| Author | Message | ||
     Cygnus_x1 |
I must say this this the or close to, one of the coolest things I've ever done. To meet up with 5 other guys who've I have never met, and traveling into a foreign country into the unknown, on a bike hardly made for the trip ahead! Here's the trip on the map.  Where we started out.  From San Diego we crossed at the Tecate border, no problems, and headed straight down to Ensenada, filled up with gas and then took off again at full speed, them doods were in such a damn hurry I didnt even get a chance to pee. And unfortunatly we were haulin' so fast no time to get pics of some of the most awesome places. We finally get to Santo Tomas, they stop, turn around, and head up this dirt trail.  That scared me a bit being the first day, and the sun was starting to set. But that is a must do dirt road when there, again I wish I had time to stop for more pics. We got to the top of the hill and starting down to Coyote Cal's Hostel, and thats where I had my first (and only) crash!   Also some water crossings  We got the bike up and made it down a somewhat rough hill, with the sun in our eyes, and going down fast. I lost sight of Marbless (our fearless leader with the surfboard) some of the guys went back to find his rear luggage rack broke off and stuff scattered all over. So I sat in the dark on the trail for about a half an hour until we finally made it to the Hostel.  The next morning. Here's our place for that night.     Neat little place, heard the sealions all morning long!  Then we were off to San Quintin. But before we hit the hotel, we took off on the road to the National Observarory. Now this had to be the most awesome 50 miles of paved road I could ever ask. And I think this is where the Uly really shines. I was crusing so fast up this mountain I didnt get a chance to get more pics. This road musta had 500+ twisties, but its one of them roads with a lot of river washes, where the road is flat, then all of a sudden, the bike drops out from under you, then less than a second latter, its hitting you in the butt, back on the flat. This is why the Uly and the big BMW's did well cause of the long travel suspension, yet the ability to hang in the turns.    From about sea level to 8000+ feet. On that road there is a lot of farms and I think I saw Juan Valdez pulling his mule! I'll defiently be back for that road, I wouldnt really recommend the 12S, it would beat the crap out of me. After we got back on the highway 1, we took right back off, and headed through some defunct farm.  Then we ended up right on the coast. Awesome!  We cruised down this dirt road, along the coast for about 20-30 beautiful miles. Some areas a little tough.   Then we came to this shipwreck, a neat little surf spot well known to the diehard surfers.  Back on to the highway through another little town and on to San Quintin. We stayed at the Old Mill Inn, a great little place off the main part of town, owned by an American, and mostly other American dirt bike riders, all from ADV site of course!   Here's Corky, that crazy 'ol bastage, he came out and said "what the hell are you guys thinking on them street bikes, you'll never make it on the road to Gonzaga Bay" (mostly refering to me on the Uly!  But we said  and headed there any way. On down to Catavina.   We stopped in El Rosario, and seen this cool truck and find out he and 2 other fully loaded trucks are there to follow (or chase) their friends on the dirt bikes, then came their chopper. How would them friends be???   At Catavina, we turn off the main highway on to dirt and air down the tires.  This is where the fun really starts! If ya have watched Dust to Glory, you'll remember Coco, and that was the main reason I wanted to do this part of the trip. We arived at Coco's 35 miles later, and for sure enough there he was! That made my day!  We sat and rested from the hot sun, and to unpucker for a bit, with a cold drink and chat with Coco and sign the book!     From here to Puertocitos the road only gets worse. 100+ miles of HELL! Big rocks, sharp rocks, loose rocks, rocks piled 3" deep, and SAND, all make this part of the trip real fun!   Keep in mind, we only dared to stop where the road was somewhat straight and safe.       This is where I learned a bit, or just honed my off-road skills, I managed to keep it upright the whole way, but not without quite a few "oh shit" moments! This is also where I think I added the most of the dents in my rims.  