Updated December 2025

These days in Marrakech it’s possible to rent a late-model moto with unlimited mileage for off-tarmac riding from an established outlet for a reasonable price and – given the country’s perceived notoriety in other touristic transactions – not get shafted. However, please verify that the agency allows you to ride off asphalt. Many have clearly suitable machines but for some, the TMT does not align with their rental conditions. The list below has been edited at their request.

Marrakech is about a day’s ride from the Trans Morocco Trail at either Anergui on Stages N/P (300km east), or Tazenakht near Stages T/U (225km south).

In the last couple of years new outlets have opened up, while others appear to have upped their game, actually respond to emails and have actual garages as well as the machines they claim. You still need to be at least 18 years old with a full licence and not expect the service you might get back home.
Below is list of some places in Marrakech where I or others have reported good experiences. I cannot guarantee you will have the same, and there may be others. Nearly all below are all located within a 1km of each other in the suburb of Gueliz, but some may offer to deliver the bike to your hotel.

• loc2roues.com (aka: bm-attitude.com)
• gslinetours.com (BMWs)
• M2R.ma
• oxbikers.com
• marrakech-roues.com

The benefits of renting?
Now that the range, quality and service are less hard to find, the economics are clear. For anything up to say, ten days riding in Morocco, renting in Marrakech saves money, time and wear on you and your machine. And now in post-Brexit UK, getting a mate to van bikes across Spain to meet you all in Malaga for example, requires a costly ATA carnet when owners of transported vehicle are not present.

When I first started renting Honda XR250 Tornados in 2012, the bikes were already ropey but I thought: oh well, it’s Morocco, what do you expect? Tyres and chains were worn; brakes were lame, chassis bearings were shot. But they started and ran and, some clocking up to 100,000 rental kms over the next few years. They were replaced with 310GSs which were clearly not trail bikes, but were well adapted with crash bars, tail racks and bash plates, while having the benefit of being tubeless, EFI and with lower seats.

Over the years that rental outfit has improved to becoming one of the best in Marrakech, and since that time the quality of other outfits has moved much closer to what you’d expect in Europe, but there can still be a cultural dissonance with say, tyre wear. The other month I specifically requested ‘good tyres’ from a place I’d not tried before. On collection my 15,000-km-old bike still had original CEATs with a couple of mil left. If I’d been more on it, I’d have asked for another bike or another wheel, but there’s a lot going on in the head on collection day. I’m pretty sure if I’d have asked for another wheel or bike, they’d have happily supplied it. This is the risk with renting motos for remote off roading: you can’t be sure what you’ll get, and what state it will be in. 

When not using on my own bikes, over the years I’ve rented XR250 Tornado, BMW 650GS, Husky 650 Terra, BMW F800 Rallye, F750GS, 310GS, KTM 890 Adventure R, 390 Adventure and a Himalayan 450. None of them were as well set up as my own moto, of course, but they did the job.

Some of the models I’ve rented are long gone or will now be clapped out, but these days – along with loads of huge GS boxers – < one-litre rentals include: KTM 890/790/390; BMW 310, 700, 750, 800, 850, 850; Himalayan 411 and 450; CF Moto 450MT; Suzuki DR650, V-Strom 650 and 800; Yamaha XT250 and XT700, and Honda CRF250L. There may be others. Very few normal Moroccans can afford to own any of these bikes; most get around on ancient French mopeds, Chinese city scooters or Chinese 125 mules out in the sticks.

Reserving and collection
Most place’s websites feature studios shots of pristine bikes, like car rental places. For imagery of the actual fleet try their social media pages. Make your enquiries then book your bike online at home, pay a deposit of say 20%, then book your flight.

On arrival, allow at least an hour faffing about in the office/garage, paying the balance/bond, checking and setting up your bike and so on. It pays not to be dressed in full off-road regalia until you’re actually ready to ride out. Some places rent with near empty tanks, others are fuller; bring it back the same.

Paperwork
Passport (ID); driving licence for insurance; bank card for payments. Some bank cards may not work in Morocco, or your bank will block the transaction. Bring a spare card, leave the deposit in cash, or hope a mate’s card will work. On no circumstances let them keep your passport; you will need it for ID at some lodgings or to show at police checkpoints.

Pay the balance with your bank card as well as a separate ‘caution’ or bond of around €1000 against damage. It can all feel a bit sketchy, but hold your nerve. The money may go to a euro account in Europe and the deposit may get auto renewed after a week. They will give you a pouch with rental documents including contact details if something goes wrong, as well as the Third Party Only insurance which very rarely checkpoints ask for (except in an accident with a third party, or if you’ve committed an infraction).

Bike condition
It’s a rental that’s been hammered by the likes of you on Moroccan trails. Expect some wear, scratches and if still newish, stock road tyres which will be fine on dry tracks, less so in mud or deep sand (rare in Morocco). Most bikes will have a rear rack or even fittings for full hard luggage (not suited to TMT trails). Some may have crash bars and hand guards. Bent handlebars and badly bent levers ought to be replaced each time because the previous user paid for that damage. As with any rental, on collection take note or film any damage.
Check if the bike tools are present and what they’ll do. At the very least you need be able to remove the wheels (if tubed), adjust the chain and possibly shock preload, as well as tighten loose fittings. They rarely give you chain lube, but you can ask, if you’re bothered.
Check tyre pressures. One place I rent from routinely pumps in 40psi on a 170-kilo bike where 30 is fine. Bring a gauge.

Things to bring

• Full riding gear (also often available to borrow/hire)
• Your baggage in a tail bag, plus a day pack
• Straps to secure that bag
• The means to securely mount and charge your nav device. I got caught out with a Him 450’s USB C port (above). Luckily my Garmin can nav for two days off its battery, but most mobiles won’t. Endeavour to verify what your rental bike’s charging port is, or bring the wiring to charge directly off the bike’s battery, or use a portable battery pack.
• Tools to make repairs, including punctures and mini jump leads in the cooler season

Puncture repairs
If you rent a bike with inner tubes, they ought to lend you inner tube/s, ideally new. You’ll still need the means to make the repair and reinflate, unless you’re lucky enough to get a flat near a town with a tyre repair shop. That means you will need:

• Means to securely raise a wheel if no centre stand (stick, rocks, cut-down crutch – below)
• Tools to remove wheels
• Bead-breaking tyre levers and other tyre removal/fitment hardware
• Replacement tube or patches and glue; the latter sold in any village tyre shop, the former you’ll be very lucky to find along the TMT in your size
• Tyre pump

If tubeless you just need a spike, plugs, glue/lube and the pump.

Breakdowns
Expect loose fittings, easily fixed. But unless it’s completely kaput, don’t expect them to rush out with a replacement bike with orange lights flashing – it happened once or twice to us. Try and fix things yourself or, with the renter’s approval, at a local bike shop. They should reimburse you. In most cases this bike shop will have never seen the likes of your bike and might make things worse. Generally you can ignore malfunction lights unless the bike is making horrible noises or manifests some actual fault. Many sensors are over-sensitive to dust or water.

Returning the bike
Expect close scrutiny, or just save time and be honest with them, if there’s damage. I fell off my Him in mud. The near bald front tyre didn’t help, but I thought nothing of it and just cleaned up. Back at the garage it turned out the slow-speed prang had bent a crash bar inwards. I guess these Hims are as heavy as they feel; but not the crashbars! That cost me £80 for a new one which was fair enough. They were more lenient on less bad damage to my mate’s slow-speed fall over. It came off our deposits. Don’t be surprised if replacement parts cost way more due to huge Moroccan import taxes.

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