Morocco Off-road Adventure: Day 2 from Agadir to Guelmim
Editor Danny Hermans registered for the Morocco Adventure 2023 to finally experience that “Dakar feeling”. He has plenty of motorcycle experience as an ex-motocross rider, but ten days on an enduro with stages of an average of 270 km every day is a completely different story. Follow his adventures on an enduro motorcycle through the south of Morocco for ten days.
From Agadir to Guelmim
I have been looking forward to this stage because it runs almost entirely along the waterline of the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, when I got up I felt miserable. I feel dizzy, nauseous and also suffer from a painful right hand. I had laid out my riding gear and moved the bike and didn't feel qualified to ride. So I had to spend the day in the assistance bus. That turned out to be the only right decision during the day. I saw purple spots, remained nauseous and occasionally felt like throwing up. These are the symptoms of a mild concussion.
The enthusiasm of my fellow motorcyclists made me sad, but the ride in the van surprisingly turned out to be a fun experience. I sat with the people from the organization and my wife who had chosen to discover Morocco this way. Wim Brouwer guided us from one beautiful place to another, which helped me get through the day well. Along the way we regularly encountered groups of motorcyclists who told us about the beautiful and special stage along the water. They also knew that Jantine, Wim's wife, always went around with the candy box, because those men crave quick sugar on such trips.
They encountered flying seagulls and could race for hours with the throttle wide open on an almost billiards flat track. Riding along the waterline of the ocean is a unique experience for an enduro rider, I don't think we could do that from say De Panne to Knokke-Heist. Not that you see many tourists on the beach in October, but it is simply prohibited. Here in Morocco, something is still allowed. I have always been jealous of the Dutch and the French. They have the beach races in Scheveningen and Le Touquet. Half the country would be in an uproar if you dared to speak of a motocross on the North Sea beach in Belgium. The ministers would stumble over each other to speak shamefully.
Prior to this ride, we were advised to give the motorcycles a generous layer of silicone spray against the saltwater of the sea. The effect of salt could eat away at many metal parts. Nobody ignores the good advice, so that morning I fled from the smoke of silicone spray that rose from the hotel parking lot.
Posing at the rock
One of the highlights is certainly the rock along the coast near Sidi Ifni that you can drive under and everyone likes to stop for a photo. After 200 km along the water, the riders had to turn inland again to find the hotel in Guelmim. That route runs over heavy dunes that were quite challenging. A Belgian colleague unexpectedly dove over the handlebars of his KTM and bruised three ribs and his ego. He showed resilience and continued to ride with painkillers for the rest of the week. Enduro riders are not easily discouraged.
One of those men could have bought a motorcycle that had once taken part in the real Dakar Rally. It was nice to see how he managed to navigate that big KTM over difficult slopes despite the spicy weight of the fat single-cylinder. When he managed to pry me out of my GasGas yesterday (an innocent crash), he was amazed at the light weight of my machine. That gives people ideas for the future.
The majority of the machines were Austrian made with the usual KTM EXC-F models and their brothers in Husqvarna livery. There were also some Hondas, WR Yamahas and a Husaberg. Of course, all-road machines were also present, such as the beautiful Husqvarna 701 Enduro. Without exception, they were all four-strokes, which is a practical choice. Here in Morocco you don't have to fuss with two-stroke oil.
Respect also for the rider with an old Yamaha XT500 who held up bravely among all those modern machines. The XT was equipped with an electric starter and that is very useful if you know the quirks of the old man. The Yamaha XT is undeniably linked to the Dakar Rally because the first two editions were won by the Frenchman Cyril Neveu on an XT500.
Tinkering required
When we arrived at the hotel in Guelmim, we unloaded the bags from the truck and placed them in the entrance hall for the riders who had yet to arrive. In the meantime, I spend my free time tinkering and lending a helping hand to those who have technical problems. I lend the gas cap of the GasGas to a Husqvarna rider who lost his copy. Replacing a broken throttle cable, changing air filters, replacing a bent clutch lever and listening to the riders' stories with a fresh beer is no punishment for me.
Just before going to sleep I suddenly realized that I had drunk at least five liters that day without having to pee once. That was a clear sign. My body had lost a lot of fluid the day before. I learn and decide to learn lessons from this.
Missed the previous article of this adventure? This is the link: https://nl.motocrossmag.be/index.php/2023/11/marokko-off-road-adventure-dag-1-van-marrakech-naar-agadir
Tomorrow: From Guelmim to Tafraout
Participated in our Morocco Adventure Project:
- Bhr Parts
- Smets Screen Printing Sticker set GasGas
- Galfer Performance Brakes Remmen
- Dam Racing Parts
- Dapa Design Clothes
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