3 days in Baja: Big Bikes on Small Trails

[dylanewilliams 0]

A friend and I rode a 2012 and 2013 R1200GSA on this trip this week.

Day one to Mikes was easy, normal Baja roads going from Tecate to Laguna Hanson to the highway, then Valle T to Mikes. We were the only ones at Mikes that night.

Day two from Mikes to El Coyote was very challenging. We took the direct route down a very steep grade with big loose rocks. There is a longer bypass that we are told is shorter, it appears on my Locus maps using downloaded mapquest hybrid maps. Once you get to a shaded area next to a stream go right at the next intersection, not left to avoid this section. The roads meet back up at El Coyote. I doubt highly that we could have made it up the grade on big bikes without a massive effort. I would go down it only on a big bike.

From coyote to highway 1 we took a section of the 2011(I think) Baja 1000 course. This was fun and not too challenging.

From coming out to the highway near Colonet we went up and grabbed lunch in a town a little north of there (San Vicente I think) Then we headed out to the coast and followed the coast north. Again this was easy with the exception of one area where the road drops down to the beach and then sharply rises back up. That eventually took us to Ensenada for the night.

The third day we went up the three and veered off after Vallecitos. We spent a few hours riding the trails around there. The one just after La Cienega is again fairly challenging for big bikes; there is deep soft sand, you ride in a creek for a short while, there is a steep, rutted grade with loose rocks you have to climb. Doable but challenging for me.

The GPX file is here: http://www.gpsxchange.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=7800#7800

[Riggerdan 147]

Good Stuff......

[dylanewilliams 0]

A few pictures from the trail

[TrophyHunter 15]

Thx for taking the time to share the trip. I've never seen that "I don't need a kickstand" trick used with a big bike.

[Dan Diego 40]

Looks like good times. Thanks for the RR.

BTW, I did the same thing right at the Ojos turn off! It's all just hard packed sand and when I got a little hard on the throttle, the knobs just dug a hole. I was solo and had to put her on her side and drag her out. Lovely.

[Dirtdiver 2]

Great job! That section out of Mikes (to Coyotes) is tough on any bike. You got a good picture of the blow hole too!

Steve

[Oracle 195]

Thanks for sharing...It's cool to see guys mobbin' it on big bikes

[Goofy Footer 539]

Nice report! I need to become a member of GPSxchange.

Where is that sign " <-- Ojos Negros ... Ensenada -->" ? Maybe I've rode past it and it's slipped my mind?

[dylanewilliams 0]

Nice report! I need to become a member of GPSxchange.

Where is that sign " <-- Ojos Negros ... Ensenada -->" ? Maybe I've rode past it and it's slipped my mind?

The sign is on the road from Laguna Hanson to highway 3, not sure what the road is called but it goes southwest from the lake.

I'm happy to send the gpx file and img file when I make one. I tried to post them here but you can't put that extension as an attachment. Let me know your email if you want it.

[dylanewilliams 0]

Great job! That section out of Mikes (to Coyotes) is tough on any bike. You got a good picture of the blow hole too!

Steve

Is that called Simpson Trail? I've heard about that trail but never been able to figure out where it is