Tuareg Rallye 18-26 March 2012 (entered 30 years to late)

Not your usual hotel car park

Hotel Marina Playa Mojacar

<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/IcxiIg29dpJsKFzcxQN9ZdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1e4hoqNSq-Q/T2V6CSqHzzI/AAAAAAAAAXk/-eLpZb6yY5o/s800/IMAG0110.jpg" height="475" width="800" /></a>
 
Allways good to have a backup bike

<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QP6EzXhdAqQ4Us8b6Hn3atMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5FeZBoGoN34/T2WAqtbRVxI/AAAAAAAAAX8/E-y_hOE0uf0/s800/IMAG0113.jpg" height="475" width="800" /></a>
 
These have priority

<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/i0_ShpwoVePI0AhjZGK6ZNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dbfu5nLj-GA/T2V_083r5nI/AAAAAAAAAX0/8t7Tdscs1Mw/s800/IMAG0114.jpg" height="475" width="800" /></a>
 
Day1 done still alive, 3 have been stretcherd away today, one of our group was hit by a donkey and now has broken nav gear should be fixed by the morning, my front suspension bottoms out on the boulders, lots of fast riders here, very hard to race while reading a map. Was doing ok till the end when I forgot to hand in my timecard doh, anyway really enjoyed the day
 
serge

good luck and keep going, was the donkey ok what bike was he riding????:D
 
well done mate ...big respect from me ,to all you guys KEEP GOING !
 
Day2 Fast trails from Nador to Mezzouga with a 3km ride up a gulley to a secret checkpoint today was fast riding, for me about 80 mph out on the plains which are flat with occasional boulders to keep your attention on the route ahead, ended the day with a 3km trip across the dunes as a taster of what was to come. My favorite day by far, winner of the day was doing 112 mph across the plains !

Saw amazing scenary, stopped to assist a guy who came off and his handgaurd sliced his hand open big time he thought he was in trouble but the medics sorted it. At dinner in the evening 10% of the bike entrants were sporting some sort of sling or banadage. Still smiling but this is a hard event by the time its finished in the evening you have an hour of daylight to sort your bike then get your drinks and food ready for tomorrow then mark up the road book then eat , then collapse in to bed.
 
Day 3 first of the dune days 208Km. Started with a ride to a secret check point located within a field 2 km square of boulders and gulleys, then off into the dunes got 3km into dunes and clutch went soft thought I had cooked it. rode on now without clutch through dunes after a fashion for another km does not sound far but it is when each dune is between 3 -9 meters high had to dig the bike out 3 times in the km down in sand up to its axels.

At this point absolutley knackerd and still cannot see the end of the dunes in the distance. Gave up 2 km from CP3 at 13:00 called for recovery to be told that as I had not broken anything I was quite rightly at the bottom of the list for rescue as the injured were the priority, Most horrific was a guy who was gripping the roll bar in his 4x4 as it rolled, (airlifted to hospital).

Sat in dunes till 15:00 then felt a bit better about life so gave it another go to get out advised recovery I was moving from my gps point then set off a bit worried that I would then get stuck in new dunes with no mobile access so no way of giving ORGA my new position for rescue. Got to CP3 at 17:30 then was timed out of the day ( add time penaltys)to my great relief.
 
Day 4 Sand day 2 80KM The ORGA wake you up a 6:00 am for an 8:15 start with German thrash metal which I really like. The Italians lull you off to sleep with generators till midnight this I know likey.

Bike was fixed last night not the clutch but the union connector on the clutch hose had worked loose and I had lost all fluid. soon fixed.

OK mass start of the remaining participants don't know how many are left in but this was the first morning I could get a seat at breakfast which was a bonus, the leader of the Rally went out last night remember the guy 112mph across the plain, well he had won the first two days. He set off to do the final section of the third day with a sand storm coming across, hit a dune he could not see and broke collar bone. He still won the day as the ORGA cancelled the final stage due to visability after his crash so the positions were taken from the end of stage four.

