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Found 25 results

  1. The Baja riding season is upon us, and I wanted to do a two-day recon mission to either confirm or deny rumors of trail conditions in the north. Random teaser pics. I’m continually amazed at how much adventure Baja gives back for each day of riding. Crossing Tecate border getting home, Steve and I were talking about how it felt like we’d just done a 7 day BDR. That was day 2, Tuesday night. We got our calls into the wives telling them we were on U.S. soil again just before the Sena’s died. But I digress. Let’s start at the beginning. To be continued…
  2. MauleR

    Mike's to Tecate route

    Trying to plan a route from Mike's sky ranch to Tecate that is mostly dirt and goes thru Laguna Hanson. The problem is that I've read the roads south of sawmill are all gated and locked now... Is the best way to just jump on the 3 North until the ojos negros turn off then to back east on dirt? If anyone has any tracks that they have used recently? Thanks!
  3. Ha- I didn't even know I had an account on here that I created in 2007. When I bought a KLR650. Cool! Anyways, that first purchase has led me other bikes over the years and now I am planning a trip down to Cabo on one of them (possibly riding back up, or possibly ship bike back which I heard you can do for $300 which I have yet to verify.) What type of ride? Dirt or pavement? How technical? Good question and one I have been asking myself. I have bikes that could handle either, but honestly, I kind of want to make it a leisurely trip down on the r1200 GSA. Most of my baja exploring has been on surf trips in Baja Norte. Not super familiar with anything S of Scorpion Bay. Open to doing some hardpack on the way- but probably nothing much more adventurous than that on this first. If you want to try to convince me to take the Husky 701 down I could be open to the discussion. I kind of just want to go down and explore the lay of the land a bit, have some tacos, and drink some cervezas. When? Would like to do it before summer. Ideally sometime in March, possibly April, last resort May. Anyways- would be nice to have a riding partner. I do most trips alone- but that's just because it is hard to rally people. This looks like a good place to take a stab at it. Only a few requirements: you are easy going, you know how to ride a bit (e.g. didn't just pick up a bike,) and your bike is in good/great mechanical order.
  4. Just saying "Hey"... I'm a noob from the Clairemont area riding a 2015 KTM 500exc. Currently do like 90% of my DualSport Riding in Baja. Love riding down in Mexico and have really wanted to do more dual sport stuff. Looking forward to meeting folks on here and joining up some of the community rides. Here's a pic of the "Once New" 500 and the beach outside Todos Santos
  5. I'm trying to ease my girlfriend into going on Baja adventures with me, and I'm planning to start with an easy pavement-only trip to wine country this weekend. The problem is I don't know a damn thing about wineries, and I've never been to Valle de Guadalupe. I always just get on the dirt and ride South. I'm hoping some of our Baja experts with more refined tastes can help me out. Any suggestions for wineries/restaurants/itineraries would be greatly appreciated. Where are the best wineries? Which ones can be done in the same day? Where is a good place to stay that won't break the bank? I'll be two up with a girl who is a little apprehensive about motorcycles and Mexico, so I want it to be as easy and laid back as possible, so she can feel comfortable.
  6. I know it's very short notice, but I'm thinking of doing a mellow loop from Tecate to Rancho Coyote and on to Cal's this weekend. Those destinations aren't set in stone; as usual, I don't have any firm plan. I'll be on my XR650R and not tackling anything too difficult. Anyone interested in going?
  7. Hey guys first time posting. I know I'm a little late but Ive been searching for a gpx file that would take us from tecate or la rumerosa through the pine forest and down to ojos or valle de t. We leave Friday morning and Our final destination is actually San Felipe. So any recommendations are appreciated. There are about 6 of us on dual sport bikes with around 3 gallons of fuel. Most of us have been to Baja many times and are somewhat familiar with the landmarks we just haven't been in a while and would prefer to not go in blind since we will be on a bit of a time crunch and are unsure of current conditions after the recent weather. Thanks!
