Search the Community

Assuming missiles aren't flying around by then, a Morocco trip at the end of 25 for sure, when the weather cools down. A longer trip than the previous ones, for sure, as I think I'll have less restraints. A couple of shorter rides around Portugal, and maybe one to Spain somewhere, although to be honest I would only do that for variety

Looking forward to this report developing, and also your views on my country. There's a few reports here if you're looking for inspiration on where to go. Another tip, if you're carrying actual road maps, the best one for Morocco is the Michelin 742. As you know Morocco does not recognize Western Sahara as a country, so they confiscate everything that goes against that. Just pack your map under your clothes or somewhere not in open view when you open your luggage and they probably won't take it. Or just censor it so that it is not sellable on the street behind the customs by the same people that confiscated it in the first place

Good evening The title sounds a lot grander than the actual trip. I made a very brief introduction, funnily enough in the introduction thread so I wont drone on here about myself. I have a trip planned (very loose plan) where I will be setting off from my home in Lancashire, travelling down the country eventually to Newhaven to catch the ferry to Dieppe. The only solid plan I have is the Ferry is booked and I have also booked a cheap hotel on the Dieppe side for the first night, other than that I'm following my nose and camping where possible. My ultimate destination is Morocco, and I dearly want to sample the Western Sahara , if only to say I have been there, I don't wish to cross it at this point in time (thats another trip). So I have been busy lately, the bike is serviced and deemed fit for purpose (for now) although she is an old girl i think together we can meander along and see some of the the world. The bike is a 2002 BMW F650GS all standard apart from some Heed crash bars, some bark busters, better footpegs and a higher screen. It has genuine BMW hard panniers and top box and along with a large dry bag I think I will have sufficent room to carry my necessary tools and spares along with my camping kit. In the next few days my kit should be finalised so i will then set the rear shock to suit the extra weight and I will be ready to head off. My planned departure date is the 16th of Nov with my ferry leaving Newhaven on the 18th at 11am. I'm planning on visiting my brother in Bedfordshire before the ferry hence the early set off date. Then its across to Dieppe, stay that night in a cheap hotel and set off properly on the 19th and see where I end up. I'm expecting wet weather in both France and Spain but I'm still determined to camp where possible. My route will take in some of the better roads France/Spain and Portugal have to offer so I will be avoiding motorways. I want to spend Christmas in Sagres in Portugal so that give me a plenty of time to get there. Then in the new year, hopefully new years day I want to cross over to Morocco and make my way down to the Western Sahara. My return route has yet to be decided but at the moment I'm thinking of getting back to Spain and turn right following the coast up towards Barcelona but as I say its all a very loose plan. Although I'm not taking a laptop nor a video camera I try record some bits on my mobile if only for my own enjoyment and I hope to be able to update this thread from time to time. I have taken advice from here already and plan to get a vodafone top up cars for europe and Inwi for Morocco so at least I have some data to use for updates. Like everyone i like decent riding kit but to buy a textile jacket and pants some of them were more expensive than my bike. I have now gotten the kit I feel works, I've done 2700 miles in it and it worked for me, it has layers to keep me warm and the textile jacket has a removable liner to cool things down if required. This may be a controversial decision but I have chosen to wear biking jeans above textile trousers, mainly because of comfort, I tend to overheat easily and textile trousers just make me sweat. But along with my mix and match clothing I have invested in a set of Scott waterproofs, I have used these a few times in torrential rain and can vouch I stayed dry underneath. Two pairs of gloves, one waterproof ,one lighter pair more suited to drier weather. As for boots, well I invested in a pair of Altberg Clubman boots back in 2011 and they are still going strong so they are coming along for the ride, I cannot recommend Altberg highly enough, the boots have been excellent.( I'm not being paid for any of these recommendations, I'm just passing on my thoughts). That's about it for now, a lot of writing about a trip I have not done yet but I hope to update things as I go along, if anyone sees an aging F650GS with an equally aging bloke give me a shout or say hello. Speak soon Dermot.

