Motorbike rental in Morocco
 

Does anyone know if it's possible (or advisable) to hire bikes in Marrakech. I've found the occasional reference to scooters, but they seem fairly vague.

We only going for a week, but I figure it'd be a good way to get out of the city.

just for the record (I know this post is old)

try loc2roues location motos scooters quads marrakech maroc i have hired there twice, range of bikes, proper outfit

steffan roberts
steffanroberts 88 yahoo.co.uk

Motorbike rental in Morocco
 

If you don't have the time to spend riding through France and Spain, you might want to consider renting bikes to tour Morocco, either on tarmac or mixed tarmac/piste. Depending on what bike you chosse, a nine-day fly/ride trip from the UK with a seven-day motorbike hire could cost £1000-1200 including flights, bike hire, fuel, accommodation and food/drink.

The entries below are sorted north to south.

Hana and David at MotoAdvenTours are based near Málaga in southern Spain and have R1200GS bikes to rent. They also offer accompanied tours both in Spain and Morocco for small groups of riders (two or more). There's something to be said about entering Africa by ferry and Algeciras to Tanger Med (post #5 on this thread is the best route). MotoAdvenTours also have a bike storage facility, so last year I kept my Tenere there and flew into Málaga on cheap flights several times during the year to pick it up and ride in Morocco.

I and my friends have used Loc2Roues (French for 'hire two wheels') in Marrakech five times and have been happy with the bikes and the service provided. Noureddine and Celine have G650GS single, F650GS twin and R1200GS options plus lighter weight motorbike and scooter alternatives. New for 2012 is the G650GS Sertao. You can also use their helmets, protective gear, luggage, etc.

Peter Buitelaar at BikersHome in Ouarzazate (bus ride from Marrakech over the Atlas Mountains) has several Yamaha TT600 bikes. You can rent these for unaccompanied tours and after discussions on riding ability and the types of scenery you like, Peter will download GPS routes for you to follow on a Garmin 60 receiver. He also has two 4x4 vehicles so there are other options including a mixed tour whereby partners can accompany the bikes in a 4x4. BikersHome is a great place to head for anyway and Zineb (Peter's wife) is a great cook. Meals taken at Bikershome 'en famille' are a great way to meet other travellers.

Finally, there are of course bike tour companies such as Wilderness Wheels in Ouarzazate run by Peter Grey. As far as I'm aware WW only offers accompanied tours, so you would be riding in a group on a set route.

All the above people are reliable and trustworthy. I've known them several years and I fully recommend them.

There's also a bike rental place in Agadir called Agadir Motos who have Transalps, Teneres and XT660R bikes. I have no experience of this company other than meeting some of their clients on the road. If anyone has used them or other companies in Morocco I'd appreciate information.

Tim

.

Loc2roues is definitely preferable to Atlantic motos in Agadir. Prices are quite similar but Atlantic motos will promise you the earth over the phone (decent off-road tyres eg) and will wrangle with you about the condition of the bike on return to make more money.

Just met a group of four Dutch guys who rented Honda XR250 Tornados from Atlantic Moto at around €45/day.

I am one of those. We rented 4 Honda Tornado 250's from Atlantic Moto. It is a good rental place, maintanance of the bikes was good. Tires were road tires, good enough for most pistes.
We broke a brake lever, a tire and a gear lever axle, and we had to pay for that, it was a fair price.

last year i rented from Loc2roues, but I would recommend Atantic moto above loc2roues, although loc2roues is also a great rental place.

Just came back to Norway after 10 days on motorbike in Morocco. Rented bikes at Agadir Motos - JOUATOURS. We were four guys that flew to Casablanca since the airline tickets were cheapest to that city. Jouatours came up from Agadir and delivered the bikes at our hotel and we also returned the bikes in Casablanca. We had the bikes from Oct 7.th - Oct 15.th. We had two Tenerés and two XT660R. Three of them with a top box and one with soft side bags. We had the option to have a mechanic coming with us, but rejected that. We drove approx 2500 km and had no problem at all. All bikes were in good condition and had brand new tires. We payed about 85 Euros per day, per bike. This was 10 Euros under normal high season rent. Low season is 65 Euros. My experience with Agadir Motos were all positive.

Our experience with Loc (4 bikes + car)
 

We ended up with 2 XR250 Tornados (~20,000km; air-cooled + big oil cooler, tall suspension, electric start), a Sertao with racks (45,000km) and I chose a Husky Terra (13000km).
Week+ rates were 5000dh/day for the 250s and 8000 for the 650s.
I established beforehand that all the bikes had engine bars and/or bashplates, plus barkbusters so the usual slow speed spills didn’t damage anything. Tanks were near empty.
Tyres on the 650s were road (‘trail’) tyres but worked surprisingly well on the dry piste if treated accordingly. Those bikes were way too heavy to chuck about anyway.
The XRs had knobblies on the front.

A 5th, less experienced XR rider decided to rent a car instead, but as it was stick, that required a driver too.
Loc quickly came up with a solution: 1000/day for a near-new Pajero and 300/day for the driver. Fuel was extra and as far as I know at most places the driver got free lodging.
The benefits of a car meant we could chuck our bags plus a heap of water in the back and have a local on hand to help solve problems/get good prices. Mustapha (not much English) was an enthusiastic and helpful guy, followed us wherever we went without complaint. If anyone wants his mobile number PM me.

I brought my own pump, repair kit, levers and regular tools and asked in advance for a tube for each tyre size plus tools to remove the different wheels and a fuel can (not needed).
Got it all but turned out only the BMW had tools but not the right Torx to loosen a Husky front wheel. I didn’t have the right Torx either.
Realised later my Husky had a slow front puncture on departure (steering felt heavy; should have checked). That led to overheating on the rough road up to the Test, a bigger puncture, a bad repair by the village vulcaniser (was trying to save the new 21” for later) which gave out soon on the first piste.
After a new tube no probs, apart from a nail in the back tyre near Tinerhir. Needed a car to break the bead on that, and lots of pressure to get it fully back on. Clearly I was the puncture magnet on this trip.

