Mike Haven't been to Baja but a couple of years ago two of us rode Demining NM to Costa Rica by way of Copper Canyon. Some of the following may be because we were taking 3 weeks and would not be coming out the way we went in.
One point - make sure the numbers all match on your bikes. I know second hand of a guy who had replaced the engine - the bike is still in Belize cause he couldn't get it out. Don't know if Mexico checks this or not. Crime is mostly a problem in the big cities (especially Mexico City) and along the border. Be sure to take a cable lock along to use at night. You don't ride at night 'cause the damned cattle sleep on the road, the farm trucks don't have lights, & hitting a pedestrian is really bad. Gas isn't a major problem on main roads. Sherm was only getting ~140 miles per tank & there was only one time when we slowed down to conserve gas. On back roads you may end up buying at a gas station that is a 55 gallon drum in someone's shed (but the DR had no problems with it). Never pass up a station unless your tank is clear full. The bike has to be titled in your name! What you actually get a lot of places is a temporary import license, usually limited to one bike at a time. So if you and a friend are both riding bikes titled in your name you have a problem. Some places you have to have the title and registration, don't remember if Mexico was one or not. You'll run into "puesto de control" - manned by army types with AK's checking for drugs. These are usually 4-5 guys and a jeep. I suspect running one would be a REAL bad idea. All the ones I saw had signs up with enough space to stop, although a couple of times it was near panic braking. "Alto total" means shut the engine off! With the exception of one in the Yucatan all were very professional. Also a good source of information like "where's the nearest gas station?" Despite what you hear about the police we didn't have any problems. In Parral Sherm's bike wouldn't start. We were sitting in the driveway to the Goodyear store 'cause we'de been told they had a good mechanic who might fix it. A police patrol came by, asked what the problem was. Then explained that it was a holiday & the store wouldn't open. We asked for suggestions. The guy called in, they brought a police truck over, the cops helped load Sherm's bike in the truck & took it to a motrocycle dealer. Meanwhile they had called the owner & gotten him to come down and open up. They hung around chatting until the bike was fixed. To this day I'm amazed. I know if the situation were a couple of mexicans who didn't speak much english in a US city at 7AM on a holiday they would not get this response! Bill -----Original Message----- From: GTS-1000 Owners List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Mike Cordon Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 6:01 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Anyone Been To Baja on a Motorcycle? I'm planning a trip down to Cabo San Lucas (the Southern tip of Baja California, Mexico) with some friends this summer. Has anyone on the list done this on a motorcycle? One of the guys I ride with is fearful of "Banditos" (his word) stealing his Harley or robbing us (i.e., him). I've read that this is really not a problem. (I've read that one should avoid riding at night.) The one realistic area of concern that I do have is running out of gas, since it's 1,100 miles from San Diego to Cabo and the Road Star rider in our group has a range of about 135 miles (at 80 mph). Finally, does anyone have experience with the required paperwork (i.e., I've read that I need to buy insurance, have a birth certificate or passport, and vehicle registration . . . I'll bring it all, but is anything else needed?). ANY and ALL advice from experienced Baja riders will be most appreciated. Happy New Years! Mike Cordon '94 GTS
