Skirting the US/MEX border

Just wanted to put some feelers out for any advice or stories from the border. My friend and I are making a long distance circuit of the US starting and ending in Boston and will be traveling along the TX, NM, AZ, and CA border with Mexico for a bit. The southern leg of our journey is tentatively set to end in Tijuana or Ensenada before we head up the Pacific coast to WA. We are riding an '85 k100 and a '91 r100 and have the least intention of making a target of ourselves but we've heard some tales of bribery, robbery, intimidation, and worse at the hands of the Federales and cartels.

Basically we want to reach out to anyone who rides in the northern Baja region for tips, any sort of advice for staying safe, or to tell us not to worry at all. Thanks for the help!

Can't tell where you intend (if you intend) to enter Mexico. But you are as safe riding along the border in the Big Bend of Texas as anywhere else in the U.S. We live south of I=10 and South of US 90, about 30 miles from the border and ride our motorcycles all over the area all the time and are safer here than we ever were in Kansas City, or St. Louis, or Des Moines, or Arkansas.

You should expect to have periodic stops at Border Patrol stations riding in those areas. The personnel have always been professional and usually ask if you are a US citizen and if affirmative they move you along. Often there will be a dope sniffing dog working these stations. You will also see numerous Border Patrol vehicles parked and patrolling near the border.

I have had no issues with shake downs from any government official while traveling in Mexico. Ensenada is a great town with some excellent seafood, have fun, ride safe.

This would probably get more responses in the proper section of Regionals.

That said, I work on the border frequently. You should have absolutely no issues on the US side. The Mexican side I would say avoid Neuvo Laredo, Juarez and Nogales, but the rest are generally OK.

Jim

Certain parts of big cities can be a problem, just like here. Most of the other areas are rural and there just isn't much out there.
You should get Mexican insurance, which you can get online.
I never reenter the USA at Tijuana. They tell me there, and I know Mexicali and Tecate, motorcycles go to the head of the line.
Don't take any guns into Mexico.
If you can include San Felipe I would recommend that place. It is a lot nicer than Ensenada. But I just went down to Ensenada two weeks ago, so it's not a bad place.
dc

jimvonbaden said:

This would probably get more responses in the proper section of Regionals.

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Moving to Mountain/Prairie