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There were nine of us from Hamburg on the trip, so there were around 15 people in total who we already knew well before we set off. It sounded more like a school trip than a guided motorcycle tour.
We asked some of the riders about their personal impressions of the trip.
Have fun with the first-hand stories...
A trip like this as a birthday present is an incredible highlight in itself.
And when so many great people come along and share this journey with me
then that makes for a big grin.
There were some really fun days and countless unforgettable moments.
What I enjoyed most was getting to know some wonderful people. The interpersonal level of such an exciting group trip is extremely exciting and
holds many surprises. I am very grateful for the many new impressions and
Findings!
What really impressed me was the traffic in the towns. The complete chaos, full of
Mindfulness and attention - the traffic just flows - very cool, it's fun!
I didn't really have any crashes or breakdowns - probably because I had half an XT in
parts with me.
The communication from the organization before the trip really annoyed me, as the information that we
would have arrived shortly before departure.
...yes, the escorts - a bit annoying and all the waiting in the temperatures was also
"I'm okay", but somehow you still got into the dirt a bit and that
The grin was back.
I probably learned less driving-wise than I could have - I drive with
Luggage somehow too cautious...but I still had a lot of fun.
Tunisia itself didn't really pick me up - I also found the vast amounts of garbage rather
deterrent. The people, on the other hand, were extremely friendly and helpful - even the police
and the Guardia Civil.
Sahara...nice to have seen you...
Traveling - as always - the way there is exciting and time is running out, while the way back
extremely tough, even though we were lucky enough to be so incredibly warm-hearted with the Bree family.
We were happy and full of good energy - thank you very much!
I think I'm more likely to stay in Europe. Maybe I'll head north again at some point.
Otherwise, I am open to exploration and TET trials.
Actually, it's not so important where it goes - it's much more important who you can share it with.
Berger was the reason for this tour. When he goes somewhere, you know it's going to be good. On his Instagram account you can follow what he experiences in Tunisia.
Steve is our motocross god trainer role model. Very likeable and modest, which makes him even more likeable. He prepared his Yamaha well for the trip and even gave it an electric starter (because of "knees").
Click here for the Report on the preparations.
My absolute highlight was riding freely in places where there was no path or road. I already miss simply driving cross-country through the countryside and looking for a path.
I almost crashed on a pretty fast section. I missed an edge, which gave the rear wheel a good kick and sent me flying nose-down through the air for a few meters. Fortunately, nothing happened apart from a scare and the fork did its job well. Apart from that, I can only report that police escorts are really annoying when you actually want to ride alongside the road...
I learned that it's a really weird feeling when you're standing in the middle of nowhere, the temperature is approaching 40 degrees in the non-existent shade, a friend's bike won't start and you're taking the last sip of water from your hydration pack without knowing how far away the next refill point is. Fortunately, this was immediately followed by the next realization, namely that clutch switches are really stupid, but easy to bypass, and we were able to ride on.
I would like to do some traveling in Europe next. Poland, France, the Balkan countries, even if you certainly can't drive off-road there as carefree as in Tunisia, there should still be one or two TET kilometers that are really worth seeing. And the food there is also more to my liking.
The best thing for me was the community. Seeing how everyone looks out for each other and is there for each other was great. Another thing that thrilled me day after day was how much my driving skills and courage improved. Basically, I just had so much fun!
The military escorts were quite bearable after the initial discomfort, mainly because they were only a problem around the one checkpoint and we were able to ride the rest of the tour largely unmolested. I had a pretty stupid crash where my bike landed on top of me with the tires facing up (unfortunately no one took any photos at that moment of shock). I was unconscious for a short time and my bike wouldn't start at first, but thanks to Lutz and Basti the bike worked again quite quickly and with the help of first Lutz and then Enrico I made it back to Douz. There I spent two days working on my bike and relaxing my concussion and neck.
As I went on the trip with virtually no off-road skills (at least that's what I think), the tour was a real boot camp for me. However, it was really impressive to see how I improved day by day and discovered more and more possibilities. The landscape and the country itself were already impressive for me, and I really had a lot of fun - even in the Sahara. The fine sand was a real challenge, but when I didn't get stuck somewhere, it was a lot of fun.
