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Mexico travel

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Anyone ever joined any of the group tours to Mexico that I've heard of ?

Am interested in info, for maybe a late autumn trip. Is it safe?..cost,..requirements?,.etc. Any information appreciated.

Ron
 
Read the article in ON this month and stick with the tour groups. You will need your passport as a minimum, pesos, Mexican auto insurance and your pink slip for your bike or a letter from the lien holder. No place to travel alone but gorgeous scenery. I am doing a 1000 mile ride ths summer in Chihuahua with a Mexican riding group in association with Iron Butt. Oh the gas is pretty bad as well so it is wise to take some octane booster. Check out the link below on travel tips to Mexico. It can be done just not as glamorous as you might think. And learn some Spanish or have a Spanish speaking rider with you.

http://www.asphaltratsportiv.com.mx/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=206&Itemid=473
 
Read the article in ON this month and stick with the tour groups. You will need your passport as a minimum, pesos, Mexican auto insurance and your pink slip for your bike or a letter from the lien holder. No place to travel alone but gorgeous scenery....[/url]

That Feb ON special section on Mexico is also available directly on this MOA webpage:
http://www.bmwmoa.org/news/general_interest/mexico_special_report.
Most of your questions are answered there.

In general, http://www.motodiscovery.com/Motorcycle-Tours/Mexico-Motorcycle-Tours
is the best known/ most experienced of the MX tour operators.

Enjoy your ride
 
On 2-8-12 the State Department issued travel warnings for most of Mexico and Baja. Check the State Department website. Be careful.
 
There is a very active thread over on Adventure Rider titled "Is Mexico Safe?" It has over 6700 posts; many by people who ride in Mexico regularly. Consensus seems to be that it is not without risk but not riskier than riding in many parts of the USA. Read it for yourself. Everyone seems to say to make haste through the border area.... on both sides of the border.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=546927

We are planning a ride to the Baja for next winter and the research we have done so far has increased our confidence level greatly.
 
Anyone ever joined any of the group tours to Mexico that I've heard of ?

Am interested in info, for maybe a late autumn trip. Is it safe?..cost,..requirements?,.etc. Any information appreciated.

Ron

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=638662 Hello Ron, I am Don Stanley: "Official" Mexico Ride Leader for BMW MOA Club AZ Beemers #89; Arizona.

I first rode into Mexico in October 1968 on my 1964 Norton Atlas 750, just before enlisting in the US Army. Since then I have ridden every year into Mexico, except for the years I was overseas. Mexico is not as safe as it once was, but still safe!

For the shorter rides of less than a week, I organize our Mexico tours by myself.

For our longer Club Rides, such as Copper Canyon or going to the BMW Mexico Moto Clubs Rallies, we enlist Skip Mascorro of Moto Discovery to organize for us.

I've found out over many years that Skip can price out a package for us cheaper than I can. You can reach Skip at 1-800-233-0564 www.motodiscovery.com

www.losarcossonora.com If you are riding to the Mexican State of Sonora, I highly recommend you stay at Hotel Los Arcos de Sonora in Banamichi. This fine hotel is owned by AZ Beemers Club Members Tom and Lynn Matthews. You can talk to them at 303-838-6505 in the US and 520-777-1503 in Tucson. Really nice folks!
 
Ron: You're cordially invited to join us on our AZB Club Rides; just watch our Forum!

http://www.azbeemers.org/forum/index.php?topic=3613.0 Ron, right now one of our AZB Gal Riders Claire is looking for people to ride to Mexico with her.

She's the beautiful blonde in the second picture, she rides to Mexico all of the time. Just keep an eye on our Forum, we always ride South! Recent trip:

RockyPoin20111.jpg


Las Tres Amigas! Left to Right: Claire, Miss Donna and GS Jane.

RockyPoin20116.jpg


Assuming the Mexican Bandito Position:

RockyPoin20113.jpg


RockyPoin20119.jpg


RockyPoin201111.jpg


RockyPoin201113.jpg


RockyPoin201115.jpg


RockyPoin201118.jpg


RockyPoin201120.jpg


Sunset from our room balcony:

RockyPoin201125.jpg


RockyPoin201124.jpg
 
I'm planning two trips there right now, for early this year.
There is danger anywhere, here, or anywhere.
I just had a friend come back from 4 months in Columbia. No problem.
dc
 
