Jerrycan for roadbike trip in Morocco ?

[Cbrpad]

Hi,

I aim to ride my Honda Blackbird from Ireland to Morocco first week in October and spend a month or two wandering around. Not a very adventurous trip since it's a roadbike, so unless I can find hard-packed earth I'll be sticking to tarmac.

However, the range of my bike is only 160 miles at best and, for example, I'd like to go down as far as Dakhla, and more if possible, but my Michelin 741 map seems to indicate that it's 288 miles from Layoune with no petrol on the way. But I could be totally wrong and the stuff could be seeping out of the earth and every little village :-)

So is it worthwhile bringing a jerrycan in case of longer stretches, or is petrol widely available ? I can always dump or sell it on the way back when I'm loaded down with carpets and trinkets, but I aim to travel as light as possible.

Thanks,
Paddy.

[Chris Scott]

Check out the Atlantic Page.
http://www.sahara-overland.com/routes/

News there is that the longest range is now only 200km.

Ch

------------------
Author of Sahara Overland and the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, among other things

http://www.sahara-overland.com and http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com

[Cbrpad]

Great stuff. Many thanks Chris. Just lost my job and decided to do this while I have the chance, so I haven't had much time to prepare or get a proper bike for the job of exploring off the beaten path.

Caught you on the goggle box recently - you were wondering if you were going to fall off the Cliffs of Moher (just down the road from me) - very entertaining ! Thanks again.

[Chris Scott]

If you mean TV, I dont think that was me. Never been there but there are others around - a TV presenter and a 'blues devil', no less:
"Chris Scott, as well as being the master of open tuning, has a wonderful voice which soars and buzzes with absolute confidence’

Amazing where you wander on a broadband honeymoon....

C

[sunjan]

Originally posted by Cbrpad:

I'd like to go down as far as Dakhla, and more if possible, but my Michelin 741 map seems to indicate that it's 288 miles from Layoune with no petrol on the way.

So is it worthwhile bringing a jerrycan in case of longer stretches, or is petrol widely available?

If you're just going to Dahkla and back, you can always try to make friends on the way, there are plenty of travellers going down in cars, and they can carry the fuel for you.
We were helping a South African biker with petrol when driving down in 1999.

No need for an extra jerry can, I'd say.

Jan

[IanC]

Hello Cbrpad

Have a look here, I've posted all the petrol stops (12 months ago anyway) between Geulmim and Fort Guergeratt:

http://ichapp.users.btopenworld.com/...occo_route.htm

I bought a 20 litre plastic jerry at Layounne (I think), but you'd probably only need a 5 lire can, if anything.

It's a nice ride down the west coast if you like the big open spaces, although not much to see. Roads in Morocco are surprisingly good as well.

------------------

ichapp.users.btopenworld.com

[Edd]

do i dare say, change your cruzing speed if you know that the next petrol stop is a long walk away... i have a klr650 and used to get about 375km/tank driving 110-130 highway, as painful as it can be if i drop my speed to 80-90km/h (yes it can be very time consuming) by doing this i have increased my range to approx: 525km before going to reserve. [must be said here that all calculations were done by factory spedometer].

[Cbrpad]

Many thanks for the info IanC, very useful.

Edd, unfortunately many tankfuls of fuel and experimenting has shown my bike doesn't respond to slowing down and cruising. It's fuel-injected and always does 38mpg no matter whether it's pootling about town, hooliganising around mountains or tearing down autoroutes at 130mph. Ah well, at least I know when it's gonna conk out.

[Luke]

There was a guy did it last year on a Pan, do a search on this BB for the Pan, or road bike in Morocco.
We go more slowly, but will be happy to carry petrol and water for a biker or two on the Atlantic route. If there's anyone going beginning November, look out for a 5T Iveco Daily 4x4 doing the Casa/Rabat visa rounds.
Happy trails
Luke

Thanx Ian for the fuel points; anybody got the corresponding prices?

[IanC]

Luke, that was probably me! The links I think you're referring to are:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000523.html
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000599.html

There's some useful advice there I received at that time.

[This message has been edited by IanC (edited 26 September 2003).]