Once we came to Puertocitos we hit another 50 miles of the worst paved road, ever! Like the Air Force carpet bombed the entire road. Potholes big enough to swallow up the whole bike, or you swerve to miss one and fall into another, and I'm not exaggurating, this is where I heard the front shocks bottoming out all time, just metal to metal, and by then I had already blown out the rear shock! On to San Felipe in the dark, had a great stay, good food, and laughs with new friends, made for an awesome trip. I love the Baja, buts that one road I'll never visit too soon again. I bent both rims, bent the muffler, more bolts that hold the luggage on fell off, the belt was starting to fray, and just sounded aweful, like a belt that is way too tight. It finally sounded better on the way home and after several stops for air in the tires, I made back to San Diego!!! This may be a lame little trip, but it felt like a big accomplishment for me to do 500+ miles of Mexican roads, 300+ miles of dirt, mud, water, rocks, snow and sand, and only dropped it once with no damage!! For me and that bike its big! I just love the Uly that much more and with all the odds against me, and them who said it couldnt be done... I DID IT! Thanks Erik and Co. For better pics and details check here: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127708 Thanks Todd, Torrey, Walter, Steve, Louis! | ||
| Cygnus_x1 |
Oh yeah, one HUGE plug for HVMP! Without them bar ends, my hands would of been numb the first hour, like some others in our group who still havent got the feeling back in their finger tips. That was the best $60-70 bucks I coulda ever spent before this trip! Thanks Steve for getting them to my door the day after I ordered them!  | ||
| Court |
WOW. . what a trip ! | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
CygnusX1 - I'm glad the bar ends worked well for you. Thanks for the kind words. That was a hell of a trip. I'm awestruck. | ||
| Aeholton |
What an awesome trip! Thanks for sharing with us. You've accomplished something few would ever attempt. Well done! | ||
| Outrider |
Outstanding!!! Now I am really feeling homesick for both the deserts and my old KLR. | ||
| Henrik |
Fantastic trip, and quite a nod to your skills and persistence as well as the Ulys dirt-abilty. Congratulations. Henrik | ||
| Imonabuss |
Thank you for sharing the trip. It sounds like incredible fun. Man, I just gotta get a Ulysses and do some long adventures! | ||
| Bodyshot1 |
Very Cool!..thanks for sharing.. and the great pics! | ||
| Jim_sb |
Cygnus_X1 aka F28 aka Dave, AWESOME! Well done!!! As I said over at ADV, it took some huevos grande to charge off down there on the Uly not knowing quite what you were in for. Most impressive... Now, a few things, if you don't mind.... 1. I'm up for going along next time - although I'd prefer we avoid the rim-denting stretch. <g> Yes, I'll leave my DRZ400S at home and bring the Uly (although I think Baja likes dirt bikes!). 2. What tire pressures were you running in the sand? On the stretch where the potholes got ya'? 3. Did you tweak the suspension pre-load at all for this trip? If so how? If not, would you set it up differently for next time? Again, GREAT JOB. Hopefully we'll get some more of this type of action going. Best, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Debueller |
Well done,Cygnus. Makes a trip to the Bar-10 at Grand Canyon sound kinda tame. You da man!!!! | ||
| Blake |
What a great adventure! Thanks for sharing it here! Jim, An increase to the front compression damping might be the best option to help prevent bottoming out. And/or maybe up the fork oil viscosity? | ||
| Windrider |
Cygnus X1, WOW! Thanks for sharing the pics and write up. | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hi Blake, I think it depends on how easy it is to bottom out given his base settings. If you try to tune it out with just the compression damping alone the ride can get quite harsh, right? The guys I know that are really good at tuning dirt bikes all say you've got to pick a rough stretch of terrain and just go back and forth over it, again and again, tweaking your settings and writing it down. Trying different combinations until you figure out what works best. When I had my Uly on some washboard the back end really chattered a lot - I thought it was too much spring pre-load - but it could have been too much compression damping. I'm going to be doing some off-pavement stuff soon, I'll start messing with it and see what I come up with. Regards, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hi Blake, One more thought - my DRZ bottoms out easily if I remain seated in rough terrain - but if I stand up it rarely bottoms out because my knees take the load off the suspension. But I rarely ride the Uly standing up because the bars feel too low - so I'm typically seated placing extra load on the suspension. I'm anxious to learn more from Dave - whether he was seated or standing when the bike was bottoming out. And kudos to Buell for making it so simple to adjust the rear pre-load. Regards, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| M2nc |
Cygnus - Excellent Ride!! Thanks for sharing. I too am wonder about tire pressures though. I know the feeling in sand on my Uly and just wonder home much it help. | ||
| Cygnus_x1 |
