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JDCanuck
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DR650
I will mention one more bike favored by friends up here: the Suzuki DR650. Very commonly seen in the Yukon and here in BC Canada. Seat Height, overall
weight, durability and expense seem to be what they like about it. I think it's actually a bit cheaper than the DRZ400's locally as well. One warning
on the Vstrom DL650's as they stated they had to shut the engines off on very steep downhills as the ABS sped them up too much. No idea how the DRZ400
ABS works.
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motoged
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Most bikes, if not all, with ABS have a function to turn ABS off for when you want to be able to lock up rear wheel. Engaged ABS system won't speed
you up....rather, it slows you down slowly....and not quickly enough on loose surfaces.
I believe last year was the last year they made the DR650. Good bike for the job...a bit heavy for fun in sand, but workhorses and good platform for
rough travel tripping.
[Edited on 7-28-2021 by motoged]
Don't believe everything you think....
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JDCanuck
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Quote: Originally posted by motoged  | | Most bikes, if not all, with ABS have a function to turn ABS off for when you want to be able to lock up rear wheel. Engaged ABS system won't speed
you up....rather, it slows you down slowly....and not quickly enough on loose surfaces. |
Yes, I agree on both points. It could be Vstroms as well have corrected this one issue since then but in their case all 3 reported the same issue as
the trail they were on was exceedingly steep. In any case the four people i know that switched to the DR have been happy with their choices as they do
a lot of steep mountain trails yet. Lower seat height seems to be an additional plus on the 650. We may be getting old and fixed in our ways and just
reluctant to try out new things. Only one of my BMW's has ABS so I remain having to do my own feathering. Early BMW ABS also proved somewhat
problematic as well and people in our group have had very costly and concerning failures when the systems went down.
[Edited on 7-28-2021 by JDCanuck]
[Edited on 7-29-2021 by BajaNomad]
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bajatrailrider
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 a bit heavy in sand yes more like crash every foot 🤗👍
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AKgringo
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Calamajue Canyon route
I have driven it several times, and it is an interesting side trip! It has frequently been used as part of the Baja 1k route, so is accessible to
most race support vehicles.
Having said that, I do not recommend it for a solo biker. It gets frequent, but not daily use, so if you have a problem you may be on your own for a
while!
I had no need to check for a cell phone signal in the canyon, but I would be very surprised if there was any coverage!
[Edited on 7-28-2021 by AKgringo]
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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JDCanuck
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I will lay out my present bikes and ask for advice . I am 68 and not aging well, reflexes not what they once were, balance isssues keep me from doing
anything more than minimal offroading. I have generally done a couple 7000 km 95% highway rides each year til Covid hit. I want to take two of these
bikes down to the Baja for local short trips to the food store and into La Paz 58 km away, 8km washboardy sand rest paved, whats recommended?
1987 BMW r80 RT (Gentlemans BMW according to Bruno) 50 hp 500 or so lb.
1987 BMW K75 75 hp non ABS also around 500 lb
1991 low seat K75 ABS I think around 550 lb
1982 KZ440 ltd 31 hp
2008? bws 50cc 2-stroke scooter
I was thinking the K75 1987 or the KZ440 ltd and the BWS
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David K
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Drove through Calamajué Canyon last in Sept. 2016... It was easy, low water level (as it was in 2012, the previous time I drove it). Other drives
were in 2002, 1979, 1975, 1974, 1967. This was the route of 'Mexico #5' before 1983, when a graded road was built from Laguna Chapala north.
Your two points of interest are at the north end, where the road drops down into the arroyo:
At the top, before it drops down, on the left, is the ruins of the Molino de Calamajué. This was Dick Daggett Sr.'s gold ore mill.
Down at the bottom of the grade, in the arroyo, take the faint track to the left, across the arroyo, and up a short grade to the site of the
short-lived, 1766-1767 mission. Only adobe outlines of the church and other buildings remain. When the wheat crops wouldn't grow in the heavily
mineralized water, the mission was moved north and renamed Santa María.
Canyon view.
Gold Mill ruins from early 1900s.
Grade down to arroyo.
Mission ruins (note grade down, across arroyo)
In the canyon, very little water this time... has been a foot deep before.
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del mar
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| Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck |
I will lay out my present bikes and ask for advice . I am 68 and not aging well, reflexes not what they once were, balance isssues keep me from doing
anything more than minimal offroading. I have generally done a couple 7000 km 95% highway rides each year til Covid hit. I want to take two of these
bikes down to the Baja for local short trips to the food store and into La Paz 58 km away, 8km washboardy sand rest paved, whats recommended?
1987 BMW r80 RT (Gentlemans BMW according to Bruno) 50 hp 500 or so lb.
1987 BMW K75 75 hp non ABS also around 500 lb
1991 low seat K75 ABS I think around 550 lb
1982 KZ440 ltd 31 hp
2008? bws 50cc 2-stroke scooter
I was thinking the K75 1987 or the KZ440 ltd and the BWS
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SxS.......with age comes the cage!
