EDC 2016 Maroc Ride Report

Where you've been and what you done
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WIBO
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Re: 2O16 EDC Maroc Ride Report

Post by WIBO »

We arrive close to the camping spot....just as we arrive and park up our bikes...the wind is in our face and the left hand side of the sky is blue sky and the right hand side is a sand storm coming our way....directly in line with our camping.




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The group starts to run around bumping into each other like molecules after someone shouts 'Run for you lives, it's quick sand!!!!'


I explain it's only sand and not quick sand and they settle down but are afraid in case there's World War Two mines buried....I tell them just to watch where they walk.



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There's no way we'll get our tents pitched just then so we decide see if we can wait it out. We dander over to a dune and sit down with our backs to it.








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The chances of getting caught right in the middle of a sand storm, in a desert is really quite rare and I'm enjoying it immensely !!!!



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Al gets bored and gets up to dance to while away a few minutes.....


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After about 45 minutes the sand storm is only settling down a bit. As the sun will be going down soon we move to our contingency plan of riding to an auberge I know about 900m away from the camp site.

Everyone accepts this apart from Percy and Roger who start to cry with disappointment stating that they'd ridden all this way so they could sleep in a tent like they did when they were 12.


I placate them with a sweet each.....of course then everyone else then wants one.


We ride over and I speak to the family that run it...the father has the biggest hands in the world and is about 11 feet tall.




We book into the auberge.....all except Percy and Roger.....I ask the owner if Percy and Roger can put their tents up in the court yard and he allows them to. Result.


For food the others are still whining that they wanted to make camp food and they've missed the opportunity.... I arrange for us all to make our camp food in the eating room of the auberge and everyone is happy again with no sulking. We get our cookers out and go for it.




The storm relents resulting in the usual desert clear skies and we get fed.

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Last edited by WIBO on Mon Jul 10, 2023 6:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PHILinFRANCE
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Re: 2O16 EDC Maroc Ride Report

Post by PHILinFRANCE »

Some thing else riding in a sand storm isn't it B) had my last smoke after over an hour of being sand blasted so some good came out of it ...... :whistle:

So many pics/places i recognise/remember ......i gotta get back there (thumbs)
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WIBO
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Re: 2O16 EDC Maroc Ride Report

Post by WIBO »

(thumbs)


There's always next year Phil..ride down,stay here before hand with who ever and off we go!!! I'm off that day!!



:)



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Re: 2O16 EDC Maroc Ride Report

Post by WIBO »

We get up next morning bound for Zagora.



Roger is still using his Lidl's Touratwat Coleman tent that he bought a few years ago for about £12.50 or so.

I think he's replaced the poles once for about £8 so all in all it's been a good buy. He can chime in with the exact price later.


Look at his hair



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This is the auberge......


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I told every body it was just as well we didn't camp in the storm or we'd all be dead,drowned with sand in our sleep and we'd be turned into mummies.....


I showed them a picture I'd taken last time I was there.



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I paraded every one out to the wall explaining that this volume of sand blew up over night(and not over years as it has done) and they believed me..... they were pleased that we hadn't been camping overnight.




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I saunter over to the generator room to have a wee look at it.


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This old fuel tank is the silencer for the generator ...genius.





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A French retired couple were touring the desert in this Land Rover caravan....one of the group stuck a potato in their exhaust so I took it out just before I took the picture....eyes,head,back of....


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We crew up bound for Zagora and bid our farewells.....I'm reminded again about my sprocket and the fact that I might still have a chance to be left stranded.....thanks again everybody for that.


Roger holds hands with the owner for some reason......



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Al waves good bye to the owners then promptly falls off after a couple of meters...it was OK though he had filmed with his helmet cam so he'll be along later to insert it here.


I even left a space....











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WIBO
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Re: 2O16 EDC Maroc Ride Report

Post by WIBO »

The piste to Zagora is now more fluid and we can cruise along nicely.......








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Percy on a Harley Davidson




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Gordon's Yamaha XTZ750 Super Ténéré is still going well.....


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As is Jon's Yamaha Africa Transalp .......





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As is Al's Honda XR600....



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Childishly I give the rest the 'fingers' as I ride by....ho hum.


