Baja - April 5th
 

My brother and I are riding from AZ to La Paz in just over two weeks. We're riding strictly pavement and taking our time but if anyone is on the same trip at that time we'd love to hook up for a beer. We're stopping at Ensenada, Bahia de Los Angels and Loreto on the way down. Leaving AZ on the 5th - arriving in La Paz on the 8th. Also, if anyone can recommend a good shop to install a tire I'd appreciate a recommendation
Cheers
Dale

"Taking your time"?
Seems like you've set out a fairly rigorous schedule. I'd slow down a bit, spend a day off the bikes on your way down and coming North as well.

Days are getting longer so you'll have nice LONG riding days, but some distances between your stop overs are significant. Also check out Mulege' on your way down. April is last of the "cool" months but things can heat up in the Deserts. Water is for sale in every little Tienda. DRINK!

I assume you will be carrying tires on board? Because you will not find many new tires in Baja. Be sure to bring a good spare tube (if tube tires) or two.

In La Paz there are several bike shops, some also service Jet Skii's, Quads and such. There is a shop at the North end of the Malecon but they are expensive, slow and not that good. Not sure if they even will change a tire.

A Llantero (tire shop) is a better bet. Go INTO town, away from ocean commercial area. On those little inland streets you'll find Llantero's and some bike shops too, where locals go. Most all can change tires or point to someone near by to do the work. Easy Peasy.

You should handle the removal of your wheel from the bike and do the re-install as well. But the Llantero can break the bead and swap out the old tire/tube for the new in just a few minutes. You should put the wheel back on yourself. They can help, but you need to make sure you supervise the install as they are NOT familiar with your bike.

Please, do not be Gringo sucker and OVER PAY for a simple tire change. Should be "around" $5 USD. Don't be afraid to bargain on the price. It is what you do in Mexico (Always with a smile of course!)
If you give them $20, you just ruin it for the next Motoquero who comes along.

If you have a flatted tube with you, Llantero shops do GREAT vulcanized repairs on tubes. You won't find quality new tubes for sale unless your riding a 125cc bike. So bring a couple quality tubes along of correct size.

There are some very easy off road routes if you like, easy to do on street bikes.

!que le via muy bien! :scooter:

And if your south of La paz near Todos Santos
 

Hi, I live on a beach Los Cerritos near Todos Santos.If you need anything fixed well and reasonably in Cabo I've got a guy there who ran the BMW shop when there was a dealership.

Much appreciated.
I hear you, it's much quicker than we'd like but this time we only have 11 days. Better a quick trip than no trip :-)
I have lot's of experience riding/driving in Mexico but I've never been to the Baja. Our longest distance going down is 608klm from Bahia de Los Angeles to Loreto. Is this too much? I figured with paved roads it will take us 6 hours of riding - maybe 8 hours total. We like to get going early so our plan is to be riding by 7:00 and off the bike sipping a cold beer by 3:00. The other two full days are the first day @ 661klm, but a lot of it's on the freeway in the US and the second day, but it's only 540klm. Our last day is really short and should put us into La Paz by noon.

Knock on wood we won't need a tire shop but just in case I appreciate the recommendation. My brother's bike has new tires so he should be good. Mine are about 50% front and back and I should be fine too but the back always goes faster so I'm taking a rear tire with me just in case. The Suzuki dealer says they'll mount it for me on the bike for $30CAD but they're a quite a ways from where we're staying. There's a shop much closer called Moto Baja on Callada Mariano Abasolo. Have you heard anything about them?
Thanks
Dale

Does your friend in Cabo have a shop? Could he replace a tire on the bike? We're staying in La Paz but we'll ride down to Cabo for a day to check it out and if he can do it we can always leave the bike while we have lunch etc.
Thanks
Dale

tire repair
 

Yes the guy has shop.Hes hard to find though. But I suggest you do it in La Paz on Malecon or skip La Paz and stay in Todos Santos Or Pescadero on the beach if your camping..at San Pedrito.Theres a moto shop that does tires especially..was a tire shop first..its right in centre of Todos Santos beside Pemex gas.You can go eat, do banking whatever all within a block or 2.You can always find a nail, bailing wire and a tire shop in Baja .

If your rear is 50% and you're coming from B.C. then I'd carry your spare but change it in San Diego or Ensenada and be done. ($30 in San Diego, $5 in Ensenada) You decide.

Now you've got a NEW tire on and no longer have to pack your spare tire on board and no worries about running out of rear tire (which I've done MORE THAN ONCE ... being stupid!)
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...kGGqR9C-XL.jpg
Notice rear ... good to the last drop! This shot is Baja 1000 course very near Loreto ... I rode to Loreto and had my spare mounted up there. ($4)

You can make those distances easy if you keep you pace up. On my former Vstrom, riding long stretches, I averaged about 80 mph. :mchappy:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...HjHZxNr-XL.jpg
Here headed NORTH for border. This tire had the cord showing by San Diego.
Very very stupid! (no tires like that available in Baja) High speed riding really will EAT UP a rear tire fast.

Baja is much nicer riding than mainland roads. The main highway leaving Ensenada South is twisty, narrow, wet and loaded with fast moving trucks and busses.

Once down to Catavina, the road straightens out ... and is FAST nearly all the way to La Paz. But much more traffic these days as MUCH truck traffic comes over from mainland (via Ferry) and crowds Baja's previously idyllic roads.
(smugglers route)

Early AM start is good , especially if HOT. I do the same, start 7am
finish 3 or 4pm. In true heat I ride at night. Many Poo Poo it ... I've been doing it 30 years ... never a problem ... just slow down, use caution.

All good advice and some great information. I'm in Ajijic now but I stored my bike in Apache Junction AZ over the winter. I'm leaving here next week and driving back to AZ. My wife will stay in AZ and my brother and I take off on the 5th - but it's from AZ, not BC. Before I left I looked at my tire and decided it was good but since then I've had second thoughts so I had a tire delivered to AZ. I hear you and agree about sucking it up and starting with a fresh tire but I can't bring myself to toss a good tire plus the shop in AZ wants $79USD to install it. I have the room so I'm going to carry it down. When I get there if it's still good I'll just carry it back and have it mounted at home.
We're not camping. I camp a lot at home but this time it's nice hotels, pools and warm showers.
Thanks