je pars cet automne en BMB 650 gs dakar pour un tour de l'Afrique et je voulais savoir si quelqu'un l'avait déjà fait avec un pot catalytique.
Est ce que ça marche ou est ce qu'il vaut mieux le changer avant de partir?
Bonsoir.
Alors pour ton pot, as tu posé la question chez BMW?
Tu risques de trouver de l'essence de plus ou moins bonnes qualitée en Afrique qui va flinguer le catalyseur.
Le changer?Pour mettre quoi à la place ?Ta moto est prévu pour un catalyseur avec sonde lambda, injection...., passer à un pot normal, faudrait revoir toute la carburation.
Honnêtement, je pense que tu peux partir.
Tu comptes partir combien de temps?Quels pays traversés?
J'envisage de partir aussi pour L'Afrique du Sud sur une période de 9/10 mois l'année prochaine.Départ prévu pour fin juillet 2008 en Africa Twin
Je prépare tout doucement mon voyage.
Comptes tu tenir un blog où on pourrait te suivre?
merci pour ta réponse. J'ai posé la question chez touratech et il semble que la sonde soit placée en amont du pot donc pas de probleme pour la carburation. Je crois donc que je vais quand meme changer le pot, afin de ne pas prendre le risque de la panne ou d'une carburation moyenne. Par ailleurs je compte garder la moto un moment afin de refaire d'autres grands virons en Afrique ou en Asie donc, on va la soigner un peu.
Je pensais descendre par le coté est de l'afrique et remonter par l'ouest. Mais cela semble une telle galere de traverser l'Egypte avec un véhicule étranger(contraintes administratives hyper lourdes, racket organisé, réimmatriculation égyptienne, obligation d'avoir le carnet de douane de l'automobile club de france avec caution correspondant au prix argus du véhicule, caution rendue que lorsque la moto est revenue, obligation de rouler en convoi dans certaines zones...Une histoire de psychopathe !) que je me demande si je ne vais pas commencer par l'ouest et aviser ensuite. D'autant plus qu'il est difficile de shunter l'égypte car pas de passage douanier entre lybie et soudan. Bref je vais faire simple. Espagne, maroc, mauritanie, Mali, Burkina, ghana, togo, benin, Niger, un petit bout de Nigéria, Cameroun, gabon...et puis là je consulterai la partie la plus charnue de mon anatomie pour savoir si elle est d'accord pour continuer et je commencerai à réfléchir à la suite...
Pour le Blog, je ne pense pas que j'en ferai un. Je crains de passer plus de temps dans les internets shops plutot qu'à profiter de la vie et du grand air.
Quoi qu'il en soit je serais ravi d'échanger si tu le souhaites et te faire part de ma modeste, future expérience... Tu vois le genre..
Bonsoir.
Si tu changes ton pot, faudra revoir la carburation, non?Bon après ç'est sur, t'es tanquille;enfin j'éspère😉
Quoique, j'ai vu sur je ne sais plus quel site un boitier élèctronique pour BM à injection que tu branches sur la moto et qui tu permets de connaitre les codes de pannes et de les shunter pour pouvoir continuer à avancer.
Mais bon tu n'es pas le premier à partir avec une injection et je n'ai pas souvent vu que les proprio avaient des problèmes avec.Par contre les crevaisons.....😄 ça oui!
Mon parcours, en gros, va être Espagne, Maroc, Mauritaunie, Sénégal, Mali, Burkina, Ghana, Togo, Bénin, Nigéria, Cameroun, Gabon, je traverse le Congo et le RDC en passant par Brazzaville/Kinshasa, Angola, Namibie et l'Afrique du Sud.Et retour en avion pour moi et la moto(si elle n'est pas épave 🙂) Je ne prends qu'un an de congé, faut faire court donc.
Ca ç'est la ligne directrice, après il va falloir composer !!
Je serai ravi que tu m'envois de temps à autre des nouvelles sur tes galères tes coups de coeur sur le site, cela me servira et aux autres aussi.
Pour te casser un peu plus le moral :
Le carnet de douane pour l'Egypte est de 2 et 1/2 le prix Argus du véhicule !!
Si tu part avec un véhicule neuf ou presque ? de 30.000€ il te faut 75.000€ de caution !! bien sur !! tout le monde a ça au font de sont porte-monnaie ?? ça en fait combien de pot pour la BMW ??