  8. Hey Guys- I posted a ride report on my site for a ride between Christmas and New Years. We had a TON of snow and generally pretty awful conditions, but even the worst day in Baja is better than hanging out with the in-laws. http://www.bajamotoadv.com/trip-reports/snow-south-of-rsv/ Jim
  9. December 3, 2016 Los Ancianos Tecate Enduro New Format. We do it the Anciano way! The basics: • 3 loops, 25 miles of primarily single track. Each loop is a special test, no transfer sections or resets within the loops. Short breaks between loops.... • Elders and women do 2 loops. • 4 or 5 riders start per minute. • Reset Times between each loop. You will return to the main pit area. • Your elapsed time starts on your minute whether you are there or not – don’t be late! • Scores based on lowest overall elapsed times. Entries open October 1, 2016. All entries will be done online at www.losancianos.com We have lots of details to work out between now and the event so we don’t have all the answers right now. Please post your questions on the Los Ancianos Facebook Group and we will try to answer them as we figure out the details. Los Ancianos MC ‪#‎clubnews‬
  10. I'm looking for three or four big bikes (To me big bike means a GS or similar, something that struggles in deep sand, is difficult to stand back up if on it's side and is comfortable at 80mph or more on the hwy; and three or four means fewer than five). Recently hatched a plan designed around my upcoming 'christmas break' from school. Ride would begin December 10 in La Ventana and we would cross the border coming home at Tecate no later than the 18th. Compared with three or four days down and returning this seemed like the best way to see the most, and one of the things I like about adventure travel is the sight seeing. Friends of mine live in a secure house (walled in property) in La Ventana Baja near La Paz and another riding partner of mine has agreed to haul the bikes down delivering them to La Ventana on a trailer pulled behind his truck. I have hired him to make this same trip in the past towing boats and I trust him completely. Price for the delivery service TBD and shared equally. We will send bikes and gear down with him, he arrives no later than Dec. 9th. We fly Tijuana to La Paz, approximately $100US one way on Volaris, where my friends will pick us up at the airport and take us to their home and our bikes where we spend the first night and get ready. Off early the next morning. The ride will be a mix of off road and hwy, camping and hotels. Many sections of this trip I have done previously while camping on my F650GS, but the route is open for discussion. It's short notice I know but this can all be arranged pretty quickly. If you would like to discuss but type like me feel free to call 619-319-0136. Feliz Navidad
  11. Translation: The scenic TJ -- Ensenada toll road near Salsipuedes is at risk of collapsing due to the placement right over the San Andreas fault...and the El Niño rains ain't gonna help none. Not that any of you dirt riders actually patronize the toll road... The last time this occurred was in December 2013...and it was a whopper. http://jornadabc.mx/tijuana/21-12-2015/escenica-en-alto-riesgo-de-colapsar Escénica, en alto riesgo de colapsar: Especialistas advierten que la carretera escénica está en riesgo de un colapso similar o de mayor magnitud al que ocurrió el 28 de diciembre de 2013, debido a las condiciones geológicas y mala planeación; Capufe descarta afectaciones mayores por lluvias de El Niño.
