Morocco and West Africa

Who	Paul Thomas ~ email
Profession	Sales & Marketing
Born 1962	Nationality Australia (UK res)
Previous travel experience	Europe, Asia, Sth & Nth America, Morocco.
Previous bike travels	Hmmm. MX as mad lad. Commuted London until inevitable accident with car.

Best day	Ouarzazate to Tazenakht on piste, beautiful scenery, great riding. Blasting north across Senegal on remote pistes.
Worst/ hardest day	Worst; Placencia to Bilbao on return - dull and sore. Hardest; Fez to Chefchaouen - sick as a dog, and it was damn hot.
Favourite place	Not very hard core I know, but has to be Essaouira. Casamance river region also beautiful and needs more exploration (bird watchers dream!)
Biggest headache	Touts until I got the hang of them, but worst of all an infested sleeping bag!
Biggest mistake	Not conceiving the trip earlier so I could make Mali before the heat set in. Had to abort that plan.
Most pleasant surprise	The wonderful people, fuel availability, Dakar - not as bad as its reputation.
Any illness	Dodgy belly from Morocco on return
Other trips planned	Open to suggestions...
One travel tip	Dont spend a year planning, just get on with it, the real adventures come from the bits you didn't plan for! And, don't just pass through, stop and 'touch' the locals, always very rewarding.

Bike Model	GS650 Dakar
Age/ mileage on departure	2005 9700 miles
Modifications	GPS and 10 50 engine oil. Why complicate things!
Mods you wish you'd done	sheepskin on the seat. Absolutely!
Type of baggage	Tankbag, Oxford soft panniers & rucksack on pillion luggage rack
Tyres used	Continental Twinduro 80
Number of punctures	none

Bike's weak point	Probably the rear shock ultimately, and tank size.
Bike's strong point	Fuel mileage, strength and reliability
Bike problems	none, but concerned about layshaft wear.
Number of accidents	none but a few close calls
Same bike again?	Probably, bigger the bike more stuff you pack.
One biking tip	If you wnat chain and sprockets to last, dont over oil them, but do regularly check the chain tension. Over oiling and loose chain will dramatically increase wear on the sprockets & subsequently the chain.