Since my last ride to the Algarve two or three weeks ago I was missing riding my bike without freezing my nuts off, and ever since Morocco I was missing riding my bike putting wheels on dirt. Today, with a forecast of almost 20ºc I decided to go for a ride around. After a little work in the morning, I set off at around 10 or 10:30, heading out on tiny farming roads, not 15 minutes into it and the phone starts ringing and a couple of emails I really should see to come through so I stop at my local riverside cafe for a morning espresso at 11AM. Annoyed to stop so soon, but there are worse places to work out of your phone: I jump the queue of three cars into @XTreme's favourite bridge (from my reports), Ponte da Rainha D'Amélia is my favourite way to start a trip. It's an old train bridge converted to road traffic, there's many like that around this area and they are great but since they were made for trains they often cannot deal with two full lanes. Into Coruche through small roads and I notice this older gentleman exiting a shop on a pristine and shiny looking red old bike, I fail to get him on the phone but turn back to see the little jewel sitting outside the place he left. It looked 10 times more shiny in real life: Nobody answered when I called, so I continued. I aimed for a reservoir close by, I had been there on a previous time on the bike and a few days ago with Sofia on the car for a picnic with her dogs, I wanted to see how the sandy dirt roads felt on the bike this time. Stopped to check where I was as I took a little more dirt to get there, and spotted this cool guy under the shade, I said hi and he came for a nose scratch after the picture. By 12:00 I was taking a little stop to enjoy the place, only a little after one hour into it: Not a bad place to ride a bike. Sadly the high water levels make this a short little dirt road, it's only good for a few minutes but it sure is pretty. Some parts of this area are sandy though, but I do like the GS's manners on these tires. Considering their current mileage I am very impressed, don't think I'll go back to more mixed/road oriented tires unless heading for a bigger road trip on rainy Europe. Sandy area: The little quaint dirt road turns into a full on service road, plenty of forrest industry this way so these are good for proper big trucks, you would be wise to remember that when considering how fast you could ride there, plenty fast but a big truck coming around the corner would make things unpleasant. Can't get much more Ribatejo countryside than this, I think the rural houses in southern Portugal are the definition of what a "home" looks like: I had searched on google maps where to find something to eat and came across a little grocery style cafe. It's a very typical shop in these parts, somewhere where you can buy bread, pastries, grain, flour, vegetables and fruit, but also have a snack of eat a full meal. First, just a little but of road to get there, lovely smooth tarmac through pine and oak trees. The views inside the shop, not really a vegan friendly location: I make my choices of a vegetable "empada" and a ham sandwich, and enjoy them outside. My choice of a alcohol free beer raised a few eyebrows amongst the other clientele, most of them stopping by for a coffee and a little something else with a kick to it, before heading back to work on the forrest. My food was delicious: As soon as I bit into the ham sandwich a little older dude appeared from inside the shop to say hello. He gave me an unrelenting stare and I couldn't help but share lunch, he gently put a bit of bread on the floor but was happy to have some ham Saved the location on my phone, I'll be coming back. Temperatures were now 19/20ºC, I rejoiced and sat in the sun. My mid layer was folded away and I prepared to enjoy the perfect motorcycling temperature. Rode just out of town to stop by a lovely field filled with happy looking cows munching away on green grass, last year they weren't so happy. What meat farming should always look like: Through Lavre and heading to Ciborro, I took a detour south on a dirt road down the plains you see on this landscape