Hey Jim, I think the preload knob was starting to leak after the first day of dirt. So I turned it in 2 or 3 turns, and rode on. By the second day, I had to turn it in more, and by the end of the day there was no tension left in the knob. I have the settings set to the next line in the owners book, up from my weight. On the long crappy road with the washboards, it actually rode quite smooth. Wasnt till I hit the big embedded rocks I couldnt avoid that bent the rims. (I think) Then I quickly learned to stand up and ride to navigate the bike better, and soak up the bumps better. I had the front tire down to 22 pounds, and the rear around 25, I think that helped a lot because the loose deep gravel normally would just toss me off that bike, but I was able to wallow right through. ( a Cyclepump pump is now on my list) When we got to the pothole highway, thats when I heard the metal to metal and I think thats where most of the damage took place. I was only doing about 20 mph. When we got to the smooth part, I checked air pressure, it was down to less than 10#. So I'm not sure if it leaked out before pothole highway, or if the pothole highway caused the bead to pop off temporary letting the air out then resealing??? Anyway, there is so much to see and do and places to ride around there. You could spend a week on the Uly on the nicer dirt roads, and good highway, and never damage it like I did. Its hard to know what would be the best way to go... Do you take a truck with two types of bikes. Leave the truck and ride one, then drop it off and ride the other?? Or just take one cool bike, that has a roomy seat, good torque, can handle the twisties like a sport bike, and still do the dirt roads that follow the coast for dozens of miles, or just the a truck with the whole family and dog??? I think I'll take the Uly! | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hi Dave, Thanks for the info. Another question - are you relatively new to the dirt? Just getting back into it? Or? Just curious. It would help me evaluate my own chances NEXT TIME when I'm out there WITH YOU! I'm relatively new to the dirt - been street (and Buell) riding for years - picked up my DRZ400S nearly 2 years ago and set about teaching myself how to ride in the dirt. The first year in the dirt was fun but was disheartening at times. My DRZ had the Trail Wing tires (aka the Death Wings), plus I didn't know what I was doing but I was determined to do it anyway. Yeah, I can be stubborn... This year has been just awesome though. I have learned enough to enable me to challenge much more difficult terrain, which of course forced me to rapidly learn much more. It also increased the fun quotient exponentially. But I digress... So you lost the rear pre-load, that means you'd have to get up on the pegs for all the rough stuff for the bike to have a chance to absorb the blows. Weird that your pressures dropped so low, but that might explain the dents in the rims, eh? It is possible that the beads don't seal well below a certain psi. Not sure what Dunlop is recommending as an operating range for the 616's. We run lower PSI in sand and higher PSI in rocks and on hard pack - many rides have a wide variety of terrain so we try to always have enough pressure to keep from denting the rims - but it doesn't always work - my buddy creased the rim on his KTM 520 last time out... Of course the dirt bikes have tubes so it's not the same... BTW, there's a shop in SoCal that repairs those dents if you need to find one... Hmmm... I'm wondering about that pre-load adjuster... Hopefully that is a warranty repair item anyway. What happened on the sand downhill? Front tire washout? Were you grabbing any brake or doing any deceleration? As counter-intuitive as it seems, you've got to GO in the sand, even if it's downhill between a couple of rock walls. You can guess how I know! Yes, I have learned the hard way on my desert scarred but trusty DRZ. The best way to do Baja? I say do both! Do it once on the Ulysses and again on a dirt bike. My buddies have spent a lot of time riding down there - and have been towed out of there - one swears he'll never go back without a support truck!  You did very well! PS. I am very impressed! I hope you don't mind all the questions - just trying to learn more about the Uly. Regards, Jim in SB | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Jim - my '93 DR650 while no motocrosser, has benefitted immensely from some Pirelli MT21's. These are about 95% dirt oriented but DOT approved. I also dropped a tooth on the front sprocket. It originally had the "death wings" on it. Get rid of those tires immediately. I couldn't even hook up on my lawn with those tires LOL. | ||
| Cygnus_x1 |