A lot of motorcycling. Off-road if possible. First of all, no matter where. The main thing is beautiful scenery and, above all, again with a great crew!
Leona a.k.a. @smellofgasoline will be exploring Tunisia with the team. Just check out her excellent account for her take on the Dudes of Dust Rally.
For me as a photographer, it was clearly the visual impressions and the opportunity to finally capture some wild motorcycle action in the desert. Riding through the dunes at sunset - I've been dreaming of this ever since I got into enduro riding!
A highlight for my riding heart were the sometimes endless rides through open terrain, where I was able to test my bike and myself.
I remember the first escort in particular, when Lutz and I were 'intercepted' on the first evening and it took what felt like an eternity before it turned out that our friendly but also well-armed "law enforcement officers" were actually representatives of the local Guardia Civil.
After a lengthy (and in retrospect amusing) stop at a military checkpoint, we were even escorted to our accommodation. As we were assured, this was of course only for our own safety as European guests.
After the second day, we were out of the border area and the escorts had fortunately come to an end. From then on, we were able to really enjoy and discover Tunisia.
As far as breakdowns are concerned, I can only give the following tip: Dismantle or bypass existing clutch switches right before the journey - this can save you and your fellow travelers a minute or two of fright 😉
I was able to learn a lot about driving. One advantage of being in such a large, mixed group is that you can always learn something from the others. You constantly get new tips and tricks for riding as well as advice on how to improvise and carry out repairs on the bike.
That's the big question. I still have a few destinations on my travel list: The Baltic States, Norway, Spain, the Balkans... The list is long. In the end, the decision will probably be based on the off-road part and the photogenic locations 🙂
Martin Hass is our favorite photographer and always there where there is petrol action. You can find an interview with him here and on his Instagram account He will certainly take many pictures live in Tunisia.
That Kedo & Dudes of Dust made this trip possible for me at all!
Thank you very much for your trust and support!
I had the pleasure of finding out that a gasoline engine can also run for a while on the best Molotov mixture: ⅓ gasoline + ⅔ diesel...
I also made direct contact with the sticky clay soil, which was very attractive to me and my motorcycle. Likewise the powder sand in the Sahara. I also had an interesting disorientation experience in the dunes.
These are all exciting campfire adventure stories that I can now tell and will never forget.
Leona's headfirst fall... @Leona: I wanted to take a photo - because it looked terribly sensational - you could have talked / answered... so the shock of whether you were still alive was bigger and pulling you out from under the plane was more important. Next time: photo first - then rescue! I promise! 😀
In terms of riding technique, I know what I already knew before, in the sand: ass backwards, take the weight off the front wheel, keep the handlebars loose - and pull hard on the tap! Sometimes it works more - sometimes less. You have to listen to your gut feeling! That is very important. Overconfidence and peer pressure are dangerous on such rides.
Know your limits and your skills. And: less luggage is more!
This came about quite spontaneously directly after the rally, because I changed my ferry ticket and crossed over to Sicily to ride the TET there and up the entire Italian boot, via Austria to Hamburg - so back home on the road... despite the shoulder injury: unfortunately awesome. (Thanks Eva!)
And the destination: Graz is on the list! I'm looking forward to it! Cheers.
....Basti was at the Haselrodeo this year and brought us a great report. On his Instagram account he regularly reports on his motorcycle adventures.
Since Enrico is at the start, I have no worries that we'll all be back (on the road). Excellent mechanic and the Loose screw in personal union.
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That even in a larger group, you move closer together and look out for each other in an emergency. And that sometimes it is simply better to act and not think about it. What could be over the next crest can lead you into the best scenarios.
Oh, the list is a little longer. From starting difficulties directly after the ferry, broken motorcycles in and after the desert, stupid crashes and the Guardia Civil not following you into a dry river bed when you want to get rid of them.
Just because I want something doesn't mean I can do it. Tunisia is not the same as Africa. Sometimes more than two travelers are okay too. Not all sand dunes are the same.
You should explore Europe more. It has so much more to offer than people often realize.