picture taken a few minutes previously: After a little water crossing, not deeper than a foot, I asked a gentleman about directions and he stated there was open roads all the way to Montemor. It's easy to get lost in the maze of farm access dirt roads to find a closed gate preventing you into private property. I followed this great 3rd and 4th gear dirt road between fences. The GS's engine is great for this, all the torque you could want to slightly break traction with tact, it's a treat on this road. Looking at these two, the little one, my plan for a stop by the butcher for a steak for dinner was dismissed in my mind Quick stop for a wee and I realize I had been here before, arriving from a detour from the road coming from the South, it's a lovely place. On my way here I passed a cow loose on the road, it wasn't happy at all that I came close by, and trapped between two fences reacted by having a go at me. I gave it a quick braap in third and avoided her. When I stopped I checked the map and realized there was a way back north via more dirt roads, another 20 or 30km maybe so tried to go back 1km to get to those, but found the loose cow on the way. Whenever I approached she jumped on a fearful alert and stared at me with her hoofs stomping the ground. She was not happy at all, and I was not confident that I could get past her a second time, with her on alert. Between stared and stomping, she grazed I swear the road was narrower and the cow bigger in reality ... Decided to go 10km longer the other way and get on tarmac instead of crossing that cow, so made my way out of dirt and to Montemor o Novo, then got on the N2 and headed north, eventually went a longer way but maybe gained time. Stopped to take a picture on steep street crossing a southern village center, just for @yen_powell since he like the northern version so much. Stopped in Mora to fuel up, but it took forever. First a lady had her car's fuel filler flap closed, and nobody could figure out how to unlock it, then the card machine started updating mid payment, spent a few minutes there enjoying the chaos and paid cash to move on. Stopped by Montargil dam to see the place. I hadn't been there in ages, spent a couple nights there twice once in the summer, it's a great location to go for a swim as it's usually got water and it's always really hot. The water level was way higher than last time though, this is as high as they'll let it go before flooding houses, it was cool to see. The Montargil Biker Club has the coolest clubhouse I've ever seen, converted from an old primary school building: there's a poem written by the door, I loved it, it sounds and rhymes better in Portuguese but translates to: The plan was to now get on the road and head home before the low sun. That plan lasted for 15 minutes before the GS got a little detour out of tarmac for a couple of kms, stopped for a call on a particularly rocky road: That lasted for not much more than 5 or 10km, got back on the road and was making progress when crossing the small bridge at Raposa, decided to stop to take a couple of pictures the storks living on it for @Clive: I remembered there's a nice dirt road going from there to Muge, where the bridge I was going to go back home is, the light was getting to be really pretty so took that which although obviously ridden at a lower speed than tarmac probably still saved me time as it was almost straight. Well, it would have saved me time had I not stopped twice, once for the pretty light, and then to look at the horses: I've been here with completely no water at all and just a rice field down there. The road was softer than I remembered, but that might be because most of the time I rode through here was on the XR. Back on the bridge returning home with the sun starting to lower And through the tomato farm fields with the sun in my face. Stopped by the little shop down my street to buy a broccoli to make pasta for dinner, and in time to have a shower to wash the dust off and have a cold drink with a little bit of light outside before the mosquitos came. Overall, it was a great 300km ride, game me exactly what I wanted:

