Sahara Trip, Christmas 2008 (Part 4)

The 4th & final part of a solo trip I made to the Moroccan Sahara over the Christmas holidays in 2008

Part 1 is here... Sahara Trip, Christmas 2008 (Part 1)
Part 2 is here... Sahara Trip, Christmas 2008 (Part 2)
Part 3 is here... Sahara Trip, Christmas 2008 (Part 3)

The Trip Home is here... Africa Twin, The Trip Home

It's beginning to get sandier as I approach the Oued du Draa.

But still good going and easy navigation.

And becoming hot for the first time on the trip.

I'd been anticipating this but it still caught me off guard. This is the beginning of 10km of sand that I was a bit apprehensive about, having struggled through it from the other direction on a previous trip. As it happened, this was the only time I got stuck.

The Africa Twin was just amazing in sand - its long wheelbase gives it stability and it has an abundance of power. I stood up on the pegs, put my body weight as far back as I could get it and opened the throttle and it just sort of  floated along. Steering the thing is a bit vague but it just keeps on going!

This took about two hours to extract! Read the story here... www.mercenary.ie/Stuck

After back-tracking about 5 clicks I eventually found a way to cross the river. I walked across first to make sure it was solid!

The 'Palais du Dunes' near Erg Chebbi. I highly recommend it!

Early next morning. The end of the adventure and the beginning of the journey home.

In the High Atlas. AT was getting a bit wheezy at this altitude. Rinsing the air filter in petrol resolved the problem. This was the only time I had to attend to the bike. It didn't even use any oil over the 5000 mile trip.

An English couple on BMWs are approaching in the background to the right of the picture. We chatted for a few minutes and they gave out about the woman's G650...

Higher in the High Atlas. My Electric Jacket and heated grips took the discomfort out of this!

Still in the High Atlas, about to run out of daylight and looking for somewhere to stay. I found a fantastic chalet and I spent the evening sitting by the fire, watching a Samurai Movie in the restaurant. It turned out, the son of the chalet owner lived in Dublin and worked in Starbucks on Dame Street.

It's hard to believe this is Morocco and not Ireland...

Journey's End - Milan, New Year's Morning 2009. After a 3 day sea voyage from Tangiers to Genoa, I arrived 8 hours too late to join the celebrations. The streets are littered with spent fireworks and ammunition!!

This was a pretty amazing trip. Apart from getting lost a couple of times, hassle getting in and out of Tangiers port and getting stuck in the oued, nothing went wrong. 

And the bike? The bike was flawless. Comfortable, reliable, tough and trustworthy. When I first rode it I thought it was a big top-heavy monster and I was wary of taking it off road, but it really is an incredible off-roader. It's not just a styling excercise - it really was designed with that terrain in mind.

It's a pretty good tourer too but would benefit from an even bigger tank and maybe a better seat.

I had intended to return the following summer and ride the bike home, but circumstances changed and the bike has been in Italy for the last five and a half years. I've been back a few times and I've ridden it, but I never had the time/money to drive it back. I hope to go back and retrieve it over the coming weeks.

So, more to follow...


Part 1 is here... Sahara Trip, Christmas 2008 (Part 1)
Part 2 is here... Sahara Trip, Christmas 2008 (Part 2)
Part 3 is here... Sahara Trip, Christmas 2008 (Part 3)

The Trip Home is here... Africa Twin, The Trip Home



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