Ils sont fous ces Egyptiens !!
Bon trip tout de même !!
Cordialement de http://papyetmamyenvoyage.oldiblog.com/
Salut ! si tu passes par la Guinée Conakry, tu peux compter sur moi pour une étape ou te dépanner si besoin ! vieux motards depuis 1971, je bosse en Guinée car ya pa dé radar ici !! pour la moto, j'attends encore un peu car après essai de la GS 1200 et du 650, je pense m'offrir des que possible un GS 1150, plus rustique et moins d'electronic ! Pour me contacter, sur mon email privé mais il changera le 1 janvier 2008!!! Prends note que je suis en vacances comme les éléves...😇
Ta proposition est vraiment sympa. Ce n'est pas exclu du tout que je profite de ton hospitalité. Je ne connais pas encore le timing et l'itinéraire precis, mais je te tiens au courant des que je sais.
Je vois que finalement tu as opté pour la GS et non la XR . C'est ton séant qui te l'a inspiré ? La XR est plus raide et sa selle moins confortable, mais gare à l'autonomie avec la GS .
Pour le pot, je confirme qu'il n'y a aucun problème à retirer le pot catalytique . L'injection gère, la conso baissera un peu et l'échappement sera un peu plus bruyant, avec quelques pets éventuels aux lâchers de gaz brutaux . Si tu garde ton pot catalytique, il sera fusillé définitivement en 500 km par le plomb contenu dans l'essence au sud de El Aaîun, mais cela ne pose pas non plus de problèmes de fonctionnement pour le moteur, que de pollution, mais quand on voit les fumées d'échappement des véhicules en Afrique ... Bref, tu seras en bonne compagnie 😛
Pour l'Egypte, je ne suis pas d'accord avec la vision apocalyptique que tu en fais . Certes le carnet de passage en douane y est plus coûteux, mais si tu as de bonnes relations avec ton banquier, tu peux éviter de bloquer les fonds en obtenant une lettre de garantie bancaire qui ne te coûtera que des agios . D'autre part, si ta moto n'est pas neuve, un accord avec ton vendeur pour une facture un peu "revisitée", avec kilométrage itou, limite les dégâts . Contrairement à certains pays, il n'y a pas de racket à la frontière . Simplement les formalités, héritées d'une longue tradition de bureaucratie à la soviétique y sont longues, compliquées et coûteuses (ré-immatriculation, assurance ...) . De mémoire (je me suis fait voler (en Italie) mon carnet de voyage) compter environ 100 $ pour une moto, et 400 $ pour un 4x4 . Il est recommandé, pour aller plus vite, de ne pas refuser l'aide d'un policier local qui vous emmènera de bureaux en bureaux (au moins 10, impossibles à trouver dans le bon ordre sans aide, tout étant indiqué en arabe 🙁, et vous évitera la fouille complète du véhicule et des bagages . Moyennant quoi, et un cadeau d'environ 20% des taxes officielles, on passe en 4 ou 5 heures . Cela peut paraître compliqué, mais cela se passe sans acrimonie, les Egyptiens étant très sympas, accueillants, et compréhensifs (eux aussi sont conscients de l'aberration de leurs réglementations), et je connais des frontières officiellement plus simples où le harcellement rend les choses nettement plus pénibles, tu verras ! . Enfin l'Egypte est tellement bon marché que le coût d'entrée y est remboursé en deux jours, et je ne parle pas de l'attrait touristique .
Ne t'obnulise pas sur les risques de non remboursement du carnet . En cas de pépin, et si on ne veut pas rapatrier la moto, il suffit d'obtenir un certificat de vente ou de destruction du véhicule (voir avec l'ACF)
Bonne prépa !
Jea&n-Marc
Un brin de folie est comme l'argent: ça ne fait pas le bonheur, mais ça aide!
salut
je pars pour ma part en mars prochain... masi je ne descend que jusqu au benin... meme trace que toi ;) je prépare tranquillement mon intinéraire également
si tu as des truc, des adresses, ca peut m interesser
j'ai choisi pour ma, part une XT 660... plus rustique et peut etre plus facile a réparer sur place si pb
j'avais pas mal hésité avec le 650GS
en france, je roule e 1200 GS... mais il est trop truffé d electronique pour aller poser ses tétines las bas
Hello everyone.
