WR250R 4000-km review
WR Introduction
WR250R Stage 1
WRing about in Wales
WR250R ready for the desert
Morocco 4000-km trip report, 1–9
Fuel log

West to Tata I ride the stony reg alongside the road. The WR takes the transition like a duck to water

Why is the chain so slack? Because you fitted a 13T, idiot! The old brane is going.
I pull in at Tagmout to blag an open 12 which I forgot too. Barely accessible chain adjusting lock nuts look cheap. Bring back snail cams!

A lovely spot up the road to Igherm I recall from 1999 in our HJ61 (below), before it was a road.

Nightfall in Igherm. But within an hour a riot flared up and the whole place got torched. Crazy!
I buy a 12mm for 80p. Morocco is easy like that.

Been looking forward to doing the lovely MW3/8 route again via Tazalaght.
Last did it in 2008 on the XT660Z.  It was the so-so cover of the original edition of Morocco Overland.

My camera has got better now. You ride the river bed past palms and folded rock strata. It gets narrower later on, with big trackside boulders – not the best piste to ride on a flat twin on road tyres.

Up on the Tizkhit plateau.

I come across a new haul road and get totally confused. I follow it anyway – a good fast ride. Amazing western Anti Atlas; you can keep your Erg Chebbi

Ah ha, that clears it all up then!

I back up to a tap to refill the hydrator while eating yoghurts and bananas. I am a master of multi-tasking.

The lovely, tranquil gite at Igmir.
We were last here in a dog of a Merc 190D.
Took an hour to get out of the steep gorge, to let it cool down.
The road is sealed by the time you read this, but still a spectacular climb.

Tea and bix are served and the day’s writing up begins. Notice my sunburned hands; need to wear gloves.

Nightfall in Igmir. But it’s a Thursday so an hour of repetitive chanting from the mosque ensues.

Now that’s what I call a Full Moroccan brekkie!

Trying a tank bag for the first time in years. I think they might catch on.

They’ve nearly finished a road through the MA2 Smouguene valley, but it now bypasses the villages so takes the soul out of the original route. Same story all over Morocco but locals won’t be complaining.

The bike is on a steady 84mpg, with one burst up at 95 on that slow, over-Atlas day from Demnate. But then last year’s Honda CB500X RR did about the same AND could sit on 80mph, gale or no gale. The real (only?) benefit is 60kg (or some 30%) less weight. On the dirt that is a big, big plus.
This is why we want a ‘CRF450L’ but based on a detuned RX (or Dakar) motor.
Or a WR450R. Or a modern injected DRZ450. Or…. or…
550km to a tank is dead handy. It means you can wing it up some unknown track like that haul road just to see where it goes.

Some days I feel more gazelle than jackal.

I light out to Zag on the off chance, but as expected, get cordially turned back at the checkpoint (closed section of border road too close to Polisario HQ in Tindouf, Alg).
Should have left him the passport and had a quick look in town, anyway.

So I swing in down MW6 for Smara. Too risky to try this one alone in this heat, so I camp a 100 clicks in.
I realise it’s my first solo moto desert camp since Libya ’98 on a Funduro. I need to get out more.

Part 3   > > >