The whole trip was one big highlight, so where should I start? Apart from the great group and the endless fun on the moped, I was impressed by the hospitality and helpfulness of the Tunisians. We broke down at a petrol station, and without having to ask, they brought us tools, offered us dates and contacted the surrounding garages for a spare part. What's more, it was the first time I had ridden through the Sahara dunes on my own moped. It feels like being in another world. Sand all the way to the horizon, having fun all day and stopping in the middle of nowhere in the evening to pitch your tent. The desert tour was probably one of the coolest travel experiences I've ever had.
I was escorted, which was not the plan, but looking back it was still an amusing experience. Apart from that, I was lucky enough to master the rally without any breakdowns or crashes apart from a leaking oil seal. A friendly garage owner in Douz even delivered a new oil seal to the campsite despite the day of prayer. So the repair was done quickly and easily, and what else could break on an old TT? Here and there there was a forced break to repair Hannes' flat tire again.
Above all, I met new people and got to know some of the people I already knew better. There were some great people who I hope to see again often and soon. Once again, I learned that a motorcycle is the best way to travel and that you should travel as much as possible. No matter how it goes, you always come home wiser. Tunisia has also shown me that bad stereotypes are mostly nonsense if you approach people openly and politely.
First the garage, to get the TT and the Super Ténéré ready for the next few trips. Then I'll see where I'm spontaneously drawn to. The Balkans, Scandinavia, the Alps, TET all over Europe, various events and meetings. There are enough possibilities that still need to be worked on or repeated.
Timo Lietz and his father organize the Wuppenduro in Wuppertal and is an enduro trainer. He is also dedicated to the further development of orthoses.
The off-road rides and the many awesome people were my highlights.
In addition to a typical "too slow in the sand" exit, I also had a rollover behind a small dune after my front wheel suddenly sank into the sand. The BMW came through it bravely, I bruised my ribs (a very painful affair...). I was also escorted on one day. That wasn't so pleasant, but the policemen were super nice.
The BMW is only suitable for dunes to a limited extent. At least with luggage.
The Sahara is quite exhausting. The constant heat takes a lot of energy.
All that garbage really shocked me. It's something else to see something like that live.
I don't need to go to the desert for the time being. I'd like to go to the Balkans, Liguria or the Pyrenees. I've been there before, but it's always great.
The freedom of just riding through these endless landscapes with friends and not having to think about anything else except choosing the right line.
And simply riding aimlessly over the dunes in the desert at sunset and just having fun.
Surprisingly, I didn't have any real breakdowns, only my front wheel got stuck after I had a big crash in the sand: I rode a bit too fast over a hill and behind it was extremely soft sand, the front wheel dug in and I flew over the handlebars together with the bike, which rolled over and landed right next to me.
The police escorts were really tough, especially at the beginning where we didn't quite know what was going on, we could hardly communicate and there were people with guns everywhere and total chaos and helplessness.
"Welcome to Africa", as they say. Everything is always different from our familiar Europe, but I was amazed at how nice the locals were and how much history there is in this country.
In any case, I have learned that sand is not just sand!
My next destination will probably be TET in southern Spain at the end of the year. Probably the area around Granada to Murcia, including the Gorafe desert.
Or maybe just TET in Portugal, but in any case Europe again for now! And let's see next year.
When we navigated only by compass points... past the Sahara, small dunes, wide open views, and we dug our way through the sandy soil. In those moments, you look to the side and see your friends smiling under their helmets from afar.
Yes, to everything, but this time I had fewer problems than ever before - DR350, the best choice!
Leona's fall went well, Basti didn't disappear into the desert after all, there was beer in the oasis, Moritz's body survived the return journey and we didn't miss the ferry once.
After the fear of sand comes the most awesome driving fun ever! Tunisia is the most liberal, and therefore my favorite, country in North Africa! You can only stress yourself and if you want to go fast, go slow...
Üchtelhausen. To Manuel Schad from SWT-Sports 😉
The hazel rodeo is Lutz at the start and will certainly be reporting from Tunisia.
Otherwise just check the Hazelrodeo Website!
Check out this post on Instagram
Moritz is sure to thrash his bike through the dunes again and will be the only one (with Steve) who can do the same 😉
His Wheels & Waves Bike you have certainly not overlooked. More on IG in the coming days.
Many pictures and highlights can be found on KEDO Instagram
