In Search of the Ultimate Fish Taco
Riding in Mexico is all about your comfort level. You have to respect the people, the culture, and the land.
In my world there are two different types of people: Those who never ride further than 10 miles away from their pickup truck, and those who love to explore. As a teenager I fell into the first category. Getting lost or breaking down was probably the biggest reason, and fear factored heavily into the equation.
My comfort level increased after my college years, and I found a whole new world to explore. I learned about bike preparation, riding within my limits, and having quality riding partners. Then again, bikes improved to a level that they could be ridden several hundreds of miles without many worries about reliability. I also discovered that there was more to life than going around in circles on a motocross track, which was the only world that I had previously known.
For the last 10 years I have devoted my riding to new experiences. My endless search for adventure is what drew me to Mexico with Chris Haines Motorcycle Adventures, and I had a lot of fun. The former Honda factory motocross mechanic has been doing tours on the Baja peninsula for 19 years, and his organization is absolutely legendary. I had heard that Haines has the best fleet of rental bikes, the most-organized operation, and the most-knowledgeable guides. I also heard that he is "the guy" when it comes to celebrity tours. His list of guests include Lyle Lovett (singer/songwriter/actor), Lance Armstrong (6-time Tour de France winner), Juan Pablo Montoya (Formula One Star/Indy 500 winner), Danny Sullivan (Indy 500 winner), Franz Weber (Fastest man on skis - 142mph), Adrian Fernandez (Indy Car racer), P.J. Jones (NASCAR racer), Kevin Hines (multi-time National Enduro Champ), Jeff Stanton (multi-time AMA National and Supercross champ), and George Straight (Country Music legend). Well, count me in!
I have been fortunate enough to travel all over the world on similar excursions. I've been to Peru, Zimbabwe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, mainland Mexico, and Costa Rica a handful of times. I've ridden in 20 states, including Hawaii with Jeremy McGrath, Greg Albertyn, and Steve Hatch, and yes, I have even been to Baja before.
Bars in Ensenada are like grains of sand in the Sahara. It's home to places like Hussongs and the world famous Papa's and Beer.
So, how does it work? Well, most customers fly into San Diego International airport and then get picked up by Chris Haines, before taking a 90-minute drive south of the U.S. boarder. However, I live about 15 minutes away from Haines' shop in Lake Elsinore, California, so my friends and I started the journey there, and loaded our stuff into the two support vehicles. I brought three of my friends who are in the real estate business: Craig Potter, Rod Thyberg, and Chris Carter. Jim Castillo, owner of Innovation Sports (who manufacturers the CTi line of knee braces), also accompanied us on the jaunt down the narrow peninsula. Haines and Castillo have been friends for years, and the two have even raced in the Baja 1000 together.
Our journey started with a scenic drive down the Pacific coast to the famed Wide Open ranch just outside of Ensenada. It is owned by an American race enthusiast with a passion for off-road trucks. This little bed-and-breakfast has a volleyball court, a swimming pool, and even a full-size motocross track. It's loaded with all sorts of racing memorabilia, and was the perfect starting point from our journey. Hey, if it's good enough for Mario Andretti, it's good enough for me!
Ensenada is a port city, resting on the western edge of the Baja peninsula, which sees cruise ships on a weekly basis. These are mostly full of Americans looking to get away from everyday life, enjoy some of the inexpensive daytime shopping, and the wild nightlife. Bars in Ensenada are like grains of sand in the Sahara. It's home to places like Hussongs and the world famous Papa's and Beer.
Chris Haines, 11-time Baja 1000 winner, 3-time Baja 500 winner and 2-time SCORE class champion will be your guide to everything cool to see on your Mexico adventure.
From Ensenada we rode down the Pacific Coast past two ship wrecks and all sorts of interesting sights. By Mexico standards, our 135 miles in the saddle was considered a light day. We rode on parts of the Baja 500 and 1000 courses, and rode within 50 yards of the shore. Our destination was San Quintin, a small fishing village on the western coast. From there we hammered out 245 miles to Bay of LA, then 210 inland to San Ignacio, and finally another 220 to Loreto, located on the east side of the Baja, its coast bordering the Sea of Cortez. Four days, 810 miles, and all sorts of good memories that will last a life time.
Along the way we stopped at various spots with spectacular views; a small fishing retreat, and Scorpion Bay, a famous surf spot full of Americans and accessible only by rugged off-road driving.