Yep I'm new to the dirt. (And street) When I saw the sand, I slowed down, then tried to power through it, but that sand was deep, and it just went right over, nothing seemed to help. The front just washed out. Oh well, we pushed it through that, then rode on. I hope I can get at least one other Uly guy who's not afraid of getting their bike dirty to do the Baja! | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hello Johnny, LOL! My DRZ has received the "full treatment". It is now desert, mountain and dirt worthy. My MT-21's now have over 1700 miles on them and a new set of 606's will be going on shortly (just for grins). 3.9 gallon Clarke tank with the DRZ's excellent fuel specifics has made me a "must have" partner on most rides - it would appear that everyone likes having a fuel tanker along! Unabiker radiator guards (don't laugh, the KTM and one of the new Huskies ridden by my friends both suffered dented radiators last time out - the guards may add weight but they beef up the area and have protected my radiators well), a 14 tooth counter sprocket (the stocker at 15/44 is too tall for delicate off road work), Acerbis brush guards, tow strap, tool kit, spare tube, fix-a-flat kit (CO2 and hand pump), tire irons, extra spark plug, spare master chain link and chain breaker. Etc., etc. That's just my "regular" desert riding kit. My buddies also have what they call the "Baja kit" which is all that and more. You've really got to be able to take care of yourself. You can't count on cell phones or help. It's a different world out there... Anyway, my MT-21 rear pulls like a tractor tire. But the front tire has been a little sketchy in the sand washes - so I thought I'd give the 606's a go. It's hard to overstate the importance of staying on the gas in deep sand. It's also hard to do when there are big rocks on either side of the trail! Some say the hot ticket is a 606 front with the MT-21 rear. We'll see. Yeah, I've got a bad thing goin' for the dirt right now. Which of course is also why I HAD TO HAVE A ULY... Too much fun...  | ||
| Jim_sb |
Dave, For a new guy to dirt riding on a big bike like the Uly - well - it's just outstanding.... Really. I'll go with you on the next trip to Baja as long as we can work out the dates. Regards, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
The only negative that I've experienced with the MT 21 is that since is is such an aggressive knobby, it leaves more of the tire carcass exposed for potential damage. I was riding a 40 mile stretch of old railroad, and got a rear flat fortunately in the last 500 yards of the journey. I was thinking that a tire with thicker treadblocks would have spared me this situation. That being said, nothing hooks up like the mT21's Sand washes are a little like skiing in deep powder. You kind of have to have faith in your equipment and keep the rear weighted a bit, and let the bike do the work. | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hi Johnny, I think the 606's have even more exposed carcass than the MT-21's. That may be why the 606 front reportedly turns better in the sand. We'll see. My flat on the Uly happened right in the meat of one of the tread blocks. I guess when it's your turn to get a flat you just need to be prepared. Now is Dave amazing or what? "Hi, I'm Dave. Let's go to Baja".... Best, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Dave is the man. No doubt about it. | ||
| Charlieboy6649 |
Lucky!!! Man, looks like you had a great time. I hope to be able to do that soon! Charles | ||
| Cygnus_x1 |
On the way to our room the second night, it was a sand road that I thought I was going to lose it again! http://Eph28.smugmug.com/photos/61867892-M.jpg http://eph28.smugmug.com/photos/61867900-M.jpg Thanks Jim! | ||
| Jim_sb |
Hi Dave, More sand tips... 1. Stay in an auto tire track if one is available. They pack it down and make it easier to ride. 2. Stand on the pegs with your weight back. 3. At speed you can turn simply by weighting the inside footpeg - the rear of the bike will gently come around. 4. Keep your arms relaxed - if the front starts plowing you may have to make a lot of corrections in a hurry. If it does plow get on the gas as quickly as you can to lift the front tire up on top. 5. You shouldn't need to brake much - just gently easing out of the throttle and the bike usually slows a lot on it's own. A good technique to avoid loading the front tire is to pull in the clutch and just coast into a corner, get her pointed the right direction then give her the stick!  6. Do your braking when you're going straight (unless you're trying to brake-slide the rear). I would be less fearful of taking the Uly into these conditions if the bike wasn't so darn tall! With my DRZ I can easily dab a foot in a tight corner in a sand wash to keep the bike upright - not sure if I can pull that off with the Uly or not. Best, Jim in Santa Barbara | ||
| Bomber |
thanks from the Rust-Belt, where Spring is several weeks late! What a great adventure -- thanks for posting it! | ||
| Chainsaw |
Friggin Cool! |