  12. It's taken me way too long to put together this trip report, but I wanted to do something with video since I still don't understand how to embed photos into my posts. Anyway, I think watching live action is more interesting than looking at guys grinning by their bikes...which I do a lot! Schweddy Balls (Scott going forward) and my brother, Jeff, put together a plan to follow the Baja 1000 course right after the race. As in, the race started Friday and we were on the course Saturday while there was still racing going on. Scott and I prepped the bikes over the two weeks before, installing new Tubliss on Scott's bike, oil changes, fresh rubber as needed, etc. I didn't want to have mechanical issues, so we really worked hard. I was careful to count my tire irons after each tire install, too. Day 1 -- Tecate to Colonet. 185 miles. We trailered to Tecate early Saturday and rode across the border. Of course I caught the red light and had to go to secondary. My brother, not knowing any better, followed me in. Once you go in, you're subject to inspection even if you caught the green light. Normally not a problem, but my brother discovered the night before that he'd left his passport in San Francisco, and realized his registration was in said passport. The border guys really gave us a hard time, but I was able to convince him that being brothers, I could vouch that it was his bike and that it wasn't stolen. So without a single peso passing hands, we left and headed east to the Compadre Trail. Since getting to the course was our main priority, we blasted down the Compadre Trail towards Ojos. It was pretty uneventful, except for my brother wiping out in a sandy corner and missing a barbed wire fence by inches. In Ojos we had birria and beer, got gas, and then hit the course. To get to the start of the race, we had to head west on the highway to the big crocodile rock...if you have seen it you know exactly where I mean. We turned south and the route was CRAP from the first turn. Silty, sandy, rocky and torn up like a $5 Tijuana hooker. And not 10 miles into it, I turned right and Scott and Jeff turned left at what we all agreed was an ambiguous corner. So after a quick chat about posting corners, we set off for what turned out to be hours of tough riding. Our goal was to get to Colonet the first night, so when we crested a hill overlooking Uruapan, I made an executive decision to leave the course and head for the highway. In Uruapan, we found cold beer, so we spent some time catching our breath before hitting the highway. We had about an hour ride, but about two hours of sunlight, so we took our time. There's a nice looking hotel about three miles south of Colonet I have always wanted to try, so we headed there. We were lucky enough to get the last two rooms, but one of them wasn't made up yet. To kill time, we rode back into town for shrimp tacos and gas. Once back at the hotel, we decided to clean our filters as we had ridden quite a bit of silt and they were caked solid. I had brought filter oil, but it took some time to find a coffee can to wash them, etc., so we only did it once the whole trip. (I haven't cleaned mine yet, and I can only imagine what I will find.) We went to bed early, but there was a group of high school kids on a missions trip, so they kept us from getting a great night's sleep. Day 2 -- Colonet to Catavina. 172 miles. We got an early start and hit the highway south for about 10 miles where we would pick up the course going west, to the beach. We stopped for burritos at a little shack on the highway. I love that stuff, and Jeff will eat anything I tell him to, but I think we were pushing Scott's boundaries a little bit. The riding along the coast was epic. We found some fun sand hills, rode through some agricultural areas and then hit the beach, where we rode for 20+ miles on the sand. It was absolutely perfect, up to the moment I crashed in the ocean, destroying my GoPro, Bluetooth headset, filling my boots with water, and completely soaking every inch of my body. It happened so fast at least I didn't notice how cold the water was. Scott and Jeff were ahead of me and missed the whole thing. When I finally caught up to them and told them what happened, they thought it was hilarious. Even I thought it was pretty funny. We left the beach and rode into San Quintin so I could find a car wash to try to get the salt water washed off and change my socks. We then hit the highway to El Rosario since the entire area south of San Quintin is now a federal nature preserve. Even the Baja racers had to take the road, so we didn't feel bad. At El Rosario we made the obligatory stop at Mama Espinoza's for lobster burritos and beer. We then picked up the course in a river wash that was the worst riding of the trip. For maybe 10 miles it was nothing but sand so deep it was impossible to get on top of it. Throw in rocks, whoops, cactus, more sand, whoops and rocks, and it just plain sucked. But, we could see a road off in the distance, so it gave us hope. When we finally got to the road, we were all pretty wasted, but no matter as that was the start of some of the best riding of the trip. Typical Baja rocky roads you can ride at 40 mph if you're sane, 60 mph if you're good, and 80 mph if you're stupid. I rode 75 and was in HEAVEN! The course ran parallel to the highway, so at one point we saw it in the distance and decided to make tracks for Catavina (my favorite spot in all of Baja) for the night. We had a great ride watching the sun go down. We got a room with three beds, had a couple of drinks and a light dinner. Again, in bed pretty early. Day 3 -- Catavina to San Felipe. 