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HadesOmega's BARF Baja 2016 Ride Report

HadesOmega

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2008
Location
San Jose
Moto(s)
Empulse TT (RIP),
ZR7 (Sold), DR650, KLR650, 750 Turbo, Light Bee MX, KLX140L
Super Cub
Redshift SM
Name
Merlin
As most know myself and the the Cactus Puncher DR650 attended the 2nd BARF Baja Adventure Ride. Before we get started with our epic adventure I'm going to post some stats and post adventure ride videos. I know I have a a whole buncha other ongoing ride reports, I'm going to try and get them all finished eventually. If anything its a good trip down memory lane.

So in between BARF Baja 2015 and 2016 I done a bunch of other dual sport adventure rides. I wanted to see how much my riding has improved between. One thing is for sure my memories of last years Baja ride are still pretty fresh in my mind. Here's the exprience I've racked up between them:
Big Sur Ride
Sheetiron 300
Yosemite and Tahoe Dual Sport Aventure
Japan Ride

I've learned I'm pretty good at travelling on a motorcycle. Anyway let's get to it.

So I'm going to go backwards then back to the beginning. Here is a After BARF Baja Ride Review I did on the DR650, it goes over how the bike did in Baja, the damages it took, and improvements I can make:
https://youtu.be/tcMmCOQSW-I

This is a video about my skidplate after Baja 2016. I've done a number on this poor piece of aluminum.
https://youtu.be/9mf0CJSldag

Here some pictures of my prepping the bike for BARF Baja 2016, I know everyone that went on this ride did a good amount of prep work to get their bike Baja ready:

Here is the old T63 tire. Yep that on has seen better days! On my last ride in Tahoe National Forest they were not performing too well because of how worn they were, so it was a must to put a brand new tire. Notice the Rotopax tool box, I like to use most of the trail tools I have so that I am proficient and know what I'm lacking should I ever need to do a repair on the trail. BTW that rotopax rox!
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Spooning on a brand new Michelin T63 front tire. I highly recommend this tire for Baja! I also changed the front tube as well because when I was riding in Tahoe it was giving me trouble with holding pressure, it went away after I slimed it but its best to replace it with a new one now. I run a normal plain jane tube in the front and a HD tube in the rear. I'd like to note that this tire was a bitch to spoon on, it was really stiff, of course it's stiff though because its a tubeless tire. Also it took A LOT of weight to balance it. it was probably more than double the weight the T63 was usin. Maybe I just got a bad one.
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Greasing the suspension linkages and swingarm. It started out with me doing the swingarm while I had the rear tire off. Then I said what the hell I'm already here might as well do em all. I've never greased these bearing ever since I got the bike. They weren't giving me problems but I did them anyway. A little peace of mind.
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I spooned on a Shinko 805 tire in the rear. I'm going with a different tire this year than I did last year. Last year I used the Michelin T63, the same tire I just put on the front. However after burning through 3 T63s I have to say that while they're a solid dual sport tire especially in the desert because that's what they're made for they don't last very long. I heard the Shinko 805 lasts longer time to put that to the test. I was worried that they wouldn't perform well compared to the T63 but I was wrong they about as good. The design kinda of looks like a blocky sand paddle tire.
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I would also like to note that I changed my throttle cables out for a motion pro cable. The bike has 19,000 miles so I wanted to replace it for maintenance. I don't really like the motion pro cables because some parts are plastic where they were metal in the OEM. But the throttle is much smoother now.
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I also check my valves and did a compression test. Never done one since I've gotten the bike and it looks like I have some kind of headgasket leak, so I wanted to see if that was affecting the compression and it wasn't. I think the front nut wasn't tightened well that was causing the leak. Stock spec for a DR650SE is 120psi and mine blew a 150psi with a 10.5:1 hicomp piston. So I'd say it's pretty healthy. For a 10.5:1 it seems a little low but it's higher than stock is I'm hoping is good. Also notice I have another Voltage regulator on the bike. I bought one as a spare just in case mine craps out. It resides in the Rotopax
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I actually made videos when I did the valve check and compression test. They're kind of lengthy and you'd probably not want to watch it unless you had a DR650
https://youtu.be/f8_0sWkrpkk
https://youtu.be/v6ntQN0HtIo
 
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Let's get started!

