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Do I need to know how to ride a motorcycle in order to go on one of your tours? We do require that our tour participants be competent motorcyclists. You don't need off-road riding experience for this tour. If you have never ridden a motorcycle before there are many riding clubs and sources of instruction. Check with your local motorcycle club or dealership. Do I need a motorcycle license to ride a motorcycle in Mexico? Yes, as of Jan. 1, 2006, Mexican law requires a valid motorcycle license while traveling in Mexico, as well as between San Diego and the Mexican border. Can I bring my own motorcycle on the tour? In order to bring your own motorcycle you would need to make arrangements to transport your motorcycle back from Los Cabos, or to Los Cabos, as the case may be, depending on a northbound or southbound tour. This is possible; however, we highly recommend riding our 2005 BMW F650 Dakar motorcycles. These dual-sport bikes are fast, comfortable and well suited to take on whatever Baja decides to dish up. At the end of the tour you simply turn in your motorcycle and have nothing further to worry about. How much "off-road" riding should I expect on the tour? A bare minimum! Our route keeps to the generally well-paved roads of Baja's Highway 1 and Highway 19. Except for occasional detours around new bridges being built and short sections of the highway under construction, you are not expected to ride "off-road". Off-road riding is optional and your tour guide will discuss this topic in more detail before the tour begins. Do I need a passport? Yes, a passport is now required to travel to Mexico and re-enter the United States. Which airlines fly nonstop between major U.S. cities and Los Cabos, Mexico? ("SJD" - Los Cabos Int'l Airport at San Jose del Cabo) Atlanta — Delta Chicago — American Dallas / Ft. Worth — American Denver — America West Houston — Continental Los Angeles — American, Alaska, Aero California and Mexicana Newark — Continental (weekly, December through April) San Diego — Aeromexico and Alaska San Francisco — Alaska and America West Seattle — Alaska Calgary and Vancouver — Sunquest Vacations (seasonal, December to April) You may also want to check with Southwest Airlines for connections to other cities within the U.S. How many miles per day will we ride? We travel over 1,100 miles within six days so the average is about 185 miles per day, with 115 miles on the shortest day and 245 miles on the longest. How fast do you ride on the highway? We plan for an average speed of 40 miles per hour. The speed limits along the peninsular highway range from 60-80 kph (30-48 mph). There are some long straight sections where it is comfortable to ride 55-65mph. What is your "rider-to-rider radio communications" system? Each motorcycle is equipped with a Kenwood VHF radio and push-to-talk switch that allows the tour guides to communicate with the riders and allows the riders to communicate with each other. This increases the overall safety of our tours by enabling our guides to advise of upcoming road conditions, help with passing, and know when a rider would like to stop for a break or photo opportunity. Our guides are also able to provide commentary on noteworthy sights along the ride. The radios are equipped with one channel for the group and a second channel for communication with the chase vehicle. You can either rent one of our helmets that is pre-wired with a high quality Autocom™ headset, or wire your own helmet by ordering a Universal Headset Kit directly from Autocom http://www.autocomamerica.com What if I or my passenger become too sick or tired to ride? Our chase truck is a quad cab which seats six. If you or your passenger are not feeling well or are too tired to ride on a particular day you can ride in the chase truck and we will load your motorcycle on the chase trailer until you feel like riding again. What will the weather be like? The daytime temperatures range from the low 50's into the upper 80's depending on the time of year and how far south you are. Generally speaking, the northern portion of the peninsula is similar in weather to Southern California while the southern portions are more similar to Southern Arizona. Is Mexico "safe"? Generally speaking, Baja is quite trouble-free south of Ensenada all the way down to Los Cabos. Isolated incidents occasionally make the headlines, most of them occurring on the Mexican mainland and not in Baja. In our 20 years of traveling, off-road racing and touring Baja we have seen and heard of only a few incidents. Generally, common sense prevails in keeping one's person and property safe-- even in Mexico! With our extensive experience, we plan all tours to maximize your safety and comfort. Why don't you offer tours in late summer and early fall? There are many dry washes that frequently flood and become impassable during hurricane season which lasts from July through September. |