162 miles. We decided to sleep in a little, with a plan to be on the bikes by 9am. Since Catavina is in the middle of no where, we ate at the hotel, bought gas out of 55 gallon drums, and got water at the abarrotes. Our course map showed us we needed to head about 20 miles south on the highway, but after the sucky conditions we had encountered every time we hit the course, we all agreed we would just find a trail over the mountains, east, to Coco's Corner or Gonzaga Bay. We headed south on the highway, but we saw a road that looked passable, way off in the distance. We made the turn, but we hit a gate where a nice guy (American living there) gave us some advice and directions. He told us not even Malcom Smith could cross the mountains where we were headed. I asked what Malcom would do, and he gave us directions to an absolutely AWESOME route. Scott and Jeff would not agree it was awesome, but it was!!! I live for rocks, and this had it in spades. Plus, half the time there was no visible road, so you just had to ride on faith. But when we could see the blue water we knew all was good in the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsnSRNhuSxA We hit the coast north of Coco's but we didn't know it. We needed something cold to drink, so we headed north only to find the saddest sight of the trip...pavement all the way to Gonzaga Bay. In fact, they are paving all the way to Bay of LA, which will only force us farther south to find good riding. Any way, we stopped for beer and a break in Gonzaga. There's even a Pemex there, but we didn't get gas as I knew there was a Pemex in Puertocito. All the way up the highway we saw course markers, so again, even the racers were forced to take the road as so much land is being closed off every day. When we got to Puertocitos, guess what we found??? The Pemex was out of business! The number one lesson in Baja is to get gas every time you see it, even if you don't need it. Every time I ignore my own instincts I get screwed. Jeff and I have 4.1 gallon tanks and were fine, but Scott has a 3.1 gallon tank and I knew it was going to be tough getting to San Felipe. We pressed on, keeping our speed to around 55 mph to save gas, but Scott eventually ran out about 10 miles south of San Felipe. Fortunately, it only takes two bolts to take off the gas tank, so we gave him half a gallon from Jeff's bike just as it was getting dark. We rolled into town, got gas first thing, got a couple of rooms, and went for dinner. It was Sunday night and the town was dead. Day 4 -- San Felipe to Rancho Santa Veronica. 208 miles. We decided to take the Baja 500 course north from San Felipe because the 1,000 course headed towards Valle T and it's a lot of sand and whoops. I wanted to ride the old Rumorosa trail up the mountains, so that was the best way as I figured the route would still be marked. We had some great riding, but Scott and Jeff were getting a little pissy with me, asking me questions like how much farther, where are we, etc. I frankly didn't know, except that I knew we would cross Highway 2 at some point and we could take it up the hill to RSV. At one point, Scott was getting low on fuel, but a goat rancher told us about another rancher who would have gas we could buy. Sure enough, in the middle of the desert was a group of buildings and some guys with gas cans. We bought a couple of gallons, and continued on our way. I will admit it was a long day, but you do what you have to do. We finally hit the highway, and now I was on fumes. But there was no chance in hell I was going to ask them for help, so I drafted semi's up the hill and literally made it into El Hongo with less than a cup of gas in my tank. At the top is was cold, but we only had 30 mins of riding to get to the hotel. We made good time, and got in just as it was getting dark. We had dinner, but went to bed early as it was cold and there wasn't much going on. Day 5 -- RSV to Tecate. 35 miles. We had planned to spend our last day doing a loop around the area. Scott had never ridden there, so I thought he'd enjoy breakfast at Ramona's, seeing Laguna Hansen, etc. But in the morning, he could barely walk as he'd banged up his knee in a crash a couple of days earlier. He was willing to push it, but I decided that after covering over 700 miles without any major incidents, it was best to end the trip on a high note. Besides, with Jeff not having his passport or registration, I didn't know what to expect at the border. And frankly, we were all a little sick of each other by that point. We rode west to Las Palmillas and then took the highway to Tecate. Jeff had a copy of his passport on his phone we has printed out, and it worked! We got through the border to find my dad waiting with the trailer. We got everything loaded and were home by 2pm. All in, we rode 727 miles over four days. We rode every kind of terrain down there, saw a lot of beautiful places, ate some great food, and found some places worthy of future exploration. I have led a few trips now with the plan to start a guide business. I definitely learned some lessons, and I do thank Scott and Jeff for their patience. I can't wait to do it again!
  13. For those of you who ride Baja, I'm sorry to report that the owner of Rancho Coyote passed away yesterday. Ayer fallecio la dueña del Rancho El Coyote. As many Baja riders know, the Meling family are good people who've always welcomed riders.