I'm looking for campsites around BOLZANO (South Tyrol) for early September.
I'll be on my motorcycle with a small tent.
I've noticed that some campsites have exorbitant prices.
If you've traveled through the Dolomites by motorcycle or otherwise and camped there, I'd love any tips on places and prices where I can stay for one night or several.
Thanks to all of you, and happy travels.
I’m starting to think about a trip that’s really close to my heart: Algeria by motorcycle, specifically the southern part of the country. It’d be for January 2025, and I’ve got two main questions:
Is it possible for an individual on a motorcycle to travel freely, outside of any organized tour, or does the regulation require some kind of supervision in the Algerian Sahara region?
Is the Hoggar massif accessible by road or by (rideable) tracks?
Beyond the official recommendations, I’m really looking for your firsthand experiences.
Thanks so much for your answers, and sorry if my questions are a bit newbie!
I just realized I’ve been registered on VoyageForum since... March 28, 2012 😊. Yet, I’ve barely participated until now.
August 1, 2026, will mark a somewhat special milestone: 5 years on the road.
We left Switzerland on August 1, 2021 with a simple idea: let chance decide our direction. We placed a bottle of wine on a world map, spun it... and it chose our first destination.
A year later, when we arrived in Morocco, we faced a new choice: continue toward Africa or head to Asia. This time, a tarot card game made the decision. Since then, we’ve tried to keep this journey as open to the unexpected as possible.
Today, that adds up to about 120,000 km, 46 countries, and over 1,800 days on the road—mostly by motorcycle, but also by sailboat, train, bus, hitchhiking, or on foot when adventure calls.
Our guiding thread isn’t just the motorcycle, but service exchanges. Instead of simply passing through countries, we try to stop regularly to lend a hand to the people we meet. So far, that’s about 600 days of volunteering.
Over the years, we’ve:
renovated a house in Croatia
made earth bricks in the Moroccan desert
helped sail a boat through the Greek islands
looked after houses, dogs, horses, a camel... and lots of other animals
worked at a street art festival in Morocco
created videos for local associations and projects
worked the grape harvest on the Tibetan plateau
been accredited as "media" for the World Nomad Games in Central Asia
Some of the moments that have stuck with us the most include six months in China, a night spent on the Great Wall, the Pamir Highway, the Silk Road, three months in Taiwan, and the incredible encounters in the mountains of Central Asia.
We travel on Falkor, our lucky dragon—a 2014 BMW F800GS that’s been with us since the start and is starting to have some great stories of its own.
While we share our adventure on Instagram, Polarsteps, and YouTube, that’s not why we’re here. The forum’s rules about promotion are clear, and I totally get them. If I’m finally taking the time to write, it’s mostly because after five years on the road, I thought our experience might be useful to other travelers.
Happy to chat about:
preparing for a long motorcycle trip
visas and borders
the Silk Road and Central Asia
riding in China (with or without a motorcycle)
volunteering and service exchanges while traveling
gear, daily life on the road... or just the unexpected moments that make long-term travel so special
Looking forward to swapping stories and hearing about your adventures too! 😊 Greetings from Thailand, and happy to chat! ✌️
Hi there! My daughter and I are heading to Malta and I’d love to rent a scooter. Does anyone know any good places to rent from and what the budget would be for a week?
Hello, I’m retired and planning a roughly 3-week motorcycle trip (1200gs). The dates aren’t set in stone yet, and everything’s open to discussion—I’m pretty flexible with the planning.
I’d like to ride from Mahajanga to Morondava, sticking as close to the coast as possible—using roads and tracks—in September 2026. If you’ve got any suggestions, let me know! 😉
hi
planning to ride through Rajasthan on a motorcycle in January 2027 and I’d love to hear about the road conditions.
I’ll be riding with a buddy on a Royal Enfield that I’ll rent in Delhi.
Thanks for your tips!
hi there
I’d like to ride the RN 12 by motorcycle in September.
I’d love to know the main challenges—I ride a 300cc and do enduro in France.
Thanks for your tips!
I’m planning a motorcycle road trip to Armenia and Georgia in September 2026 or May 2027. I’m looking for one or more riders (male or female) who’d like to explore these countries with me.
Along the way, we’ll visit Cappadocia, the capitals Yerevan, Tbilisi, Sofia, Skopje, and other cities—we can finalize the route and roadbook later.
