Motorcycle trip on the tracks of southern Morocco with friends (EP3)

We've reached the third and final episode of our motorcycle trip to Morocco. 10 days of road trip with friends on the tracks of the south of the country. Magnificent landscapes, charming villages, a warm welcome, tricky trails, a burnt-out clutch, a great time in a local garage... What else could go wrong? I'll tell you all about it (read the first episode - the second episode) Happy reading!

Marrakech - Essaouira

If I say Mogador, the city of the trade winds, or even the Moroccan Saint-Malo, where would you put our destination? Essaouira, my goodness! I really love the energy of this town, so I can't wait to get there. The bikes - and the riders - are getting a bit tired, so we decide to continue alternating road and track. It's a mix that suits us well. We start from the GPS track we'd prepared in France, which Greg tweaks on the fly to limit long transfers on asphalt. The result? Once again, we're in for a treat. We're rolling fast, but we're keeping our wits about us as the pebbles are tricky and attack the tires well. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the scenery!

Today, too, we can admire all their diversity. They're always changing. And it's not just the scenery that's changing, the temperatures too. We're even getting out our fleeces- can you believe it? After the 44 degrees we experienced in the desert, going back to 24 feels very strange.

Between Marrakech and Essaouira, I think back to what a friend told me before we left: "You'll see, in Morocco, the further you go, the more the tracks turn into roads". Well, I'd come to the opposite conclusion. In other words, the asphalt here is not maintained. So, inevitably, it deteriorates. How do the bikes react? As far as I'm concerned, touch wood. My bush clutch is holding up. On Greg's bike, it's not quite the same: his wheel bearings have some play. The same applies to Jean-Michel's KTM, which only has 13,000 km on the clock. After that, we have to admit we're a bit rough on them.

Lost in my thoughts, I don't see the kilometers go by and we're already in Essaouira. What a great atmosphere! We put the bikes down and set off to explore the Medina, where we sample some delicious Moroccan crêpes. We've been teleported to Brittany. This has nothing to do with Breton crêpes in reality, it's Msemen, galettes made from semolina and oil. They're delicious. By the way, do you know why this town is nicknamed the Moroccan Saint-Malo? Because of its ramparts. The resemblance is striking. At the same time, the architect who designed the city was a French urban planner and a fervent admirer of Vauban.

Essaouira - Essaouira

Today's objective? To enjoy a short 160km off-road loop. Greg set about modifying our Wikiloc track so that it no longer included any road sections (on vacation, he's allergic to asphalt). We start out on a superb track, a little technical, but perfectly feasible for a long trail. In the distance, we can see the sea taking shape. Simply magnificent! Then, finally, we reach it. Well, not quite, as an impassable dune separates us from it. How do we get there? We try hard to find a practicable access, going up and down steep paths, sometimes on a single track until we find a passage. Incidentally, all these climbs are quite technical, which is why I stub my right foot on a large stone and injure my little toe, probably a fracture - it's a sensitive part of my anatomy that I often break. But that doesn't stop me from riding. A little further on, on another climb, I suffer a rear-end puncture, a protruding stone or a piece of scrap metal damaging my super-reinforced Michelin inner tube. It will take us 30 minutes to change the tube with our friends. An honourable time, don't you think?

Anyway... Greg and Jean-Michel find the perfect spot to reach the shore. Well... perfect is relative. The sand is sometimes too soft, sometimes too wet. You have to know how to "read" it to avoid tanking. As far as I'm concerned, I play it safe by staying on my headland. And yeah, I burnt a clutch a few days ago, so I'm playing it safe. At the top of the dune, I improvise as a photographer, immortalizing my fellow adventurers doing the zouaves by the sea. It suits me fine. Back to Essaouira by road, where we find a restaurant serving wine and beer. Hallelujah after 10 days of dieting!

Essaouira - Tangier

This last day's program is a tough one: 700 km to Tangier. And while the first few kilometers on the main road are a real bore, things get a little folkloric on the freeway. Goats in the middle of the road, stranded vehicles, pedestrians waiting for a lift, cyclists on the BAU, you name it. The result? Time flies. We finally reach Tangier where, for some obscure reason, we have to go through the paperwork again for 2 hours. This was followed by an hour's wait before finally boarding the ferry. Only 38 hours to go, and we'll be back home, or almost, as Radu, Jean-Michel and I still have almost 800 km of freeway to drive to the Paris region.

We'll be stopping at Greg's for the night. Andrea, his wife, will welcome us like princes from faraway lands. Greg takes the opportunity to change the bearings on the front wheel of Jean-Michel's 890, while I put my wheels back on more civilized tires to tackle this final leg of our journey.

And what about the bikes? As a reminder, we set off with European bikes only. As far as I'm concerned, the katoche's clutch didn't stand up to the Moroccan sand desert. In fact, it didn't hold up either during the rando des deux mondes organized by Trail Attitude. Strange, isn't it? Apart from that, I've lost count of the screws that loosen with vibration. However, nothing too serious for a 2011 bike with over 70,000 kilometers under its belt!

As for Jean-Michel's KTM, the wheel bearings are out and the chain kit is flushed. And yet, it only has 13,000 km on the clock. But why? He uses it almost exclusively off-road. The same goes for Greg and his Tiger: wheel bearings need replacing. At the same time, when you see what he does with his Triumph, it's amazing! He really is an excellent rider. The only bad surprise? When we left Essaouira, he discovered that 1 liter of oil was missing from the sump. This led to an hour-long treasure hunt for the precious liquid in the middle of Eid. Which bike came out on top? Radu's Aprilia. In fact, the Italian showed no sign of weakness, enough to silence the bad tongues about the reliability of Transalpine motorcycles.

After ten days of Moroccan adventure, what do I remember most? What impressed me most? First of all, I was blown away by the incredible diversity of the landscapes. I know I'm repeating myself here, but it really impressed me. You go from sandy desert to exuberant vegetation in just a few hundred kilometers. On the last few days in particular, I was amazed by the contrast between the lush surroundings of Tangier, with its flowing wadis, and the aridity of the M Hamid desert. Astonishing!

What happened next? Everywhere we went, we received an incredible welcome. Whether it was when we arrived at 11pm at our accommodation, or when it came to getting my bike into a pick-up truck, the Moroccans were wonderfully friendly. I can't wait to go back, better prepared to surf the sands of Chegaga and cross the dry lake of Iriki.

So, obviously, I have one regret: not having been able to explore certain regions of this magnificent country. In fact, those 10 days made me want to come back and explore more. There are worse regrets, aren't there?

----> Discover Michel's other Adventures

.

.

.

.

Photo credits: Jean-Michel, Greg and Radu. The photos with the kodak chrome look are mine. I'll have to change my phone :)