Pre-Ran Baja 500 Saturday/Sunday.... anyone else?!

[JohnnyAirtime]

IronDude (Mike)... or anyone else ride the Baja 500 course this last weekend?!

I did... and loved the course!!! SOOO AWESOME! I rode the first 245 miles or so...(minus the first closed section) from Santo Tomas to San Quentin area.

Anyone who hasn't ridden Baja... needs to!! The coastline, the terrain, the towns, the food... the margaritas!! Oh.. and Fox's in Ensenada. LOL!

Oh... and let me 'plug' Bombardier...as I rode my quad this ride! WHAT a MACHINE! It handles anything I can put it through... and rides like a cadillac. ?

Anyone else like the course??

How about those rocks after the bridge (highway crossing) just above San Quentin (about a 50mile loop)?!?!

Love it, can't get enough of it!!

[Dual_Dog]

Ditchin' work and heading down on this Thursday. Lookin' forward to all that south of the border fun in the sun.

Got a friend who's racing first leg. He's been prerunning the start section already and asked if I wanted to go with him this week to run the first part with him twice, about 85 miles each time. Don't have to ask me twice. Can't wait to charge it on my BFP! I'm sure I'll find out how this "pig" really works after all these mods. ?

I'll give you guys a report on the flip side. ?

[irondude]

Left Orange County Saturday 8:30 am on my BRP. Cruised I5 at 80+ with the dampner cranked up, crossed the border and headed south to Uruapan-south of Ensenada--pulled up and there's Rob Barnum sitting under an oak tree! We took off and rode to mile 150-pit 3-4, then made our way to Mikes for a soda, and on after dark to Jamaul Ranch near Independencia-arrived 10pm--nothing like a 14 hour day on the bike!

Next day it was back to mile 150 and then 'the pretzel' a 50 mile loop of rocks and silt and then the beat up track back to Mikes and on to Jamaul arriving about 8pm. A nice short 300 mile day...spent the night at the San Nicholas-to tired to have a beer at Fox's, Paris, or Anthonies-woke up refreshed and did some exploring between Guadalupe and San Miguel on the coast. Up to Rosarito to look at tile and furniture, and it was back to San Diego.

BUT THEN...i pull over to find some lunch in downtown SD, and a cycle cop pulls me over--telling me my bike is a dirt bike and illegal...the bastard! He tells me he is a dirt biker, and then he rights me a ticket for 'modified lighting' (?) Officer Mc Elroy of the SDPD is a [@#$%&*!]! AFTER he started writing the citation i let his fat ass have it. Told him he was profiling, and that i hadnt broken any law-and that dual sporters all over the place are sick and tired of being a target Dual Sporting is not a crime!... He told me my aura was negative- i told him there was no such thing as auras, and that it was a hindu concept and that he didnt look like a hindu--well you can guess how it went from there...what is it with cycle cops? Why are they so anti-dual sport? Why dont they pull over all those Harley's with modified pipes--its illegal to put an after market pipe on a street bike! In many ways I feel freer in Mexico than the US...

Yeah anyway it was awesome to be down there in Baja and what a 500 course--the most difficult in years for sure. Annie the rallyprincess gets in this coming weekend and then its right back down there for some more serious pre-running all week!

Rob and I want Annie to finsh- we are hoping for a top 10 position with a hot blonde chick pulling off her helmet ahead of 50 other bikes!

[Lencho]

In many ways I feel freer in Mexico than the US...

Err... than Southern California, for sure. :>

I know what you mean. Freedom in the U.S. is to a large part legislated. In anarchic Mexico, there are also laws but they seem more of a negotiable necessary evil.

--Larry

[JohnnyAirtime]

Mike... are you kiddin' me?! ??

What'dya eat for breakfast?? ?

Wheaties?!! ?

How's your Arse feel?? I ride in biking shorts under my ridin' pants... and I still get a tad monkey butt after 300 or so miles.

And...

You did all this on your XR? Meaning... you weren't concerned about breaking down (something minor can ruin a day)?

And about that cop... ya, I hear ya. I used to have a street legal '96 CR500. All black... awesome fun! Well... when I was downtown SD on a Saturday night... teasing the cops, I too got pulled over as I was smoking up the streets (a little bean oil and high octane fuel at slow speeds makes for a smelly cloud)... he asked me "what the hell do you think you're doing??" I responded with a dumbfounded, "what.. whaddya mean?" Soon I was pointing at my plate mounted under my fender and up against the airbox (96 CR500)... and now I had a few coppers on pedal bikes hanging with me. He was kinda perturbed... and let me go. I think he realized I was all legal, and there was nothing he could do. It was a great feeling... to be 100% legal for once!

I saw Tex (Baja Designs) on Saturday up at Santo Thomas... and he passed by me when I was fixin a flat (on my quad) just pack the ship wreck... Nice wheelie as we gave him the arm to get on it and go by. ?

That silt... those rocks... I feel for anyone on 2 wheels. Nothing like hittin a hidden rock at speed!! ?

[Dual_Dog]

Damn! I've heard about riders like you. Makes my 150-mile ride yesterday from Colonet to Valle de Trinidad & back seem like a walk in the park (Dual Sport/Adventure forum post).

I guess the question for you is not how hard you'll charge, but how far? What do you do for the "saddle sores?"

[irondude]

Chorizo and Eggs!

Just got off the phone with SunnyMex-he and his team are pre-running right now. Wardo is on his way--and Annie the Rally Princess arrives from Sweeden manana the 30th at LAX...