  14. Come Chase the Baja Rally with BMW Motorcycles of Escondido Exclusive opportunity to chase Baja's only Rally Race. Sept 28th thru October 2nd. Originally started in 2013 and modeled after the long running Dakar Rally, the Baja Rally has become the premier rally racing event in North America. The race runs thru some of the most beautiful areas in Baja California, Mexico. Just as with the Dakar Rally, there are no course markings and no GPS tracks. Riders use a roll chart and mileage counter to navigate the course while being tracked by rally officials to ensure that key checkpoints are hit along the way. You can read about all of the basics on the rally here. As title sponsor of the event, BMW Motorcycles of Escondido has obtained exclusive rights to bring a small group of spectators along the rally route to observe the racing and experience the race up close and personal. We will be given special routes to the best view points of the race each day, then be directed to the finish and the bivouac where we'll be able to view all of the pit drama as well as rub elbows with the racers during rider meetings and meals. The price for this event is $2795 and is all inclusive which means support truck, meals, lodging, and fuel are all included in this price. The only cost you are responsible for is your alcohol consumption. Our support truck will have some basic spare and repair parts for common BMW motorcycles and our crew is experienced with the repair of these machines. This is NOT a BMW only event and any motorcycle is welcome to join our crew. The ride routes we will be taking are going to be moderately difficult so please ensure you are comfortable riding your motorcycle off road, especially in the sand, and that your bike is equipped with knobby tires. If your have any questions or are ready to sign up for this event please email Rick Johns by clicking here. Don't hesitate as the few spots are expected to sell out quickly so reserve your spot today!
  15. I know it might be warm but after this rain the trails will be FUN. I was thinking Tecate to Coyote Cals then home OR another night further down the coast or MSR?? Im open for ideas... The problem for me is I need someone to LEAD .... Ive been 4-5 times, but I dont have tracks in a GPS so I dont feel confident enough to lead. Im on a 500 exc (all tuned and ready) and Im an avearge rider.... Let me know.... cell 619-865-3334 Cheers, Chris
  16. I am new to the area and looking to do some dual sport riding ( KLR's) and exploring around southern CA and maybe north baja . I am pretty familiar with baja but never rode around southern CA . We are planning on leaving july 31 and return back to mission bay sunday aug. 2 . Is there any lodging up in the mountains south of hwy 10 and north of the border? Trying to stay out of the heat . I see lots of roads on google earth but that can be misleading . Any help or route suggestions would be very much appriciated . Also how is the road to Laguna hansen ? Have not riding around tecate for 6 years and have heard there are some fences and gates and being on Pigs we dont want to be boulder hopping .
  17. Back before dark. Famous words uttered by many an optimistic man. Anyway the notion of a day ride to the northern-most section of the Baja 500 proved too tempting for Goofyfooter and after a few PMs a plan was set to meet and cross at the righteous hour of 0500- later wisely revised to 0600 at the expense of adding some slab miles. After a brisk blast eastward dodging stray dogs and potholes we found some chorizo con hueovos and some of the finest nescafè instant coffee north of the 29th parallel. The piggley and WR were running well but at some point I noticed Goofey's back tire was a bit catywhompas. I figured it helped make the WR more exciting to ride so I said nothing. We finished the slab, looked around CP 1 for a friend of the bananna man who offered beers and snacks intended for bananna man (ironmanning a 500 exc) who crashed earlier during a prerun and broke his humorous. No luck finding the inmates so we blasted to La Rumorosa and quickly the race leader Kawi came screaming past. Found a good spot on the first serious out-turn (the kind that if you overshoot you launch) and enjoyed a great spectacle of motorcycle racing. From our perch we saw some interesting things; quads overtaking motos, a bicycle rider who was either drunk or heat exhausted, a nice race fan on a honda quad from mexicali, a group of TJ jeepsters, and a local mexican teenager who had hair like Don King. He got roosted pretty bad from one of the faster quads but the rocks just deflected off his 'fro. By then the wind had died and it was getting hot. We ran for the pines to find a spot to dig in and watch the rest of the race. Somewhere around RM 100 Goofy picked up a drywall screw that tore a dime size hole in the tube. We limped a bit further, met up with some nice older guys on KTMs, and a very friendly group