Morocco Off-Road Adventure: The preparation
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 10 days on an enduro with stages of an average of 270 km every day is very different from series of approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Follow his adventures on an enduro motorcycle through the south of Morocco for 10 days.
About 25 years ago I shouted from the rooftops that I wanted to participate in the Trans-Tunisia Rally one day. Even earlier it was agreed that I would drive the Dakar Rally, but that was more hubris than reality. When I broached the subject of “motorcycling in North Africa” among motorcycle friends, my request to come along was politely rejected with the message that I was crazy and that it was too expensive and that it would be a Dakar Rally for wimps.
After several years of nagging, I threw in the towel and abandoned the idea. In the meantime, I enjoyed everything with two wheels: A Kawasaki KDX200, a Yamaha XT600, a mountain bike, a Suzuki GS500, some old and more recent Suzuki crossers, a self-built Fantic 50cc crosser and the slightly legendary Triumph Bonneville.
The crash
From 2007 to 2018 I competed in the Belgian Motocross Championship (BOTC) for old motorcycles. In 2018 this ended with a major crash and a double elbow fracture. Miraculously, I had a holeshot with a 50cc crosser between big 500cc four-strokes and was tagged from the back before the first corner. I flew into the audience and even injured some people there. Time to say goodbye to the competition, especially when you know that I drove off my most ardent supporter during the crash in question. My friends still tease me about it.
Morocco Adventure 2023
So no more competition, but I continued to miss off-road driving. Because an enduro motorcycle is actually a nice solution for people like me, I bought a second-hand GasGas EC250F. Just at that very moment, a good motocross friend approached me and said that he would be riding a 10-day enduro tour in Morocco in October.
The tour was organized by a well-known motorcyclist and owner of a motorcycle shop: Arjan Brouwer from Putten in the Netherlands. He participated in the Dakar Rally several times and was once a meritorious motocross rider. So there was plenty of experience. I would only need five days to take the plunge and register myself and my wife for the Morocco Adventure 2023.
The tour starts in Marrakech and runs through the most beautiful areas of Morocco with lots of variety, such as the gravel paths of the Atlas Mountains, a day of racing on the beach along the Atlantic Ocean, the desert that starts in Merzouga and many other highlights.
A few days later there was an information evening about the trip and we received a number of tips to get through the trip through Morocco without any major problems. Afterwards I was able to chat a bit with Arjan himself. The conversation was mainly about motocross, how could it be otherwise. The smartphones were brought out and we shared photos of Mirjam Pol, Roger De Coster, Antonio Cairoli and many other motorcycle legends.
As a rheumatism patient, this adventure will have a major impact on my body and limbs, but I really want to experience that “Dakar feeling” and will prepare myself as best as possible for the journey through Morocco. This type of rheumatism is accompanied by extra fatigue and so I will have to dose and listen to my body. The organization advised us not to ride beyond your capabilities and I certainly should not ignore that advice.
The engine
The tips were about adjusting the motorcycle and what we do to make the ride comfortable. The GasGas had to be equipped with foam inner tubes (read full tires without air that cannot be punctured), a larger petrol tank, the self-evident studded tires for me, many air filters, extra parts such as brake levers and gear shift pedals, oil, a tank strainer to ensure clean petrol. refueling, a backpack with a hydration system of at least 2 liters and so on.
There were a few vaccines on the menu for the rider himself and the insurance card suddenly had to change to green again because the Moroccan police see white copies as illegal copies. An international travel pass is required and a valid driver's license. That goes without saying.
Then the journey itself. It leaves in Marrakech and arrives again. The stops are Agadir, Guelmin, Tafraoute, Foum-Zguid, Zagora, Merzouga, Boumaine and Ait Ben Haddou. The motorcycles are driven to Marrakech by truck, we fly from Schiphol to Marrakech Airport. Some old Dakar stages are included in the 10-day tour and we definitely want to ride them. This also means that you can decide every day how tough you want the stage to be, because Arjan and his brother Wim give you the opportunity to choose every day.
The preparations
April 2023: The GasGas has now been prepared and is in good condition. Then we can start training because I want to get to know this bike. It is also my first four-stroke engine of this type and that takes some getting used to. We will also have to sharpen our sand driving skills again, because it has not been since 2018 that we rode in loose sand. We visit a number of motocross circuits in Belgium and the North of France to build physical preparedness. Cycling training is also on the menu.
With a friend, who will do the trip on a KTM EXC350F, we simulated a trip of 200 km by riding the motorcycle all day. Not off-road but just on public roads to see how our derriere would tolerate it. Enduro motorcycles are not very kind to our butts and after a day through the south of Limburg, the desert of the center of Liège, Pepinster and the three-country point, our suspicion was confirmed: our backside suffered from saddle pain.
I therefore decided, in all my naivety, to get my bib shorts from the 90s from the attic, but unfortunately I no longer fit into them. I had to go to the store for a new one and immediately bought some sports drinks, energy bars and a rechargeable headlamp.
Jupiler+
Three months before the trip, Arjan Brouwer gave us a two-page checklist of things that we should certainly not forget. The list was for clothing, what papers you carry with you, what you carry with you on your motorcycle, medical items and mosquito repellent.
As far as the engine was concerned, we could immediately start tinkering again because hand protection hoods had to be installed with a bracket between the hood and the handlebars. Also recommended: a headlight with strong LEDs for when you have to drive in the dark. In addition, the blood group must be posted on the motorcycle and your helmet. My friends advised to put Jupiler + on it. Funny.
It turns out that I also have to buy elbow protectors, as well as some motorcycle tool bags and a spark plug wrench. The spark plug has a 14mm hexagon and I don't have that. We also need to bring enough socks and underpants. According to our organizer, that last item is left behind every day. Is it because they get shitted on every day from the fright? We will see. I'll take ten copies with me.
Last minute we decided to mount a mobile phone holder (Quad Lock) and a rear-view mirror on the handlebars of the motorcycle. With an app (GPX viewer 2) to follow GPX routes and a wireless charging system, we want to give ourselves some peace of mind on the motorcycle. At the same time we also installed a GPS tracker from the Sizapp brand, it is a test that will be carried out after the trip. a review receives from the device coming from Latvia. It will be nice and busy on the handlebars of the GasGas because there will also be a GoPro camera to shoot beautiful images.
The earthquake
No one expects an earthquake, these things are still impossible to predict, but on Saturday, September 9, 2023, the area around Marrakech was shaken up by an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was in the Atlas Mountains and therefore smack in the middle of our first ride between Marrakech and Agadir. It remains to be seen what influence this fact will have on the first stage. In the weeks following the earthquake, a total of 2946 deaths were counted.
The Moroccan government, in collaboration with various NGOs, has set up tent camps to house people. Many houses in this area are made of clay and cannot withstand an earthquake.
Transport
The motorcycles are taken to the motorcycle shop a week before the start of the tour and from there they are driven by truck to Marrakech. At the Spanish-Moroccan border, an entire day is spent on customs formalities, the Moroccans still do a lot with paper and that slows things down enormously. But this time too, everything turns out fine and the motorcycles are neatly waiting in a row when we arrive at the hotel. It is an hour's drive outside Marrakech. At the airport, euros are quickly exchanged for Dirhams and we buy a Moroccan SIM card for the phone. Tomorrow we can finally start this big motorcycle adventure.
Tomorrow: From Marrakech to Agadir
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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