Read the article in ON this month and stick with the tour groups. You will need your passport as a minimum, pesos, Mexican auto insurance and your pink slip for your bike or a letter from the lien holder. No place to travel alone but gorgeous scenery. I am doing a 1000 mile ride ths summer in Chihuahua with a Mexican riding group in association with Iron Butt. Oh the gas is pretty bad as well so it is wise to take some octane booster. Check out the link below on travel tips to Mexico. It can be done just not as glamorous as you might think. And learn some Spanish or have a Spanish speaking rider with you.

http://www.asphaltratsportiv.com.mx/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=206&Itemid=473
I think you are flat wrong about the gas. It is my intention to be helpful & informative, not at all to be considered a caustic reply to the above! There is no need for booster.I have several miles in Mexico under my belt & have never had a Pemex gas issue riding my R1150R. I always use the 87 there which has no ethanol at this time but that may change , I read.If anything my bike runs better, not worse!!! I have never read of a gas complaint in many years of Mexico stuff on ADVrider where Mexico is a daily topic. Perhaps a few times something from a very out of the way low volume station but never an issue . Jug gas can vary, obviously & I've used some of that too with no problem.Get pesos from an ATM after you enter. Do your visa there, after you enter. Do your TVIP online and/or after you enter. I do mine online then print it out and use my Visa after I enter. Mex insurance -shop around online as the underwriters are Mexican companies & some here in USA charge more or less for the various policies.The actual "use" of the policy will be thru the Mexican underwriter via a toll free # if something happens. They are not! sue happy in Mexcio like the USA. Cheaper done in advance. I carry my KY bike registration with me in the form of a free copy my county clerk runs for me each yr at tag time. I scan & email to myself, copies of the title,registration , insurance & drivers license. I also have a "fake" but sort of real scanned/laminated KY license I carry with the "real" in reserve if a cop there gets frisky with me or it gets stolen. I never do that in the USA.
Nothing against the groups if thats your thing, they will get you in nice lodgings & on some of the better roads, but absolutely not the way me & many others choose to do it. If you don't feel safe in going, it's simple-don't go. It's a big place & lots of good places to go & the riding is fantastic as are the people & culture. As to safety, I got a bit apprehensive in the past few years do to all the bad press. IMO, Mascaro's estimation of the issues is spot on in our latest ON. He & others that travel Mexico can truthfully say that there is a need to be vigilant but thats it. Never ride at night. Never leave your bike unguarded or outside at night. Be smart when you travel anywhere as an outsider a native-this involves knowing certain reasonable cautions. If the group makes you decide to go vs. not go, do the group & go! It's a beautiful place to ride & not so much white stuff as I see out my window!
Mexico is best studied as a bike destination @ ADVrider & Horizons Unlimited. As to the above comment about "glamour" it is in fact a very poor country. You will see trash & litter as the Mexicans are here in the USA getting paid to pick up our trash (unlike Canada and some northern US states that don't litter as much) & not so much money there for trash pickup so plastic bags blow everywhere,etc. Same on the beach there-if you pay enough, somebodies picking up the nasties every morning but if you want the beach w/o the neon may be some junk. If you don't want straight pipes, dont go. It is a poor place people. The scenery is fantastic and the colonial cities & Pueblo Magicos are a treat!Google the former & feel free to ask me/PM which ones I consider the most magical if you are actually going. If you want big macs stay here or eat at Sanborns there. for "our stuff". Considering how poor Mexico is the roads are fast & unbelievably fun. There are so many favorite rides there I cannot begin to list them all. Most rides from the mtns to the coast or vice/versa are great. Many bikers meet their wife there & use the real hotels singly & the better ones when meeting their wife , usually on a coast. Oaxaca is my favorite larger city,period! Mexico City is not a good place to ride in but a great place to park & visit, much like many USA cities. Consider Toluca a place to go in from.
Again, from my experience the Mototours guy, Mascarro, is spot on and honest in his appraisal of riding in Mexico. There simply is no place better to ride like Mexico, in our winter, on my budget. The people there are a big part of that statement!
 
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=638662 Hello Ron, I am Don Stanley: "Official" Mexico Ride Leader for BMW MOA Club AZ Beemers #89; Arizona.

I first rode into Mexico in October 1968 on my 1964 Norton Atlas 750, just before enlisting in the US Army. Since then I have ridden every year into Mexico, except for the years I was overseas. Mexico is not as safe as it once was, but still safe!

For the shorter rides of less than a week, I organize our Mexico tours by myself.