So wish us all well and keep an eye on offroad.com for real time race coverage and results on the 5th. We are packing right now for a week in Baja!!

TTers are well represented at the Baja 500- theres a few 'non-regulars' who are going to be there, plus

SunnyMex in Sportsman, Wardo in Class 40, and Rob/Annie/myself in Class 30---a TT sweep seems unlikely--but Sunny just might win the Sportsman class!

?

[JetPilot]

Yeah, freedom in the US is pretty much gone. The lawyers and control freaks have made sure of that. In the name of safety, we cant do anything here anymore, most people dont even realize it because they have never known anything else. The lawyers wont be happy until all we are able to do is drive a slow electric car to work and go home and watch TV, because anything else could get you hurt.

I would recommend to everyone to ride outside of the US sometime, its an awesome expierence. I ride my XR600R in peru and its freaking paradise. No fences everywhere, wide open spaces, bascially ride where you want as long as you are away from peoples farms,etc. In Peru, I get on my XR600R - Stock, No plates, No nothing, and ride in the city or on the highway and the cops dont care. In the end, all the little lights, blinkers, and plates dont make a difference. If the idiot that is going to pull out in front of you doesnt see you, your entire bike and your headlight, all that DOT garbage wont make make him see you any better. Its so refreshing to ride in a place where the attitude is "if you arent bothering any one else, who cares". You are free to hurt yourself if you like, you have no idea how much our life is restricted here by fear of lawsuits. Its gotten freaken out of control.

There is a lot to be said for a certain amount of lawlessness, because when the law has to much power the control freaks take over and regulate everything we do.

That aint freedom.

[sunnymex]

Irondude--- I think it is finally time for you to change your name to Ironbutt. You should ride the ironbutt this year. 10K miles in ten days. Do it on the 650 also. I can guarantee that you will turn some heads.

So the 500 should be a great race this year. This being only my second 500 it appears to be much more complicated logistically thanlast year. I guess that is half the fun. Either way should be a blast.

Funny anecdote about my prenunning experience. So there we are sitting at the San Telmo road crossing fixing a front flat and this dune buggy pulls up with the licence plate reading "IMAPUCK". I don't know how many of you ever watch MTV's Real World but in the San Francisco season there was a guy that was kicked of the show and his name was Puck. I thought that it was too much of a coincidence but sure enough it was him. Couldn't believe it of all the places in the world to run into this guy. The guy was pretty funny really, but I could definetely see how he could get kicked off the show. So he and his girlfriend were out cruising around. They had just come down from Mike's and were headed to the beach. So if you see an old dune buggy cruising around that just might be him.

Anyhow back to the race course. The 50 mile loop around Sto Domingo is pretty intense. It seems like there are endless miles of talc and deep stuff also. There is one little section of switch backs that go uphill that seem to have about 2 feet deep of the talc. If any of you have ever ridden through talc, you'll know that it is a real adventure getting through the stuff. It should be a blast come race day.

So irondude is right, TT will be represented in good fashion. My main goal this year is to finish the race as last year we had mechanical difficulties. My second goal is to kick some ass. I am still trying to figure out which order my goals will be put in, but I am hoping for a top 3 finish. I think mike/barnum/princess team is going to do well.

Good luck to everyone competing and see you at the finish line.

???

[qadsan]

Go Sunny ?

We're all root'n for ya!

[JohnnyAirtime]

Irondude--- I think it is finally time for you to change your name to Ironbutt.

I agree... (tongue in cheek Mike)! ?

You should ride the ironbutt this year. 10K miles in ten days. Do it on the 650 also. I can guarantee that you will turn some heads.

So the 500 should be a great race this year. This being only my second 500 it appears to be much more complicated logistically thanlast year. I guess that is half the fun. Either way should be a blast.

Funny anecdote about my prenunning experience. So there we are sitting at the San Telmo road crossing fixing a front flat

Were ya on the East side of the paved road?? Bike propped on top of a stand facing East I think?? If so... I saw the buggy and the plate, but thought nothing of it (too concerned with my .002 gallons of gas in my tank)...if that was you changing the tire, Saw you too (obviously)... and a few other people there. Plus a hot blonde woman... ? on the West side of the road. I was on a black Bombardier (quad) running 3 HIDs.

Good luck to you!!!

I'll be rootin ya on!!!

?? ?

[sunnymex]

Yeah that was probably us there changing the tire. It was about 430 or 5 when we were going through there. I don't remember the hot blonde though. I think I would have remembered her. Are any of you going to be down there race day? If you are I will be racing 258x, come find me as I think it will be easier for you to spot me than for me to spot you.

Thanks for wishing me luck. I will need it, especially with over 20 bikes in our class. Should be one hell of a race. I am sure you will hear the news, but regardless I will let you all know on here as well.

[JohnnyAirtime]

YUP...

I'd have to say it was you.

I came out of the river bottom and up the east side of the road. Me and some buddies.... headed to the Pemex North up the road. Saw your bike, propped up and thought... ahh, that sucks. Good thing it was a front though! I hate rears (flats that is)... oops, I just got off of "off topic"

Now, about that blonde... she was by a panel truck. Standing there in jeans... and ohhhhhh my! I almost ended up back in the river bottom off the roadway - the hard way. Probably straight across the road from where your bike was. Sorry you missed it!

I'll look for your bike coming through... And throw ya a wave. ?

Ride hard!!!!

[JohnnyAirtime]

Mike...

How'd ya do?????

I left this am and didn't look at the results at the hotel, But was curious how you did!?!

Let me know when you get a chance.