malgre une petite experience hors goudron, je n'ai jamais rouler sur du sable...😇
je suis donc a la recherche de sites ou de conseils sur la technique pour rouler dans le sable avec une moto pas specialement prepare pour ca et en plus lourde et haute...tiger triumph 955i.
je ne compte pas du tout faire des bornes, mais je risque d'avoir certaines petites portions un peu sableuse...et j'n'ai vraiment poa l'intention de me vautrer avec ma belle...
pour l'instant j'en suis a " toujours etre en acceleration"...est ce sufisant ???
le ridicule ne tuant pas je prefere demander avant la gamelle ou le demi tour 😉
Salut,
pas ridicule du tout ta question, et inquietude legitime!
Mais tu sais déja tout apparament, puisqu'effectivement, la technique c'est d'accelerer...meme si ta moto se met en travers, laisse un filet de gaz, le guidon meme a l'equerre ta moto filera droit! Le plus dur, c'est de lutter contre tes reflexes...si tu freines, paniques, tu vas au tas...
Si tu dois rouler dans une grande portion ensablée, privilégie le matin tot, le sable est plus dense qu'en plein soleil.
Je n'avais jamais roulé dans le sable, et j'avais les memes questions que toi, et la meme solution, accelerer...ben une fois sur la piste, tu te rends compte que c'est ça et rien d'autre! Je n'en menais pas large, et petit a petit, c'est passé...Bon, j'ai "posé" la moto 2 ou 3 fois, quand? Ben quand j'ai commencé a douter de cette technique!
De toute façon, vas-y, moto lourde et haute perchée, aucune importance garde bien les pieds sur les repose-pieds et gaz, bon pas comme un fou non plus...
Attention tout de même si ta moto est très chargée: essence, eau, bagages, ...les réactions sont beaucoup moins prévisibles. Sur le sable ou le reg, même avec des pneus de route, pas trop de problèmes si tu ne paniques pas en coupant les gaz et en sortant les jambes, mais parfois c'est irrésistible et c'est le gadin assuré. (Arrives-tu à relever ta moto seul?) Gaffe aussi aux langues de sable sur le goudron (dunes qui traversent), c'est beaucoup plus traître, si tu en sors un millipoil de travers à la reprise sur le goudron, c'est le grand soleil. Quand aux pistes pleines d'ornières de camions, genre Sahel, il faut du culot pour couper dedans gaz ouverts avec une routière.
Je crois que de temps en temps, il faut accepter de rouler au pas et de ramer avec les pieds. Mais ne te décourages pas, j'ai emmené une 500SR et une 650XS Custom au Sahara sans gros soucis, et d'autres des 900 Kawa et des Gold Wing...
dans le sable cela peut vite devenir la galere je garde quelques mauvais souvenir efectivement il vaut mieux metre la sauce quand on a de la reserve sur la becane mais la nature du sable etant souvent capricieuse et de nature differente prevoie de toute façon a te vautrer donc pense bien a te proteger car meme le sable peut devenir agresif ou ce qu'il cache.
quand tu aura relever plusieur fois ta becane tu te demandera si tu a fait le bon choix de moto😉😉😉
c'est sur que si je devais faire un raid qu'en sable je verrais les choses autrement...la mon trip c'est 95% route et pistes roulantes et peut etre 5% sable...le prob est de pouvoir passer c'est 5% sans prob et sans casse...surtout sans casse...le reste ca fera partie du truc et de l'aventure...😉
mais bondiou !!!
qu'on m'enleve le goudron chez moi pour essayer !!!😉
il faudra nous compter tous cela a ton retour les dernieres grosses gamelles c'etait a madagascar sur des pistes graces apres des orages avec un 600 transalp equiper
avec d'ancien pneus neuf une vrai galere les premiere gamelles tu trouve cela marand mais au bout d'un moment les 200 kg de la becane te casse un peu les c.....lles
mais c'est le plaisir de la moto maintenant je roule en 200 honda meme si on se plante on le fait moin vite et surtout la moto est moin lourde😉
je suis aller voir ton site cela donne envie de partir tu m'a bien enerver avec toutes ses belles photos pour me consoler dans un mois je recupere ma moto a madagascar et en route pour l'aventure
j'y serai du 26/04 au 11/05 ;apparemment on vas se croiser; pour ce qui est de rouler sur le sable avec te "tigre" je te le deconseille ;galere assuree ;
de la piste et du roulant ok ; gaffe aux cailloux quand meme ;bonne route et peut etre A+
ce qui embellit le desert c'est qu'il cache un puits quelque part
( st exupery )
Salut! Tu as quels pneus pour ta belle balade??? parce que des boudins à tétines pour du bitume, bofbof 😕 ... Et des pneus de route (d'origine je veux dire) bofbof pour le sable...😐
A +😛
Bonjour.
