing....

If you give me until tomorrow I will have a date as there's a bit of confusion here with parents and school holidays for their kids(it's worked out in different zones throughout France)...this is required as any parents can dump kids with grandparents or social services or even just sell them.


1.'At present' it should be 'probably' departing France in or around 28.10.13 returning approx' 2 weeks or so thereafter.....

I see a Brtittany ferry arriving at Santander from Portsmouth at 1730hrs....would there be any merit in riding to my house eating and staying overnight here...then we could ride off the next morning? ...although it's a 4 hr autoroute ride(380kms).

The return leg could also be to rest here and continue on as ferries dictate...?


2.The holiday dates that I have to confirm would be 19.10.13 until in and around the 04.11.13...I see the Pont Aven arriving at 1215hrs on 20.10.13..so this might be better for any UK dudes?...These are the official holidays and could be easier to organize stuff this end....one friend thought that the holidays started on the 28th(but I think not)...so what say ye?...Might be better for you guys?

We could rendezvous at the halfway point in Manzanares on the night of the 20th......we leave here and you leave Santander and as usual everyone rides on the next day??

The general consensus is to camp out a few nights here and there as it lends itself. Anyone who can't be bothered camping can probably find an auberge close to where we'll set up camp....





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For info Phil will be riding his TTR 600....get a new pair of cycle shorts underneath to help with monkey butt....


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No problem..the more the merrier.......keep us posted as to what's what by all means...we're an odd bunch of misfits and werido's .....

We take all things in our stride as the motos are all of a certain mix and vintage...so it doesn't matter what you turn up on...if anything stops working,once we stop laughing at you then we all help to fix it....


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Mini Update from here....
 

So far we have me(XTZ)...Christophe(XTZ 750 Super)Phil(TTR600)... definate's....
...probables.....two Brit dudes who live in Portugal,a female RTW type journalist on an Enfield,a Brit Doctor(the best idea to date after you see how every member of the EDC rides ...like a ball in a pinball machine...)
Frank in the Land Rover ,Ken,Mad Etienne(KTM 990 Adv wheelie machine and ex stuntman for Eurodisney and therefore of course,mad as a mace) and any other waifs and strays between now and departure.....


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Well Im doubtful, as the Ten went today:hmh: So It will be dependant on funding and what bike comes next