Morocco off road Tour: Transiberica 2013
- Thread starter JaimeV
- Start date
Just like the Australian desert. "Roads" alternate between hard pack clay and bull dust covered hard pack to sand to gravel and any combination of those.JaimeV said:You never know if the sand is too soft.... :
Only difference is there often isn't much in the way of mountains out there. Best "fun" you can have on a big bike is being on the middle of it and it rains. :'(
Good stuff as usual JaimeV ::008::
Nice pics JaimeV, thank you ::012::
And guys, don't get the wrong impression... ::005:: you can also relax in Morocco
I love this pic because of the camels behind ( on the sand ) . Not the ones on
the swimming poll, those are my Friends ::025::
I love this pic because of the camels behind ( on the sand ) . Not the ones on
the swimming poll, those are my Friends ::025::
The helicopter didn't arrive and the poor guy was praying for help so... we helped him. Lucky because I needed help later...phplemel said:Love those pic's Jaime ^-^
Especially like the last one
Too much sand for me, sort of like trying to ride in snow except warmer ::26::
BTW, I got my None pipes on and rode it 1st time today--sounds Great ::003::
Here he was praying....
So.... we went :
Vaca clavada
Next day was my turn to pray... :'(
Btw I'm glad you like the pipe, I'm really please with it as well! ::003::
autoteach
New Member
I am feeling like I would rather be on this adventure bike in that sand:
http://motorcycleppf.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2013-honda-dakar.png
http://motorcycleppf.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2013-honda-dakar.png
Dakar bikes are for pussies!! ::024::autoteach said:
autoteach
New Member
Well, I'm not just any pussy, I am the biggest pussy. I'm number 1, I'm number 1...
Transibérica 2013: the crhonicle:
After crossing Spain in all possible directions, two years ago we broke the tradition and crossed Portugal from south to north, surrounded Sardinia last year and now we decided to do an off road trip to Morocco.
Our philosophy is always the same: big bikes, no assistance and off road the most we can.
This year we have been 5 riders: Albert with a a KTM 950 SuperEnduro, Enric, Joan and David with BMW GS1200R Adventure and me with my Yamaha Super Ténéré 1200.
We had all gone to Morocco before but this year part of the track was new and could be surprises. In total 3100 km, most off road:
Friday: Cars and trailers to Almeria
Saturday: The ferry arrives to Melilla and we ride to Missour. 500 km
Sunday: Missour - Merzouga, 350 km
Monday: Merzouga - M'hamid: 300 km
Tuesday: M'hamid - Tata: 315 km
Wednesday: Tata - Boumande Dades: 486 km
Thursday: B. Dades - Midelt: 309 km
Friday: Midelt - Melilla (tarmac)
Saturday: ride from Malaga to Almeria and Almeria to Barcelona by car and trailer
Preparation:
I was dying to try the Yam with the 21 "front wheel on the open Morocco tracks, also see if it was better than the GSA I had in the sand.
After much load and unload the luggage in the Giant Loop bag (great bags!!) it weights about 20kg. I wish they were less but the tools and parts are very heavy. I have to improve this.
This year we test the Mitas E09 Dakar tires. We can compare it with the Karoo and TKC we use before. The Mitas where better in these hard conditions, not the Metzeler Unicross I had in the front wheel, it came destroyed.
The Saturday morning we woke up in Melilla.
After crossing Spain in all possible directions, two years ago we broke the tradition and crossed Portugal from south to north, surrounded Sardinia last year and now we decided to do an off road trip to Morocco.
Our philosophy is always the same: big bikes, no assistance and off road the most we can.
This year we have been 5 riders: Albert with a a KTM 950 SuperEnduro, Enric, Joan and David with BMW GS1200R Adventure and me with my Yamaha Super Ténéré 1200.