Just the incentive @Pedro needs to get back to Morocco whats the bets its the same time you show up in Portugal

Today I went and test rode an Aprilia Tuareg 660. After yesterday's afternoon and evening of monsoon like rains, the forecast today was for clear skies except for a small chance of rain in the middle of the day, got out earlyish and made my way to the dealership, they do Suzuki, Yamaha, Piaggio, MV Agusta, Aprilia, Kawasaki, and probably some other brand too. About 45 minutes to get there via a boring road, the hills to the right are where I'll head with the Aprilia as the dealer is right a few kms ahead from this picture After about 10km on the main road I try to avoid a really dark rain cloud that is ahead and get on some trails to go up the hills. First try loads to a sort of quarry and it's a dead end, I stop to have a look around the bike and check google maps: Second try leads me up a narrow and quite steep path, I stop to check the maps again and see if I'm heading the right way, which I am. The bike was low on fuel, and on these slow trails felt really light. I'd even say it felt a little heavier only than my XR400, it's 189kg dry so quite light, and the seat makes it feel lower than it is, also since the suspension sags more than on the GS it really feels a lot lower. The tires aren't very good though, on these slippery rocky bits above they provide very little grip, really not confidence inspiring. I switched off traction control and got stuck, so got out and took the pictures above. Decided to not lower tire pressure or risk riding through carrying higher speeds with a bike that was kindly loaned with a "sure, no worries taking it on a dirt road" comment. Still, what would have been a nightmare in the GS, turning back in that narrow trail, was easy and didn't even get my breathing up. Eventually gave up and got on the road up the hill, by then the rain had cloud had passed through, so stopped at a lookout: From the front it's not the prettiest of bikes, but I like it, I like the GS though so there ... Rode through some nice mountain roads in the same way I usually enjoy touring on my bike and it feels like a very similar bike to ride, only a lot smaller. The seat is nice at first but not GS nice after a while, the engine is really smooth and torquey enough for whatever you want, except maybe two up with luggage, but that's not really this bike's point, I like that the dash is low and forward instead of in front of you and in your face, feels like my bike. The screen is great, doesn't get in your way offroad, doesn't bother your line of sight, and still makes it comfortable to ride doing motorway speeds. I got it up to way illegal speeds on the main road and I'm sure it'll be nice if you want to sit on a motorway for a few hours, plenty fast enough for that too since the little 660 feels like a baby race engine if you push it, it'll rev to 10.000rpm and get to 180 or 190 way faster than i thought, while also casually plugging along in 5th or 6th at 80kmh. There's this thing in Portugal now, of making swings in scenic locations, I had to stop for this one though! Riding back to the dealer a couple of hours after picking the bike up it rained a little, not enough for a soak but enough to see that the screen does a nice job at cruising speeds, and that the rear wheel doesn't splash water to the back of your legs like my GS does, which really annoys me as the first thing to get wet are the back of your thighs. My bike sits higher than a standard GS Adventure usually does: Handing the keys back, and I take a couple of pictures before going out for lunch. Such a pretty bike: Such a pretty and elegant bike, too: Both other colors for the Aprilia, I prefer the red and the yellow to the historic one: Now, looking back at it, what I think of the bike: I like the engine, it's docile for off-roading while really revvy and aggressive at high rpms, very smooth and apparently quite economical, this bike showed an average of 5.2 lt/100km over it's 1600km life, which is quite nice for a new engine that doesn't really get babied around. I didn't reset any trip meters but think it'll be an easy 4,0 lt/100km when touring gently. Brakes are probably ok, I didn't notice then to be honest so must be ok. I like that it's got cruise control. The wheels are nice, like the GS's, with spokes on the outside of the tire so it uses tubeless. The suspension is ok, it's got a nice 240mm of travel and it's adjustable, I didn't tough it though. It's nice enough for the road but dives a lot when braking sort of hardish, I am used to the BMW though. It's good when offroad and over bigger hitting bumps, it's confidence inspiring. It can turn on a dime, tighter than the GS (which is hard to do). I didn't like the levers, the clutch is cable operated and the levers feel like something taken off a 90's bike, I didn't see if all other Aprilias at the dealer have that but I suspect they don't use them for the sportier models. The GS is still the more balanced bike though. These tires are shit, ABS kicked in when braking on a wet road at very low speeds when it really shouldn't have for a normal road tire, while the rear didn't cut it in the dirt, I think they might be the worse of both worlds and would really prefer something more aggressive for offroad if I bought one. It'll make a nice trail bike, or a really nice solo touring bike, it'll make an easy meal of dirt roads and all surface qualities. The bike is so light because it's built light from scratch, it's well thought out, you can see that in the nice aluminium suspension arm, the sidestand, etc, but doesn't feel fragile. It's plasticky but in a good way, really nice quality plastics, the tank feels solid and is made by Acerbis, the panels to the rear feel like they'll take a proper beating, it feels tough and rugged. Wants? I'd like it to have a fuel range indicator, tried to find it in the menus but couldn't, maybe it's there! This specific bike doesn't have heated grips, which just feels uncivilized! I'd really like it to be taller and probably would make it taller if buying one, just to make it feel right. The rear was well designed to cope with mud, the rear wheel doesn't get the shock dirty which is nice, unlike my GS that gets all filthy if I just look at a motocross video on youtube! I liked the Aprilia, but still felt glad to be back on my bike, something like the Aprilia might be on the cards after the next Morocco trip, lets see how that goes. Headed back home via my favourite cafe for lunch and then home via some tiny roads:

