Big Baja weekend: How 2 guys on small bikes turned into 6 guys on big bikes

[Dan Diego 40]

Big Baja weekend: How 2 guys on small bikes turned into 6 guys on big bikes

 

(Thats the RR name only because "Adios Pantalones" was already taken...)

 

 

 

My buddy Chris wanted to do a 2 or 3 day Baja ride. Erendira, San Felipe...something like that. I put together a 2-day ride for April 1-2, staying away from the SCORE San Felipe 250.

 

 

 

He was gonna take his Scrambler, I was gonna take my KLR.  

 

 

 

Then the calls started.

 

 

 

Chris: Hey, you know Ted really wants to come with us.  

 

 

 

Me: Yeah, Ted is cool, but this was supposed to be a laid back weekend.

 

 

 

C: Hey, this buddy of mine, Ian, really wants to come, too. Super good guy.

 

 

 

M: Aw, c'mon, man! It's gonna be like herding cats!

 

 

 

C: Ian and Rob will probably peel off, anyhow.

 

 

 

M: Wait...who's Rob? And how many are coming?

 

 

 

C: Rob is Ian's friend.  Good dude; you'll like him. So it's just us and those guys.  And Ruben, one of Ted's friends. Super good guy...you'll like him.

 

 

 

So...

 

There were two Tigers, a KTM 1190 and an 800GS. So Chris ended up taking his new Husky 701 and I loaded up my 990 ADV. It had turned into a big bike ride.

 

 

We all meet up in La Mesa on Saturday morning. Introductions were made, a rough ride plan was laid out and we got on the road.

 

 

 

We crossed through Tecate and slabbed it to Ensenada, munching on fish tacos by 11. By 1230 we were in Santo Tomas where the dirt started. After a brief stop at La Bocana, we started on a trail toward the coast I know. It was sketchy, with some washed out areas and mud, but we arrived at the first ranch gate. I'd been through that ranch several times...sometimes there was no one there, other times a couple of guys would wave to me as I rode by.  This time the ranch hand was adamant about the "dust on the crops" and the "noise scaring the cattle." Translated for gringos: mordida. Three minutes and $5 later we were on our way.

 

 

 

The trail was rockier than last time and rutted from recent rain but not too bad at all. Though I might've seen a couple bikes on their sides.

 

 

 

We reached a hill overlooking the ocean: the Punto San Jose lighthouse to the right, the Danish cult compound to the left (they've been building, I see). We exited the gate at the coast road and rode the couple miles or so to the lighthouse. That's a really scenic area, with the big waves and high cliffs, if you haven't been there.

 

 

 

After some photos we were off to Coyote Cal's where we'd decided to stay instead of beach camping. The road was pretty torn up in some places but very rideable. We stopped at a couple of picturesque spots to just take in the big Pacific, then made Cal's by 5. We had cold beers in our dusty hands, and lots of them, by 5:01.

 

 

 

Pro tip: CC happy hour bucket of 6 beers: $10. 

 

 

 

Rounds of tequila and more beer just kept coming. Like Chris had assured me, these were indeed good guys.  And good riders, too. After a great Thai dinner, we smoked stogies around the fire, talking about the day's ride. Coyote Cal’s owner, Rick, sat with us for a while and reminisced about old Baja.

 

 

 

The next day we all had the Dirt Riders Breakfast Special and planned the route ahead. While Ted was fueling up, he noticed his front tire was flat. Ruben, a longtime Baja rider had a new tube installed in less than 15 minutes. Ruben then headed back to San Diego and we headed south along the coast.

 

 

 

Rob had a very cool drone and got some footage of the guys riding up and through the volcano south of Erendira. Chris was Jonesing to ride on the beach and I assured him he would...but we turned toward San Vicente instead of continuing to Colonet...so the beach wheelies will have to wait.

 

Note: I was using a combo of tracks I'd made or collected over the years and Rob was using his recently purchased E32 Baja tracks (I gotta get that) and he also had the classic Baja 

 

 

 

The route continued to be rutted and washed out but otherwise rideable…so, typical Baja.

 

 

 

We fueled up in San Vicente then headed a few miles south on Hwy 1 to La Calentura, taking that dirt road to Valle de la Trinidad at Hwy 3.  In less than 40 miles we were chomping on carne asada tacos at El Rancho. As always, good stuff. Rob ate 6! There was another Kug sighting there, BTW.

 

 

 

It was about 3:30 and we’d planned to take one of 3 routes back to Tecate: The pine forest via Laguna Hanson and Ramona’s or the Compadre Trail or a route I hadn’t tried though El Jamau (thanks, Jim). However, the decision was made to slab it back to Ensenada, then take the toll road to Tijuana.  No worries.  We were off.

 

 

 

Ian disappeared somewhere around the Ojos Negros cut-off and we didn’t see him after that.

 

 

 

We made good time on the way back to TJ then crossed the border in less than 8 minutes.  I waved as I headed home on the 805 right before 6pm.

 

 

 

What a great weekend ride.  The other riders were top notch: Excellent riders and good people. The weather was perfect and the riding conditions epic.  As I always do, I vowed to return. And 5 other heads nodded in agreement.

[Wierdrider 187]

Excellent! Great report and photos Dan??

[Dress4Less 162]

Nicely done guys!

[Reximus 10]

Too much fun. When I get the BRP put back together im all in! 

[Dan Diego 40]

1 hour ago, Reximus said:

Too much fun. When I get the BRP put back together im all in! 

You'd be a welcome Baja addition, Rex. 

But bring that pretty XR650!

[KTMrad 508]

i see crazy Ted Zuidema from South Bay Motorsports is there.

Cool ride man !

[Dan Diego 40]

29 minutes ago, KTMrad said:

i see crazy Ted Zuidema from South Bay Motorsports is there.

Cool ride man !

Yeah, Ted is a great guy. Crazy to be sure! Who else could pull off a Hello Kitty flask full of high end tequila?

That ride was a lot of fun. Already planning the next one. 

[Bp619 104]

Well done

[Goofy Footer 539]

On motos I'll take Cals and not having to carry camping gear over a tent anyday.  Heading south, the turn inland towards San Vicente was the right move.  Hugging dirt south to San Antonio Del Mar is rocky and has a couple steep climbs that would not be fun on big bikes. 

An option for next time: slab to Colonet and dirt west to San Antonio Del Mar is hardpack and gets you to the beach/dune area.  Maybe 100 yards of sand and you'd be on the hard-pack beach. 

[Dan Diego 40]

Excellent points, Tim. Next time, you should be there.