Europe to Morocco on a Ténéré 700
Ténéré is a name synonymous with Yamaha Motor's adventure models. The name inspired two great pals to head out on a grand tour of Europe and Africa, riding their Ténéré 700 motorcycles. Rowland Kirishima and Kawanishi set out on a tour from Europe to Morocco, Africa. As Morocco is located on the northern tip of the African continent, it is an exotic country with a mix of African, Arabic and European cultures.
Why Morocco? Simply put, Morocco was in the book "55mph (55 miles)" published by Yamaha in the 80’s. This book, with its MOTORCYCLE UTOPIA concept, showcased various places around the world that were visited by motorcycle. Wonderful travel articles were a feature in the book with bold, stand-out photographs, and details of thrills and experiences specific to each destination well elaborated within each section.
The route Rowland mapped out, started in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar via Spain, and then onto Morocco in the African continent. The route was a well known on for Rowland having competed in the 2007 Dakar Rally.
"The name Ténéré equals the Paris to Dakar, it has its own deep-rooted significance, which gives an even greater meaning to our experience."