That front wheel removal somehow softened the Husky’s front brake which we only partly fixed with a mini-bleed. After that I got used to it.
From the outset I was told the ABS didn’t work.
The FI was not so good either on my Terra, cutting out when warming up and bogging from low revs. I know it’s a high comp engine but the one I rode last year was fine. I suppose Husky diagnostics are hard to come by in Marrakech.

I rode all the other bikes at one point or another:
The XR Tornados (not sold in UK AFAIK) made the piste effortless and could sit on 100kph on the road and return up to 95mpg. Both the XR riders were dirt and even road biking novices and were amazed what they could do on rough climbs which Andy B (ex Desert Rider) and me found barely sustainable on the 650s.
A couple of bulbs blew.

The well-used Sertao lacked the tightness of the Terra and felt much heavier which made it a dog on the piste. But the softer tuned engine was easier to manage than the Husky and first felt lower. The Sertao was by far the comfiest bike on the road and at times more economical than one of the XRs. It used 20% less fuel than the Husky. Rear light assembly broke off on the piste.

Even with the 21” wheel the Husky Terra made a brilliant Super Moto-style road bike, but like the BM, rocky Moroccan pistes give the bike and you quite a beating. Amazing that nothing broke.

Nourdine was relaxed when we brought the grubby bikes back and I was not charged for the tubes I used.

Now I know what they offer I would happily use Loc again to run another tour. My front slow puncture can be excused, the hesitant efi I learned to live with and I should have splashed out on some brake fluid to fix the front but never got round to it.

With the Husky out of my system next time I’ll just rent an XR. They’re tall but so pleasant to ride. Lowering seemed to require removing the back wheel but they’ll do that in the garage for you.

To get to Loc (Google street address is way off) take the 19 bus from the airport (30d), takes about 30 mins to wind its way around to a stop just northwest of Place du Novembre 16. Even then, I would have saved myself a sweaty hour's tramping by putting a marker for Loc (+ their nearby hotel suggestion) in the satnav.

For the lodgings we used on our 10-day circuit, see this.

Fuller Husky review on my www shortly and a trip report here.

Ch

Myself and a friend have rented Sertao's from Nourdine twice this past year and have found him to be a very straight and helpful guy.

We rented two Sertao's in January this year practically as new and again in October when the bikes had taken a lot of punishment since. A battery went in one which Nourdine replaced and my Sertao leaked oil onto my left foot throughout the trip. Otherwise OK and quite a comfy bike to ride.

Anyways, a happy customer of Loc and will use them again especially now that Ryan Air are flying directly from Dublin to Marrakesh starting in April 2014

Chris a question, I'm heading down there again in May 2014 for two weeks and as my missus is coming I'm planning on renting a 4x4, does Nourdine rent out the jeep without a driver, just wondering as I can contact him beforehand anyway.
JD
Attachment 11027

I'm going to Merzouga next february by car, I would like to a 1 day motorcycle trip in the area. is there a motorcycle rental or guides tour operator in Merzouga?

Nothing official that I've seen, you might find something if you ask around but it would probably not include insurance.

The nearest would likely be Wilderness Wheels or MotoAventures in Ouarzazate, but I don't think they will rent bikes unless as part of a tour.

Location Moto Marrakech / PalmeKech Rental
 

Hi there,

we are looking for a Honda Tornado 250 rental (3 bikes) in Morocco for 8 days in October. We emailed several recommended places, but none of them have 3 of these bikes available when we need them.

So far Location Moto Marrakech / PalmeKech Rental (motorbike rentals in marrakesh morocco, scooter rental in marrakesh morocco) could offer us the bikes, but we have no idea whether that rental place is any good or not. Has anyone rented from them before? Can the place be recommended?

Thanks in advance,
Peer

Quick update about Palme Kech bikes: The rental went pretty smooth. The 3 bikes were ok, no mechanical problems in a week. 2 out of 3 speedos didn't work and the rear tire of one bike was near its end. Otherwise, the tires were pretty new. No problems with the company, we dealt with a nice guy who spoke English (seemed to be the owner). We broke one mirror glass, but were not charged extra for it.

Negative bits: They are crap at responding to emails (especially in English) and they don't accept credit cards for the payment. Also, they said we shouldn't go offroad, although we specifically asked for that in the beginning by email, before renting. Therefore, we ignored the request. No questions about that or the amount of dirt on the bikes were asked when we returned the bikes.

All in all we would rent from them again.

Hi all!
4 Dutchies are about to book a trip in Morocco. Loc2Roues unfortunately has no more XR250's available in May 2015. I see one good review on Atlantic Moto City from a year or two ago. Does anybody have more recent experience with them?

And a question on the XR250's: were you guys able to carry sufficient luggage on it? We're considering to carry camping gear. We'll be eating the delicious Moroccan food in restaurants but thought it would be great to sleep outside.

Thank you!!

We are currently on Loc XRs. Brilliant little bikes - 250km + range, but camping would be a faff. Keep it simple: in Mk demi pension from 200ds. Not had a bad meal yet.
Sure glad we've not camped last 2 nights.

Ch

Hi everybody, I rented a Transalp from Atlantic Moto in Marrakech for 12 days on Christmas holidays. I asked a quotation to Jouatours, loc2routes, Palme Kech but Atlantic Moto offered me the best price.
The motorcycle was good enough with an exception of the rear tyre that was in bad conditions: old, cooked, hardened and worn out (less than 2mm thick at the center). It's no possible to rent a motorcycle for 12 days with a tyre in similar conditions.
Anyway we finished our travel (2850 km) without problems but the thickness became 0 mm.
For the rest Atlantic Moto is good. We had the motorbike with side bags, 2 inner tube, tools and a moroccan sim card all included. Drop-in and drop-off was directly at the our hotel.
That is my experience.