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pacificobob
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with age? ....i would submit, allowing yourself TO age is the culprit.
70y/o, and riding both on and off road. two wheels are all i require.
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bajatrailrider
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Sxs with age comes the cage  most 20 year olds can't ride a dirt bike. I'm same
age as JD dirt biking right now. With Baja nomad Ed Hall I do have a sxs but for ladies to drive . As copilot when they drive my one hand on shut off
switch. Other on emergency brake handle. All your bikes good JD but not in dirt .
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JZ
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| Quote: Originally posted by bajatrailrider | I do have a sxs but for ladies to drive . As copilot when they drive my one hand on shut off switch. Other on emergency brake handle. All your bikes
good JD but not in dirt .
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SxS is also for riding with the doggies.
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bajatrailrider
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Yes agreed my dogs love riding in sxs all good
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JDCanuck
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| Quote: Originally posted by bajatrailrider | Sxs with age comes the cage most 20 year olds can't ride a dirt bike. I'm same
age as JD dirt biking right now. With Baja nomad Ed Hall I do have a sxs but for ladies to drive . As copilot when they drive my one hand on shut off
switch. Other on emergency brake handle. All your bikes good JD but not in dirt .
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LOL...yeah i figured that age comment might get some responses. I will get the KZ440ltd adapted as best I can i think, it being the most flipable and
easiest for me to handle of the bunch. It also has the advantage of being the least pretty and should be relatively safe left unattended in La Paz. I
hate to say this on the age thing, but in our group we have a lot of very senior older than I ex pro GP and motocross racers, who would I think
impress some of the younger riders here. I am not one them and stick to my modest riding style. As far as the SXS goes, we will likely have one of
those as well for my wife as she has never been willing to ride pillion.
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Maderita
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Thanks for the new word. I had to look that one up.
pillion: A pillion is a secondary pad, cushion, or seat behind the main seat or saddle on a horse, motorcycle, bicycle or moped.
A passenger in this seat is said to "ride pillion". The word is derived from the Scottish Gaelic for "little rug", pillean, from the Latin pellis,
"animal skin". One or more pelts often were used as a secondary seat ...
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JZ
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Here is another example of one of the canyon rides to the ocean.
This one is Timbabichi. It's about a 55 mile ride. Search the site for Timbabichi and you will find several interesting threads on it.
Difficulty is a 2-2.5. Pretty easy overall. Very easy for 90% of it.
[Edited on 7-30-2021 by JZ]
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John Harper
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I've only seen "pillion" used in conjunction with Harley down here. The passenger pad I bought for my Sportster was listed as a "pillion pad" by the
company. I had not heard it either, at the time. That was back in 1990.
John
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pacificobob
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pillion is a term way more commonly used in the UK and former British colonies
[Edited on 7-30-2021 by pacificobob]
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David K
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Sort of like a 'fortnight' being their common term for two weeks?
I lived in Australia fifty-one years ago and remember a few! Lift = elevator, tin = can (solid, edible contents... otherwise it was in a can). Boot =
car trunk, etc.
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motoged
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Some sand tips ...
Not just "tip-overs": a half hour video of desert riding for a street rider new to sand/desert riding. Simpson desert, Australia is one of those
"peaks" to be bagged by desert adventurers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQwFYLkpPgs
The heavier the bike, the more challenge. Riding Baja on a BMW R80 GS and later a R1100 GS taught me the lesson of "the right tool" for the job, so I
got into dirtbiking in 2001....
4 strokes are the bike of choice for Baja in my opinion for many reasons.
A bigger tank than stock if you are going more than putt down to the beach is recommended.... tires with thicker sidewalls are less prone to punctures
but are more difficult to remove from rim if you need to fix a flat. These days serious riders are using mousse in tires , but higher speeds on
pavement melt some brands. I use Slime in my tires and it has worked when needed (tube-type Slime is different than regular Slime as it has more
fibrous material).
It's also good to learn proper/effective techniques for picking up a bike once dropped (guy in vid above hasn't learned that yet):
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+pick+up+motorcycle&rlz=1CAHJUL_enCA870CA870&oq=how+to+pick+up+motorcycle&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30l
9.7933j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_jU4EYcisBtSp0PEPsNOI4AY15
NOT a good idea to ride a bike anywhere if you can't pick it up by yourself 
[Edited on 7-30-2021 by motoged]
Don't believe everything you think....
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motoged
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That's a fair portion of the planet.
In the US there is the Harley Davidson culture. They like the T-shirt with the saying on the back "If you can read this, the b*tch fell off".
Cultural differences ..... "eh!" 
Don't believe everything you think....
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