OK ok - the temptation is back - is it still windy?

[Michael R1150GS Adventure]

Right then - I feel the need to put a demon to bed.

Wind. Yes, wind.

I started a thread in Spring this year about a terrible wind problem me and my mate had over in ol' Maroc.

Will someone PLEASE give some advice on what they think would be the LEAST windy time to go?

I ride an R1150GS Adventure with Touratech Zega cases, which are about as aerodynamic as a house gable end and as a result make the bike handle like a pig with a puncture (as you will know if you have them), especially with the TKC off road tyres on.

Any help with medication appreciated greatly.

 

[Steptoe]

keep away from the coastline.

 

[Tim Cullis]

I remember your thread and was surprised at the conditions you described. The only time I've experienced anything other than normal conditions is crossing the estuaries in northern Morocco near Asilah.

Mind you Morocco sometimes has fairly extreme weather conditions. In the 1980s we had such heavy rain near Chefchaouen that I inspected the car afterwards for damage.

Tim

 

[Dave Ett]

Wasn't windy in October...

 

[Michael R1150GS Adventure]

Oued Hachef just half a mile south west of Ain Ben Amar was the scariest cross wind motorcycling I have ever experienced.

There was a big concrete wall on the east (heading north) just before the bridge over the estuary (fantastic views to the east from there).
Does anyone have any thoughts on what the wall is for? All I could see was that it was there to stop bikes having to lean to the right for a few hundred metres and let them lean over to the left for a bit... ha ha.

Seriously though, appreciate input from you guys. Ive only been the once so I dont know anything about the place.

 

[KazakDan]

Windy Morocco

I was there from 21st Dec to 3rd Jan just gone. I experienced quite fierce windy conditions on the way down for the first 3 days, and then at various points during the rest of the trip.

The wind was hard work at times (on a little XT600e) but I wouldn't let it put me off.

 

[Annette]

When I first learnt to ride, I was terrified riding in the wind. It always seemed to want to take the wheels out from under you, and it is worse with Zega panniers. I ride an R1150GS with panniers quite often.

A friend gave me some good advice.

Grip the tank hard with your knees, this will relax your grip on the bars. Yes the wind will still take you but if you "go with it" you will recover much more quickly and will feel less fraught. Takes a bit of getting used to, but once you can loosen the grip on your bars, it becomes less frightening.

When overtaking in the wind (particularly lorries) look way ahead of the lorry and you will be relaxed as you pass the front of it and not feel the effects so much.

 

[mystic]

Late March .... Riding south on the Atlantic route between Boujdour and Dakhla had fecking awful winds straight off the Atlantic for a full day ..... took me totally by surprise. Wee bit scary! But on the plus side hardly any other vehicles around so had the full width of the road to be blown about on ..... apart from the bits not already engulfed in drifting sand!
As others have said ...... it's bloody hard work ..... but doable.

As for best time to travel ?..... the weather's all to cock these days ... as Baden Powell was want to say just "be prepared"!

 

[chad]

wind !

its everywhere you never going to avoid it ... just deal with it


windeze is your friend

 

[MikeP]

IMO you need to be less worried about wind and more concerned about the shits.

 

[smaytum]

I spent a month in Morocco last year and returned with plenty of memories, but I have no memories of it being windy. I was there in May'09 and will be there again in May'10

 

[Michael R1150GS Adventure]

looks like a mixed bag of responses then,,,
dealing with the wind isnt the problem, it was just the extreme strength of it that was the problem along with the gusting (term used loosely).
Not convinced yet!
I think i might hit eastern europe this year and deal with the rain storms instead... shame.

 

[Baz]

I can understand the concerns, but you cant write a place of because you are worried about the weather. When I was in Scotland last year we had 70MPH gusts not fun on a Pan, but it wont stop me visiting again in the future. Some of the wind we had on the way to Monument valley in teh US was also pretty scarey stuff, but its something you just have to deal with.

I'm heading down in Mmd May if I get burnt, it wont stop me going anywhere sunny again

 

[Michael R1150GS Adventure]

i can write somewhere off if i'm gonna blow a lot of cash on a holiday and expect to deal with cr@p weather conditions as the norm.
Dont mind dealing with it domestically, the point is that travelling that far and dealing with export/customs etc and everthing that goes with it (from what is basically the scottish borders as a starting point) is much bigger a trip than setting off from the front door of P&O.
Had to ride from Bilbao to Gibraltor last year in one day to make the journey worthwhile, I guess there are just too many factors in Morocco for me now.
Hmm guess I have just lost my Morocco mojo!

 

[smaytum]

Do i detect a little anxiety Last year i went to Morocco for a month during May and i remember high wind in southern Spain, and in Calais on my return journey. But i seriously cannot remember wind in Morocco. I'm not saying that there wasn't any, but it obviously wasn't that bad.

I suspect it's not when you go, but where you go.

Go whenever you want. Staying inland may help. And enjoy!

 

[Wacked]

I have been living in casablanca since august last year. The weather was great up to december, not a lot of wind, but since then its been very hit and miss. The last month there has been a lot of wind. It was gusting to 50knots(56mph) last week. Today its about 25knots. The locals tell me that last year was one of the worst winters they have seen and that this year is worse. There is still huge flooding north of rabat and some around agadir.


p.s If anyone knows of a good way of getting a 1200gs from dublin to casablanca (without me having to ride it) please let me know.