BajaNomad - Ensenada to Cabo Moto Tour

Ensenada to Cabo Moto Tour

bajabound888 - 7-4-2018 at 11:39 AM

Hola Baja Veterans, I'm planning a trip from San Diego to Cabo this fall through a well known motorcycle tour company, basically following the Baja 1000 off-road route but no night riding. We will be riding in groups with guides and support vehicles sweeping. Wondering what your opinion is on crime and tourist safety in the Baja peninsula and some of the more remote areas we will be riding through. Thank You.

[Edited on 7-5-2018 by bajabound888]

TMW - 7-4-2018 at 12:43 PM

Everything will be fine, not to worry. The various motorcycle tours are well planned and they are done on a regular basis. I personally know a couple of the tour groups and I can speak highly of them. Have fun.

ehall - 7-4-2018 at 02:27 PM

Which group you going with? Have friends that did the full pull with the Mortons earlier this year and had a blast.

bajabound888 - 7-4-2018 at 03:35 PM

Going with Chris Haines..

Alm - 7-4-2018 at 04:10 PM

"Riding through" is safe. Being parked is a different matter.

bajatrailrider - 7-4-2018 at 08:34 PM

You guys will be fine I ride here every week. Only thing is riding the Baja 1000 after the race would not be my choice.

bajabound888 - 7-5-2018 at 05:42 AM

Thanks.. why wouldn't you ride after the race?

mtgoat666 - 7-5-2018 at 06:47 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabound888

Thanks.. why wouldn't you ride after the race?

The road will be torn up, loose. Trash here and there. Surrounding ground and vegetation coated with dust. Need a couple rain storms to pack down the loose soil and wash the trash away.
The baja 1000 turns eveything ugly.
Rain washes away man’s mistakes (sometimes)

ehall - 7-5-2018 at 07:28 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabound888

Thanks.. why wouldn't you ride after the race?

2 words- silt and whoops

ehall - 7-5-2018 at 07:30 AM

Chris does these tours a lot. He probably has an awesome route picked out that avoids the worst of it. You are going to have a great time. Quit worrying, most of the days you probably won't see anyone all day.

bajatrailrider - 7-5-2018 at 07:33 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabound888

Thanks.. why wouldn't you ride after the race?

They use the same course over and over also record racing. So you riding talc powder 2/ 3 ft deep/turned up rocks 2/3 deep ruts from 1000hp trucks .End less woops. Me and the guys ride abandoned routes and lots of cow horse foot trail no trail. Explore routs as old as 50 years old only few cowboys know these routes. Also many Baja race course routes after the race get locked gates. That would be the good part get you off the Baja route, Chris has been doing this many years he knows what he is doing. Have fun hope you have a great time,

David K - 7-5-2018 at 08:08 AM

Have to agree with bajatrailrider about the roads in some places getting really torn up and whooped-out after a big Baja race and all the pre-running done in the weeks before the race.

If not for the immense popularity with the people of Baja/Mexico and the giant pile of cash and jobs that the races create, it would probably go the way of the Dodo bird? An entire industry was born from racing on dirt roads down Baja, beginning in 1967.

Sometimes the race helps

AKgringo - 7-5-2018 at 08:48 AM

After hurricane Odile, the road connecting La Puisma with Mex 1 was reported impassable. I am sure that sending the equipment that was brought in to open it back up was given priority because the race was getting set to start!

I drove it after the race, and there were crews working on smoothing out the washboards on the east side of the divide. The road was in much better shape after the 2014 race than it is right now!

motoged - 7-6-2018 at 08:51 PM

Chris Haines runs a good show. Don't worry about crime....you should worry about running out of water in Camelback, flats, and riding over your ability...I rescued a guy with broken arm/collarbone in Bola who hit the Travis Pastrami whoop south of town....riding too fast . :light:

bajatrailrider - 7-7-2018 at 07:58 AM

Quote: Originally posted by motoged

Chris Haines runs a good show. Don't worry about crime....you should worry about running out of water in Camelback, flats, and riding over your ability...I rescued a guy with broken arm/collarbone in Bola who hit the Travis Pastrami whoop south of town....riding too fast . :light:

Chris been doing tours longer then anybody I can think of. Most all his tours are on main route roads to suit all riders. I'm more of a explorer don't like roads or travel of the masses. Single track my fun. This is best advice ride easy come back in one piece.

David K - 7-7-2018 at 08:02 AM

So, you are more of a "Bill Nichols" style rider? His cross-Baja trails are legendary.

bajatrailrider - 7-7-2018 at 10:42 PM

Yes David Bill loves making trails more south. I love northern Baja less sand way less cactus. Exploring Baja off beaten track all good. Bill makes his trails public because most are in areas of nobody. Out North most of my trails at some point are on ranchos or pass there property. So I don't give info or details how to find them. Most all ranchos I know are Ok with a few riders but not the flat top circus. I always check in with ranchos before I pass there homes. I'm amazed how many abandoned roads are here. Only kept open by cows. We are still finding new routes after some 40 years.

David K - 7-8-2018 at 07:15 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajatrailrider

Yes David, Bill loves making trails more south. I love northern Baja less sand way less cactus. Exploring Baja off beaten track all good. Bill makes his trails public because most are in areas of nobody. Out North most of my trails at some point are on ranchos or pass their property. So I don't give info or details on how to find them. Most all ranchos I know are Ok with a few riders but not the flat top circus. I always check in with ranchos before I pass their homes. I'm amazed at how many abandoned roads are here. Only kept open by cows. We are still finding new routes after some 40 years.

Larry asked me to repost this photo (as a sample of his type of trail compared to Bill Nichol's type of trail).

bajatrailrider - 7-8-2018 at 11:47 AM

Only thing that has kept this route open is cows. It does open up and you can find traces of old two track. I has grown back very quickly as when we just rode in there 7/8 years ago no brush covering route.

TecateRay - 7-8-2018 at 02:42 PM

You’ll probably have a great time. Moto adventures are a great way to see Baja, but I would follow other advice here to avoid the Baja race courses for the reasons noted.
You might want to rethink your user name since two companies already use that name for Baja related travel business. BajaBound Insurance and BajaBound Adventures.

[Edited on 7-9-2018 by TecateRay]

bajabound888 - 7-9-2018 at 10:20 AM

Wow. Thank you all so much for the info! I will report back here.

bajatrailrider - 7-9-2018 at 05:21 PM

Hey 888 are you bringing your dirt bike or riding theres

bajabound888 - 7-10-2018 at 08:07 AM

I thought about using my bike but the savings are minimal, about $200 which makes no sense for a 7 day ride..

motoged - 7-10-2018 at 09:48 AM

Haines has a large support truck with a spare bike or two....Yamahas last time I saw them....

bajatrailrider - 7-10-2018 at 03:23 PM

WOW Haines got smart and is using bullet proof WRS new one on me.