Who are Moto-Morocco?
Moto Morocco are an incorporated company whose aim is to provide tailor made on and off-road expeditions to Morocco.
We have been going officially for 5 years, but most of our staff were running trips to Morocco and elsewhere for a long time before that.
We only take small groups of riders out at any time- too many and a trip can start feeling like a procession and it starts becoming dangerous if there are any problems out on the piste miles from anywhere, so we strictly limit our numbers so that you and your pillion (if you take one) can get the maximum enjoyment out of your trip, in safety.
We have several dedicated support trucks of our own that provide luggage carrying, workshop facilities and bike recovery capability and we run the latest in combined GPS/Radio systems so that we can explore the wilderness but still be in touch with each other and find each other immediately if necessary.
Bill Oates
Managing Director
Tour leader, support driver
Heavily involved in BMW GS activities as a moderator on UKGSer.com, Bill has arranged and led many on and off road tours both in the UK and Africa, and as a regular traveller in Morocco has built up a large amount of contacts and information on the best roads, tracks and places to stay.
From Ireland to Romania and Turkey, he has covered nearly every country in Europe, and has several successful Sahara crossings to his name on two wheels as well as in 4X4 expedition vehicles.
In January 2006 Bill organised and lead a group of 10 riders on Honda C90’s from the UK to Gambia, crossing Europe, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal and finally several hundred miles up into the bush in Gambia where all the scooters and the trip’s support vehicle were handed over to the Bansang Hospital for use in some of the roughest conditions imaginable.
Bill rides a ‘hardened up’ R1150GS adventure and a heavily modified DR650SE
You can contact Bill by clicking this link; Bill@moto-morocco.com
.
Rosie
UK Manager
Rosie is our one of our most important people- as UK manager and looks after everything while the teams are in Morocco, as well as keeping us all in line when we’re in-between trips in the UK!!
Involved with bikes and the bike touring for many years, Rosie finally saw the light and became a permanent pillion on a GS Adventure and has been increasingly involved in the customer liaison part of the company- chances are, if you call us, it’ll be Rosie who you speak to!
Last year Rosie took a wee ride around Europe, taking in 12 countries in 10 days and has travelled extensively on other bikes for many years- she knows what’s what and is able to answer most questions, so any queries about what we do or how we do it, give her a call.
Rosie can be contacted in the office on 0845 257 7812 (lo-call rate) , or you can contact her by Email by clicking below.
Ian
Tour director
Lead rider, support driver, tail end rider
A former motorcycle instructor, Ian has also competed in motorcycle sport both on and off the road, as well as having considerable off road experience in 4×4’s and trucks and has led many on and off road trips both in the UK, in Eastern Europe and in Morocco.
Having toured extensively in Europe and the Balkans, Ian ran Riding Romania, a tour company organising motorcycle and 4×4 trips into and beyond the Balkans.
Ian has joined Moto Morocco as Tour Director and ride leader but also provides cover in our support trucks or takes tail-ender position depending on the trip.
Ian was also co-organiser of the ‘Scoots to the Sahara’ mission, a 4,000 mile crossing of the Atlas Mountains and Sahara desert by Honda C90 as part of charity run delivering medical equipment to The Gambia, both riding his mighty C90 and nursing the old support vehicle to its final destination loaded with medical supplies for the Bansang Hospital and Dame Stella Marsden’s projects at Sambel Kunda in The Gambia
You can contact Ian by Email by clicking below.
Tim
Lead Rider
Off Road Specialist
Tim has a history of extreme travel in adverse conditions having spent two and a half years in Antarctica making long journeys with husky dogs, skidoos and snowcats as part of the British Antarctic Survey team
Mountaineering became more than a hobby as he made his home in the heart of Snowdonia. Travel became a passion with South America a favourite.
Tim’s career as a motorcyclist began as a youngster and has a background of riding motorcycles off road as a grass track racer and later an avid trail rider.
Journeys around Europe on his Triumph eventually led to the purchase in 2000 of his first GS 1150.
Tim has since ridden around most of Europe including Scandinavia, Baltic States, Alps, Pyrenees and many visits to Spain.
Over the past four years he has organised and guided several extensive trips around Morocco. Riding many of the country’s fantastic tracks and pistes Tim has made friends with locals and developed an in depth knowledge of many of the best biking tracks and roads Morocco has to offer.
Tim has just returned from a three month trip to ‘the Stans’ and Mongolia, which you can read about HERE
Neil
Tech Guru
Tail end rider, support vehicle driver and Tech support
Since his first long distance motorcycle trip around Iberia in 1980, Neil has travelled extensively both in Europe and the Far East, and over the last few years has lead many successful bike trips in Europe as well as North Africa. Previously a Parachute and sky diving instructor, Neil is a lover of adventure and his sense of humour can lighten even the lowest moments that occasionally happen out on the road. (And he does like to shake his TicTacs!)
In between touring, Neil has run his very successful motorcycle repair business, specialising in servicing and repairing BMW bikes- He’s also just opened up an online shop for GS parts
As well as leading , being tail ender or driving one of our support vehicles, Neil is Moto Morocco’s technical guru and provides mechanical support and backup for our trips
Wayne
Off-road Lead Rider, Tail end rider
Wayne started riding bikes as a kid on a farm at the age of 11 and has not put them down since. At the age of 19 he did his first European tour, taking in France, Germany, Italy Switzerland, Belgium, Holland and Spain. A couple of years back, he did one of our Off-road tours and loved it so much that he became a staff member !
Currently Wayne is also a Lifeboat crewmember and Chief Engineer at his local port, and of course navigation and first aid skills rate high on the agenda.
When not motorbiking or on the lifeboat he can be found on the yacht racing circuit.
He is also a member of his local bike club, which regularly does daft things for charity, such as 5 countries in one day/1000 miles in one day.
Wayne spends many a summer/winter night in the local forestry with like minded friends trying to get big trail bikes stuck in the mud- You don’t have to be slightly mad to work for Moto Morocco but it certainly helps !
