I'd have to agree with the previous posts regarding the heat factor. Most travellers going to the Saharan countries go in spring or autumn. We did Morocoo in april and it was starting to get hot, but not so much that it became uncomfotable (high 30's I think).
You need to work hard riding in that sort of terrain, so once the temp gets over 35c you're really going to suffer. I did a week in greece in august when the were in the midst of a heatwave - it was upto 45c in the hills away from the coast. I'd hired an xt660 to get about on, but it really was too hot to ride comfortably, even at 60mph - imagine sitting in front of an oven with the door open and you'll get an idea.
You're also going to be working your bike really hard if your riding at low speeds over difficult ground - you could have real problems with overheating and boiling the engine. Even in april we were having to stop and let the bikes cool down on some of the slower off-road sections, especially in the sandy bits.
The sahara overland book is excellent will give you pretty much all the information you need to start planning your trip. You'd also do well to get hold of the Adventure Motorcycling handbook to go with it.
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