Baja Ride

[gatling]

California Scooter Company is leading a ride for California Scooter owners through the Baja peninsula all the way down to Cabo San Lucas (and back) starting on 11 September 2010. We'll be on the road about a week. If you're interested, please contact me via email.

[mscuddy]

Don't forget to bring and armed escort, along with two very large SUV's, one at the front, and one at the rear of your line of scooters.

And bring lots of cold hard cash to pay off the police, Los Zecas and any other para-military group that stops you for an "inspeciton" along the way.

In fact, just get with Aero Mexico to have your scooters air freighted to Cabo, ride around for a day or two, and before they get stolen, air freight them back to LAX. Again, bring lots of US Dollars for the Customs officials at Cabo.

Don't say we didn't warn you. Highway 1 in Mexico is a scary place now. I wouldn't drive down it in a M48 with fully operaitonal weapons.

[sarnali2]

Make sure you wave big American flags and yell at everyone in English about your "rights"........

[gatling]

Guys, I appreciate your sentiments, but as a regular Baja traveler I am convinced that much of what the press publishes about Mexico is highly sensationalized. I've been through the peninsula numerous times, including a trip just a few months ago. I never had any kind of a problem, and if anything, I think the folks down there are even nicer than they have been in the past (which was plenty nice) because of the way their tourist industry has been decimated by the biased reporting. Let me put it this way...I'd rather ride in Mexico than in Los Angeles. Check out my site at Motorcycle Adventure Photography and you'll see what I mean.

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by gatling

Guys, I appreciate your sentiments, but as a regular Baja traveler I am convinced that much of what the press publishes about Mexico is highly sensationalized. I've been through the peninsula numerous times, including a trip just a few months ago. I never had any kind of a problem, and if anything, I think the folks down there are even nicer than they have been in the past (which was plenty nice) because of the way their tourist industry has been decimated by the biased reporting. Let me put it this way...I'd rather ride in Mexico than in Los Angeles. Check out my site at Motorcycle Adventure Photography and you'll see what I mean.

Gasp! You mean the press would lie and sensationalize? I'm shocked.

[sarnali2]

My point was since Mexicans come here waving Mexican flags and hollering about their rights in Spanish we should return the favor anytime we're down there........

[mscuddy]

I have a close friend, you might have heard of him, Rick Sieman. He lived in Baja for twenty years, Rosarito beach. We use to go visit him all the time, but in 2009 something changed with the atmosphere at the border. Crooks were jacking up tourists on a daily basis, picking them clean. The last straw for Rick was having his home broken into, and everything stolen (toilets, sinks, doors, refrigerators, etc.).

Rick now lives in Arizona. I loved Baja, had our honeymoon in San Felipe at the Hotel American, use to be in Mexico all the time. Made the run from TJ to Cabo several times.

But not any more. Just not worth the chance of getting jacked big time. My Nephew was in Rosarito last month, went into a liquor store to buy some beer, when he came out, his old beat Toyota 4X4 was gone.

We had to go rescue him. The whole scene has changed, I felt like a target when we went to get Mike. My wife is from Brazil, and she gets the vibe right away.

Good luck.

[mscuddy]

Hmmm...seems some of your "original creaitons" have Cushman Eagle exhaust pipes on 'em. Strange, eh wot?

[sarnali2]

Probably got a good deal on them......

[gatling]

Originally Posted by mscuddy

I have a close friend, you might have heard of him, Rick Sieman. He lived in Baja for twenty years, Rosarito beach.

Sorry, never heard of your friend Rick. I usually stay in RB for one night only (if that) on the moto trips down through Baja, and if I stay there, it's almost always at the Rosarito Beach Hotel (the rates are ridiculously low now that the LA Times and the San Diego rag have frightened many of the tourists away). I stay in RB for a couple of days when we go to the Rosarito Beach to Ensenada bicycle ride, and again, when I'm there I always stay at the Rosarito Beach hotel. Like I said before, I've never had a problem. Love the breakfasts at the hotel, and dinners at Susanna's in Rosarito Beach (http://susannasinrosarito.com/intro-english.htm). Susanna's is awesome.

I haven't been in Baja for about 10 months. I'd been hearing the third-hand horror stories for, well, the last 20 years, actually. When I went last October, it was the first time I had been to Baja in about a year. I had stayed away that long because I stupidly listened to the people who were saying the same kinds of things you guys are saying..."I knew a guy who got jacked...", "some one told me that...," etc., etc. I've found that everyone giving this kind of "expert" testimony had no personal experience; it was all "I knew a guy..." or "I heard that..." kind of advice. None had actually been there and had a bad experience themselves. I guess I tend to form my opinions based on my own experiences, and mine have all been very positive.

I was mashed by a woman in a SUV (right here the good old USA) in November (I was on my motorcycle), and the recovery has been a long one. I'm looking forward to this ride in a major way. You can watch out for the murderous Mexicans you've heard about in Baja; I'll watch out for the SUV's I know about right here in my home town.