We had all gone to Morocco before but this year part of the track was new and could be surprises. In total 3100 km, most off road:
Friday: Cars and trailers to Almeria
Saturday: The ferry arrives to Melilla and we ride to Missour. 500 km
Sunday: Missour - Merzouga, 350 km
Monday: Merzouga - M'hamid: 300 km
Tuesday: M'hamid - Tata: 315 km
Wednesday: Tata - Boumande Dades: 486 km
Thursday: B. Dades - Midelt: 309 km
Friday: Midelt - Melilla (tarmac)
Saturday: ride from Malaga to Almeria and Almeria to Barcelona by car and trailer
Preparation:
I was dying to try the Yam with the 21 "front wheel on the open Morocco tracks, also see if it was better than the GSA I had in the sand.
After much load and unload the luggage in the Giant Loop bag (great bags!!) it weights about 20kg. I wish they were less but the tools and parts are very heavy. I have to improve this.
This year we test the Mitas E09 Dakar tires. We can compare it with the Karoo and TKC we use before. The Mitas where better in these hard conditions, not the Metzeler Unicross I had in the front wheel, it came destroyed.
The Saturday morning we woke up in Melilla.
Day 1: Melilla, Missour, crossing the Plateau de Rekam
As always, it was hard to sleep on the boat but at last we arrive to Melilla port with a big delay. Is important to be ready to quit the boat to be the first to arrive to the horrible Melilla border with Morocco.
Here nothing has changed in the last years: queues, pushing, total chaos ... go from one gate to another ... but eventually got through.
Finally we ride to Nador where as always we stop at the same bar for breakfast and change euros for dirhams: the adventure begins!
The bikes are already dirty, it rains (this is the desert?) and the cars send a curtain of water and mud, we can’t see anything since the helmet and glasses are filled with dirt. Driving on wet and dirty asphalt with such hard knob tires is entertaining, the scares are constant .... We started well!
We are late, we spend lot of time with the ferry delay and the border and there are many miles ahead ... and at the end of the track, before Missour is a hell of stones.
We finally go to the dirt tracks and we drive quick. Go to 100 km/h or even 120 is easy with these bikes on these tracks so open but at these speeds the unexpected can be fatal, as you know stop these cows from almost 300 kgs loaded is not easy ...
The Rekam Plateau is a vast flat area, beautiful but treacherous. Is very high and cold. Suddenly the ground changes colour is much darker and the bike starts making strange movements: mud!
The Rekam is very flat and the clay soil does not drain so the mud is like a sticky butter which makes it very difficult to move forward. I would not want a storm caught me there…. in these conditions, crossing it in bike must be hell ...
Soon we start to fell, luckily at low speed but the bike lift is really difficult because the boots slip all over the place, some situations are laughable (see video)
Rekam
... but we move very slow. Luckily the mud is over and we can return to run fast.
The is the first mechanical failure. My front fender had a crack from a previous fall near home (just the first ride with the bike, good start…) and the mud accumulate in the wheel cause it breaks. Is dangerous to ride like this, so we stopped at the first village we found in the middle of nowhere: Matarka. We see a small workshop where some people are repairing an old truck. Just see us and they stop everything to see what they can do, in this country the people are really nice, always willing to help. With a piece of metal they quickly made a bracket that will support the fender all the way. He ask 3 euros for the work, I give him 5 and he was so happy that he invite me to have a tea.
It has come too late, and is becoming to be dark. Two years ago I did this track with my old GSA, had a puncture and need to do it in the dark… it was horrible, there are a million of rocks.., nobody in the group wants to repeat it and we decided to finish the stage by road. The problem is we need to do a very large return without refuelling.
We started to run, it gets dark, wet and cold... pass the miles, I have not been able to test before the autonomy of my bike.... No problem for the GSA and KTM with more than 33 litres but with my 23….When I've done 60km in reserve I start worrying... 80km .. the bike starts coughing ... 85km ... it stops!. Just 2 km from a gas station ... damm, it was so close!!
I can imagine the jokes of my fellows BMW’rs ... but deep down they are good people and bring me some gas to get to the gas station.
