Bike-like maneuverability: weighing just 132 kg, the XT 250 is disconcertingly agile. In the soft sand (fesh-fesh) or in the stony wadis of the Atlas mountains, it doesn’t drag you along. If you lose your balance, you’ll catch it with a kick of the boot. It’s the ideal bike to avoid physical exhaustion on a multi-day raid.

Safety through accessibility: the low saddle allows almost all riders to put both feet flat on the ground. This is an enormous psychological safety factor when you have to cross a technical passage or an area of unstable rocks.

Braking and stability: Front and rear disc brakes. Admittedly, it doesn’t have the bite of a sports bike, but on the track, its braking is progressive and easy to control, avoiding untimely wheel lock-up on soft ground.