And it started so well…. We left the Campsite early and motored to first Gorge - amazing scenes and all captured on Go Pro… the it was decided to ride North and then back down to the Todra Gorge…. and there was the mistake as although the road looked like it was metalled it was a bloody lot worse than a track - and so we did about 40 kms "off Road" and those that know me know that I have previous for falling over when off road…. and hey presto I did just that - a nasty down hill section and I caught a pannier on a rock - that took my rear wheel and over I went - then the bike stopped just before a 10 foot drop…. and I hit the deck face first…. nothing broken on me and I though the bike was fine until I saw David coming down the hill carrying one of my panniers….
We managed to get the bike upright and tried to walk it down the hill to a safe area to assess the damage and repair the pannier but lost the bike again and let I fall gently to the ground.… Again we picked it up and stopped for a coffee… I carried out a quick repair to the pannier with a rock and some cable ties….
Off we set with me still a bit shaken… oh and before that on one of the many uphill sections the engine cut out and would not start ---- no electrics.… so I had to turn the bike around on a narrow track with a drop on one side and then bump start it downhill..… then having got the engine going I had the turn it around again from facing down to get back up hill….
About 5km further on we came across another stretch on road that had been washed away and I was trying to U turn to select a line without the 6 foot drop... when I dropped the bike again… ouch .… this time I had my leg trapped under the pannier.… and it bloody hurt. David then had to lift to whole rear of the bike so that I could crawl out…. On our way again…. and finally got back on to the South section with tarmac….. and to the other Gorge.… God these XRV750 (Africa Twin) are a tuff bike and only 16 years old - and just reach the 60,000 miles the day before....
We are now sitting in the Bar (no beer).… tomorrow we will visit the second Gorge again..…
The shame is that somewhere on the 40 kms section is my Go Pro..... with all the video of the Gorge Transits etc..... Bugger.....,
I ache a bit and the bruise will be interesting in the morning.... I did some more repairs to the panniers and we are not doing and off road again..… Just because the road has a number - it does not make it a road....