Take this opportunity to clean the bikes, the mud has left them unrecognizable. And finally another joke at my expense: the washing tunnel had very deep drainage channel in the centre, it was dark and I didn’t see it. When I want to get the bike pushing I stuck my foot in, stumble, lose balance and fell on the floor, the bike on top of me .... I can hear the laughs ... bastards…
We are 60 km to the hotel in Missour, we call it the arachnid.. you can imagine why. It is the worst hotel of the trip but the food is ok and after an hour of leaving the tap water wide open it comes warm water…
We go to bed tired but happy. Tomorrow we reach Merzouga sand ... begins!
As always, it was hard to sleep on the boat but at last we arrive to Melilla port with a big delay. Is important to be ready to quit the boat to be the first to arrive to the horrible Melilla border with Morocco.
Here nothing has changed in the last years: queues, pushing, total chaos ... go from one gate to another ... but eventually got through.
Finally we ride to Nador where as always we stop at the same bar for breakfast and change euros for dirhams: the adventure begins!
The bikes are already dirty, it rains (this is the desert?) and the cars send a curtain of water and mud, we can’t see anything since the helmet and glasses are filled with dirt. Driving on wet and dirty asphalt with such hard knob tires is entertaining, the scares are constant .... We started well!
We are late, we spend lot of time with the ferry delay and the border and there are many miles ahead ... and at the end of the track, before Missour is a hell of stones.
We finally go to the dirt tracks and we drive quick. Go to 100 km/h or even 120 is easy with these bikes on these tracks so open but at these speeds the unexpected can be fatal, as you know stop these cows from almost 300 kgs loaded is not easy ...
The Rekam Plateau is a vast flat area, beautiful but treacherous. Is very high and cold. Suddenly the ground changes colour is much darker and the bike starts making strange movements: mud!
The Rekam is very flat and the clay soil does not drain so the mud is like a sticky butter which makes it very difficult to move forward. I would not want a storm caught me there…. in these conditions, crossing it in bike must be hell ...
Soon we start to fell, luckily at low speed but the bike lift is really difficult because the boots slip all over the place, some situations are laughable (see video)
Rekam
... but we move very slow. Luckily the mud is over and we can return to run fast.
The is the first mechanical failure. My front fender had a crack from a previous fall near home (just the first ride with the bike, good start…) and the mud accumulate in the wheel cause it breaks. Is dangerous to ride like this, so we stopped at the first village we found in the middle of nowhere: Matarka. We see a small workshop where some people are repairing an old truck. Just see us and they stop everything to see what they can do, in this country the people are really nice, always willing to help. With a piece of metal they quickly made a bracket that will support the fender all the way. He ask 3 euros for the work, I give him 5 and he was so happy that he invite me to have a tea.
It has come too late, and is becoming to be dark. Two years ago I did this track with my old GSA, had a puncture and need to do it in the dark… it was horrible, there are a million of rocks.., nobody in the group wants to repeat it and we decided to finish the stage by road. The problem is we need to do a very large return without refuelling.
We started to run, it gets dark, wet and cold... pass the miles, I have not been able to test before the autonomy of my bike.... No problem for the GSA and KTM with more than 33 litres but with my 23….When I've done 60km in reserve I start worrying... 80km .. the bike starts coughing ... 85km ... it stops!. Just 2 km from a gas station ... damm, it was so close!!
I can imagine the jokes of my fellows BMW’rs ... but deep down they are good people and bring me some gas to get to the gas station.
Take this opportunity to clean the bikes, the mud has left them unrecognizable. And finally another joke at my expense: the washing tunnel had very deep drainage channel in the centre, it was dark and I didn’t see it. When I want to get the bike pushing I stuck my foot in, stumble, lose balance and fell on the floor, the bike on top of me .... I can hear the laughs ... bastards…
We are 60 km to the hotel in Missour, we call it the arachnid.. you can imagine why. It is the worst hotel of the trip but the food is ok and after an hour of leaving the tap water wide open it comes warm water…
We go to bed tired but happy. Tomorrow we reach Merzouga sand ... begins!
phplemel
Member
I am green ::015:: with envy. On one hand I would love to be there, on the other I'm glad I'm not. If I didn't have a heart attack from lifting the muddy beast, I would have one from laughing so hard )
Glad you are having fun. I can ride on the tarmac now but still 3-5 ft of snow off the side of road, trails won't be ridable for at least 30days ::010::
)Glad you are having fun. I can ride on the tarmac now but still 3-5 ft of snow off the side of road, trails won't be ridable for at least 30days ::010::
Ok guys I see... you are masochist :lol3
2nd day: Missour - Merzouga
The alarm goes off at 7. Ouch.. I feel all my muscles ans bones…, yesterday I did more miles than in the last three months together ...