M2R in Marrakech for bike hire
 

No ones mentioned M2R in Marrakech which may in fact be the same lot as Loc2Roue. We've rented Honda XR250 Tornados on several occasions & will be again this April for 10 days riding the deserty bit Foum Zgoud to Merzouga.
Contacting Chakib at M2R is a bit hit & miss but seems to pan out ok.n

Quick word on recent rental in Morocco:

This May, we rented four XR250 Tornado's from Atlantic moto. Rear tires were new, front tires quite worn. One bike broke down due to a electric failure but we had it fixed in Ouazarzate. Apart from that the bikes were great, very competent off road and relatively fuel efficient (approx 25km per liter). We carried a lot of luggage on the back - including tents - which went fine.

In total we broke a few levers and license plate and a mirror. They charged us reasonable prices for what we broke. Mohcine picked us up from the airport, brought us to a hotel and was very helpful.

I'd be happy to rent from him again.

Casablanca rental
 

Hi,
For this who want to ride the North of the country or fly there a good option is Wheels of Morocco (whelsofmorocco.ma or .net)- previously adventure-rent before they merged (adventure-rent.com). They offer guided tours but also bike rental and they cater for specific needs if you advise in advance. The advantage they have is they get you the bikes to Rabat, Fes or Casablanca airport directly if you want. Have a couple of friends from Lebanon and US who used them and were satisfied by the service and knowledge. They provide good advice on best roads, accommodation and stuff.
They have a fleet of BMs that are all brand new (12GS, 700 and 800).
They can be contacted via mail or phone for queries and booking. They also provide the option of deposit in EUR on EU account.

Have a safe ride and enjoy Morocco!

I just used M2R for an XR for a week. Not the same as Loc (who are aka BM Attitude)
I know M2R are established but it initially felt dodgy.
The address is a street corner in central Marrakech.
There is a board and a bike there - they turned up with the bike on a trailer, took the rental in cash (paypal deposit paid a few weeks earlier) and the deposit on a credit card machine. No receipt for that.
Did offer to deliver to my hotel.
On return they checked the bike over - all OK - and said the deposit had been cancelled automatically.
Sounded odd - but turns out they never took it in the first place.
I dicked them about with dates, shortening from 3 to 1 week as Loc bikes became available, which M2R all took in their stride.

Bike was pretty good: ’11,000km’ worn front tire, good back, lowered (too low for me) sticky electric start button, chain broke on day 2 (village mechanic came and shortened for 60dh) but used no oil and very economical.

Fyi M2R do not have an AT as shown on the www - that’s probably just for show.

Would rather not use again if leading groups (usually I BYO). But on my own trip would take the chance.

Worn chains/sprox and chassis/wheel bearings area a common complaint with trail bike rentals. I sensed something was wrong with the chain first night but sprox looked OK - did not clock the breaking split link until too late. By chance met Nourdine from Loc later that day - he gave me a spare link.

On a 701 this week - should be fun ;-)

https://saharaoverland.files.wordpre...1/t2-16-20.jpg

Bike hire in Marrakech
 

I'm planning to hire a bike for a week in Marrakech later this month. Would I be better trying to arrange this beforehand from the UK or is it likely I would get a better deal by visiting the hire places when I get there? I've come across a web site rentalmotorbike.com which offers bikes all over the world including Marrakech but a search of local companies only seem to offer scooters or lightweight trail bikes. I need a larger bike suitable for 2 up with luggage.

Reliable company: loc2roues location motos scooters marrakech maroc

Me and 3 friends used Loc2Roues. Great service and well prepared bikes - we'd certainly use them again in the future.

They are brokers using local companies such as M2R to fulfill bookings. My concern would be who is responsible if the bikes aren't available when you arrive, or if there are problems. Your contract will be with the broker, not the company actually providing the bikes.

We are now back from Morocco. We did use loc2roues and I can't fault them. I wanted a 650 GS but it wasn't available when I first enquired so I provisionally arranged for a Honda XR 250. When we got there I had doubts about pillion comfort and being able to carry our luggage. Fortunately the 650 GS had unexpectedly become available so we took that with panniers. Originally we had planned to go across to Ouarzazate and then work our way south west to the coast but the threatened bad weather combined with our summer riding gear put us off so we headed for the coast at Essaouira and then followed it south for a while before heading back to Marrakech. We didn't do a huge mileage and instead of moving on each day as originally intended we spent 4 of the nights in Agadir and went on day rides from there. We spent our last night at a wonderful place called the Berber Heritage Center near Imintanoute and after an evening in the company of a local Berber family and their friends we felt we had experienced some of the "real" Morocco.
The bike was well prepared with good tyres and behaved faultlessly while we had it.
Those of you who know us will know that any trip where we don't experience a visit to a local hospital has been a successful trip.:clap:

After reading through the very helpful comments in this thread we have decided upon Atlantic Moto at Marrakech and placed a deposit for 3 XR Honda 250 Tornado's ($40.00 Euro per day - 14 days) commencing 2nd December 2017.
We have Atlantic Moto address as AVENUE ABDELKRIM AL KHATTABI - MARRAKECH - MOROCCO – this appears to be a very long street so does anyone know their actual street number or a close reference landmark that we can search on google maps. Any feedback or recommendations on nearby accommodation would also be greatly appreciated.