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Last edited by WIBO on Mon Jul 10, 2023 6:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: 2O16 EDC Maroc Ride Report

Post by WIBO »

Just as you leave the hard pack plains...the going turns to larger rock and stone trails. There's a great fluid piste that will lead onto another plain before you arrive at the N12, tarmac and Zagora.



Roger gets a puncture or three. I might've mentioned in the past if you seek shade whilst waiting on others, to park your moto away from the trees and saunter over to said shade....thorns drop off and live there....they can...erm....give you a puncture.....or three.



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We had already gotten to the end of the piste and after a few minutes Percy rides off to check....a 4X4 stopped him and told him Roger was back at the start of the piste with a puncture.



Great...this meant we'd get to ride it twice more again..once more to go laugh,I mean help Roger and once more back.


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Look at his hair......



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D'oh!!! Thorns here are about 50mm long by the way...


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Some dude in a Ford drives by...Signaled all is OK


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A start is made.....

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Tube placed inside tyre.....check.




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Valve inserted loosely .....check.



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A small container of professional tyre soap is even used.....check.



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As he didn't use my patented method of mounting a front tyre without pinching the tube....he promptly....erm..nipped the front tube ........that'll be the spare front tube he had just put in.....check.




I see what you did there Roger.....


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We gather round to offer verbal advice......




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We form a line to offer our opinions and to point.....




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Nobody laughs...........much....




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Roger starts to sob a little but is cheered up when Al asks him if he'd a like a sweet to cheer him up... 'Yes please!' he exclaims.


Al offers him an ironic Love Heart......


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With a scowl he went to throw it away,had second thoughts and popped it into his mouth.



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We finished up and rode the fluid piste again....excellent!!!!





















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Last edited by WIBO on Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: 2O16 EDC Maroc Ride Report

Post by WIBO »

In less than five minutes we'd pick up the blacktop that'll take us to Zagora....



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We ride on.....



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Al takes a picture of his Suzuki GT 750 on black top for the first in a whole two days.



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As we have made good time I suggest we can bimble along to Zagora, book into an hotel and watch the world go by at a garage or some such.



About 45-65 mins later we arrive at an hotel where I negotiate a price...300D with evening meal included. There's a bar and WiFi. It's the Kasbah Sirocco.



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We ride into town and go to a garage to watch the world go by. Since the owner Mohammid at garage Gorditos had died some other dude now has it.....deadpan...didn't see him smile once.


Over tea Gordon takes the opportunity to have a bit welded onto his side stand to make it easier to click down when sitting on the moto....Jon gets his rear indicator fixed and Roger orders......erm....another front tube.



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The work is carried out as we watch the world go by. The owner sends a runner to get a tube. The tube comes back at a rip off price ( €40 for a Michelin)...and the owner is promptly told so. He goes back to the tube shop himself and comes back with another lesser known make which is purchased by Roger.




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I'll be going back to the usual garage I use from now on


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Side stand getting sorted.....


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Re: 2O16 EDC Maroc Ride Report

Post by rodyorkabr »

WIBO wrote:. I'll go back to the usual garage I use from now on.
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I do hope the new owner understands fully the history & loyalty brand GORDITOS created...it's an oasis with tea!!...and lumps of honesty...is this really the case?
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Re: 2O16 EDC Maroc Ride Report

Post by WIBO »

rodyorkabr wrote:
WIBO wrote:. I'll go back to the usual garage I use from now on.
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I do hope the new owner understands fully the history & loyalty brand GORDITOS created...it's an oasis with tea!!...and lumps of honesty


Only time will tell IMO.....I'll stick to the other garages at the entrance to the town.....I've had great dealings with them to date. :)


:)



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Re: 2O16 EDC Maroc Ride Report

Post by WIBO »

On the way back to the hotel I call with the other garages to say hello. A few stickers are purchased for the motos whilst we're there. The motos are washed for a small fee. I slip the teenager washing 20D whilst the garage owner isn't looking and he's delighted.

I spy an old Honda VFR and tale a pic


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I was looking for an old typical moto to take a picture of but couldn't find one anywhere....





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I didn't get my bike washed as they'd only wash places I didn't want washed :)



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Look.... a Toyota is broken


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Chains getting oiled....

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We finish off for the day and head back to the hotel to relax.



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In the evening we dine and go on a bender.


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Last edited by WIBO on Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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