ScuRoo Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 I'll start with a few pics & add more narrative as we go along... for those who are interested! Here's my two mates Andy & Glen with the 3 bikes, BMW R1200GS, Yamaha TDM850 & my newly purchased Quota1100 at Algiciras port (Spain) lined up waiting for ferry to Tangers Med, Morocco. Prior to leaving the UK I'd had Mitas Dakar knobs mounted on the Quota - & to cries of 'unfair advantage' - I threw some in for the boy's as well along with our luggage & they just had 'em mounted in a little Spanish motorcycle shop in Fuengurola a few hours before.
ScuRoo Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 Aah, here's the ferry now to take us to African shores & our greatly anticipated adventure!
ScuRoo Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 When you get to the other side...? Where do we go now? And bugger me, why's it so green? Oh, 'spose we only have come 30 miles further South as the crow flies, bloody newbs have no idea - time to access our comforting technology & ask "Hal" a question...
ScuRoo Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 O'kay, so we head for Chefchouen where we all get a serious dose of blue-eye! Great little place up in the hills.
Trevini Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 Nice trip and pics. Nice to see a TDM with knobblies fitted. Point your mate in the direction of www.carpe-tdm.net he'd be welcome over there (I have a TDM 900 as well as the V11 Le Mans). How does the Quota compare to the TDM, just out of curiosity. Fairly similar, I would think? Trev
ScuRoo Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 Here we are having the best meal we ever had in Morocco at a family run B&B/cafe on side of road as we're heading for some Roman ruins. Under the lids of the tagines was a bubbling mixture of turkey, potatoes & Moroccan spices made by the 'I'll have to kill you if I tell you' Mama. It was fantastic, but such a shame to have peaked food-wise at the relative beginning of the trip!
ScuRoo Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 TDM has a 18 inch front wheel which is IMPOSSIBLE to source a knobby so ended up getting a Pirelli M21 rear & reverse mounted it with a Mitas E-10 at the rear, same size as the Beemer. The Quota has narrower tyres. I'll let you know Trevini how it got on later as we get into the rough stuff photo's! 'Spose it's about time I add myself into the piccies! The boy's kept on at me in my 'wife-beater'!
ScuRoo Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 After that fabulous lunch overlooking the valley where Volubilis the Roman ruins were we paid Mohammed for an excellent tour & he made it really come alive. Well worth a visit & it was the most westerly African outpost of the Roman Empire.
ScuRoo Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 Hey, what's this tucked away in the mosaics? Bloody Hell! Those German's get around a bit don't they?!
ScuRoo Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 Mohammed in straw hat and note the women are'nt too keen being in the picture. 'Why you so tall mister?' Got heaps of photo's of Volubilis but we'll hit the road I think - must see place though if you got the chance.
ScuRoo Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 O'kay, we're getting further South now leaving the greenery behind and feel as if it's getting more interesting the harsher the environment became. Saw a few camels over to our left, pulled over & the little shepherd girl came up & silently watched. Andy gave her some marbles but she remained quietly expressionless. Before we set off again I gave her 3 dirhams & her face lit up like a fire-cracker! Big smile. I said my name whilst banging on my chest until she eventually clicked & said her name was 'Fatima'. I rode away with many thoughts of my 5yo. daughter & her life & thought about Fatima tending camels day after day...
ScuRoo Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 Yep, getting harsher. This was supposed to be our first off-road route across the Atlas mountains... but when we got there it was perfectly laid unlined tarmac! Bloody Moroccans are laying down asphalt everywhere it seems. Sometimes they get visited byvisitors in these mountains...
ScuRoo Posted July 5, 2011 Author Posted July 5, 2011 O'kay, been to Fez etc. & moving South we get to Todra Gorge where we stop & over lunch Andy get's his Morocco Off-road book out which say's Morocco's 2nd hardest route called 'Gorge to Gorge' is a just up the road. Yeah baby, now we're talking, let's do it was the immediate cry apart from a little worry from Glen with his TDM. So off we head for it...
ScuRoo Posted July 5, 2011 Author Posted July 5, 2011 Oh dear! Although Glen on his TDM had numerous offies along the 'Gorge to Gorge' - poor Andy on his Beemer had a few too...
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