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Which bike to bring to Morocco 3-4K budget Which bike to bring to Morocco 3-4K budget
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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by Lois Pryce, schoolkids in Algeria

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  #1  
Old 8 Dec 2013
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Annoyingly most riders only ever seem to recommend the bike they currently own or bikes they have owned in the past. Although it's always helpful to know about a particular bike, it's NOT helpful to ignore all other bikes which may tick the boxes.

In my humble opinion there is ONE modern (current) bike which stands out in the sand -

Yamaha XT660 Tenere.

It ticks all the boxes for a trip to North Africa.

Just look at the XT legend and the pedigree of all older XT models.

Another possibility is KTM but in my (humble) opinion they are over-expensive for what they do and are too highly strung (over-complicated) and expensive to fix. But if money isn't a concern, they do tick all the boxes. They certainly have a huge following here on the HUBB.

But like I said, The Yamaha XT660 Tenere makes ultimate sense for a trip of this kind.

What about the little Suzuki DRZ400? Another excellent off-roader with a huge following here on the HUBB. It performs well in the sand.

The Yamaha is good enough to ride all the way down from the UK. It will cruise all day at 70 MPH. The DRZ400 will struggle a bit at motorway speeds though.
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  #2  
Old 8 Dec 2013
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Even if you bring a bike in with a van you are limited to six months in country as a temporary import, any more and it will be confiscated.

Buying a local bike is problematic, you need a residency first which will take three months or more.
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  #3  
Old 10 Dec 2013
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maybe a WR250R ?

- street-legal
- very reliable
- fun

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  #4  
Old 15 Dec 2013
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640 Adv
Dunes are fun indeed, they call for HP at the wheel, lightweight and water-cooling. In the desert you need to inflate/deflate tires and need to carry a small compressor or air pump, water and some tools as well, so you need basic carrying capacity.

For the budget you have you can find a good second hand 640 Adv and still have money for installing Michelin Desert or Dunlop 908RR tires, heavy duty tubes and new chain and sprockets before entering the country. It's a no brainer for me, that bike is hard to beat in the desert, including for playing on dunes. Other japanese bikes either lack HP, or are just so heavy that you'll hate yourself digging it out of sand.
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  #5  
Old 17 Dec 2013
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You want light weight. Once you are south of the High Atlas, you will hit sand when you leave the pavement. Hint: the pavement doesn't go to many places.

KTM 250, KTM 400, KTM 520, KTM 525, KTM 530,KTM 620, drz 400, dr 650, xr250, xr 400, xr 650, wr 250...

These bikes are all under 150 kilos (I think..)
In the sand, weight is your enemy. "High strung" is more fun

That's a Tenere


That's a light bike


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  #6  
Old 17 Dec 2013
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Buy in Spain
Why buy in Ireland or UK? Very expensive.
I think you may find more choice and find better prices in Spain. Also, IIRC, Spanish registered bikes may have a "special" deal with Morocco regards temp. import, not sure on this.

I've been to Spain a couple times, traveling around for a month on each trip.
Spain has easily 5 times the number of bikes Ireland or UK do. It's a BIG deal there. Yes, mostly scooters but lots of all kinds of bikes there. Look around, ask in a few shops.

Since you're not looking for a RTW Overlander type bike, you have lots of choice for a good enduro. All the Japanese dealers are represented in Spain plus a couple good Spanish made bikes and even the Euro brands are there too. Some Japanese bikes are made in Spain ... forgotten which now, but several I remember from Honda and Suzuki are "assembled" in Spain.

I believe a decent KTM may go above your price limit ... but certainly good bikes. I'd look around for a nice XR250R or XR400R, a DRZ400(E) Suzuki would be nice too. Other affordable options: XT600, XR650R (or L version).

Take a few days in Spain, shop around, or use the net to have a look at local adverts.

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  #7  
Old 22 Dec 2013
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See this for some inspiration:

Motomarrakech - YouTube

I would choose a light bike, not an XT660 or the like.
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