Mexico ride?
5th Gear
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9
Likes: 1
From: Rio Grande Valley, TX (Tex/Mex border)
And, of course, if you were really there you understand how unusual that was. As in "it had never happened in the history of the little border town before or since"
We have moved to the border area of Texas and cross the border perhaps 2-4 times a week. I was in Nuevo Progreso on Saturday and Reynosa on Monday. More fundamentally, I've been riding in and out of Mexico for over 10 years and have nothing but great experiences to relate to.
There is a lot of hysteria and disinformation here. I might suggest that those of you who are seriously interested in learning about traveling en Mexico might hit the Latin American forums over at www.ADVRider.com where you will find plenty of folks that are very experienced.
Juarez (the Mexican side of el Paso) might be a special case. Think in terms of traveling into downtown Detroit. But I've been there and didn't have any bad experiences and plenty of folks pass through there on the way to the Copper Canyon without incident.
Other than el Paso the level of violence is vastly over-rated. And it's directed at the narcotrafficers - gringo tourists, particularly motorcyclists, never get caught up in these things.
A decade ago in Mexico you never saw touring motorcycles like we have in the States. Today, there is a huge interest in motorcycles as their middle class grows. We just had a rally that started in Nuevo Laredo, stopped in Reynosa, and then went to Matamoros the next day. It was the most amazing thing that you ever saw. The state guv'mint provided two helicopters and a ton of local transit cops and Federales, they stopped all non-motorcycle traffic, and there were over 3,000 bikes on the road.
So those of you who aren't adventurous basically don't know what you are missing.
Riding in Mexico isn't for the meek, but then again the meek need to stay at home and polish their bikes rather than ride.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,479
Likes: 4
From: SoCal
...There is a lot of hysteria and disinformation here...Juarez (the Mexican side of el Paso) might be a special case. Think in terms of traveling into downtown Detroit...Other than el Paso the level of violence is vastly over-rated. And it's directed at the narcotrafficers - gringo tourists, particularly motorcyclists, never get caught up in these things... It was the most amazing thing that you ever saw. The state guv'mint provided two helicopters and a ton of local transit cops and Federales, they stopped all non-motorcycle traffic, and there were over 3,000 bikes on the road...Riding in Mexico isn't for the meek, but then again the meek need to stay at home and polish their bikes rather than ride.
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,832
Likes: 37
From: Rockland County, NY
If anybody can show you a good safe time it's this guy. Billy Chapman has every Mexican adventure covered from biking to fishing and hunting. Not sure about safety these days but this guy runs a first class operation with rental bikes, if needed, tractor trailer assist vehicle and all lodging covered on the tour. You can even follow in a Jeep if you prefer. I never took the tour but I spent a week with these people on the High Seas Rally and they are really a fun bunch and know their stuff about Mexico.
http://www.stoadventures.com/billychapman.html
http://www.stoadventures.com/billychapman.html
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,476
Likes: 193
From: Las Vegas, NV
http://travel.state.gov/law/family_i...rt.php?country
Check the fatality statistics for Americans in Mexico from Jan 09 to Jun 09, a six month period. The high number of Homicides and traffic accidents in Mexico should be of concern to bikers/tourists of any Nationality.
You'll also want to check the Canadian Embassy in Mexico Website for Canadian specific entry requirements and precautions:
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca...sul/visas.aspx
If you really do end up taking a bike trip down to Mexico, do some serious research on it first. Lots of risk involved and no one on here is recommending it (so far).
Check the fatality statistics for Americans in Mexico from Jan 09 to Jun 09, a six month period. The high number of Homicides and traffic accidents in Mexico should be of concern to bikers/tourists of any Nationality.
You'll also want to check the Canadian Embassy in Mexico Website for Canadian specific entry requirements and precautions:
http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca...sul/visas.aspx
If you really do end up taking a bike trip down to Mexico, do some serious research on it first. Lots of risk involved and no one on here is recommending it (so far).