At 7.30 we’re having breakfast. To do the planned stages we must be on the bike at 8 o clock and stop as little as possible, otherwise the night we made up. Our meals in the next 8 days will be energy bars and the few things we can stole from the breakfast buffets in the hotels ... what a way to spend the holidays ... So a good dinner and breakfast are essential.
The problem is there is no way to shorten the stages, the hotels (and villages) are where they are and the only way to get there before is by road and that it is not in our plans, we have allergy to the tarmac.
I like more today's stage than yesterday, is more varied and I love the end with arrival to Merzouga and Erg Chebbi dunes.
The day starts fresh, we start at fast tracks, then mountain areas with lots of stones ... in this broken tracks is where I appreciate the improved suspension and 21 " front wheel with respect to the GSA, the ride is more comfortable on the Yamaha.
As the day goes on I feel much better riding the bike and increasingly enjoy more, while at some point begin the typical "sprints" with the other guys. In one of them I am shooting at 130 km/h behind Albert and his KTM ... we must calm down, a crash here is much more serious than at home ... but is difficult not to open throttle ... these tracks are great, so different than at home, smooth, open… the Beast is in its habitat!! ... The BM/Mambatec suspensions swallow it all, standing driving position is perfect with the wind fairing protection ... the miles pass without noticing, I enjoy!, GASSS! great!!
Suddenly some sandbanks appear when you least expect it and there are the first falls with no consequences but is hard to lift this loaded big bikes….
We arrived to a beautiful little canyon, is like a labyrinth, at the end of it there is a rise and at the top the scenery is amazing, endless plains ... it seems impossible to get where it covers our view. I love the vastness of these landscapes, so different from where I live.
After a while I realize two bikes are missing, the two in the front do not realize it and still pulling, suddenly I fell in a sandbank. Nothing happened, I could reduce speed when I saw the sand and have fallen almost stopped but the bike is in a bad position with the wheels up the hill. I try to lift it but there is more than 260 kilos with luggage. When it looks like I have it above my feet sink, slide in the sand and falls back. It makes sense to wait for help but if you ride a fat motorcycle you must have balls to lift it, right?. I’m pulling it, lifted a bit, then a little more, at some point slipped and is about to fall again, I had to take all the energy that I have, and finally I did it…. But I am exhaust. Later I’m going to realise that it was a mistake to make this effort, is going to be the track harder part and I’m going to miss the energy I’ve used….
I start to ride again and meet the two in the front that have stopped, they ask about why I was back…. I didn’t want to explain my “adventure”… I said I was waiting the other two… no clues to the enemy… lol..
After a while the other two arrived, they had to stop to fix a small damage resulting from a drop in the sand ...
We reached the first oasis full of sand, rivers of sand, roads full of sand, sand and more sand ... how I miss my DRZ!! ... with the Suzuki this track was fun but with the cow is a nightmare and I'm tired... David and Albert suffer as well in the sand, but Joan and Enric with their GSA are flying in the sand, they have fun… the bastards! They are use to go to Morocco and they have a fine technique in the sand.
When arrived at the hotel in Merzouga in the dark, a good shower, a good dinner, and we are going to be fine (or almost).
Tomorrow we are going to have beautiful stage to M'Hamid but with the terrible Ramlia in the middle and its 3km of fes-fes and deep soft sand…
2nd day: Missour - Merzouga
The alarm goes off at 7. Ouch.. I feel all my muscles ans bones…, yesterday I did more miles than in the last three months together ...
