Do not do any drug or gun deals. As with most of the press fear and hate sells the press doing Mexico is the same. Gas up before you cross the border do all the silly paper work do not forget Mexico insurance for the bike and the paper work for it as well you will need as go south. (the first Mexican state you do not I think) Once you get done with all that get 50 or 100 miles from the border and most all you problems will be gone.(I just do not like border towns) Most of the killings are in citys on the border and towns with the people on holiday (as that is where the drugs are)
Mexico is as safe as Canada or the USA as far as getting shot. You do not want to ride at night as animals like to sleep on the road (then they do that in the USA and I bet Canada to) dont drink the water or ice (unless it is treated) there are topos like speed bumps in the road and if you see some rocks in the road look out can be anything.

I did not know about the new terminals be a better spot to all the paper work

Re: NEW CUSTOMS TERMINAL on Mex 15

I went home checked my stuff and found the AAA source I mentioned.
In the AAA Mexico Tourbook 2010 edition ,page 27 , among a number of page advertisements for Mexico there is the folowing

"NEW VEHICLE CHECKPOINT LOCATION MAKES IT EASIER
Visitors to Sonora are now able to drive directly to such cities as Guaymas ( San Carlos),Hermosillo,Kino Bay ,Magdalena and Santa Ana without the time consuming process of obtaining a car permit .
Paperwork to to obtain the decal for visiting points further south than Guaymas ( Empalme ) will be done at a new checkpoint on Highway 15, just south of the Guaymas by-pass on the road to Ciudad Obregon.Travellers intending to go beyond Sonora will still have to obtain a federal "Banjercito " permit.
This allows Americans to visit the State of Sonora without paying the customary ( Federal )vehicle registry fee , but requires motorists to show proof of US residency ,a visa to visit Mexico , adriver's license and proof of vehicle ownership."

The notice is accompanied by a small map showing that the area where NO car permit ( i.e. TVIP) is required is the entire area WEST of Mex 15 from Empalme north to the USA and Baja borders and the wedge of Sonora which lies NORTH of Mex 2 from Agua Prieta west to Mex 15

The new Mex 15 Empalme terminal then would mean that even if you took the ferry from Santa Rosalia in Baja to Guaymas , you could do so without first having the TVIP.
However if you intended to ride from Agua Prieta or Naco south on Mex 14 and other roads you still must obtain the TVIP at the border before heading south to Moctezuma and Hermosillo.
Entrants from any of the western border crossings could suffice with just getting the tourist card at the border if they are spending more than 72 hours en route to the new terminal.
The ad does not specifically state that tourist cards are also issued here but I assume that such is the case since that was also done at the earlier terminal just south of Nogales.
The ad also only refers to "Americans" but it is assumed that as before these rules apply to ALL tourists .
My question now ----Is the South Nogales Mex 15 terminal being kept in operation too or is it closed ?

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http://advrider.com/index.php?thread....207964/page-5 then scroll down to post #93

I agree with most of the above, except the water issue. I drank the local water everywhere, straight from the tap and did not have any stomach problems from it. In fact I did this throughout north, central and south america and I do not have a cast iron gut either. The only place I did not do this was a specific place in Mexico I stayed which had a sign above the sink saying the water is undrinkable. It was in a bathroom of the motel I was staying at, so I think it was just cover your arse stuff and was probably OK.

Mexico was one of the nicest places I travelled through, I would like to go back and do the bits I missed

Cheers
TravellingStrom

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