Rent motorbike in marrakech
 

We rent 2 Honda xr tornado from 14 to 21 october.
Marrakech
45 euro / day / 1 motorbike
They was bad, no brake, no suspension, no power
During the trip they change one bike cause gear lever is out of order
The new one is the same......no good......
The best was .......Marocco, 1800 km.
Merzouga zagora dades todra tizi n tazazert and so on

M2R rent in marrakech

Greetings

The new BMW 310s are in at Loc.
My impression here.

atlantic moto in Marakkech
 

We are three guys from Germany / France and in Sept ´16 we were looking for moto rental in Marakkech. we hired in advance and online months before 3 Tornados by Atlantic Motos . good communication in english and of course in french. We asked in advance for good maintained bikes, we informed the enterprise of our plan to cross Atlas Mountains and we asked for helmets. Everything no problem, was the answer.
The day we arrived they offered us 3 Tornados, two of them in really bad conditions, tires without profile, bad gearboxes, no speedometers. We asked for the manger/boss and refused those two bikes. But the boss didn´t agree, he didn´t offer other bikes by saying there are no other bikes. Although we saw at least one newer Tornado in better conditions. We were forced to accept those bad bikes. So we took those bikes and in the following ten days we had nine breakdowns in the middle of nowhere, everytime because of the bad tires. We had to buy and change one rear-tire by ourself. That costed a lot of time, there was no funny enduro-riding, because we were always afraid of the next coming breakdown.

Sorry, but my recommendation:Hands off!!!!!!!:nono: from ATLANTIC MOTO in Marakkech!

best regards
Quincho

Quick note on bike rental there. People should totally tone down their expectations. Bikes are expensive there and are considered a “luxurious” item under import tax code and as such are taxed at a higher rate. This makes bikes very expensive. This in return makes it hard for small business owners to buy nice bikes, maintain them properly and still turn a profit.

Owners are likely to try to cut corners here and there. Also, when they assure you bikes are in great shape, understand that’s just salesman talk trying to make the deal happen.


So no it will not be fun enduro as someone above suggested. Some busiensses may have newer KTM bikes but expect to pay a (higher?!) premium. ( cause even beaten up bikes are rented at a premium...)

marrakesh end oct 18
 

loc2roues are fully booked at end oct '18so we've found
Location Motos Marrakech
who have tornados (or xt660z's) for hire
has anyone any experience with this company ??

Many Thx

I don't but I'm generally skeptical of businesses that post stock photos of bikes instead of the actual bikes pics. but in morocco that maybe just bad website design.

If you re really planning something serious, you need to have an idea what the bikes are like. If you just need something to get around and you dont really care then it doesnt mattter. I think if you lower your expectations you wont be disappointed.


this is their other website. also is their facebook page below

type these keywords in google to see google reviews "location moto marrakech palmkech"

Location scooters Marrakech, location moto Marrakech, quad Marrakech

https://www.facebook.com/palmekech/

facebook page shows actual bike pics they look good but again if the other rental biz are booked up, you have to check what's available...

the pics on facebook are dated april of this year so fairly recent but check.
They have whatsapp on their webpage you can always request them to take pics of the bikes and text them to you

let us know how it goes please. customer service, first contact impressions etc.

good luck

Thx for inputs. As an update ..
loc2roues recommended m2r.ma I was excited as they offer tornados -and- crf250l's … silly boy for getting excited.

After ignored web forms and emails I realised the best way to talk to Morroco folk is via WhatsApp … and after further days of half-baked comms m2r said they could not help.

So I have booked 3 xt660's with palmkeck and paid deposit via bank xfer (not western-union cash!). Good (for morocco) comms in English with chats and calls on WhatsApp.

I think tornados are hard to hire, and unconvinced with bmw 310's (I'm 6'2") Will report back after hire.

Hi,
I rented a XT660R at Palmekech for two week in march 2018. (I had the blue bike on the facebook pictures.) It had a lot of scratches, the front light was depressed and the rear tire was half used but I took it anyway because the engine started without problems and it sounded good.
After a few days the right suspension fork leaked oil which I led repair for ca. 40€ in Zagora. Palmekech did not give me the money for the repairs and they said I have to pay for everything what happens during the time. As a tip, you better clarify this before you pay at the beginning of your trip.
All in all I had a great time in morocco and enjoyed driving with the XT660R, its a nice bike :-).

No more XRs from Loc
 

Other rental outfits may keep them on, but the unkillable Honda XR250 Tornados are no longer being rented by Loc In Marrakech. They kept the last 4 runners – some with > 100,000 kms – on for me, but they've already been replaced by BMW 310GSs.
The BMs make brilliant bendy backroad bikes and are more economical, newer and a bit lower, but are clearly less suited to gnarlier pistes and some struggled to start at < 5°C temps (a known issue).
Some Loc 310s were adapted with tubed, G650GS wire wheels (with ABS sensor issues) plus better, do-it-all Mitas E-07 tyres, but they have at least as many (or have retro-fitted?) original tubeless cast wheels on some. For the moment these have the less handy Anakee road tyres. Hopefully they'll wear out soon and will be replaced by E-07s or similar, while retaining the tubelessness.
Over effectively '24,000-bike-kilometres' in November, tubeless tyres kept the show on the road on three occasions.

More detailed report on the 310s on my AMWebsite shortly. First impression of the new bikes from a few months ago is here.

Hi everbody,

I am orginising a trip to Morocco for 15 days on motorbike for me and my friends. I had the intention to rent the motorbikes form Loc but they have rented out all their motorbikes during the 21 september-04 october period.

I would like to know if there are any other places in Marakesh that I can rent bikes in late september?

Your replies will be most appreciated.

Kind Regards

Saydun

Atlantic Moto
 

We rented six tornados with Atlantic Moto in Agadir this month. Despite their age, the bikes were in good shape and we did not encounter any technical issues. Communication (via mail) was easy and straightforward. Overall we were very satified. They also have office in Marrakech, move the bikes from one office to the other, depending where people need them.

Which bikes would you recommend?
 

Hi all

Speaking with Atlantic Moto + others at the moment.
By far the cheapest rental seems to be the Honda XR 250s

From reading these posts - the guru on everything bikes in morocco seems to be Chris Scott!