At 7.30 we’re having breakfast. To do the planned stages we must be on the bike at 8 o clock and stop as little as possible, otherwise the night we made up. Our meals in the next 8 days will be energy bars and the few things we can stole from the breakfast buffets in the hotels ... what a way to spend the holidays ... So a good dinner and breakfast are essential.
The problem is there is no way to shorten the stages, the hotels (and villages) are where they are and the only way to get there before is by road and that it is not in our plans, we have allergy to the tarmac.
I like more today's stage than yesterday, is more varied and I love the end with arrival to Merzouga and Erg Chebbi dunes.
The day starts fresh, we start at fast tracks, then mountain areas with lots of stones ... in this broken tracks is where I appreciate the improved suspension and 21 " front wheel with respect to the GSA, the ride is more comfortable on the Yamaha.
As the day goes on I feel much better riding the bike and increasingly enjoy more, while at some point begin the typical "sprints" with the other guys. In one of them I am shooting at 130 km/h behind Albert and his KTM ... we must calm down, a crash here is much more serious than at home ... but is difficult not to open throttle ... these tracks are great, so different than at home, smooth, open… the Beast is in its habitat!! ... The BM/Mambatec suspensions swallow it all, standing driving position is perfect with the wind fairing protection ... the miles pass without noticing, I enjoy!, GASSS! great!!
Suddenly some sandbanks appear when you least expect it and there are the first falls with no consequences but is hard to lift this loaded big bikes….
We arrived to a beautiful little canyon, is like a labyrinth, at the end of it there is a rise and at the top the scenery is amazing, endless plains ... it seems impossible to get where it covers our view. I love the vastness of these landscapes, so different from where I live.
After a while I realize two bikes are missing, the two in the front do not realize it and still pulling, suddenly I fell in a sandbank. Nothing happened, I could reduce speed when I saw the sand and have fallen almost stopped but the bike is in a bad position with the wheels up the hill. I try to lift it but there is more than 260 kilos with luggage. When it looks like I have it above my feet sink, slide in the sand and falls back. It makes sense to wait for help but if you ride a fat motorcycle you must have balls to lift it, right?. I’m pulling it, lifted a bit, then a little more, at some point slipped and is about to fall again, I had to take all the energy that I have, and finally I did it…. But I am exhaust. Later I’m going to realise that it was a mistake to make this effort, is going to be the track harder part and I’m going to miss the energy I’ve used….
I start to ride again and meet the two in the front that have stopped, they ask about why I was back…. I didn’t want to explain my “adventure”… I said I was waiting the other two… no clues to the enemy… lol..
After a while the other two arrived, they had to stop to fix a small damage resulting from a drop in the sand ...
We reached the first oasis full of sand, rivers of sand, roads full of sand, sand and more sand ... how I miss my DRZ!! ... with the Suzuki this track was fun but with the cow is a nightmare and I'm tired... David and Albert suffer as well in the sand, but Joan and Enric with their GSA are flying in the sand, they have fun… the bastards! They are use to go to Morocco and they have a fine technique in the sand.
When arrived at the hotel in Merzouga in the dark, a good shower, a good dinner, and we are going to be fine (or almost).
Tomorrow we are going to have beautiful stage to M'Hamid but with the terrible Ramlia in the middle and its 3km of fes-fes and deep soft sand…
phplemel
Member
Wow :exclaim: How are the wheels? after all those rocks :question:
I'll still take rocks over sand though)
I'll still take rocks over sand though
)Like this: 3100 kmphplemel said:Wow :exclaim: How are the wheels? after all those rocks :question:
I'll still take rocks over sand though
Metzeler Unicross in the front (destroyed)
Mitas E09 Dakar rear, still alive. Also is the first time we didn't have a single puncture, none of the 5 bikes
I must say the Mitas far better than the Karoo. This is how it finishes three years ago with my old GSA:
phplemel
Member
Nice. We have a good source of Mitas in Canada so I may try these at some point this year
::021::
::021::
S
SupA-T
Guest
Jaime, you make going to Morocco look like a trip to the store to get a carton of milk! What a great story, great pictures! Thank you for sharing. Not only do you have the "baddest" bike, you also have the coolest stories.