Book Chapters: 16 Arak 17 Bad Day at Laouni 18 The Far Side 19 A Blue Man 20 The Hills are Alive
After my batty Benele excursion of 1984 I brushed my hair, straightened my tie and bought myself a sensible XT600Z, just like I always knew I would. This was the slightly better 55W version of the original kick-only Tenere, distinguishable by sloping speedblocks on the tank (more here). All I did was add thicker seat foam and fit some Metzeler ‘Sahara’ tyres – a rubbish choice for the actual Sahara, as I was soon to learn. Using no rack was another mistake which nearly cost me the bike. My learning curve was still as steep and loose as a dune slip face. In fact, there was so little that needed doing to the Yamaha that I moved the oil cooler from down by the carbs up into the breeze over the bars. And I painted the bike black because I still hadn’t shaken off my juvenile Mad Max phase.
With my £5 ex-army panniers slung over the back, in December 1985 I set off for Marseille, bound for Dakar via Algeria, Niger and Mali. As I mention in the book, I was adopting a new ‘go with the flow’ strategy’. Instead of being ground down and seething with resentment by the setbacks of my previous calamities, I’d just take the reversals on the chin, bounce back, and move on. On this trip that stoic philosophy was to get a thorough road test!
Al inspects a Honda 125 #1. Thanks to this handy website – the best I’ve found for all things Dakar bikes – I was told it was the bike of Gerald Barbezant who was a DNF in ’86. .Here he is again, setting off in 1987 on his 3rd Dakar on a somewhat flashier 30-hp Skyrock MTX 125 two-stroke and getting his lurid fork gaiters admired by a lurid lady in lime green PVC. Aged 57, Gerald Barbezant went on to finish the ’93 Dakar (actually Marseille to Red Sea) on his 10th attempt riding a 125 KTM EXC. He started another four Dakars, riding 125s because ‘he never got a full bike licence’. Interview here. Fellow 2001 Dakar competitor Lawrence Hacking was not so complimentary in his book.
The route was similar to mine, but twice as fast, taking half as long and many, many times harder
From Dakar I ship the XT to Spain and fly on after it. What an adventure that was!Weeks later I got a postcard from Helmut.London to Dakar on an XT660Z Tenere. Next?!
5 thoughts on “Desert Travels • London–Dakar 1986”
Dan Zmoto
Much respect for that journey you undertook.
Several years ago I tried several times to enter Algeria overland from both sides, Tunisia and
Mauritania. No go for me carrying a US passport.
Maybe someday.
Thanks.
The crossing from Mauritania sounds pretty out there. Until recently, it was closed to all foreigners (as with many remote Saharan border crossings).
I did not know Algeria was anti-US, even back in the 80s. Usually, that happens at the visa-application stage back home. Depending on the diplomatic temperature, I’ve found it can be hit-and-miss for Brits too. They don’t reject it ouright; they just delay and delay.
Much respect for that journey you undertook.
Several years ago I tried several times to enter Algeria overland from both sides, Tunisia and
Mauritania. No go for me carrying a US passport.
Maybe someday.
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Thanks.
The crossing from Mauritania sounds pretty out there. Until recently, it was closed to all foreigners (as with many remote Saharan border crossings).
I did not know Algeria was anti-US, even back in the 80s. Usually, that happens at the visa-application stage back home. Depending on the diplomatic temperature, I’ve found it can be hit-and-miss for Brits too. They don’t reject it ouright; they just delay and delay.
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Very evocative account of when adventures really were adventures.
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Thanks Dave ;-)
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“Notice the H4 light bulb”
Nope. Noticed your rear plate was already 30% improv by that stage though, an earlier fire?
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