For our longer Club Rides, such as Copper Canyon or going to the BMW Mexico Moto Clubs Rallies, we enlist Skip Mascorro of Moto Discovery to organize for us.

I've found out over many years that Skip can price out a package for us cheaper than I can. You can reach Skip at 1-800-233-0564 www.motodiscovery.com

www.losarcossonora.com If you are riding to the Mexican State of Sonora, I highly recommend you stay at Hotel Los Arcos de Sonora in Banamichi. This fine hotel is owned by AZ Beemers Club Members Tom and Lynn Matthews. You can talk to them at 303-838-6505 in the US and 520-777-1503 in Tucson. Really nice folks!
Great post! thanks! Seems to be a problem to use your clubs website...
Are you saying that he can get you into "nicer hotels" for less than a walk in? What price range are these lodgings to give me & others a notion? Having been there too, I know that I flat cannot afford many better hotels in Mexico-or the USA, for that matter. FWIW, given the "big scare" from the cable news and govt. there are plenty of vacancies there. Exception is on Mexican holidays and at a few choice beach destinations. otherwise lots of Mexicans & gringos just aren't traveling to Mexico these days. Believe me their tourism industry is hurting.
 
The PeMex gas is ok, where available. As long as you don't get Nova. Get Magna, or Magna Sin, or Magna Premium, and you are fine.
I don't even know if they still have Nova.
If there is no station, and you have to buy from someone, who has a bucket, or drum in their yard, then you take any chance. That is where the gas may be questionable.
dc
 
The PeMex gas is ok, where available. As long as you don't get Nova. Get Magna, or Magna Sin, or Magna Premium, and you are fine.
I don't even know if they still have Nova.
If there is no station, and you have to buy from someone, who has a bucket, or drum in their yard, then you take any chance. That is where the gas may be questionable.
dc

kantuckid and and David 13 are correct about the Pemex gas being fine for BMW's!

My 2012 BMW K1600GT, 2002 Harley-Davidson FXD Twin Cam 88 and 1996 BMW R1100GS run just great on the Pemex "Premio", their highest octane premium fuel.

They all 3 actually do run better on Pemex Premium than Chevron/Shell premium.

I do carry along octane booster in case I am South of the Border on these three and the Pemex station is out of "Premio". This happens a lot on Baja Peninsula!

My 2009 BMW F650GS Twin and 2003 Yamaha FJR1300 run on the cheapest Pemex.

I've bought fuel from the 55 gallon drums at Catavina-Baja for over 35 years now from Armando, his Son Luis now runs the operation. Never had a bad tank of fuel!
 
Great post! thanks! Seems to be a problem to use your clubs website...
Are you saying that he can get you into "nicer hotels" for less than a walk in? What price range are these lodgings to give me & others a notion? Having been there too, I know that I flat cannot afford many better hotels in Mexico-or the USA, for that matter. FWIW, given the "big scare" from the cable news and govt. there are plenty of vacancies there. Exception is on Mexican holidays and at a few choice beach destinations. otherwise lots of Mexicans & gringos just aren't traveling to Mexico these days. Believe me their tourism industry is hurting.

kantuckid, I want to compliment you on your remarks in Reply 9 above; Excelente!

You obviously know your way around Mexico and I am in firm agreement with you.

Here I am on la Playa at Scorpion Bay - Bahia San Juanico, with my trusty Beemer.

Beemerdonsonthebeach.jpg


I hope that I'm not stepping on mi Amigo Skip Mascorro's toes by relating this info.

When a group of AZ Beemers and I debate an upcoming ride to a specific Mexico destination, I get a firm commitment from a minimum of six AZ Beemer moto riders.

I then approach Skip with a phone call, person to person. I ask Senor Mascorro to consider what amount of discount he can provide if I guarantee "seis Hombres".

I do the same thing with Werner Wachter / Rainer Buck of Edelweiss fur der Alpen.

http://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=122097&st=0 As an example, we AZ Beemers combined forces with www.fjrforum.com to ride Copper Canyon. We got 10 riders together for this trek and Skip discounted our expedition from $2,995 to $2,795; $200 off per each person.

http://www.motodiscovery.com/Motorcycle-Tours/Mexico-Motorcycle-Tours/10/The-Copper-Canyon-Explorer This Copper Canyon Explorer has now risen in price up to $3,449, but I still feel it is worth every penny. We had a KTM break down twice, it finally died and had to be trucked back to El Paso in the back of the Moto Discovery truck.

