Touring advice for North Africa & Middle East

[Desert_Rat]

Just wondering if anyone can give any advice on travelling in North Africa (I am thinking Tunisia and Morocco) and/or the Middle East (thinking Bahrain or Oman).

I know there is some great advice in threads here, and I've been digging them out and studying them. But I'm looking for general advice as well.

This is what I would like to do -

I want to travel to a nice place that has great off road and desert trails. Obviously not too knee deep in soft sand and 120 degree temps, and a place where I can hire a bike when I get there. I don't own a motorbike at the moment and don't want to travel on road if at all possible (I know this will be hard to avoid totally). So I am looking for somewhere where it is feasible to hire bikes in good condition (I've been stuck in the middle of a blazing hot desert sun in the middle of nowhere before and it's not a nice experience).

I suppose this would be possible in quite a few places, but was wondering if any of you could recommend anywhere at all in say Tunisia or Morocco or thereabouts.

Also, I think the South of France is pretty excellent terrain too, maybe for a bit of a warm up. Been a few years since I've been there, and it is as expensive as hell, but it looked like great off road biking country.

Also, I am assuming that I will need to pass my driving test here in the UK before I will be allowed to drive anywhere else. I have a full clean car license, but realise that I will have to take a specific bike test, if I want to ride anything over a certain CC'age.

I'm still finding out about all this, and I'm not expecting anyone to do my homework for me, but any general pointers or advice would be really appreciated, even if it is to say, what I want to do is silly or not feasible for whatever reason.

I haven't been on a motorbike for a few decades now and as mentioned, I have zero interest of driving on the road, especially in the UK, so I am looking for somewhere easy to start off, so I can start learning again. I used to have a little monkey bike with the fat wheels that never seemed to go fast enough, and I had loads of fun on that, and I messed about on a friend's Honda Enduro which seemed hairy at the time.

I used to ride a friend's Kawasaki KT(KD?)175 that was a bit more civilised if I remember. I still remember the shock at having my arms nearly ripped off by a Suzuki RM50. So that is my level. Sorry. Pathetic I know.

This was Middle East territory btw, Bahrain specifically, to give you an idea. I can't imagine any place on Earth better than there to ride - varied, soft sands to firms sands, soft shale ground to hard shale ground, Martian landscape - lots of Reds and Whites and Yellow, small dunes, big dunes, water and waddies to wade through. You can really throw a bike around and fly through the air there. And I couldn't even ride. I'm sure someone with experience would have a ton of fun.

I have native friends there as well which would make it easier, but losing touch through the years, does not. I could track them down in an afternoon if I was on the ground there though. I know I'd be looked after. And anyone with me.

I'm looking for advice on a general type of bike that is good for this kind of terrain. I have searched, but I don't seem to have had much luck with desert kind of tuned vehicles.

I'd like a bike with a bit of grunt to it though when I get going, so any advice on that as well would be great. I am less than a newb with all this. I don't think any of my pasts experience counts for anything. I am really looking for someone to say, for example - Eh Tunisia is really great for that or X or Y, kind of thing. That way, I can start getting serious about logistics and planning ahead.

What I'd REALLY like to do is get a handful of people together (no more than that) for a trip of a lifetime kind of thing in about 4-5 years time. So I am in no rush with this. I have read a lot about how difficult it is to get a good riding buddy, so getting a few people together would be like herding cats.

Time is getting on now, and I'd rather spend the best of it in a T-shirt in the desert, than on a Harley in the rain in leathers in the UK (no offense to any that do that, kudos to you in fact, this is just my preference).

Anyway, my goal is North Africa/Middle East in a few years time, with a few good buddies. Picking up the bikes when we get there (I guess more expensive that way too).

Don't be gentle, tell me if my little pipe dream is deluded. I won't think you're a spoilsport, I'll respect your advice.

Thanks.