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Small bikes to the Sahara Small bikes to the Sahara
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Photo by George Guille, It's going to be a long 300km... Bolivian Amazon

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by George Guille
It's going to be a long 300km...
Bolivian Amazon



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  #1  
Old 18 Dec 2021
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Small bikes to the Sahara
I'm looking at co organizing a trip in 2023 riding my KTM400exc in Morocco hopefully to the edge of the Sahara, traveling light and winging it most of the time. Planning on filming and maybe producing a short film, co riders would need to be on bored with this and possibly bring something to the table. Possible van down to Gibraltar and back 3 to 4 weeks. similar bikes only no big stuff. sound like your thing??
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  #2  
Old 19 Dec 2021
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Strangely enough I've been planning something similar but (all other things being equal) it'll be done on 2022 (it should have been in 2021 and before that in in 2020 but Covid ....). Small in my case is a fifty year old 250cc two stroke. I'll be going with another rider on exactly the same bike and I want to produce a short film, a load of stills and gather enough material for the second half of a book I've already started. We'll be riding down from the UK though.
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  #3  
Old 26 Dec 2021
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small bikes
would be interested in a trip to morocco . dont mind what small bikes ,what old two strokes are you taking ? can fit in suit . dont mind the long ride or the van . as have ridden it before any more info ?
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  #4  
Old 2 Jan 2022
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Originally Posted by backofbeyond View Post
Strangely enough I've been planning something similar but (all other things being equal) it'll be done on 2022 (it should have been in 2021 and before that in in 2020 but Covid ....). Small in my case is a fifty year old 250cc two stroke. I'll be going with another rider on exactly the same bike and I want to produce a short film, a load of stills and gather enough material for the second half of a book I've already started. We'll be riding down from the UK though.
I also have a 50 year old 2 stroke bike but not trail its a T500 TitanSmall bikes to the Sahara-img_3895.jpg would be a great trip either way.
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  #5  
Old 2 Jan 2022
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Very similar to my intended bike - picture below from back in the spring (just before it blew up!) :




For us the trip down there - through France and Spain - is going to be the thing. Once in Morocco how far south /east we go will be worked out once we're there. Because we're using such old machinery I'm planning very little. Even the start and finish dates will drift around depending on reliability etc, and tbh, the way things are at present I'll regard even getting out of the UK as a major victory

Neither of our bikes have done anything remotely like enough miles since complete rebuilds to inspire confidence and, for the second bike which is coming over from the US, the cost of shipping in these inflationary times is going to have to be considered on a value for money basis in the spring. So setting the plan in stone at this point isn't going to work - and that's without Covid getting caught in the spokes. We've had to postpone it twice already for Covid.

T500 is a nice bike - I had one briefly in the mid 70's. I see you've got some Craven panniers fitted - very period! I've got two sets but they don't look right on the 250 - too big - so I'm planning on using soft luggage.
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  #6  
Old 14 May 2022
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Hi, is this trip still on, being planned?
I'm up for a little adventure and small bikes, old bikes, classic bikes sound appealing to me.
I have been to Morocco a few times on a motorcycle, though that was way back in the 1990's. 1992, 93, 94 and 95.
I have the options of using either my 1988 Yamaha XT600z Tenere, 1976 Yamaha TT500 or a 1976 Honda MR250 (a two stroke enduro).
It would be good to go back to Morocco after all these years, to see how much it has changed, I know many of the 'off road" tracks have now been tarmacked over..
I look forward to hearing from you...
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  #7  
Old 16 May 2022
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Our old clunker trip is still going ahead - I think. These old bikes are so volatile that the whole thing could be called off the day before. There's so much still to do that I'd be amazed if 2 blokes, 2 bikes and 0 issues line up on my drive at the start of Aug but hope springs eternal as they say. We're not going down into the desert parts of Morocco though, simply staying around the northern area and there is a serious likelihood of us not getting there at all.
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  #8  
Old 19 May 2022
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Hi, I can understand your pessimism, even the best laid plans on the latest whizzy, high-tech machines can go wrong.
Sometimes it is best not to make too many definite plans, be flexible as to the destination. And if you break down, well France would be a nice place to break down.
My first trip to Morocco, way back in the early 1990's was very much a spur of the moment 'plan'. I saw a letter in the TRF magazine, a guy looking for other riders for a Moroccan trip, leaving in two weeks!!
So other than new tyres, a small bag strapped to the seat
,no big aluminium boxes back then ( thank goodness) and a few Michelin maps of Morocco, that was it..no real preparation, no big plan, just go.
So enjoy the trip, the final destination can be flexible.
I see you are going this August. The thread started with a 2023 date. Unfortunately I can't do this August, already made plans for France in June ( see my own thread somewhere on this page).
As to Morocco, there are plenty of good quality roads everywhere. I know many of the dirt tracks I used have been 'civilised,' tarmacked over. So no need to go 'off road'. A route across the Atlas mountains would be perfect. Lots to see and do.
Enjoy your adventure.
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