This trip requires experience with long motorcycle journeys, as we’ll cover around 7,000 km over 5 or 6 weeks (or more, depending on sightseeing and time spent).
I don’t expect dozens of applicants, since motorcycle riders are few and far between on this forum, but I’m putting this out there anyway.
Hi, I’d like to take a 15-day "break" to get away from the surrounding hustle and bustle.
Why not explore the Peloponnese!
I’m not particularly drawn to museums, ruins, or monuments.
I want to experience local life—small villages, seaside spots, beaches, and the interior if the landscapes are extraordinary.
Ideally, coming from Athens, I’d take a bus or train to get as close as possible to a starting point, then rent a scooter (125cc) to explore by taking secondary roads or even coastal paths. I’d stay in 2-3 places for a few days each to discover their surroundings.
Do a loop.
What do you think would be the ideal itinerary?
From Athens, the best option would be to take either a flight or a bus to Kalamata. Rent a scooter and head either west or east. Is there a tertiary road (very lightly trafficked) or a path where I can ride slowly, take it easy, and enjoy the scenery without being bothered by traffic? I’d like to go all the way to Monemvasia, still hugging the coast. I need to find a way to avoid returning to Kalamata to drop off the scooter and catch a flight—maybe a small town where the train stops so I can head back to Athens.
Thanks in advance for your tips.
I want to rent an off-road style motorcycle to get around the coast during my trip to Ecuador. I’m only finding options in Quito. Do you have any suggestions for me?
Hi there,
I’m planning a sidecar trip to South America for 4 or 5 months at the end of this year.
I’m looking for info on shipping my vehicle by sea—possibly to Uruguay or another destination, as I haven’t finalized anything yet.
How do you get visas for the countries I’ll be crossing: Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile? Are they e-Visas, obtained at the border, or through embassies?
Where can I get vehicle insurance?
Lastly, if any bikers want to join us (my partner and me), we’re open to that possibility too.
Patrick
I’ve got 15 days off in June and I’m pretty undecided about where to go for a motorcycle road trip. Two strong desires are pulling me in different directions: Corsica or Norway.
Corsica has been a dream of mine for a long time: legendary roads, stunning landscapes, a unique vibe, and the perfect mix of sea and mountains. At the same time, I’m wondering if 2 weeks might be *too much* for Corsica—risking feeling like I’ve seen it all too quickly, especially on a bike.
Since I also have an extra week free in May, I could use that specifically for Corsica. Maybe splitting it into two trips would make more sense? If so, which routes or regions would be the most interesting to plan for a 7-day trip?
On the other hand, Norway is *super* appealing. The landscapes look incredible, totally different from anything I’ve experienced, and it’d be a real “wow” trip. I know 15 days is still short for such a vast country. Getting all the way to the North Cape seems pretty much impossible in that time, but I’m curious about what realistic routes could be planned.
So I’m wondering:
Is it better to save Norway for next year, take 3 weeks off, and do it *properly*?
Or are 15 days enough for a first amazing taste of the country?
I’d love to hear about your experiences—whether it’s Corsica (ideal duration, routes) or Norway (what’s realistic in 2 weeks on a bike).
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Hello,
I'm thinking of buying a used small motorcycle to travel around the country for a month and a half.
I've done this in other countries without putting the registration in my name—is that possible in Guinea given the apparently frequent checks, or do I have to go through the paperwork?
Thanks.
Hello,
My dream is to ride Route 66 by motorcycle. I have a disability—while I’m not in a wheelchair, my walking mobility is reduced.
The ideal scenario would be to have a motorcycle driver and ride as their passenger on an organized trip.
Are there any guides or services like this offered by travel agencies?
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Hello,
I’ve got a plan with a friend to go on a motorcycle road trip in 2028 or 2029, starting in Santiago de Chile and ending in Ushuaia, for about a month.
Has anyone done a trip like this before, and what’s the best time of year?
I’ve heard there can be quite a bit of wind depending on the season.
Thanks for any tips!
Cheers,
PA
I'm seriously considering heading to Nepal to do some nice motorcycle loops... my goal is also to do the Kailash Yatra round trip from Kathmandu, in a small group with a guide, in May '26... but here's the thing—I'm solo! So if you're up for sharing a similar adventure, hit me up... Cheers, Frankoys
It's all in the title: I'm heading to Krabi soon and want to rent a scooter for a few weeks, but after reading comments about all kinds of scams, I'm reaching out to ask where and how (read: *the right way*) to rent one.