A number of years ago, we AZB rode to Real de Catorce with Skip deep down in Central Mexico and a rider crashed and damaged his rib cage and collar bone. Without M-D support truck, we would've been scrambling around trying to get him medical aid and then back home to Estados Unidos!!!
 
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the pemex gas is ok, where available. As long as you don't get nova. Get magna, or magna sin, or magna premium, and you are fine.
I don't even know if they still have nova.
If there is no station, and you have to buy from someone, who has a bucket, or drum in their yard, then you take any chance. That is where the gas may be questionable.
Dc

nova???
Medjet is logical for loooong trips. I have been skimping & buy a medical plan only. I usually pay around $20-35 for nights lodging. A few places, like on the water,larger cities & when going "whole hog" I pay a bit more. I have walked into a few hotels in Mexico(I can usually know them from the look) that cost more per night than my whole trip. E.g., I have a place I like near the mariposa's that is kind of expensive but nice @ ~ $50,but consider that the shop worn places nearby, where the tour buses stop, are twice that & more. Some cities aren't so bad,Tampico is reasonable as is Oaxaca and some others. I find that I can use a book(Rough Guide & another privately sold) for reference, w/o reservations & do fine. Best to have a town that you know is going to have a place you will be able to stay & maybe an alternative town if you lack info on the 1st choice. "MY TOURS" sometimes consist of taking roads that travel from mtns to the ocean in the same area. Puerto Vallarta area & Oaxaca have several such roads as does San Cristobol. A planned tour company will not do such a crazy thing but when your on your own, anything's possible-even the broken bones e.g. above. Above all, be careful ,cause if you go you will make friends down there!
If you can't tell I love to discuss Mexican travel, esp. since I decided to not go this year due to recent recovery from sciatica & my fear that it might return while several miles from home. Next year, whoa!!!! Mexico,Belize & GT...
 
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WoW!...thanks for all the replies & info!. I have allot to look into for farther consideration. As I said [at this] point] a winter trip or at least during colder weather here is what I'm thinking.

Beemerdon, thanks for the invitation to join you all. That sounds very tempting.

Being a first timer [should I go] I find comfort in experience and numbers. I will check out your site. And the other sites / links provided.

What I would like to do is actually spend some time there [ a week or so], as opposed to riding over the border say 50 miles, and turnaround. Although I did see that State Dept, warning.

I'm bettin' Claire gets many offers for riding partners.....'she purty':nod if only I lived closer:cry

Kantuckid, where in Kentuck?....I live just east of Cincy.

Thanks again,Ron
 
Nova, KentuckyKid. I guess they say at one source it disappeared around the turn of the century. I didn't think I had seen it for some time.
dc
 
You don't need numbers to ride Mexico. Fact is almost every rider that goes prefers to ride alone-a much discussed topic in fact for travel here & there too. If it gets you there, then do it that way at least the first time. I see the social thing as fun but it's hard to have a group thats truly compatible. Honestly, I've tried it twice with a ride partner and for different reasons it just didn't work. Others have found the same to be true. Of the people I've discussed riding with the most common reason I choose not to ride with them is they are riding too many miles in too few days or not enough days in the first place.
P.S. I wasn't around then-nope...
 
Nova, KentuckyKid. I guess they say at one source it disappeared around the turn of the century. I didn't think I had seen it for some time.
dc

David13, I also do remember the Nova grade at Pemex fuel depots. Being a Spanish speaker it always cracked me up since !No Va! means it doesn't go en Espanol.

I'm aware that Pemex meant it also to mean "bright star" as in super white star, but it did always make me chuckle!
 
I'm kinda sorta a speaker of it also, in fact all my life.
My joke with the Nova, as I do look totally norteno, was to walk into the gas station and say, since the Nova is so much cheaper, why don't I just get that.
The local meh hee can ohs would fall all over, about oh no, don't use that. It'll ruin your motor.
There was a tv show, Camara Infragante, and he did that one episode. Changed the signs and filled cars with Nova (not really). They had fits. "Oh, you have ruined my motor".
Sort of a cruel joke.
dc
 
In going to Mexico I found the best exchange rate for peso's was to use the ATM at a bank in Mexico. Your credit card / debit card works fine in that manner. I used to get a couple hundred dollars in pesos in Tucson before heading south. After a while I would have less than 50 in pesos then hit the ATM before going through the toll roads. I tried to never give dollars at the toll booths, short changing is an art to some of the attendants there.

I don't go south anymore. Too much of a target with our rig.
 
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