Baja 2!

The planning for our second annual Baja run is shaping up nicely, folks.

Ah, the things we’ll see!   The whales!  The missions!  The prehistoric cave paintings!  The food!  The riding!

Nothing (and I mean nothing) is better than a motorcycle ride through Baja.   You’ll be telling stories about this trip for the rest of your life..trust me on this.

We’ll be on the road from Sunday to Sunday (13 March to 20 March), as outlined in the itinerary and map below…

I’ll post a lot more on this trip when I return from Colombia.  I wanted to get this on the blog today to let the folks who are riding with me know the general plan.  Here are a few things to consider:

• We’ll have two high mileage days at just under 350 miles (you might not think that’s a lot of miles, but trust me on this, trying to get 15 guys moving at the same time is like herding cats, and 350 miles in one day is a lot of miles with a group this size).  The rest of our days will be right at around 200 miles (give or take).
• There will be a 23-mile stretch on dirt through some fairly gnarly stuff when we cross the peninsula from Catavina through Coco’s Corner and on to Gonzaga Bay (on the Sea of Cortez).   There’s a 14-mile dirt stretch when we go to see the Sierra San Francisco cave paintings, and portions of it are gnarly.   You’ll want to make sure you’re up for this.
• Our last day will be a high-mileage day (when we cross back into the US).   That will be a long day for us.  Hey, it is what it is.
• On all but the high-mileage days, we’ll be on the road at 9:00 in the morning.  On the two high-mileage days, we’ll be on the road at sunup.
• Think about your riding abilities.  We’ll be covering a fair amount of miles and some of it will on gnarly roads.  If you’re new to motorcycling or you’re just getting back into it after a long hiatus, this is not the ride to do it on.
• You’ll need Mexican insurance.   If you don’t have Mexican insurance (I’ll post where to get it as the trip draws closer) and you get stopped, you’ll be in a heap of trouble.
• You’ll need a valid US passport.
• You can’t bring any illegal drugs or guns into Mexico.
• You’ll want to bring any spare parts with you that you think you might need.  I’ll post more on what I’m bringing well before we leave on this trip.
• We’re not meeting anybody along the way.  If you’re not leaving with us from Azusa, you’re on your own.
• Safety is my primary concern.   We’ll want to keep 30 meters between bikes and we’ll ride in a staggered formation.
• We’re only riding with RX3s on this trip.
• If you’re not on the list already you can get on the waiting list, but you’ll only get to ride if someone else drops off.   Ryan and Steve tell me about the requests they have been listening to, but we’re not adding anyone else.   The following year might be your ticket in, but this year’s ride is full.
• You’ll need a full complement of safety gear (a helmet, gloves, a jacket, and boots).   You’ll also need rain gear.  I’ve been doing Baja for 25 years, and in all that time, I’ve only had one trip with no rain.  I’ll post more on that later, too.
• We’ll be making lots of photo stops.  We cut down on our daily mileage for just that reason.   Bring a camera.   You’re going to see things and ride places most people never get to see.
• Finally, you’ll want to make sure your bike has been serviced.  Our total mileage will be just under 2000 miles.   You’ll want good tires, fresh oil, a chain that has sufficient life left in it (the stock chain is good for about 6000 miles, tops), a fresh valve adjustment, and a good battery.

That’s it for now.   Keep an eye on the blog…more info will be forthcoming.