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American Rider Missing in Mexico

OaklandF4i said:
Do u have any idea how many Americans, let alone foreigners, visit mexico annually? Know how many of those are victims of violient crimes? I'll give a you hint, its a fraction of the percentage you will see any large American city. Thats the facts. Everything else is sheer fear mongering. I have travelled all over Mexico, will continue to do so, and continue to suggest others do as well. Have americans been kidnapped or murdered? Yes. Vast majority have some sort of connection to something else. Are there issues in Mexico, hell yes.

Christ, remember a few decades ago when tourists were being targeted leaving Miami Intl airport in rental cars? Merika.... its dangerous place to visit. I had a conversation with a couple of young guys from Tennesee pre running Baja a few years back. They asked me if I was uncomfortable travelling in MX solo without a gun. My reply was I would be more uncomfortable travelling in the hills of TN without a gun than here. The point wasnt lost on them.
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This^ in spades.
Has anyone here who is afraid of Mexico actually had a bad experience personally with kidnapping etc?
Yeah, if you think its Disneyland, you are wrong but I've been there many, many times and never even remotely had a problem.
Remind me of the Hantavirus scare that happened when I went to the 4 Corners area of the US southwest a few years back. Lots of folks I knew had dire warnings. The real story was that the campgrounds were empty which made it great.
I don't want to hear anything from folks that haven't actually been in a position to know. The "news" is all just entertainment skewed to get you to watch more commercials of course.
 
Media stories are just that: stories. Yeah they contain some facts, but never enough to make a clear judgment, so I won't. I do question why he went alone. The article also doesn't mention how fluent he was or wasn't in Spanish. Neither one may have made a difference.

I always ride with partner unless it's during commute, but that's just how I roll. I've been to San Filipe, Mexico and British Columbia, Canada. Both trips were with a traveling partner or partners. No personal safety issues during either. :dunno

I hope he turns up safe and alive. :rose
 
Never been to Michoacan, don't know much about it except what I've read... but I've been to Baja and I don't see it as any worse that riding around here. The biggest risk remains rider error.
 
solarae said:
(Mexico) but I've been there many, many times and never even remotely had a problem.
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Me, too. Although I avoid places like Culiacan etc.

My rules:
Do not drive at night, too many borrachos, bad roads and sleepy camineros.
Avoid areas that are known as bad guy country, like the whole state of Sinaloa.
If you rent a car, get a beater.
If you ride a motorcycle, or drive your own car, make sure you have plenty of smallish currency to pay bribes or you may end up staying overnight forever in some shit jail.
Don't bring or carry any contraband, ever.
Learn some Spanish.
 
Beauregard said:
Mexico: The Serial Killer Next Door.
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In my (albeit limited) experience, you're a lot more likely to get shot through a security door in Florida or Baltimore, than in Mexico or any of the South American countries.

Most people down there, would give a traveler the shirt off their backs.
 
Beauregard said:
You know what? Dude followed his heart, not his head. And he might have paid the ultimate price for this; but better to die living the dream than to live like the rest of the sheep. So fuck all of you pragmatists.
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^Pretty much this. Hope he makes it back.

Meanwhile I'll just go hop on my donor cycle for a little spin...
 
Lucky_Devil said:
Even if you remove the possibility that there was any foul play here, Mexico is a challenging place to ride. The most challenging place, riding skill wise, I've ever ridden... and this guy had zero riding experience, let alone any formal training.
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He took the msf training, and he rode the bike from New York to Mexico, then almost the entire length of Mexico.

I'd say that's equivalent to the amount of training anyone here got within their first 3 years of riding.

Let's drop the idea that he had no experience. That was before he left home.
 
Carlo said:
He took the msf training, and he rode the bike from New York to Mexico, then almost the entire length of Mexico.

I'd say that's equivalent to the amount of training anyone here got within their first 3 years of riding.

Let's drop the idea that he had no experience. That was before he left home.
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I disagree with your statement. To me, a few thousand superslab miles is hardly sufficient preparation to ride in a foreign country on poorly maintained paved and dirt roads. I had issues with some of my route when I rode from NM to South America as a youth, and I had been riding for over 10 years at that point.

As many have said, I applaud his adventurous spirit and I am crossing my fingers for a positive outcome with some amazing stories.
 
Beauregard said:
You know what? Dude followed his heart, not his head. And he might have paid the ultimate price for this; but better to die living the dream than to live like the rest of the sheep. So fuck all of you pragmatists.
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Come on. Really? With a bit of planning, preparedness, and education one can have their cake and eat it too. There's a completely acceptable middle ground between throwing caution to the wind and YOLO'ing it up and cowering in fear in your apartment glued to the TV and internet, but, this being the internet, logic has no place here. :)

I hope the guy gets found and is okay, but "hero" or "idiot" is subjective. I don't think it was wise to just up and buy a bike and go adventure riding in a land that has tough demands on even skilled riders, but that's my opinion and it doesn't mean someone else couldn't go do it and be successful. It's also another thing to say "Mexico is fine" and not do some research on troubled areas - again, common sense. A little bit of knowledge can go a long way to keep away from trouble.
 
Carlo said:
He took the msf training, and he rode the bike from New York to Mexico, then almost the entire length of Mexico.

I'd say that's equivalent to the amount of training anyone here got within their first 3 years of riding.

Let's drop the idea that he had no experience. That was before he left home.
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+1 to Lunch Box's post, I also disagree with this post. ~3k street miles and you're ready for some occasional hard enduro riding?
 
I 'use' to race MX & enduro's (on Bultaco's...THAT dates me!). Have 50,000+ miles, in the last 4 yrs and do 3-4 track days/yr and..... There is no way Im prep'ed for a trek like this! I hope the guy is OK, but....
 
Hey... I like this guy better than that guy on TV who searches for coffee in "high-risk" places all over the world... "Dangerous Grounds" :rolleyes

Hope Mexico dude turns up alive...
 
NoobCorpse said:
+1 to Lunch Box's post, I also disagree with this post. ~3k street miles and you're ready for some occasional hard enduro riding?
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He made it most of the way through Mexico after the 3000 miles of superslab.
I'm just saying that given the political/social conditions in Mexico right now, the amount of riding experience and skill this guy has is probably the least of his worries.

Many people have done similar rides over the years starting with similar amounts of experience. With a bit of care, the experience will be gained along the way. My collection of Cycle World Magazines dating back to Jan. 1962 feature many articles about people going to Central America or up the Pan American highway, and many of them were new riders.

We all know the "right way" to do it is to spend several years practicing, but we also all know riders who jumped in headfirst and lived to tell about it.
 
gixxerjeff said:
Yep. Carlos point would have carried more weight without that statement.
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Just correcting someone who claimed he had no formal training.
Boy, did I ever pick the wrong side of this one!
 
Lack of riding experience didn't seem to be the issue. He made it from New York to Mexico and no rider or bike problems were reported. His last message and the article makes the point that the geo-political landscape was the problem.
  • How much did he learn or know before he got there?
  • What precautions did he take?
  • Did he have to take that route?
  • Was he being hunted?
Again, his skills are less in question than his knowledge of the hot spot he rode in to. :dunno
 
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