of local jeepers. After most of the TTs came through we attacked the flat with a combination of tire spoons, pliers, elbow grease, and the supervision of the nice old guys on KTMs. "Helping" It didn't take long for the locals to come over and help. Help came in the form of carta blanca and tecate beer. So cold, beautiful beads of sweat glistening in the sun. By the time the tube was changed bbq operations were in full swing. It wasn't long before some tasty fish tacos were consumed and accompanied by more beers. We watched some modified bugs come through. They looked like they were having the most fun, although anyone who has ever ridden in one would tell you otherwise. It was now 1600+ and I remembering the token ideal of "back before dark" I tried to explain the idiom of "Pumkpin Time" to the locals. Pasta and a few of the other aviation guys know what that means. I explained how Cinderella's stagecoach would turn into a pumkin after midnight. by now the analogy of us needing to leave and Cinderella's whip turning into a pumpkin was largely lost on the men. More beers. Another solid 15 mins of some of the best BS I've had in years. Finally we roost out on the compadre with our mate's cheers and whoops fading in the background. As I was berm surfing the piggley with aplomb, I couldn't help but wonder if the situation was reversed- Mexicans spectating in the US- if we would be as welcoming as they were to us. No time to ponder the inequalities of the world. I was working overtime trying to keep up with Goofy. We hit a few short pieces of single track which looked like a lot of fun- fun on a bike not known as a big red pig. As we crossed a rancher's property, I noticed something glimmering near the residence. It didn't have the typical dull, subdued colors of rural baja;the kind of colors that are born of necessity, to blend in, lay low, conserve, survive. Then it dawned on me; the shiny object happened to be a massive Doberman. Cropped and docked, about 120 lbs, in a full sprint toward us as we wrestled to get the gate open on the other side of the ranch. His muscles were very well defined, not sinuous, not obscenely developed. This dog exercised a lot and ate very well. The beautiful creature slowed to a trot, turned broadside so his coat reflected the dropping sun, stopped, and gave us a nod and a pass. I suspect this was his normal routine- making sure that his "guests" knew damn well who's in charge around that ranch. I have developed a fondness for the breed after adopting a dobbie from Aztec Doberman Rescue in Lakeside. Good people and great dogs. The rest of the return voyage was uneventful save for a pinch flat on the piggley (again trying to keep up with Goofy). I flew off the shoulder and tagged a rock. Its weird, sometimes the BRP wont even bottom out but I will bend a rim on a pebble. No matter though, everyone knows the engineers intentionally designed the crumple zones into the rims as part of the bike's rudimentary/primitive suspension. A quick pump up activated the slime in the tube and we were off. By now the piggley and WR were thirsty for some magna so we pulled in and were greeted by the friendly Pemex staff who seemed genuinely more interested in our bikes than in the 13 year old boy fueling up his dad's ford explorer for a Saturday night rally. Shortly after a 90s Cherokee packed with some pretty Mexican girls (who didn't speak spanish) invited us to a house party. Back by dark. Onward to a taco shop in Tecate for some killer tacos and a quick check of the passport. Back in US. Sun just hit the horizon. 30 mins till pumpkin time. 5th gear through gasoline curves, headlight dies at Bancroft and 94 from an overcharging regulator. Ghost it home in stealthmode. Dinner with my better half. Thanks Goofey for showing me around. I had a blast. Home by dark
  18. Anyone up for a quick run down the peninsula to see the Finding Petroglyphs before they're gone? Easy weekend ride, camp or hotel. Here's an interesting article describing it: http://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajatravel/petroglyph_park.php The Magic Peninsula of Baja California never ceases to amaze with the fun and interesting sites to be seen and experienced. Using the Baja Cactus Motel in El Rosario as a base, we made a loop trip in the country to the northeast. It had been something I wanted to do ever since I learned about a road in 1973 that wasnt on any of my maps. The road was used for the 1973 Baja 500 in order to avoid the new highway construction around El Rosario. It has since been used a few times by SCORE for Baja races. I opted to run the 105 mile loop counter-clockwise, and it was a perfect way to go. In recent years of wet weather, the El Socorro side of the road is used more by motorcycles than 4 wheel drives. A high ground clearance 4WD with locking differential or traction control is recommended for travel beyond Mile 26 and especially beyond Petroglyph Park.
