Off Road in Morocco 2017

Well, it's been and gone, just a distant memory, so hope I don't bore you but here's our trip to Morocco that we did early April this year.

More pictures than words I promise.

So we had six people express an interest in coming to Morocco plus one who was planning on riding through Spain and back (PDiddy).

The nearer we got to the departure date we were down to four bikes in a van and PDiddy riding.

In an attempt to keep my hand in I did a couple of ride outs on the Essex byways or mu dways as they turned out.







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Bike Prep all done, New rear tyre, filters and oil. I didn't change the Mousses as I wasn't sure if they needed changing, both front and rear Mousses had done about 3,000 mile doing a trip to Morocco and Iceland last year. Tool holder, fitted and Kreiga luggage packed and added (yes, I took too much).










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I ordered a new seat from the US ready for the trip it came two days before we left! I ordered Black with orange stitching and orange logo.

Happy Days!!

Then I opened the box.


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Nope ! It turned put all black ! I was very disappointed






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The bikes start to turn up, we've got a KTM 690, KTM 450, CCM 400 and a WK 400cc.







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Nice bikes. Looking forward to more pics

THE VAN !

So the day has come to collect the van, I've hired a Merc LWB Sprinter , I get to the hire place and there's a nice clean van waiting"

Johnny Nobhead come out, all smiles and Essex bullshit, you know the type like Joey Essex but with a faster mouth and a smaller IQ!
It went like this:

Me: "Mate, that's not a LWB Sprinter, it's a Fiat thingy"

Nob: "It's got air con, it'll be hot in Spain"

Me: "I need a LWB Sprinter to get all the bikes in ! "

Nob: "We've got a LWB Sprinter"

Me: "Yes I know I've booked it"

Nob: "It's not here"

Me: "Can you get it please?"

Nob: "We've had the Fait cleaned for you"

Me: "Where's the Merc?"

Nob: "I think it's out"

Me: "Well it's not here, Why"

Me: "who's in charge here?"

Nob: "I am!"

Me: "No I mean when you're not on you're own who's in charge?"

Nob: "I see, That will be Paul the boss"

Me: "Can you ring Paul"

Nob: "No I'm the manager today"

Me: "Fucking ring Paul!!"

Nob: "no need to be like that"

Me: "Have you rang home yet?"

So Johnny Nobhead rings Paul and it's clear Paul is confused, I wave at Nob and ask him for the phone.

Me: "What going on?"

Paul: "The Merc if fucked, the gear box fell out"

Me: "Right Mate like I believe that!"

Paul: "No, honest, go round the back of the yard and speak to Uri"

So I take Nobs mobile and go round the back of the yard and sure enough there's a 12 plate LWB Merc being worked on by a little fella. Turns out the great box did fall out and it was indeed fucked.
Also turns out Johnny Nobhead should have phoned me a week ago to tell be that the van was fucked and offer me an alternative firm, but he forgot and tried to fob me off with a smaller van.

Ok, so it all starts to calm down and I think of my options, where am I going to get a LWB Merc or anything like that a day before I get my ferry? Nowhere! I ask for a look in the back of the Fiat, it looks tight but 4 bikes might fit (6 no way).

It went like this:

Me: "where are the anchor points?"

Nob: "They are in the Merc"

Me: "I need anchor points to strap the bikes down, can you swap them?"

Nod: "Me?"

Me: "I don't fucking care who does it I need anchor points"

Nod: "How many do you want?"

Me: "how many are missing?"

Nob: "All of of them."

Me: "There you go mate you've got the answer."

So, I get the van back to work panicking that there won't be enough space, so Paul R and I start to load the van even though one bike is missing.

First we try the WK, Doesn't fit width ways. We decide to take the front wheel off Paul R's bike and hope the side door closes. We take the wheel off put my hydraulic bike lift under it and secure it from the roof of the van also. Fits perfect. Then we load my bike and the WK as close to the sides of the van as we can. I note the WK is very heavy and the front wheel pressure is quite low.

The other thing is there doesn't look like there will be enough room for Rob's CCM. I'm starting to worry at this point. Then Paul R say, don't worry, worst case we'll take the wheels off all of them and we'll get 8 bikes in !!!
True !












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Talk about stress. Hope the van works out ok for you. Hope you have a great trip.

Traffic893 said:

Talk about stress. Hope the van works out ok for you. Hope you have a great trip.

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Van was fine in the end. The stress was later.


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ButtonMoon said:

Van was fine in the end. The stress was later.


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Click to expand...

I missed the been and gone bit. Looking forward to the rest.

Enjoying this

In Morocco myself at the moment with Skygod and some others, having a great time.

Van loaded, drive down to Portsmouth was traffic free more or less, gets to the ferry terminal really early, checks in gets in the queue, decided to should my eyes.

With my eyes shut, I slowly go through the whole van thing, relieved that it all turned out well. I retrace the loading of the bikes, the loading of the gear, the unloading of the gear, the moving the bikes for a third time, all sorted! Loading the gear back into the van for the final time, looking at my boots and thinking I'd better put them in the van!

Shit !! I didn't put my boots in the van!

At this point I'm being directed onto the ferry, I must have put my boots in, I wouldn't be so stupid!! Van is now on the ferry, I jump out open the back, can't really see anything, open side door also, can't see, shit !

I now have to move out of the loading area and into my cabin, if my boots are anywhere they will be next to where we loaded the van. I ring Paul R who works for me, it's almost 5pm and on a Friday nobody hangs around.

It went like this:

Me: "Paul, I think I've forgot my boots"

PR: "Fucking idiot!"

At this point I wanted to remind him he works for me, but didn't.

Me: "No Paul, Really"

PR: "So what do you want me to do about it?"

Me: "Bring them ! ! Please"

PR: "Sorry Mark, I can't my stuff is all packed and I want to travel light"

Me: "Don't fuck about Paul!!"

PR: "I spotted them when you drove off, all packed in my hand luggage"

Me: "c-nun-t"











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Lord Snooty said:

In Morocco myself at the moment with Skygod and some others, having a great time.

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Enjoy mate ! How's the weather and where are you?
We were so luck with the weather.


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i think i'm going to enjoy reading this thread...

Marks adventure said:

i think i'm going to enjoy reading this thread...

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I agree.

I'm in!

Followed a bit of it on Diddy's FB page! Looked like you had much better weather than the chaps out there now!

Toddmeister said:

I'm in!

Followed a bit of it on Diddy's FB page! Looked like you had much better weather than the chaps out there now!

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Yes. We were so lucky with the weather. Dry, warm & sunny. We had luck with the return ferry too we were on the 1pm which turned out to be the 4pm. But got back in the same day.


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great stuff.