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,474
Likes: 1
From: Acworth, Ga
Sounds like it would be the ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME!
There was a great 48 hours on a family that went to mexico with a 5th wheel for some off road baja racing..
Long story short, they BARELY made it home and lost everything they went down there with.
There was a great 48 hours on a family that went to mexico with a 5th wheel for some off road baja racing..
Long story short, they BARELY made it home and lost everything they went down there with.
5th Gear
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9
Likes: 1
From: Rio Grande Valley, TX (Tex/Mex border)
The homicides are generally kids involved with drug trafficing. If you stay away from drugs, your odds of getting caught up into something nasty are pretty remote.
And the suicides seem to be keeping pace with the homicides.
The stats also don't really show you how many places along the border have thriving commuter economies, with folks going back and forth daily in many cases. This area (Rio Grande Valley) is 85% Hispanic. Every so often we'll hear via the news that some US citizen has died of natural causes in Mexico, and then you realize that it's someone that works on the Mexican side of the border, has family there, and lived there. So it makes perfect sense that they died there.
There was a discussion recently on another forum about whether or not Norte Americans were welcome in Libya these days and when we started looking it was shocking to see the number of natural deaths occurring among US travelers, indicating that they did indeed have a healthy US tourist industry just by the sheer numbers of incidents.
Mexico's the same way. There are LOTS of US citizens down there.
5th Gear
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9
Likes: 1
From: Rio Grande Valley, TX (Tex/Mex border)
There was a family that famously had trouble returning from one of the Baja races something like 2-4 years ago. They were held up at gun point and their truck stolen. That caused a HUGE stink and was well publicized. I'm not aware of another episode happening in Baja since then.
The same thing could, and often does happen in Atlanta, right?
Let's put it this way ... I know Atlanta and I know Mexico, and I'd feel safer in most of Mexico than I would be in most of Atlanta.
But it's like everything else. Situational awareness. One shouldn't be out on the toll road outside Ensenada at 4AM, or you are asking for trouble.
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Novice
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Don't listen to a few chicken littles that have yet to leave there own backyard , i've met a gringo who have moved there and rides everywhere ,there is a dealership in los cabos (harley davidson los cabos)tel# 624-143-3337 fax 143-624-3377 they rent bikes and sell and might have real input as to your plans,,,,,,,,ITCH
5th Gear
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 9
Likes: 1
From: Rio Grande Valley, TX (Tex/Mex border)
Some are. And I'm sure that you are familiar with that comment about how someone read it on the 'net so it has to be true, right?
And there are certainly plenty of folks around that don't like Hispanic folks merely because they are Hispanic.
Ya got anything like newspaper quotes or links to back up that hyperbole?
As long as the Mexican gov't will provide helicopters and federal police, no worries, enjoy the ride...And live today as if it was your last, because it may be. It's very hard to describe the sound of terrorist bombs going off, the smell of burnt flesh, and the sight of chaos. Until you see it first hand...
Terrorist bombs?!!??!
En Mexico?
Not exactly an everyday experience Dude, and much more likely to happen in the USA than in Mexico, I'll tell ya.
There is a certain level of risk in life. People who want to avoid all risk shouldn't ride motorcycles, they need to stay at home.
The reality of today's modern Mexico:
- the odds of getting caught up in violence are very, very low. Less than being struck by lightning.
- with that said, when it's raining get out of the rain. Conversely don't get mixed up with drugs or weapons.
- the traffic and highways can be challenging and the Armco guard rail salesman hasn't visited in many places. Always take your time and learn to ride sensibly in Mexico because the conditions ARE different from the USA. Mexico can take you from Interstate-quality toll roads to small roads that wouldn't look out of place in 1960's Appalachia in a flash. So yeah ... you can get your butt killed on a Mexican highway in a flash if you don't know what you are doing, but most of us ride there and have a great time.