For two lads trying to do a circuit from Marrakesh down to Taroudant, then over via Gorges Dande to Merzouga for some fun in the sand and then up via Errachidia to Fez, Chefchaouven, Rabat and back down to Marrakesh.

What bikes would you recommend - you seem to be a fan of the XR250s. Can they do the round trip?
Or would the XT 660 R be more ....comfortable but maybe less fun to whip around (think you mentioned they struggle in some places!) ??

Appreciate any help!

Cheers guys

Chris

Hi Chris, both will be great but a lot depends on the condition of the bikes.
It sounds like AM are OK.
The XR is taller but much lighter. If you plan on doing lots of pistes, it will be much more fun.
But it sounds like you have quite a long road ride going way up north, so the bigger bike may be less effortful on main roads.

Cheap bike rentals - https://bikesbooking.com It was super easy to book and the prices are lower than all other competitors

I rented a bike from Marrakesch Roues in Marrakech for 12 days on Christmas holidays.

Thanks for the recommendation. What about petrol on my path? Should I purchase a portable canister in case I run out of petrol on my pathway or are there enough petrol stations on the way?

Morocco is a civilized country, with good roads, a large population and a great many motor vehicles. All of the latter need fuel, so there are vast numbers of people almost everywhere who're eager to provide. Don't fret.

But: the kind of information you're asking is more easily found with simple Google searches than by asking here. It took me ~15 seconds to find the distance from Marrakesh to Tizi N Tchika. Once you start looking for information on your own, you're sure to come across this site: https://sahara-overland.com/2018/12/...rnative-roads/ .

Bike rental
 

Thank you, Chris, for guiding me to this thread.

We're looking to rent two bikes in Marrakech for a week-long tour around Morocco at the beginning of April.

From this thread I got that loc2roues location motos scooters marrakech maroc is a possibility.
We've also found these two places:
https://wheelsofmorocco.net
http://www.m2r.ma/us/?___from_store=fr

Any opinions on these places?
Also, is fully comp insurance usually available?

Sorry if some of this has already been covered, first-timer here.

Many thanks,
Silvio

I have been using Loc for years. No complaints but I miss the old Tornadoes replaced with 310GS.

I used M2R once - Tornado was a bit clapped-out and the roadside rendezvous/collection felt a bit dodgy (it wasn't).
I see they now show CRF250Ls - better than a 310 on the dirt.
I assume they're for real. Not all bikes shown on the website were available - or even existed?

Wheels I thought do tours mostly - may be good for well-equipped road bikes.

No such thing as fully comp afaik. Just the bare minimum.
You pay a deposit and pay for damage, if there is any.

April is a busy time - you may want to get in there quick.

If the price is the same, consider a 750GS. It will be a year old.
I used one last November - very nice.

https://adventure-motorcycling.com/2...200-km-review/

Ktm 790
 

I see Loc in Marrakech have got couple of 790s to rent now.
Same price as an 800GS.

Hello!

Thanks so much for this thread. I am planning a trip out to Morocco in October this year and it has been super helpful.

Although Loc seem like the best I am pretty set on renting the XR250's so it looks like atlantic moto will be the best option even though they have gotten a few dodgy reviews. If anyone can correct me on this and recommend somewhere better to get XR250's from then please do let me know!

We are planning to do a loop from Marrakech across to Merzouga and it is very early days in our planning. If anyone can direct me to any info on good possible routes that would be awesome. We are planning to do a fast couple of days out to Merzouga and then 7ish days back (just because of meeting other people).

Also any tips you might have about rental, gear to take, spares/repairs would be much appreciated.

I'll look forward to feeding back after the trip on how it went!

I agree a Tornado is a lot more fun on the trails than a podgy 310 (providing you're not too short) but bear in mind they will be 10 years old now. (Nothing newer than 2011, afaik)
When Loc got rid of theirs they had ~100,000k on the clocks.
That is rental kms, so they will be well and truly shagged if not looked after.
And in Morocco, they tend to only fix when it's broken/worn right out.

https://adventure-motorcycling.com/2...xr250-tornado/

Common neglect includes head bearings, weak back drums brakes, grabby clutches, high oil consumption plus worn chains and sprockets. The one time I rented from somewhere other than Loc (not Atlantic) the noisy chain broke on day 2. Luckily I knew people nearby and we managed to cut out a couple of links and pin it together.

Then, of course, it will be punctures due to worn tyres or too low tyre pressures. So you need spare tubes and the tools to do the job, including reinflation. If I were you I would also make sure the wheel nuts have not been torqued down like a brake caliper before you leave the garage. Patches and glue (and menders) are found in every small town.

If there are a few of you then solving small problems will be part of the adventure.

As for routes, there are all sorts of great ways of getting back from Merzouga, but October will still be hot down south.
Best to study a map
https://sahara-overland.com/2014/12/27/morocco-maps/
other ride reports, this forum and maybe put up your own itinerary and ask for opinions here.
Be aware that many beginners over-estimate what they can do in a day.

Hey Chris, thanks so much for the useful advice. I'll save your recommendations for giving the bike a check over & tool packing list.

I'm wondering if based off what you say about the XR250's it would be wise to look for something else.... Are there any equivalents to the Tornado that any of the rental places in Marrakech hire out? I saw one place that had a fleet of KTM 450's but they sadly seemed to be for guided tours only.

Yep I will definitely be doing some map studying to find some good looking routes there and back. Am thinking we're probably going to have to stick to main roads to get out to Merzouga quickly, but hopefully can find some more interesting routes on the way back.

Peter Gray sold Wilderness Wheels last year but it's still operating under new ownership. Peter Gray and Peter Buitelaar did a tour with WW bikes a couple of months ago.