Justin Dawes and I checking our roll charts and resetting our odometers on day one of the LAB2V ride. (Grumpy/)I didn’t grow up riding dirt bikes. I have never owned a motorcycle without a license plate, although I once crossed the Sahara Desert on a Sportster. As the Los Angeles-Barstow-to-Vegas ride date neared, I was nervous. But I figured my philosophy of “huck yourself in, figure your way out” would work as well here as it did in Morocco, especially considering what I would be riding here and the training I had undergone since then. Aside from a handful of last-one-there-buys-the-drinks moments, I’m not a competitive motorcycle rider. I’m certainly no desert racer. When we loaded up our machines and headed into the desert, I imagined my wealth of on-road experience would translate to this completely different set of skills. I pictured myself zipping up the steepest hills and through the roughest terrain just because of my time spent in other saddles. That was not in fact the case. In point of fact I shivered, strained, repaired, and overcame, all cut with moments of brilliant purity, until I made it all the way from Los Angeles to Barstow, and then on to Las Vegas, in that haze of blended misery and brilliance that comes only from not fully understanding what you’re about to do. Related: 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Riding a Motorcycle Dawes, still clean only a couple of hours into our first day of riding. (Grumpy/)The Los Angeles-Barstow-to-Vegas ride is better known as the LAB2V. The ride celebrated its 37th year in November 2021. This would be my first time participating. My partner on the ride was Cycle World Executive Editor Justin Dawes. Dawes grew up racing dirt bikes and has participated in this event many times. He was only 15 years old the first time he did the LA-to-B-to-V. He finished first with the second-place rider hours behind him. I had recently built up a 1989 Honda NX650 and was hoping to take it on this ride, but paperwork be damned, I couldn’t get its license plate in time. Plan B was the push-button 2021 Husqvarna 701 LR. With WP suspension, dirt-tuned traction control, and a combined 6.4 gallons of gas between two tanks, this was arguably the best tool for the job (it wasn’t; we’d soon find that the best tool is a KTM 500 EXC-F) until Dawes showed up. Dawes was riding his maximalist custom KTM 790 Adventure R. With more than $28,000 invested, his build has just about every high-end upgrade imaginable. His suspension alone cost more than most used dirt bikes. So here’s this expert off-road rider on an absolute weapon of an adventure bike, and me behind him, figuring it out. Gales and Dawes flowing through some switchbacks on the easy route on day one’s ride. (Grumpy/)Riding the LAB2V takes two days with an overnight stop in Barstow. Riders pick up their navigation each morning before the ride. The route changes year to year. I would be using a simple paper roll chart while Dawes used a roll chart backed up with his Trail Tech Voyager Pro GPS. He was Lord Farkle, king of fancy gadgets and accessories. I was not. We arrived in Palmdale at 4 a.m. to register and load up our gear in the chase truck before hitting the road. The contents of our backpacks were carefully planned and balanced, as were our riding kits; we had to be ready for cold mornings and hot afternoons. We pulled out of the parking lot around 6 a.m. and started making our way through the desert town toward the beginning of the first trail in the dark. It was 38 degrees, and my fingertips were already stinging as the wind cut through my gloves. We had planned for cold mornings, but space in our backpacks was limited, so things like tools and spare inner tubes took priority over an extra layer of insulation. I would be happy about this decision later, but while the sun still hid behind the horizon, I could hardly focus on anything other than my stinging fingers. What misery frostbite must be. We turned off of the pavement where our roll charts told us and started into the great dusty unknown. Unknown to me, anyway. Dawes was riding like I do on the I-5, clearly in his element, passing effortlessly over rocks and through deep sand. I, meanwhile, had to think and plan my path around or over each obstacle I approached. Still, as the sun rose on the California desert, my eyes were forced away from my path and I was compelled to pause and appreciate the beauty around me. The Husqvarna was doing its job, the job of every motorcycle, to bring you to a beautiful place and help you enjoy it. The seemingly endless dirt roads that traverse California’s open desert hold a unique type of beauty. The Alpinestars Halo Drystar demonstrates its versatility with sleeves removed. (Grumpy/)The LAB2V’s routes bisect into easy and hard paths, with major hazards listed on the roll chart to warn riders. The charts break each day’s path into segments with odometer resets at the end of each one. This is because every odometer measures mileage slightly differently, and the longer the distance the greater the variance; this could lead to a rider making a turn late and ending up who knows where. Segments vary in length, rejoin, and split again. Some sections are longer than others. Some are extreme. Some are essentially hard-packed dirt roads. I wanted to challenge both myself and Dawes’ patience by tackling paths of both difficulties. We carried a moderate pace and made good time on our way to Barstow. About halfway through the day, the morning’s cluster of riders had spread out and we weren’t eating quite as much dust. Most of the ride consisted of long sandy washes with miles of whoops that brought us to paved roads into town. We reached the hotel, quickly checked in, and grabbed some pizza from a nearby sports bar before retiring to our rooms for some early rest. Earned sleep is exceptional. Thanks to some earlier practice and training with Dawes, I was comfortable and confident changing my inner tube trailside. (Grumpy/)The next morning we had kickstands up by 7 a.m. We were leaving a few hours later than the prior morning, but as the sun was up we had warmer temperatures. This also put us at the back of the pack with time to make up. I felt confident following the first