Mexico
 

Will be riding for 6 weeks around Mexico, setting off from Mexico City tomorrow 18Dec16. Initial plan is heading southeast towards Yucatan, then west to the Pacific, up the coast, (maybe inland to the Copper Canyon?), ferry to BCS and north again. Or not. Knowing my planning, anything can happen!

Interested in culture (only a very small amount: e.g. I've been underwhelmed by the Pyramids at Giza, Notre Dame Cathedral and they didn’t let me into the Vatican to name just 3 examples of me and my cultural conflicts…), riding great roads (a big favourite, always an ok idea if going on a road trip), beaches (convenient, Mexico has a lot of coast line), street food, good beer and anything else alcoholic, especially if it includes maracuja.

So, ride together, drink a cerveza or 2?

If you see a black 660 Yamaha Tenere, it might be me... Blue boots and pants. Jacket colour (yellow or black) depends on the air temperature at 50mph... Won't mention the sound of the exhaust pipe, because my favourite troll could well make (yet another) appearance... Every discerning traveller should have a personal troll ;-) If we do meet up, I’ll tell the story of Charlie :-) It’s a sorry tale. Drop me a line here or via my website at Home The Bright Stuff dot Com

I have a plan to ride into Baja the week after Xmas. Probably heading for San Felipe for a short trip from LA. Maybe we can spot each other. I'll be on a BMW GSA wearing a grey/black jacket like everybody else LOL.

Baja bound
 

Hi, We are going to go down Baja early January for a week or two. Back to Arizona later on, perhaps through Mazatlan. Connect with me, if you wish.


Alec

I think we're likely to miss each other as, if all goes to plan, I'll head from mainland l
Mexico to Baja California about mid January '17

Have a really good ride!

Hi Alec
As mentioned above I'm likely to cross from Mazatlan to La Paz around mid Jan. How does that link in to your timeline?

Am on Yucatan peninsula for Christmas period. Will be in Tulum, south of Playa del Carmen. On the beach...

Serendipity in Ajijic Mexico
 

I originally planned to spend this Winter in the Baja, in my AWD MICRO MOTORHOME, that I built up specifically for the trip. After doing the BAJA on a KLR 650, AND half way back up again
( returning my buddy's BMW DAKAR after he broke his leg and flew back )
I kept saying to myself ...
"It would be great to return to the Baja in an off road capable camper and visit some of those remote and almost inaccessible beaches".

So the original plan was to drive from Vancouver Island in my custom built AWD 99 SAFARI Micro Motorhome, with an inflatable boat carried along, park at various beach access points, and explore the inside coast of the BAJA with a combination of AWD and boat.

Much as I have previously enjoyed adventure touring on various motorcycles, these LONG TERM plans are better met by an AWD MICRO MOTORHOME. I am carrying along my 75 lb German Shepherd, a THICK/COMFY foam mattress, food for a month or two, and most critical in the BAJA, SUFFICIENT WATER. All this enclosed in a sturdy, weatherproof, secure, go almost anywhere, hard shell.

But a PLAN is what you have BEFORE the rubber hits the road.
An ADVENTURE is what really happens along the way ...
and as we all know, adventures are full of unexpected surprises and sometimes even SERENDIPITY.

My brother and his wife have spent nearly a decade roaming around Mexico in their old, semi camperized Toyota Previa, looking for the perfect place to retire. Two years ago they decided that perfect place was AJIJIC, JALISCO, on the shore of Mexico's biggest lake, Chapala. And on a visit back to Canada a few months ago, they invited me to visit with them for Xmas.

This whole trip that started out as a SIMPLE Winter in the BAJA, has turned into a pin ball machine type of SERENDIPITOUS ADVENTURE, that defies all plannig. Instead of my usual simple path straight South along the West Coast, I ended up driving through seven different mid-West states getting here to Ajijic. With various stops and various ADVENTURES along the way. But now that I am here in AJIJIC, BAJA is on the back burner. I may ( or may not) ferry over to the Baja on my way back to Canada in the Spring ...
That is, IF I go back!