Make no mistake, Baja is a rather interesting place full of surprises. Life is definitely different south of the boarder because of the poor economic conditions. Aside from the obvious poverty, the most noticeable thing about Baja is the love of motorsports. Off-road races like the 500 and the 1000 stimulate the economy and provide a good sense of free entertainment for Mexicans. When you are riding through a small town, kids literally run out to greet you with waves and high fives. It also seems that every kid wants to see a wheelie, or at least get a free sticker. We were treated like celebrities by everyone we encountered.
Riding in Mexico is all about your comfort level. You have to respect the people, the culture, and the land. "One of the things that surprised me was the amount of military check points that we encountered," said Potter. "I was a little uncomfortable at first, but I got used to them. They are funded by our (American) government in an effort to reduce drug and gun trafficking, so they really weren't concerned with our group of eight motorcyclists."
Prices start at $1950 for the standard 4-day tour from Ensenada and your bike will have fresh Dunlop tires one way or another.
In addition to Haines leading the ride, he also brings along at least one chase rider. The two riders carry a wide array of tools and spare parts in case problems arise on the trail. In our case, we got two flat tires and broke a throttle tube. Although the problems slowed our travels, it didn't keep us from making any of the destinations. When someone would get a flat, we would pull over, and the guides would install a new tube, and we would be on our way in about 10 minutes. The incredible knowledge of the land and mechanical expertise of the crew is definitely comforting to all those on the ride. There are also two support vehicles that provide food and fuel, and they have plenty of onboard spares as well.
What really sets Chris Haines Motorcycle Adventures apart from the rest of the tour groups is the level of support. His crew transports all luggage to and from your hotel room, washes and preps each bike nightly, and they even clean your goggles at every stop. And once you arrive at your hotel, you literally get a room key from the crew and can be showering in a matter of minutes! It's all of these creature comforts that add to the entire riding experience. Basically, they take all of the hassle out of riding. Your job is to simply have fun and be safe.
The safety message is something that is always a recurring theme with tour operators, but more so in third-world countries like Mexico. It's not exactly the last place you would want to break a bone or twist an ankle, but it's close. Haines and his staff routinely remind riders to slow down and ride well within their limits. The nature of the Baja race course has a tendency to tempt riders to reach triple-digit speeds on big-bore machines like the XR650R. Dry lakebeds and 10-mile-long fire roads are full of temptation, and the staff does a good job of politely reminding riders that it's a long way back to the United States for proper medical attention. But don't be scared! Haines and his staff have medical training and rely on satellite telephones to communicate with one another. If there were a serious problem on the trail, Haines can and will find help, it will just take a little longer than U.S. standards.
The Baja race course has a tendency to tempt riders to reach unsafe triple-digit speeds, but Haines and his staff remind riders to ride within their limits.
"The guides are really knowledgeable and provided a sense of security," said Potter. "Most of the crew are retired police officers, and they really watch out for you. It took a while to get used to, but I felt really safe. I guess I've heard so many stories about Mexico that it made me a little nervous. But the people are really nice. We were out in the middle of nowhere and came across a farmer. The guy was dirt poor, but he invited us inside for some food and water. We didn't have time, but the hospitality was very good."
"Everything is really cheap in Mexico," said Thyberg. "You really can get a lot for your dollar."
So, would they recommend the trip?
"Absolutely," said Potter. "I really had a lot of fun because I was riding with friends and had few restrictions. The riding isn't really that technical, nor is it physically challenging. The mileage is high, but you keep a really good pace. The times spent hanging out and bench-racing with the other guys was a blast. Some of the stories from the guides about celebrities that took the trip were entertaining too."
"I was really impressed with the bikes," said Carter. "I really didn't expect them to be that good, but they are. In most cases they are probably better than the bike you have at home."
The benefit of a knowledgeable guide is access to hidden treasures like these ancient cave paintings.
But none of this would really matter if the terrain wasn't that much fun. Fortunately there is a lot of beautiful desert and beach scenery to be enjoyed, and that made a lot of the two-track riding far more interesting. We even stopped along the way to see ancient cave paintings and a church built in the early 1700s.
The bottom line is that Mexico is an incredible haven for off-road riding. Life should be about new experiences and seeing the world. There is nothing wrong with pounding laps at a motocross track, but there is more to motorcycling than tabletops and triple jumps. "When was the last time that you remembered a ride in detail months after?" said Potter. "This ride provides some amazing memories."
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