day’s ride and opted for the more challenging route, so we headed for the Calico Steps. Calico Steps is a technical rock section that requires riders to climb several 2-to-3-foot rock ledges in short succession. It’s a key point on the ride each year, located about 10 miles from the starting point. It’s also a particularly challenging section that can get crowded quickly, so we had to either wait or find a creative line around tipped bikes and resting riders. Our slow morning meant that almost all the riders had already passed, save only a few stragglers. We made it to the climb section of the steps easily, and Dawes hopped off of his bike to help coach me through the upcoming tough stuff. Other riders made their attempts as we watched; some were more successful than others, but there was something to learn from each attempt. When my turn came I used my long, gangly legs to push off of the tall rocks on either side of my path and quickly reached the top; I looked back, seeking confirmation that I wasn’t celebrating too early, to see Dawes surprised that I had done it. What I considered a great accomplishment, he then traversed like he’d done it a thousand times. We continued upward. Descending the backside of Calico Steps, I was eager and mistakenly traded speed for control, though it was fun for a moment. (Grumpy/)As we rode along the mountain ridge, we were surrounded by beauty in every direction, vast open expanses of desert, rolling sand dunes like a wrinkled towel on the floor. This is why we ride motorcycles, the moments of brilliant peace sandwiched between the chaos of places like Calico Steps and what was coming next. A metallic clanging dragged me off my happy cloud like an anchor around my ankle. I stopped to confirm what I already knew: My front tire had gone flat. We found a big rock and used the 701′s kickstand to get the bike on top of it. I was thankful for the spare tube in my bag and the time Dawes spent teaching me to change that tube. I hadn’t thought about my gloves much since the day before. After bloodying my knuckles a bit and cursing at tire irons, the inner tube was replaced, my bead was set, and we were back on the road. A second flat tire forced me to take a break, so I hydrated and rested while I waited for the truck to show up. (Grumpy/)It couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes of beautiful cruising before I heard that same metal clanging. My front tire was flat again. I must have done something wrong. Maybe I had pinched the tube while installing it? I took off the tire to inspect and replace the tube and, no, it was just a combination of more bad luck, a lack of experience carrying too much speed when I needed control, and another sharp rock. My second spare front tire tube was on the chase truck, which meant the repair wasn’t going to be as simple as the first one. I limped the bike along the trail for 5 miles and reached the nearest gas station, where I sat in the shade, drank Gatorade, and waited for the truck to join me. Dawes continued on with another group, and we planned to reunite at lunch. The truck showed up within the hour and we hastily hoisted the Husqvarna into the truck. It was another hour to lunch so I took advantage of the truck’s back seat and caught a few Zs. We arrived at lunch where Dawes was waiting with tools and ready to help get the Husky back on the road. It was almost 2 p.m. at this point and we were still hoping to reach Vegas before sundown. Tire changes are much easier when you’re out of the dirt. (Grumpy/)Before we left lunch, we’d decided to take a bypass route designed to help stragglers like myself catch up, which meant that we’d be blasting power line roads. So far I had been envious of other riders on their lighter enduro machines, but here, now, as we accelerated up to 80 mph on the wide sandy road, I wouldn’t trade the 701 LR for a damn thing. I was really just happy to be back on the bike, moving quickly, confidently, and on schedule. I had successfully reached my happy cloud again. I stood on the pegs with my hands loose on the grips as I held the 701′s gas tank with my knees. Natural beauty was still all around us. We were moving fast. Our bikes were performing well. Was the bypass route a subtle blessing that I was forced to take? It seemed so. Maybe a ride covering 500ish miles was not the ideal setting for pushing my limits. Maybe just participating and enjoying it was enough. Skirting by side-by-sides and the occasional semitruck (we couldn’t figure it out either) we eventually reached paved roads and approached Vegas near the time that we had expected to, had I not gotten two flat tires. Santa Claus and showgirls wait for photos at the LAB2V finish line. (Grumpy/)We’d taken a few easy routes. Yes, we took a bypass route, but riding a dirt-covered motorcycle past the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign alongside minivans and sedans full of party-ready tourists, we got there the hard way. We stood up and rode along the strip like dust-covered champions. People with 3-foot margaritas walked from casino to casino, obviously celebrating our success, though I may have only imagined their cheers. I felt successful. The ride had not gone the way that we’d planned, but I’d gotten what I’d hoped to from the experience. I’d achieved something I hadn’t been sure I’d be able to. At the night’s banquet dinner we sat among friends bonded by experience, telling stories of the day. Some riders had been tank-deep in muddy water on one of the difficult routes. Others had done the ride on Honda Groms, facing their own set of challenges. The majority of riders completed the course on KTM 500s that looked remarkably similar. Regardless of what you rode or how you got to that dinner, if you were there, you had finished the LAB2V and taken part in a historic motorcycle ride. Plan all you want, dream all you want; if you haven’t tried it, you don’t really know. I hadn’t known, until I did it. I got in over my head at times, but overcoming obstacles only builds confidence for the next time. I will ride LAB2V again, but next year I’m doing it on my NX650. And maybe I’ll take the easy routes and the bypass routes. After all, it’s just about enjoying the ride. Source