Most of my wandering has been looking for "adventures", and a new and ?better? place to enjoy life.

Well, I may just have found my final resting place. I have leased a beautuful Casita in Ajijic for minimum 3 months, with an option to extend for 6 months or ...?permanently? The new updated, revised, "plan" is to use Ajijic as the base for further explorations of both the East and West coasts of Mexico, with Belize and Costa Rica as options. I have ex-pat Canuck friends living in a few places on the West coast, so absolutely MUST spend some time visiting them. And I have fond memories of 16 weeks spent wandering around the Yucatan and Beluze with just a backpack, and a big wad of US $$$. I came back from that trip broke, but with the best sun tan and adventure stories ...
EVER!
And I MUST see how much has changed, and if the Yucatan is still as MAGIC.

SO,
any H/U travellers passing through Ajijic, are cordially invited to contact me for a visit.
We can share tall tales about our journeys along the roads less travelled.
LARRY Z
AKA LAZ 1
(;-{)

Hello Larry
I'll drop you a line when I pass Ajijic.

Merry Christmas!

Ho, Ho, Ho!
 

I live in self contained "artist's loft " aka a casita, inside a SECURE fenced and gated yard.
I have a GREAT landlord who lives in the main house with two dogs.
All three dogs are very friendly once they get to meet you, but sound pretty scary through the fence.

Lots of room for parking, private pool, beautuful gardenning, etc.

But contact me well in advance to confirm availability, as I have invited a few friends ( old and new) to visit, and am also planning some ( possibly lengthy) out of town trips.
TTFN
C.U later
LAZ 1

Hello Laz and Chris, I will be headed back to Mx City mid January. May head south for a bit or may just head west to baja. Either way will watch post and possibly contact you. Always good to catch another canucklehead!

After a side trip to the Yucatan peninsula I'm in Palenque today. Will be in San Cristobal for New Year and then heading north; probably closer to the Pacific coast or on the coast. Won't revisit CDMX unless I have to.

Best!

PS. If my personal troll is reading this: yes the pipes are loud, particularly the double backfire when rolling off the throttle :-) Hope the chip gets smaller in 2017 Charlie.

Update:

The other day the bike lost 3rd gear. Checked oil by draining it and no debris. There is a big lump lying in the sump that's too big for the sump drain hole.

Yesterday, rode bike about 10 miles to/ from local Oaxaca city Yamaha dealer's and 50% of time it wouldn't go into 4th either. El transmission es todo fcukto.

Dealer will remove engine and split cases in order to see what parts are needed.

Getting parts is going to take the time. Have come to agreement with bike owner (the bike is borrowed) regarding monies to be paid. When bike is fixed, storage is arranged until owner collects it.

So from Monday Brighty is back on the bus. When he's not on the bus, he'll be on the beach ;-)

I'm in the market for new engine or just transmission. The bike is a 2009 Yamaha xt660z Tenere. The 660 r and x models have the same engine and possibly the mt03 and 660 raptor too.

Hello

Ive got my KLR 650 in Mazatlan and I'm thinking of heading down mid January. I'm open to heading south through mexico to the Yuchatan, Belize and Guatemala.

Hope everyone is safe on the road

similar route possibly...
 

Sorry to hear about the trans :(

Myself and possibly another guy are riding 650's (1klr and my xchallenge) south starting mid feb. Might be a little late for you, but Baja from 12Feb and then ferry to Mazatlan around 19Feb. PM me if you delay at all and keen to ride south a bit. Both of us are not noobs, carry tools, own bikes and have done tours. Oh we both speak basic spanish to get by also.

Yeah it may be a little late. These things are tough to coordinate it almost becomes "see you if I see you". Anyway enjoy the ride. Ciao