My preference on maps is the Reise KnowHow. Amazon lists this as a 2015 version but it's the 2020 version with both old and new road numbering shown, see https://www.amazon.co.uk/Morocco-Rei.../dp/3831773068

For very basic routing advice... try to avoid the N (national) roads and instead where possible use R (regional) and P (provincial) as these will be quieter, safer, more interesting and sometimes also faster. Scenic routes are indicated on both the Reise KnowHow and Michelin maps as green edged.

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the advice regarding mapping. I love getting the map out and coming up with routes so will get the one you sent over ordered. A nice addition to the collection! We'll definitely aim for all the R and P roads.

I have emailed WW to see if rental is possible. I have also received a reply from AM saying they are happy to rent the XR250's but am now a bit unsure based on what has been said about the condition of them. Will message them back and ask them what they reckon....

If we were to not go for the Tornado's would there be a bike in particular that you'd recommend as a good way to get around the Morocco roads?

Shame that the rental places don't seem to stock any enduro or lighter bikes as standard (other than the old Tornado's).

Thanks for all the help.

No one's going to rent out highly-strung dirt racers like KTM450s because they need too much looking after compared to a Jap trail bike.

You'd think there must be someone with CRF250Ls or similar but for the moment they are squeezing every last mile from the remaining Tornados. Most renters mistakenly think they are too small for Morocco, go bigger and pay the price on the dirt.

Bear in mind I am giving you the worst-case scenario with Tornados.
In all the many, many laps I did with them - 7 bikes at a time - only 2 ever DNF'd.
One broke a cable (luckily we had a pickup on that trip), the other blew its output sprocket seal – amazing just a mile from the garage coming back in.

I would say rent from Atlantic, check the bike properly before you leave, now knowing what to look for, and hope for the best. Whatever assurances you're given in advance, assume it will be b/s on the day.
You will need to nurse them. Take them out for a thrash on Erg Chebbi and something will break.

On the road you soon get used to the poor brakes, dodgy shifting, and worn-out chassis bearings. The important things are the state of tyres (and tubes inside) + the chain and sprockets.
If you plan to get very high (2000m+) you will find they struggle, but keep going.

BTW, I see Loc have moved round the corner:
https://www.facebook.com/13177627022...0446995349154/
Hopefully no more sweaty tramping down the spiral ramp in the dark.
(the website still gives the old location)

Just an update on this.

I messaged M2R as they seemed to have CRF250L's. I initially got a response, but since then I have had radio silence for 2 weeks. Is this normal?

I quite want to crack on with getting the trip booked but also don't want to be rude by messaging asking if we can proceed with booking as they said they'd verify the dates and get back to me. Have messaged once to ask about another thing, which they've seen but no reply.

They have a website where you can book but not sure if that is a more risky way to go about it...? Website: Honda CRF250L - Location

Maybe I'm being overly pushy expecting quicker replies that are the norm here in the uk...

Ask to see an actual picture of the machine to be rented (and all the other fabulous machines they offer...), not a brochure shot from the Honda website.
They might say 'oh sorry, they are all rented out for those dates'.
When I rented from M2R, he rocked up opposite a flash cafe plaza downtown with the bike on a trailer and a portable card reader, though the implication was M2R were based was there.
It all felt very dodgy and the Tornado was in bad shape (no surprise) but the transaction went through OK and the bike scraped through.
This sort of disingenuousness is why I prefer to work with Loc.

Atlantic motors
They are hard to find as they keep there bikes in an underground car park , near the station ..................:scooter: 250 :scooter:450...:scooter:790 !!

Hi, thanks for the information, very useful as I am planning a trip next month! Any new/other places that haven't been mentioned yet?

Noureddine at Loc2roues has an impressive fleet, here's about 12 of his larger bikes which are mainly BMW 1250GS, BMW 750/850GS and a couple of KTM 790s (I believe the guy in the photo is a Slovenian customer).

As well as renting bikes Noureddine also organises tours and I believe his Facebook posts are public viewing: https://www.facebook.com/noureddine.said.3

The 790s are alongside newer 890s now and they're getting more of them.
These may be big bikes but at least on the 790 I saw, the wide seat looks really low for a bike of this type.
There's talk of getting some 390s once business starts moving again, but the 310s seem to be doing OK.
They're ditching the two 850GSs which have proved to be unreliable (camchain tensioner?); the more road oriented 750GS I tried one time is solid. So are the 1200/1250 boxers.

For Brits especially, fly & ride was a good option to riding across France to catch a 40+ -hour ferry to Morocco.
A rental may not be the bike of your choice but you save over a week in getting there and various Covid hoops.
The current suspension of direct UK flights is easily dodged via France or Spain (unless they too are suspended).

Loc have a new website, fyi. The old loc url redirects to:
https://bm-attitude.com/location-moto/

Hi Chris, Tim and and everyone!

Great thread!

A few years ago, I had quite a bad experience renting a XR250 Tornado in Marrakech, from "Palmekech" or "location-moto-marrakech": odometer was purposedly blocked by the renters, so it made it quite challenging to follow Chris' trails from the Morocco Overland book...

Also for the last day & 1/2, I had every time to push start the bike, fortunately I was back on tarmac and not on the southern trails anymore...

Reading your advices it looks like Atlantic Moto & M2R are the most reliable renters, and it looks like M2R have a CRF250 available?

Wanted to know if anyone had a rental company to recommend to rent a not too worn CRF 250, KLX 250 or equivalent ideally in Marrakech?

Thank you!

Based on my single experience with M2R, I would not go back.
A clapped out Tornado with problems from day 1 - but I suppose it did get me back.

Just as before, their website shows loads of stock photos of amazing machines.
But their actual gallery has the usual BMWs and maybe a few old Tornados.

I would ask to see a photo of the actual CRF250L they will rent you before taking it further. I tried this once with their AT and got no reply.

Could be wrong, but I don't believe anyone rents CRF 250Ls in Mk; the import hoops are too numerous for the huge cost. All they ever had were the as-good Tornados made in Latin America (police still use them). But the rentals are all over 10 years old now and they can no longer be imported.

