wekert

lol

I'm camera shy but i can show up and park my bike there for the lots'o'bikes shot

Well, they certainly seemed to care the times I've been turned around. Professional and courteous, each one. But would not let me pass, and in one case made me ride back and out nearly 10 miles. I apologize if i mis-spoke. What I meant to say was, if the border patrol doesn't like you being there, it isn't because you are interfering with their sign cutting abilities. It's probably because they have something going on in the direction you're headed.

No one's going to get out of his truck and look on both sides of a long drag road every time he sees a flat spot. Guys miss stuff on drag roads all the time. It's not unheard of for someone to pull a fresh drag over a road that's all tracked up. More traffic = harder to cut Well.. now we're getting more into the personality of individual people. Some bakers burn bread, some bankers suck at math, and some border patrol agents are lazy and miss sign. But, if said border patrol agent missed the sign because a vehicle drove by and dusted out the road, then the chances of that same agent finding the sign before it was disturbed were low to begin with. And there are a lot of factors to cutting sign. One point I think I should make is that each station has an area of responsibility, and each agent at that station knows the area very very well. A border patrol agent with five years on the job is still considered the new guy. A border patrol agent isnt even allowed to ride on their own until they have a year and a few months on the job. If someone has to go and patrol the same 10 miles of border, 10 hours a day, 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, for several years, they become very familiar with nto just the terrain, but also with the smugglers. It isn't just knowing how to look at the ground and know if something has been through the area, it's being able to combine knowledge of smuggling tactics and trends with current situational awareness and decide on the probability of something coming through said area. Another thing is that nobody has a 10 mile cut. Not in San Diego at least. Each station has, for internets sake, lets say 10 miles of border, and 100 agents to man it. Now brake that up into plain clothes inteligence units, admin guys, supeorvisors etc etc, you're left with... 50 guys to patrol this fake 10 miles that im making up right now. Then factor in days off, agents who called in sick etc etc, and you still have around 30 guys for that 10 miles of border. Each agents assigned daily area is relatively short. So in response to you're initial assumption that the Agents wont get out and check every flat spot, they will. They will, because that's what they're paid to do. And if that agent's personality is that he will not check every flat spot, then he would have missed the sign regardless. You're right about more traffic = harder to cut, and that agents will pull drags over roads to wipe the slate clean and get a decent time line on new sign that is found. However, since we are discussing wether or not a group of happy guys on their dirt bikes can go about their business without disrupting the border patrols daily operations then the answer is yes. It really doesnt make that much of an impact on the terrain, and even if it did, most of the border is public land. So, ride through and enjoy yourself! The border patrol doesn't care, I promise.

Yes, it will be easier to miss. But by no means does it erase sign. You're just disturbing loose dust on the surface if the road. If an individual is walking north across an east / west road they leave a lot more than just foot prints.

you won't hinder the bp sign cutting efforts. don't worry about it and enjoy your ride. The road is the only thing you'll be disturbing when driving through at high speeds, but the road isn't the only thing an agent looks at when cutting sign. Even if, for example, you were to stop, Get off the bike and walk into the bushes to take a leak, then walk back to the bike and ride away. When the border patrol comes across your sign later on you may confuse them for a few mins, but nothing more than that. That's the short answer.

Just noticed this post. I should read the forums more... I wont make it to the morning show but i 'should' be able to make the ride. Tentative for now. I'll let you guys know.

Ok i'll see you there! Yes it's warren.

OK! Bike is fully together an working! Where are we meeting for the ride out? What time? I live in lemon grove and calnub lives in north park.

I just bought a BRAND NEW (to me) 2000, KTM 640 LCE Enduro to replace my KLR and i was planning on heading out the desert on Sat for some fun and came across this post. If i can get the bike back together tomorrow then i will def join you for the sat ride out there through otay / border etc. But that's IF i can get the bike working, because i tried to change my oil... and what looked like the oil filter cover was the case for the gears to my starter... and i cant get that cover back on because i have to put the gears back in and im... dumb? Aaron (Calnub) is coming over to help me tomorrow. I'm sure we'll get it worked out. Right now though, im just going to drink beer. An oil change on these things is rather beastly.... i already miss my KLR's ease of maintenance.

I'm down. where are we meeting?

Uh oh... he said early in CAPITAL LETTERS!! OH NOE! You're driving.

Im bringing water, cliff bars and beers.

Lurking. If i can get Sunday off i'll be there.

I have the same question. Very interested in this ride.