Gone back to the camp, now showered and had a nice lunch and a beer

The day started with a mass start into fecking dunes I am still knackered from previous days exploits got 2km into dunes dug bike out 3 times the front just snow ploughs in. Saying that most people ride them smiling. Pulled a muscle round my ribs pulling bike out then checked my pocket for my time card and realised I did not pick it up at the start :blast

Think this may of been a sub concious discision cos to be honest whatever it takes to ride in the dunes I have not got. So baled out of today.But still very happy and enjoying it out of our 6 we have a another 690 with a destroyed clutch then a 450 Yam which gave up today engine gone big time, he is out in dunes awaiting recovery, shame as he is the fastest by far in our group.

Then 3 KTMs 2 x 525 and 1 350 they are really enjoying the dunes and doing well.

Tomorrow another day in the dunes then followed by two days heading back up to the port. The Organisers have done a fantastic job of administering the rally and there is a really good atmosphere. Going to the newsagents to see if the sell a book "Dune riding for dummies" ;)
 
rally

well done young jedi, just make it to the finish good luck for the final day and:friday:friday stay upright. thank feck we did not enter !!!!!:beerjug:
 
keep going if you quit you will regret it your allready a winner !!!!!!!!!!!!! try to be a finisher god luck when in doubt go flat out widgfo
 
Funny old thing is sand, I remember on my trip on the GS, we were trying to navigate a sand track, the sand was deep and loose and we felt just about imposable to ride when a local guy came by on a moped, he was sat well back on the seat and to complete my embarrassment he was riding with one hand!!!

Keep going to the end mate and get that all important finish, well done.:clap
 
well what a difference a day makes,got up at 5 this morning even before the call to prayer and the german thrash metal and drained the front fuel tanks and the water carrier took all the tools off from under the nav gear, today was mx day 4 laps round and over the big dunes 25 km a lap. 100k in three hours so set off and instantly bike feeled completly good no longer does the front snow plough in to the dunes. I managed 3 laps ( once only over the bars) which is 73km more than I acheived yesterday so should get a lot less time penaltys tonight.

Its a great moment when you know you are making progress. In the morning we ride out over the dunes then 290km north through a pass that they say is v hard but any surface that binds together is fine by me. Very happy tonight but will need to load my tools and water back on once I meet the service van at the other side of the dunes in the morning.

PS bike is no longer a concourse example!
 
paintman said:
Funny old thing is sand, I remember on my trip on the GS, we were trying to navigate a sand track, the sand was deep and loose and we felt just about imposable to ride when a local guy came by on a moped, he was sat well back on the seat and to complete my embarrassment he was riding with one hand!!!

Keep going to the end mate and get that all important finish, well done.:clap
Click to expand...

if you try to steer to much your going to loose ,weight over the back and plenty of throtle ,shut off and it loads the front end !!!!!!
 
Tis true Moly, he has dumped a load of weight off the front
Tools, spares which were under the nav gear, also emptied excess fuel and even emptied the spare water tank which was built into the sump guard, spoke on the phone and he's in much better shape now.
 
Good day today started with a 70 km timed special first 5km across the dunes then out on to sand roads then out on to stone plains, think I did ok will know tomorrow. This was followed by 325km which 200km off road 125 km on road up the ZIZ valley the off road parts were not timed but you had to navigate well and go across boulder fields and up dry river beds all great fun started at 9.00 and got in at 17.30 only break for 1 coffee and fuel. Tonight v happy but not many parts of the body that do not ache if you are thinking of doing this Rally pay the extra for a room rather than tent . Tonight it is raining cold no hot water for showers and I am in a tent for 30 erected on the roof of the hotel made of linen!

Tonorrow is the last real day 300k and little chance to alter the overall result so plan is to chill and ride safe to the port as I am now beyond tired, knees hands and arse are blistered and wrists are throbing but very happy, It is a great event and well worth doing.

Maccy D,s at the port tomorrow Oh Yeah!
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
You must log in or register to reply here.


Back
Top Bottom