For peace of mind I would sooner rent a more street oriented 310GS from Loc.
It is possible some of the places in southern Spain may rent a 250L - and not insist you join them on a tour. But I think we would have heard about it by now.
Big road bikes are more popular all round.

Marrakech Roues?
 

I haven’t seen anyone other than guycassode258 talk about Marrakech Roues here, but I’ve been emailing with them about renting some Royal Enfield Himalayans for a 3 week trip. Quick response time and seemingly professional, so far so good, though I haven’t asked for proof of the bikes yet. I found them through Riderly then contacted them directly through their website before I discovered the info in this helpful thread. If we’re building a list that’s more than Loc and M2R, I’ll add that one, but can’t vouch for it yet. Anyone have experience with them and care to share? Guycassode258?

We also saw some Tornados available somewhere… can’t remember where, I will update once I find it again, but hoping they aren’t the last remaining of the 10+ year old dregs mentioned here.

Marrakech Roues is asking 70€ per day (after a 10€ per day discount for the extended rental) for the Enfields. Is that a good price? It’s about 400€ over the total for the Tornados but seems appropriate for the bike.

We love Royal Enfields after riding them in India, especially since I’m short and sick of tipping in front of the locals at every stop (can’t show my face in Colombia again after the Kawasaki Incident of 2017), but are they good for Morocco? I like a mix of off-road and paved, and in 3 weeks we could cover decent ground but will be more north-south, probably not farther east than Ouarzazate I think since we want to get as far south as possible. But who knows, I guess the bikes may help us make that decision.

Cheers

Had a quick look at the website but can't see any evidence of Himalayans. A few of Tornados there. Doubt they'll be any younger than the original ~2011 intake. Had anyone been available to import more (from South America) many would happily have done so.
I will be in Mk next week though won't have free time in Marrakech for another week or more. I may pop down and ask about the Hims (sourced from Turkey, afaik). 700dh seems in the ballpark for a Him.
I know that I'd sooner tool around backcountry Mk on a Him than a 310GS, providing it's been well looked after; a tall order with a rental after a year or two.

I had a great time there on my Him in 2019 all the way down to Western Sahara. That's the bike on the right on the cover of the current AMH.

Marrekech Roues?
 

Thanks Chris, so great to get your opinions. Diving into your Overland blog as well.

D'oh - Marrakech Roues did actually provide proof of the Hims, without prompt - just noticed they attached a real (not stock) photo of a bike to their original email response to me. Looking further, they seem to have a good social media presence (on Facebook and Insta), and I'm seeing the Hims in action there too. Seems quite legit, though it would be great to hear from others who have had experience with them. I might have to be the one to report back on my own question after our trip in April.

Found the Tornados we saw. I think this is a different company, not Loc? Called Moto 2 Sahara Berbere. No idea of reputation, but continuing to grow this list.

We're far from signing an agreement yet, but a problem mentioned here is charges on return of the bike. Is any charge a concern, or just unreasonable charges? Not sure what to make of this. In other places I've toured, we bust up the bikes pretty good while off-roading, but we pay for the cost of any service needed on the road (which is usually very cheap), then because the bike has had half its parts replaced with new by the time we get back, they've never charged me extra. I don't want to get nickle-and-dimed at the end of a great trip, but I'm not sure if it seems reasonable to expect the upfront cost to be all-inclusive if we're rough on the bikes. What should we expect is warranted and what should we make sure is stated in the agreement?

Thanks all

Yep, I see the Him, looks near new and well equipped.
There’s an XT250 there too (assume it’s a rental).
Nearly as good as a Tornado and a lower seat height for sure.
It's another South America built bike (or at least not sold in Europe)

In my experience as rentals pile on the miles they get less fussy about scratches.
Usually just broken mirrors when falling over parked.
But near new is a different thing. ‘Bust up the bikes pretty good’ is going to cost you ;-)
It’s not like India with an Enfield metal basher in every village.
You would be staggered to know what these bikes cost to import into Morocco - way more than we’d pay at home.
Best to ride within the bike’s limits.

Thanks for digging up these rental places.

Hi All!

Just rented a BMW GS 310 from Loc2Roues BM Attitude in Marrakech for 10 days for 60 euros per day.

Bike was in good condition with new Mitas tyres, didn't have a single issue during the whole rental, except using my battery booster to start it after a chilly night in Atlas.

Noureddine was helpful and lent me a tubeless puncture kit.

The bike was really good on the twisty back roads, and performed well on the trails, where indeed it would be even better with a 21 inches front wheel and a lower 1st gear!

To carry stuff it comes with a small rear rack where I was able to strap a 20 kgs duffle bag + back pack on top.
I wasn't able to strap my crash bars luggages on the crash bars but I was able to strap 2 bottles holders on them.

All in all would really recommend that place for a rental!

Still Chasing The Enfield Hims
 

Hey again,

So Marrakech Rous was very responsive and gave proof of the Royal Enfield Hims, but I guess there was a communication breakdown since despite asking to confirm reservation multiple times, it didn't get locked down and now they've gone to someone else during our travel dates. Dang it.

I'm quite short and I don't want another trip of dropping a tall bike at every stop. The low riding Himalayan seemed ideal, and I had my heart set on it. They can't be the only company in Marrakech that has them, right?? Is there some way I can investigate this beyond googling? I'm sure there are plenty of rental places in town, just not all with a good internet presence.

If anyone knows of another bike common in-country that's good for very short riders, I'm open to suggestion. But if anyone will be there in the next couple months and can keep their eye out for Hims, I would find some way to thank you generously! I'm real bummed. I've got friend there, but he knows nothing about motorcycles.

Sorry to hear the Him didn't work out.
This disconnect with comms is common here.

I think they may be for the moment and googling will be the best way to find out.