The ones in Morocco have pedals on them, like bicycles or proper mopeds (not Tomos, though, Peugeots!), and they either pedal them to start on the center stand with the wheel up in the air or rolling on the ground, so it must work. Nobody ever pedals for more than 2 turns so they must start easy, it's a small two stroke after all.

Thank you both, indeed I usually carry an anti histaminic spray with me, or pills on a several day ride, but this one caught me off guard. On this one I share a little bit more of the country and my enjoyment of food, @Slowlycatchymonkey. This one of Portugal and the one from Morocco in 2017 are my own favourite ride reports

I don't like those Pirellis, they're what I currently have on my bike and I won't put them back on. As soon as they're gone I'm going back to TKC70 or something more dirt worthy depending on the proximity to a Morocco trip. The Pirellis just don't give me any confidence. It feels like I am catching oil every time I'm diving into a corner exiting a motorway, or similar. They're ok once leaned but the transition isn't nice. Maybe the shape of them is just too aggressive for me, but regardless of why it is I don't like them.

All @XTreme’s talk about being a decrepit guy out on his last ride is bollocks, @Sir Fallsalot. I’ve met him, he actually goes out searching for people to leave behind, he’ll want grippy tires. When my current Scorpion Trail 2 wear out I’ll be happy to go for TKC70 again, those were the best I had. Except if going to Morocco, in that case I’ll fit something tougher like K60, which are crap and noisy on tarmac but competent offroad and tough as hell.

I wouldn't trade my GS for anything else, except maybe if I wanted to go on a proper offroad route across Portugal, or maybe exploring Morocco properly by myself. Part of me wants to take the GS which is the bike I love, but part of me also wants to spare it the abuse and take something that deals with the terrain in an easier fashion. They don't have tubeless tires though, are the rims easy to convert? I hate the idea of changing tubes on a hot afternoon.

I know, Pete. Myself, I was looking forward to two or three big rides this year: June, warm souther Portugal ride to the Algarve for a week on the beach for my birthday. August, maybe Algarve, maybe south of Spain. I've got a friend in Murcia who promised a good paella and a couple e great local tapas when I visit. Late September / Early October, Morocco, I've been gathering courage to go back but am unsure if this is the year I'll be able to go. Renewing my passport anyway.