  19. Thursday the 12th, crossed the border to meet up with other riders. Stayed the night in Puerto Nuevo at a friends house. Friday, The other riders and I did not hook up so off I went. I thought they may be heading to Coyote Cal's along the coast south of me, so I rode some street and farm roads along the coast to get there. I guess 1pm was too early for the other riders, so went to the best lunch I have ever had at Rosa's, 1 mile south of Coyote Cal's. Also got some gas from the auto repair shop (sold in gallon jugs). Off I went; heading south along the coastal farm and surfer/fishing village roads. Starting to get dark, so popped back on the highway for 40 minutes to San Quintin. Nice little motel, wifi, coffee for the morning and a good nights rest. Saturday decided to see what the mountains looked like going over mostly dirt roads to San Felipe. I could see some red rocks in the distance, decided to xcountry to it for lunch. After that back to the coast headed north for some of the roads I missed on Friday. Once on the dirt road heading over the mountains, it was kind of lonely...only one other vehicle in 3 hours of dirt roads, but it was beautiful. After crossing the mountains, headed south to San Felipe on mostly dirt with a large dry lake bed crossing. Made it to San Felipe a few minutes before dark, in time for a great dinner, cold beer and some needed rest. Sunday I thought I would go see Mike's Sky Ranch, I had never been there. The ride there was decent except I should have not beat myself up over miles of huge sandy race track whoops. Got to Mike's Sky ranch at 1pm, it was a ghost town. Decided there was plenty of riding left in the day so headed North on the dirt roads. It was getting late when I came to the main intersection between Mikes and Laguna Hansen. so I decided to go up the paved road to Ojo's Negros and get a motel. Sleepy little town, but a great motel, great food and fuel not far away. Monday I thought I should check out Laguna Hansen, but found a dirt road turning north before I got back to the intersection. Had a most excellent lunch at Kutap Kutaey, and enjoyed the ride through the pine trees. Coming out on the Highway, I decided to head towards Mexicali and see what I could find. My best find was the dry lake bed of Laguna Salada (also part of a race course). I rode out about 25 miles, then turned back as it was getting late. I got into Mexicali about dark, found a $15.00 motel that I could put my motorcycle inside the room. Had a great dinner, cold beer, and went to sleep early. Tuesday morning heading home; crossed the border early, and found some really nice BLM Marked Trails across the desert heading to the town of Ocotillo. Had a nice lunch in the desert, and rode some more trails to gas at Ocotillo. Starting to feel tired, I jumped on the I-8 and went home. Round trip 915 miles on my 2014 KTM 500. No issues at all, just a great trip.
  20. I would like to do a 4 day BAJA ride January 27, 28, 29, 30. Start: Rancho Tecate Hotel. Day 1 Ensenada Hotel. Day 2 San Quintin Hotel. Day 3 Mikes Sky Ranch. Day 4 return to Tecate. I do not have much experience past the Tecate ride, but I do have some tracks that look good. I will be riding my KTM500exc with small saddlebags for clothing changes. I expect roads, single track, beaches, and whatever else comes up. Riggerdan? Any other experienced riders with the area?
  21. GS Baja Ride to Mike's Sky Ranch presented by BMW Motorcycles of Escondido! Our ride will leave from the store on Friday, Jan. 30th at 3PM. We'll ride down to Rancho Santa Veronica just outside of Tecate to stay the night. Saturday we'll ride down to Mike's Sky Ranch, then Sunday we'll have the long ride home. The ride is roughly 90% dirt and will take us inland through dirt roads and truck trails. While not required, knobby tires are highly recommended! The $355 cost of this ride includes food, hotels, and fuel while in Mexico. There's only one fuel stop before we cross the border into Tecate where you will be required to fill up your tank. Once we cross the border into Mexico we'll take care of everything else as long as you stay with the group. We'll even have our chase truck following us along the route for support and refreshments! DVR the SuperBowl and come riding with us! This ride is expected to fill up quickly so contact Rick Johns today for questions or to RSVP.