UPDATE: Still chasing the Enfield Hims
 

Thanks for the help, Chris. As luck (and persistence, and Google Translate) would have it, I was able to get the Hims reserved after all

Belated response... The KTM 790 seat is height adjustable, so can be raised 2.5cm. I agree the BMW 750 is a cracking bike, I used the 650 twin predecessor for several trips in Morocco.

Interestingly, KTM has resurrected the 790 Adventure alongside the 890 range as a lower cost (£9,999) alternative to the 890 Adventure (£11,999) and 890 Adventure R (£13,299). The BMW F750 GS is currently £8,995 base price.

How long did you rent the HIM? At what price?
I've emailed Marrakech Rous for almost 3 weeks in december (today so no response yet)
I'm also looking at riderly.com but I have no experience with them.

riderly.com is just a reseller of rental places that sign up to it, but you may find other Him rentals in Mk. I am sure I have seen Hims here last few weeks.

I just heard from an Italian chap: Maestro Lux Moto Agency in Marrakech does Hims for 800d/day

Thanks!
Marrakech Rous responded with a Himalayan for €80,- per day. Since I want it for 3 weeks i searched a bit further.
I found and reserverd a Himalayan at tenereriders.com with a very attractive rental quote, more than 5 days : 50 €/day

Unless someone has really bad experiences with this rental company I'll tell how it was in 4 weeks.

So I'm back after 3 weeks and 4500 kms of excellent tarmac and mind-blowing offroad pistes (thanks Chris!!)
I can only say that I will rent again at Tenere Riders! Aissam is very helpful, the bike is well maintained and equipped for exploring the country. Perfect communication (English, French, other...), unlimited mileage, smooth pickup and return without nasty surprises. Highly recommended!

I've seen at least two Him's for rent at Tenere Riders but maybe he has more.

Great to hear it worked out well.
The bike rental standard is being raised in Mk.

Do tenereriders have an actual shop/address in RAK?
Cnf on the website.

Would be great if they or someone gets the new 450 in next year.

The office is at Appt 43, el khattabi, Résidence Jawad, 109 Bd Abdelkrim Al Khattabi, Marrakech 40000, Marokko
I went straight to the pickup/return location for the bike; it is an underground parking garage across the Fuel Station Service Afriquia on Blvd Mohamed Zerktouni.

I would love to ride the new Himalayan!:clap:

Rentals in Casa
 

Nourredine's bike collection grows...

Bike hire agadir
 

Looking for a bike that will carry a passenger and do the high atles mountains, dades gorge etc and some gravel tracks. Cant really find anything in agadir apart from a honda xl650 so quite an old bike. Worried about it being reliable as we will be out in middle of no where at times. Dont want to pay 200 a day. know there is a sticky above but somewhat out of date.

Few people rent there afaict.
You'll find a much better selection out or Marrakech and be nearer the places you mention.

Any updates?
 

So how did you go finding a bike for 2 up riding? My wife and i are thinking about riding the south and at home we have a GS1250 but bikes like that seem pretty expensive in Morocco. Would love a Honda A/T or GS1200 for a few weeks.

Loc ditched all the 310s apart from one lowered one, and replaced them with 6 x KTM 390 Adventure SW in September (one lowered).
Unfortunately SW = tubed tyres, although the adjustable WP APEX suspension is better than the 310s. Fuel consumption is up to 30kpl so the bigger 14L tank means a range of over 400km (a GS was low 300s). The standard Quickshifter+ is great. Just as well as like the 310, on the piste the stance is all wrong with the bars way too low, and the sooner the TKC70 tyres wear out the better on the piste.
The Loc 390s come with Givi engine bars and top box rack but the stock plastic bashplate which 6 months in are all cracked. Prices about 1100dh/day! but like their bigger KTMs, they're not on the Loc/B-MA websites or other media, afaics.
My quick impressions here.

I was wondering why there are not Bajaj 150, Hero XPulse 200 or similar bikes in Morocco for rent ? They would be an ideal budget option for rental purposes and Bajaj is very wide spread all over Africa, I myself travelled over 10.000km on a Bajaj 150 in Africa without any issues, even doing quite heavy offroad where some GS would have sh** their pants :mchappy:. 100% capable to go anywhere in Morocco, even the tough offroad parts if you take an extra jerrycan. Don´t need a fancy T7, GS or Himalayan for that stuff if you don´t mind to go a little slower. I rented small cars ( not older than 5 years ) multiple times in Marrakesh for 20-25€/day ( non-internet deals but with proper contract and insurance ) so I don´t get why anything on two wheels over 50cc starts at minimum 50-60€/day ( DR650 / Himalayan ). If you compare the purchase price of those bikes and compare it with small cars, the prices are very expensive. Specially now with the Trans-Morocco-Trail a business that rents out budget bikes would be thriving.


Greetings,
Chris

Spotted these CFMoto 450 MTs in a roadhouse out of Marrakech today.
It's what I've been riding here these last few months – a great do-it-all for Mk.
As you can see the shocking baggage stack caught my eye, but I see they are probably 2025 models from
tenereriders.com from €70 a day.

Had two Yam xt250's from Marrakech Roues for 6 days, performed flawlessly over 800+km. Had some new Enfields in when we returned ours. Edited to add both bikes had usb and cigarette lighter style sockets on the bars which was useful. I broke a rear indicator, glass was intact so I taped it up, didn't seem bothered when I pointed this out on return, the other bike had a slightly bent clutch lever which he didn't charge us for.

one-way moto rental
 

From TMT FB:

Just dropped off our XT250s back at M2R in Marrakesh. Wonderful smooth professional experience. Highly recommended.
In passing chat we discovered that they have bases in Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, Ouazazarte and Marrakesh. They are now doing one-way rental at no additiomsl cost. So one could fly into one location, pick up a bike, jump on the TMT and then fly out from another location having dropped the bike off there. Just a thought.