As everyone know's I'm a tracks collector. I like to record where I've been and go over it later. This year's Baja ride for me was actually very similar to last year.
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Here are the statistics from the GPS for the whole ride (yesh I'm a nerd like that :p):
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DAY 0 - Getting to Bahia de Los Angeles (it actually took us 2 days to get to BOLA but I'm going to count both as Day 0)

So here's the plan EricB and I were going to load our bikes and gear up in his pickup truck and ride down to Bahia de Los Angeles. Did that happen? YUP The great thing is Eric actually lives not too far from me, so he just came and picked me and the Cactus Puncher up.

Luckily my steep driveway makes it easier to load my bike onto Eric's pickup. There's Eric there strapping the bikes in.
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And we're loaded!
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The good thing about the bikes being loaded in the bed makes it a faster trip because we can drive faster without a trailer.
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Here we go onward to San Diego!
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We take off in San Jose
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Then head up passed San Luis Reservoir and onto the I5
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Wow its green. I'd like to add it raining a bit when we left.
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Head down the I5 soooo long
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At least its scenic
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Gassing up, check out these brand new knobs, totally gonna tear up Baja with these!
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Arriving in Los Angeles, but we must continue on to Bay of Los Angeles! The traffic in LA was actually not that bad.
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Hey look its a street named after me!
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Bleh I spoke too soon about the traffic but at least it was moving.
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In San Diego and there is much traffic!
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Pretty church
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The goal is near we're heading to Best Western in National City.
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We made it!
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Some stats for the drive to National City
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I went out with my sister for the night to hang out with her like I did last year. Then I met up with most of the Baja group in the parking lot. Looks like the festivities was still going on. CJ hands me a bottle with some drinky drink and I play catch up. Then the party ends and we head to our rooms, gotta wake up early tomorrow and cross the border.
 
Time for a border crossing. Up before the sun comes up we head for the border. Sorry no more tracks my GPS ran out of juice and forgot to change the batteries. =(
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Here we are just having passed the inspection point. For our truck it wasn't too bad. They guy checking out stuff asked to see only one of our passports. He only checked the last couple number of our vin. I was actually able to make out my VIN this time but barely. Next time I'll brind some chalk.
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Lots of red bikes here
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White and green here
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More red
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After getting our tourist cards and getting some pesos from the ATM we head oh on scenic highway 1 through Tijuana.
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EDIT: You know what I just noticed in this picture is that the deck on this trailer is crooked... No Buneo.
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Now the scenic part
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Taking a rest break
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Onward
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We arrive at Ensenada
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Then we make it south of Ensenada, beautiful mountainscapes here
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Eventually we head to El Rosario and start heading to the other side of the peninsula. But before that we stop by Mama Espinoza's for lunch! (tracks from last year we took the exact same way)
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Buncha dudes on some bimmers show up that are from Baja. Those look too clean.
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Some cool racing memorabilia here. Some signed jerseys here!
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Lunch is served! Huevos Rancheros and Fish Tacos!
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Passing through El Rosario
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Next stop BOLA!
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Endless Desert
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Some twistiness
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Roadside memorial, these unfortunately are very common in Baja
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Cactus Forests
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Rocky Cactus Forests
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When you see the orange and black stripped signs better keep your eyes peeled for hazards
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More beautiful mountains
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This seriously looks like a huge pile of rocks
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BOLA in our sights!
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We stop at a good place to get shots of BOLA from a distance before descending. Plus its a good time for a pee break.
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The direction we came from. The road was pretty much how I remembered it from last year. If anything it was worse because there was actual things being constructed.
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Not bad we arrived in BOLA before the sun came down and headed to Daggett's campground after we fueled everything up at the Pemex station.

