ScuRoo

Love a bit of bullshit Baldini but I try to hit my balls with a straight bat! Anyhow, at sunfall we get stuck out in the desert without anywhere appealing to camp, so as it was a lot cooler riding at night I suggested we keep riding unti we got tired... Mile after mile until eventually we pulled into a walled compound around midnight and a gorgeous nubian girl came out of the darkness & said (in French) we could sleep there, & would we like her to prepare any food? All 3 of us were enjoying our own fantasies & then Andy asked her, 'Do you have any beer'? 'Yes' was her reply... I think we all deeply fell in love immediately. We showered under a dripping faucet but it felt like a power shower to us - clean clothes & then sat with her father who came out & he drank beers with us. Abbas was his name. This is what the compound looked like when we awoke the next morning.

Hey Robo Can't help you directly with an answer but when you say piggy back shocks I'm assuming you mean shocks with an hydraulic reserviour. On Monday I had my suspension professionally set-up by former 6 times British motocross champ Perry Leask who now sets up suspensions since 1999 for many racers including past champs: John Barnett 2006 New Era sound of thunder champion George Clemence 2006 Southern supermoto champion Mark George 2005 British supermono champion Mark Lawes 2nd place 2005 British supermono championship Bruce Dunn 3rd place 2005 British supermono championship John Barnett 2002 Bemsee Nationwide 600 supersport champion Mark Lawes 2002 British and European supermono champion 2003 AHRMA supermono winner Daytona Raceway FL Clinton Wood 2002 Bemsee Southern powerbike and 1300 champion I've pasted all that guff in so you can see the man knows a thing or two about suspension set-ups. Now, while he was jiggery-pokering around with my Ohlins rear shock I asked him if I could get a hydraulic reserviour retro-fitted to make it easier to get to in adjusting. His comment was, 'Not really, because those units take up a little more of the spring length than those without and as there's not a whole lotta room for the length of the shock in total it would mean having a shorter spring than what is on it'. Or similar words to that effect. So, draw your own conclusion on this, but I'm guessing if you wanna go down that route you'd better be looking for a very short-spring shock unit to fit into the space available, but is that a comprimise worth having? I'm lucky as my bike is already equipped with Ohlins all round but I pass this snippet on, for what it's worth... A little off topic now, but my bikes handling has truly been transformed. S-S-W-E-E-E... E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-T as a nut! I did'nt pay the man to click 'em around a bit, anyone could do that - I paid him for his experience & knowledge! Best money I've spent so far... He also took it out for a 15/20 minute ride to see how it was & when he came back he said he was surprised at how neutral & well it handled. Got the feeling he does'nt get many/any V11's in!

O'kay my lovely little baby, let's remove the panniers again before the boy's heave you out! Now, don't get me wrong, I truly did feel sorry for him. A bit of friendly merriment never goes astray though...

O'kay, bogged down, notice the sand on Andy's seat where it's been spewing out, going... NO...WHERE

Hiding behind the bushes are we? 'Found you', say's Glen.

Getting some sand - can't stop until you get to some hard-pack. Glen on his TDM with wide front knobblies turned into a veritable sand demon. Yeah baby!!! It bucks, it slews, weaves & snakes, but keep the power full on & the rear comes back again... Oh, where's Andy?

Yep, extra litre each should do it... Maybe my favourite bike shot - how's she lookin'? We set off with guzzi engine thrummin' to the tune in our heads, 'Been thru the desert on a horse with no name - it felt good to be outta the rain...'

Running low on water & came across a little cafe. Drank Coke & stocked up on water before heading across a 30 mile dry lakebed.

Finally. Some bloody sand. But where are those dunes..?

Ooopsie..!

Couple more should do it...

Before we launch just a few more repairs to the mighty Beemer... Quota toolbox? Zero.

Last little town on edge of desert before we launch ourselves into who knows what. The Moroccans leave the testicles hanging on carcases so buyers know they're getting male meat for strength. Female meat is not sold. Welcome to women's equal rights Moroccan style...

Outside of Ouarzazate film studious have built sets & when they're finished filming they just pack up & leave 'em. Film sets for 'Kingdom of Heaven', 'Gladiator', 'Moses' & 'Cleopatra' which we are posing in front of. Note the rams horn on my crashbar that I'd ziptied on when we were on top of the mountain a couple of day's before. Felt appropriate at the time...

Anyhow, we made it over the range - it was hard too - proud to say the Quota kept me upright again & we eventually get to large town called Ourzazate where we stayed overnight at the 'Bikers Stop' run by a mad Dutchman called Peter, who married a sexy young Moroccan, and spends his day's renting out his bikes on tours, making his workshop available for running repairs, and generally having a great time. Except he's wondering, 'Who is this strange tall man who keeps giving out marbles'?

In the midst of which... a bloody Aussie who has'nt had a fall - the Quota is surprising everyone!

Isolated, harsh, magnificent!

Hurry up boy's, try & keep up with the Quota pleeeeease!!

Further South we went Baldini the better it got. See this little girl here? She got her father to ask for Glen's cigarette butt, held her thumb up between her Dad's hands while he burnt a wart off that was on her thumb. Laughed as she was flinching at the pain! Tough as nails. Looked like her hair had'nt yet been introduced to a comb but as cute & full of mischeif as they come!

Andy had a bit of retail therapy to pick himself up & was starting to feel the strain drain away.

After a nice cuppa suger-laced mint tea at the isolated little Bergere at top of route...

Beemer having another rest... Now, is that a face that is looking just a little bit ticked off?

Made it to the top! Dirty, sweat-lined faced from more falls, but in high spirits once more.

As we ascended we stopped for a rest as Glen was foo-kayed! I observed to Andy, 'This is as hard, if not harder than yesterday'. He smiled and replyed 'Yeah, according to the book this is Morocco's hardest route! I was'nt worried about you, but if if I said anything before we set off I thought Glen might refuse'. Nice one.

Next day Andy had us heading off the tarmac towards towards these ranges in the distance... Glens panniers were brand new for the trip but note assorted bungeys & ropes start to make an appearance...