Thanks for your tips and advice.
Hello everyone! Like every year, a winter migration is on the horizon (revised plan): this time, it’ll be Dakar, or even Abidjan, via Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal.
Looking for an experienced motorcyclist or pillion rider—small build preferred—on a GSA 1250 with a comfy seat and luggage setup, available from early November to late December 2025. I’d like to plan the trip together (important to me) to make sure we’re on the same wavelength.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Didier
Looking for travel companions to ride from France to Senegal by motorcycle.
I’m Paul, 37, and I’ve already done a bit of riding in Morocco.
For now, I’m solo, riding a 1998 SUZUKI DR 650 with some basic gear to keep things smooth. I’ll have a tent so we can do a few nights under the stars.
We’ll need to coordinate departure dates—"ideally in November."
I’m currently checking out routes to take. Any tips would be welcome! :)
I’m heading to Vietnam and Laos with a buddy next week for a month.
We’re thinking of renting motorbikes, especially to do the Ha Giang Loop. We don’t have an international license, just our Belgian one. Is that enough? If not, is it risky?
In November, we’re planning to do the Ha Giang loop and the RC4 by motorbike without a guide. 😎
We’re looking for a decent place to stay/rent in Ha Giang.
If anyone has any info, we’d be really interested.
Hello! We’re planning a motorcycle trip that will include a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau in June 2026.
We’re unsure (still debating) whether we should stay at a hotel on-site and get to the memorial with an Uber (leaving our bikes at the hotel) and book a guided tour, or base ourselves in Kraków and take a tour that includes transport.
One thing’s for sure—we’d prefer a guide in French since we don’t speak English 😅.
Could you share your experiences or advice?
I understand we need to book online rather than on-site.
Thanks in advance for your replies!
Hello,
Next October we’re planning to ride the Ruta de la Plata by motorcycle—a historic Spanish route that runs from Gijón to Seville, also known as the N630.
Has anyone here already ridden it?
Unfortunately, I’m worried that parts of the N630 may have disappeared or merged with the A66 motorway, forcing us to ride long stretches of highway, which we’d rather avoid.
Thanks in advance for any tips or details about this route!
Hi there!
I’m currently planning a 9-day route starting from Marrakech with my husband. We land on the morning of June 13th—so soon! 😊
And we’re flying back to France on June 21st at 9 PM!
We’ve rented two Royal Enfield 450s.
This is our first motorcycle trip in Morocco. I got my license two years ago with the dream of taking this kind of trip, and here we are! ✌️😍
In France, we usually ride between 300 to 400 km per day on roadsters. We’re not used to off-road tracks, so we’re looking for easy ones 😅—especially for me 😅.
For Morocco, I’ve planned stages of 200 to 300 km per day.
Here’s the idea:
Day 1 (departure at noon): Marrakech - Tizi n Test - Tafingoult (165 km - 4h15)
Day 2: Tafingoult - Amzarkou - Telouet (200 km - 4h34)
Day 3: Telouet - Ait Benhaddou - Ouarzazate - Boumalne (200 km - 3h30) (+ Vallée des Roses maybe)
Day 4: Boumalne - Dades Gorges - Agoudal - Todra Gorges - Tinghir - Goulmima (291 km - 6h)
Day 5: Goulmima - Midelt - Cirque Jaffar - Agoudim (280 km - 4h45)
Day 6: Agoudim - Imilchil - Aghbala - El Ksiba (280 km - 4h45)
Day 7: El Ksiba - La Cathédrale - Zaouiat Ahansal (212 km - 4h20)
Day 8: Ahansal - Ouzoud Waterfalls via R 302 (188 km - 4h22)
Day 9: Ouzoud - Marrakech (160 km - 2h43)
End of the trip 😮.
What do you think?
We haven’t booked any hotels—is that a problem? We were thinking of deciding day by day based on our progress.
Can we take our helmets with us in the cabin, or should we pack them in the checked luggage surrounded by clothes to avoid damage?
Hey there, fellow riders,
I’m really keen on a motorcycle trip to Morocco, specifically the Middle Atlas. Does anyone have any info or tips on this idea? Planning to go in September or October...
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Christine