In this picture we have the red desert kings all together at Daggetts.
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And add a KTM 690enduro and a Suzuki DR650 and a sneaky little Kawasaki KLX250 at the end.
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Welcome to the Bay of Los Angeles and the Sea of Cortez. I knew this drive and upcoming ride were totally going to be worth it just to see this!
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Interesting assortment of bones here
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So everyone who is here right now is getting prepped for tomorrow. I am going to camp under the palapa tonight because I love beach camping. I get that all setup and I get my bike ready for a little beach test ride. I haven't ridden in the sand with my DR650 since last year. Interested to see how it'll do in the sand after setting up the bike and see how the new tire hooks up in the sand. I was kinda nervous also because I hadn't ridden sand for so long and that I was sitting in a truck for like 2 days. Also as many of you know sand is my NEMESIS! But also armed with knowledge from last year, should help me tame the sand!

Let's GO! I gotta try to keep the speed down a little since there's other people on this beach I try to keep it around 25mph.
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So the bike can do sand just the rear isn't hooking up like I want it to. Look at it just claw that gash into the sand.
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Some people out for a stroll on the beach
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So I forgot to check my tire pressures first and that seems to be the problem I had 30psi in the rear. Set it to 18psi front and rear now ready to rock n roll again.
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Much better this time!
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Practicing taking off from a stop, does ok. With more weight on the back it'll hookup better I bet!
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Alright seems ok, time to RTB. not bad.
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And here I present to you a video of my test ride on the beach. Enjoy the beach ride!
https://youtu.be/Kt2zVKeogbk
 
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Welcome to the Bay of Los Angeles and the Sea of Cortez. I knew this drive and upcoming ride were totally going to be worth it just to see this!
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Here we go! Love the view from BoLA ... :ride

I'll have to try to find Daggett's, I've always stayed
at Guillermo's in BoLA for some reason ... like we
always stay at La Posada in San Ignacio instead of Rice & Beans ...
guess it just depends on who first took you to Baja ... :laughing

Thanks for posting about your 2016 BARF Baja Adventure, HO ...
subscribed! :thumbup

see you around
the campfire,
-- SFMCjohn
 
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Great pics Merlin.

Subscribed and settling in ride report....
 
Thanks everyone enjoy ;)

You got a map to Daggett's now John :) basically when you head into town take the last turn on the sailing boat roundabout and following it down and you'll see signs to daggetts eventually.
 
So that's all the riding for today err tonight anyway. Time to go have dinner!

Here's a picture of me in the back of Eric's pickup. Haha just like the good ol days. Its so illegal in the Califonia but so fun in Baja :p Unfortunately it was very cold also. Baja was a lot colder than I remember it last year, yet warmer in the day what gives?
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It was a gorgeous full moon tonight and at a certain hour you can see the moonlight lighting up Bahia de Los Angeles.
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Here's dinner Bistec. It's a little different from Filipino Bistec a little more soupy than I had imagined. Still delicious!
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ALso one thing I'm always forgetting is to at least bring hand sanitizer with me everywhere I go because sometimes the restrooms don't even have running water o_O'. Fortunately I didn't get sick.
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Back in the truck selfie
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I think tonight was the actually the warmest night and I was able to get the best camping sleep I got the whole trip despite how windy it was the palapa did a good job keeping it off me.


END DAY 0
 
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DAY 01 - Bahia de Los Angeles to Punta de San Franciscquito

It Day 01 first day of riding in this beautiful land of Baja and this is the view I wake up to! Makes the long trip here totally worth it!
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My attempt at a panoramic didn't go too well
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The bikes that will be heading out in the morning are all lined up. These machines will be riding on Baja soil, rock, and sand today!
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