  22. Hooo, boy. Just back from a weekend ride down the Baja coast, mainly from Santo Tomas to Camalu. Wow, why didn't I know that the coast road was washed out in several places? I gotta do better research... I hosted a group of KLR riders from New Mexico and Arizona. And my little brother tagged along on his Gen 1 KLR. All went really well, but there were some areas that were not big bike friendly. A couple of drops but no injuries. We hit the coast just north of the Punto San Jose lighthouse and spent time at Coyote Cal's; I'm pleased to say that there's a Kug sticker there now. We camped on the beach at the volcano south of Erendira. The next morning (Sunday), we headed south with breakfast plans in Camalu. After two pretty serious wash-outs and detours that were not feasible, we hit the pavement, then Hwy 1 North. I had a hook-up at the San Ysidro border and the crossing took 8 minutes total. Photos to follow...
  23. Doing a three day easy dirt trip down to Baja May 23-25 (Memorial Day weekend). You'll be home Sunday afternoon to enjoy the Monday holiday with your family. Leaving from Denny's La Mesa at 8:30 am. First night is Mike's, second is Coyote Cal's. You need to make your own reservations at Coyote Cal's and don't forget to request dinner in the box at the bottom. I have 8 going right now and we're all good riders. Room for maybe 4 more. Noobs are welcome, but you have to be comfortable riding in dirt and not have this be your first time. Knobby tires recommended. The terrain isn't hard (very big bike friendly) but you have to be comfortable on dirt enough to ride faster than 10 mph. I heard the last Escondido BMW ride was a bit of a clusterfark as some guy got lost for 6 hours and couldn't ride faster than 10 mph and another busted his collar bone. Nobody wants to have to deal with that. I've been down there before with noob-ish riders and haven't had any problems. We just have longer breaks and everyone's happy. We will probably do an A/B grouping so faster riders can go ahead. Dunes also an option for the better riders. I think right now we have: two 690's, 650 xchallenge, two GSA's, one GS
  24. Turning 40 this November and the wife has given me the hall pass for 10 days of riding in Baja. I have been riding in N. Baja since childhood and have pre-run score races to La Paz/Cabo, so I know my way around the "usual stuff". I would like to put together a route that gets me into some of the scenic stuff. Of course some old race course and ranch roads are expected, just want to keep it to a minimum. I am looking for suggestions on overall route and not to be missed sections. Will be riding 450's with other advanced riders, chase truck, E32 loaded on GPS and Baja Almanac. I found suggested route below on one of the forums and would appreciate feedback. Tecate to Mikes Sky Ranch Mikes to San Quintin San Quintin to Catavina Catavina to Gonzaga via Rockman trail. Gonzaga to Bay of LA via Window Rock trail (super fun single track-one of the best rides on the planet!) Bay of LA to San Ignacio via Rancho San Miguel/the coast San Ignacio to Loreto via San Juanico (high speed two track, Baja 1000 course) Loreto to La Paz (more of the above...) La Paz to Cabo via Todos Santos (some fun stuff if you take Lizardlady single track route) Late lunch in Todos. Cabo by sunset) Here is video from our Mikes ride last year that shows the type of riding I am looking for.
  25. Time again for our coastal Baja Adventure Bike ride to Pirate's Cove! Our ride will leave from BMW Motorcycles of Escondido on Friday, April 11th at 3PM. We'll ride down to Rancho Santa Veronica just outside of Tecate to stay the night. Saturday we'll ride down to the Pirate's Cove Hotel, then Sunday we'll have the long ride home. The ride is roughly 90% dirt and will take us inland through the dirt roads and truck trails before putting us out along the coast where we're literally riding along the beach for the last 30-40 miles! While not required, knobby tires are highly recommended, especially as there will be some beach sand! The cost of this ride is $395 and includes food, hotels, and fuel while in Mexico. There's only one fuel stop before we cross the border into Tecate where you will be required to fill up your tank. Once we cross the border into Mexico we'll take care of everything else as long as you stay with the group. We'll even have our chase truck following us along the route for support and refreshments! This ride is expected to fill up quickly so contact Rick Johns today for questions or to RSVP.
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