araspitfire
Registered user
This is a tale of an epic journey (by my standards) on my R1200GS.
Hanging around these parts, it is easy to get the idea that the latest in the venerable line of BMW Duelsport machines just isn't up to big trips...
This weighed heavily on my mind as I prepared to depart for Morocco to join up with Fanum, Steptoe and MikeP for some easy offroad adventure...
I, unlike my other paying colleagues planned to drive the whole distance... 3500kms down and 3000kms back....
Would the lowly 'new kid on the block' be up to the job? Or would it leave me stranded on some motorway... or worse... in Morocco where my roadside assistance was null and void....
I did everything I could to prepare... got an early 'big' service done, built a big toolbox and put everything in it I could possibly need... even printed out a few 'recipes' for fixing the more common failures that are talked about so much...
And.. Bill assured me that he wouldn't leave me stuck in the desert someplace in Africa...
SO I packed up the bike and drove away...
The reason for the longer trip down, was I decided to drive on the Milleau Bridge, and experience the twisties in Perpignan.
Then after another long day of riding, a stay in a cheap motel in Algaceras... a boat ride.... I was in Morocco!... Africa....
The place of Adventure!....
As luck would have it... it was just after snapping this shot that I experienced my first failure.... I was nearing 20,000kms and my main beam blew... Dang... the nay sayers were right... this pig is expensive failure just waiting for a place to happen!...
After limping into Marrakech with my broken bulb... I replaced it...(Lucky for me I had a spare in the tool box)... changed my windscreen, tires, helmet... Filled my spare water carrier, and I was ready to experience the pistes of Africa!...
The place of Adventure!....
After a day of adventure (all within 30 miles of Marrakech no less!.... We returned... I put my 'no cranes' filter on my camera and snapped a shot...
The next day we started on the 'proper' Moto-Morocco level 1 trip.. The 3 days before... of fun and entertainment put on by Bill and Mike, was just guys being friendly... Mike even arranged to get stung and swell up like a balloon for the entertainment and 'setting of scene' for the Africa newbies...
Continued....
Hanging around these parts, it is easy to get the idea that the latest in the venerable line of BMW Duelsport machines just isn't up to big trips...
This weighed heavily on my mind as I prepared to depart for Morocco to join up with Fanum, Steptoe and MikeP for some easy offroad adventure...
I, unlike my other paying colleagues planned to drive the whole distance... 3500kms down and 3000kms back....
Would the lowly 'new kid on the block' be up to the job? Or would it leave me stranded on some motorway... or worse... in Morocco where my roadside assistance was null and void....
I did everything I could to prepare... got an early 'big' service done, built a big toolbox and put everything in it I could possibly need... even printed out a few 'recipes' for fixing the more common failures that are talked about so much...
And.. Bill assured me that he wouldn't leave me stuck in the desert someplace in Africa...
SO I packed up the bike and drove away...
The reason for the longer trip down, was I decided to drive on the Milleau Bridge, and experience the twisties in Perpignan.
Then after another long day of riding, a stay in a cheap motel in Algaceras... a boat ride.... I was in Morocco!... Africa....
The place of Adventure!....
As luck would have it... it was just after snapping this shot that I experienced my first failure.... I was nearing 20,000kms and my main beam blew... Dang... the nay sayers were right... this pig is expensive failure just waiting for a place to happen!...
After limping into Marrakech with my broken bulb... I replaced it...(Lucky for me I had a spare in the tool box)... changed my windscreen, tires, helmet... Filled my spare water carrier, and I was ready to experience the pistes of Africa!...
The place of Adventure!....
After a day of adventure (all within 30 miles of Marrakech no less!.... We returned... I put my 'no cranes' filter on my camera and snapped a shot...
The next day we started on the 'proper' Moto-Morocco level 1 trip.. The 3 days before... of fun and entertainment put on by Bill and Mike, was just guys being friendly... Mike even arranged to get stung and swell up like a balloon for the entertainment and 'setting of scene' for the Africa newbies...
Continued....