Un autre conseil : dégonfles tes pneus (prévoir un gonfleur ou une pompe pour continuer sur le dur).
Assis-toi le plus en arrière et n'ai pas peur d'un léger guidonnage.
Un petit entrainement ne coûte rien.
des pneus tout terrain et accelerer a fond en effet !!!
quelle marade et quelle plaisir !!!
le tiger a ete enorme aussi bien dans le sable ( un petit peu) que sur les pistes !!!
grand voyage motard avec une grande, tres grande moto et un moteur ENORME !!!
vive le trois pattes british !!!
prochaine fois in the desert j'prendrais quand meme quelques choses de plus leger pour pouvoir aller toujours un peu plus loin derrriere la prochaine dune !!!
Dommage que je n'ai pas vu ton post des mois avant, j'aurais pu te de donner quelques trucs.
Bon, si mon experience peut aider les quelques internautes qui comme moi cherchait des infos avant de partir pour un voyage au long cours autant se lancer : Mieux vaut une bécanne légère & puissante : un gros mono !! j'avais une aprilia pégaso 650. Des pneus passe partout, moi j'étais monté avec des michelin anakee (bitume, pierre, sable, ..sauf dans la boue). J'en était très satisfait. A ce qu'il parait les michelin sirac sont mieux, faut voir. Dégonfler pour le sable (à 0, 8kg), regonfler sur piste pierreuse sinon crevaison ! Prévoir une pompe à pied avec tachymètre, carrefour vend un modèle de marque michelin, faut voir. Rouler plein gaz !! Et pas rester en 1er sinon le moteur s'échauffe. Foncer sur la tôle ondulé pour attenuer au maximum les vibrations. Rouler debout en mettant le poids du corps en arrière et laisser la roue avant faire sa vie (guidonnage, ..) S'appuyer sur les cales pieds et faire pencher le poids du corps pour tourner (comme au ski). Ne jamais s'arrêter au pied d'une dune voir d'une motte de sable mais plutot en descente ou sur un terrain assez dur (les coins de sable parsemés de pierres sont piégeurs). Repérer si possible à pied, avant de s'engager à moto, ce qu'il y a derrière la dune. Mettre un collant sur le filtre à air. Ne pas graisser la chaîne.
Mais malgré tout ça j'en ai bavé : ensablement tous les 10m dans le fech-fech, relever la moto x fois sous le cagnard, enlever et remettre le chargement, ..
Bilan : j'ai tordu ma pédale de frein sur ma 1er chute, cassé la platine de mon top-case que j'ai dû abondonner, éraflé tout le coté droit de la bécane, etc..
Le bon coté de la chose : je me suis découvert une véritable passion pour les voyage à moto dans le désert. Mon prochain trip après la Tunisie sera le sud de l'Algérie voir pousser jusqu'au Mali, des volontaires ???
Content de voir que tous c'est bien passé pour toi et que le Tiger c'est bien comporté. Je suis d'accord avec toi que c'est une très bonne machine qui pourrait faire la pige à beaucoup d'autres pour de longs voyages dans de mauvaises conditions.
L'été dernier, personnellement je suis tombé une fois sur 15000km, et c'était dans le sable!! j'aurai dû écouter vos conseils avant de partir! Je me suis promis de m'entrainer avant le prochain trip et je vais mettre la méthode en pratique... INSHALLAH!!!
Raconte-nous un peu plus ta ballade.
De mon côté, pas de voyage cet été, mais je commence sérieusement à cojiter d'emmener ma moto en novembre au Kirghistan pour refaire ensuite en mai la route du Pamir et plus tard la Mongolie, la Xin Yang, la Karakorum Highway, l'Afghanistan.... des volontaires?
Salut JP,
joli projet, ça me donne des envies... en novembre les condition doivent commencer à être rude dans ces contrées... tu prévois d'aller au Kirghizstan par la route ou tu envoies la moto en caisse ?
Après pour la deuxième partie, tu vois ça sur combien de temps ?
afin de ne pas encombrer le post de berrenge qui était au départ la recherche de conseils pour rouler dans le sable, je vous à ceux d'entre vous qui sont intéressés par un projet de voyage en asie centrale de rejoindre le sujet : "à la découverte de l'asie centrale", que je vais lancer aujourd'hui même.
hi
I’m planning a 10-month trip to South America, and I’m looking into options for shipping a motorcycle to Buenos Aires by air or sea. If anyone has any info, thanks in advance!
christian
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! ✌️
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?