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2017 MexTrek #6, Oct 26th to 29th 2017

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Going to try and make this one. Welcoming a new member to the family this summer so I need to see how well she is sleeping before I fully commit or I may return home to all my belongings in the front yard.

Going to plate a 250 two smoker for this trip. Looks like the only slabbing is the 120 miles to and from our destination after the border crossing. Is this correct? My *** will probably be limited to 150 miles of boring highway.

Will also need to get my gas range sorted. Only get about 60 miles to the tank currently. What kind of range would I need? Need to figure out what my options are.
 
Going to try and make this one. Welcoming a new member to the family this summer so I need to see how well she is sleeping before I fully commit or I may return home to all my belongings in the front yard.

Going to plate a 250 two smoker for this trip. Looks like the only slabbing is the 120 miles to and from our destination after the border crossing. Is this correct? My *** will probably be limited to 150 miles of boring highway.

Will also need to get my gas range sorted. Only get about 60 miles to the tank currently. What kind of range would I need? Need to figure out what my options are.

There will be many gas stops on the run down to Galeana, but riding up in the mountains will be a different story. I think I would want at least 100 mile range. I've been thinking about doing this myself. What model bike do you plan to take?
 
There will be many gas stops on the run down to Galeana, but riding up in the mountains will be a different story. I think I would want at least 100 mile range. I've been thinking about doing this myself. What model bike do you plan to take?

KTM 250 XCW. To be honest I'm not 100% sure about the current range. Just got the bike last week. It has an almost 3 gallon tank so it may be closer to 75 mile range currently. I think if I get 1-1.5 more gallons on the bike 100 miles should be doable. The bigger gas tanks I've seen after a quick search only add about 1/2 gallon. So maybe one of those and a couple fuel bottles in a tail bag.
 
Brandon, I have a highway fuel range of maybe 75 miles at 62 MPH (2/3 throttle). In the mountains I can get around 90 on a tank cause speeds are slower, 40 MPH average or less. Normally I would say you should be fine if you pack a couple bottles and ride with a friend with a big tank. But...your 2 stroke premix will make gas transfer from anyone else dicey. Last thing you want is a seized piston 250 miles from the border.

I would not be nearly as concerned about range as I would mechanical reliability. Ask yourself if you'd run the bike to Austin and back and if it didn't make it you'd have to pay $250 to get it home.

I had a street legal XCW200 back in 2005 or so. Worked great for months of inner loop shenanigans. First time on the highway, a 10 mile drone at 65 with highway gearing, maybe 4500 rpm, the crank went south. From that experience I am unsure of 2 strokes as adventure steeds.

But if you think its all good, bring it!!! Just gear it to the moon. You'll never need anything below a 2nd gear equivalent ratio in Mexico.
 
You know I'm coming. I'm just not on the internet much. Would like to share a room with Petey and Sid again. Registered.
 
I'd love to get in on this. Not sure of two things though: my bike and myself!
I ride a 2011 DL650 - haven't had it offroad much at all, commute a lot though.
I did the RawHyde training in Colorado last summer on an F800gs, that was fun! I plan to get some good practice runs through Sam Houston NF this summer.
Anybody else signed up for October on something like a vstrom? I think I saw one in one of the pictures from prior years.
 
Anybody else signed up for October on something like a vstrom? I think I saw one in one of the pictures from prior years.

I rode a 650 V-Strom to the first MexTrek. I have average dirt riding skills and didn't have any issues with riding the Strom on the dirt roads around Galeana. While a lighter, more dirt oriented bike is more fun off-pavement, a Strom will do just fine, in my opinion.
 
I'd love to get in on this. Not sure of two things though: my bike and myself!
I ride a 2011 DL650 - haven't had it offroad much at all, commute a lot though.

Most of Mexico is fairly tame dirt. But a couple of sections, even on just the first day's 20 mile dirt ride portion, can be a bit overwhelming for a newer dirt rider, but there is nothing "hard" to ride, just things you have to slow down and pln your way through. . Worst case, I always offer my tiny, lightweight, easy to handle crf230 to swap with anyone not sure of themselves in the dirt. After 2 or 3 days of riding you will feel like a pro.
 
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PS MRYO -- I am in and riding a 2012 v-strom 650. My understanding is that there are smaller groups or riders that take on different kinds of terrain once we get down there. I definitely can't do hard-core dirt/single track. I have done some dirt county roads with stream crossings in the hill country. And I understand that a V-strom will work for MexTrek. Hope to see you there...
 
PS MRYO -- I am in and riding a 2012 v-strom 650. My understanding is that there are smaller groups or riders that take on different kinds of terrain once we get down there. I definitely can't do hard-core dirt/single track. I have done some dirt county roads with stream crossings in the hill country. And I understand that a V-strom will work for MexTrek. Hope to see you there...

Awesome, yes, you have heard spot on. As an example I rode a CBR1000RR supersport on the Jalpan trip last April. We simply opted out of the dirt riding. And did another 600 miles on our own. The roads are fabulous, better than anything I've ridden stateside, but not nearly as fabulous as the overall dirt experience.

Luckily, there really is no hard core dirt/single track. And being Mexico there is always a way out of every situation, particularly when it means spending the night at a family reunion and party at a remote ranch or sleeping in a borrowed barn when another rider was too tired to continue on. Both happened to TWTEX riders last year. Both parties had amazing experiences, in different ways. Hill country riding skills are about all you will need. There is nothing I've ridden that can't be done on a GS1200, except for the odd time or two I mistakenly attacked horrible hill on the wrong route.
 
Greetings, y'all!

Funds sent, dates blocked.

My introduction, is, well, in the Introductions forum.

Looking forward to the trip with you. Hope to meet many of you Thursday at Richard's TWT meeting.
 
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Who is this Mzungu guy anyway? I found his story cool! He will definitely like Mexico.

Cut and paste

In summary, new to riding in 2012, so most of you will be a MUCH better rider than I am. Like exploring new places on dirt, but on pavement as well. Love meeting new people.

The back story...

Lived in Austin for 30 years, then moved to Colorado where, at the age of over 50, I took my first MSF course and got a license. Living near the Rocky Mountains, I learned to ride mostly on dirt roads and some trails in the Rockies. First bike was a DR-Z400S that I extensively customized for long-range, back-country travel.

In terms of style, I'm more of an explorer than Dakar racer, though I do love to watch the Dakar bike racers every year!

I lived in Nairobi, Kenya (East Africa) for nearly a year doing good work in some dodgy places for the UN in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Why the name "Mzungu?" My Kenyan driver, Patrick, dubbed me "my Mzungu," which in Swahili means - roughly - "white man wandering around." It's descriptive; not derogatory. The term originated when the first Europeans started exploring East Africa - Dr. Livingstone, I presume.

While in Africa, I completed a week-long, roughly 1200 mile trip (mostly on dirt roads) from Zimbabwe (Victoria Falls) thru Botswana (Okavango Delta, Makgadikgadi Pans, Kalahari Desert, etc.) to Johannesburg, South Africa. Bike was 2013 BMW R1200GS. Also rode an R1200 some in Nairobi (death defying) and a Husuberg FE 390 in Kenyan dirt, near where Karen Blixen lived, as chronicled in the movie "Out of Africa."

In 2014 I completed a solo "Giant loop through the West" trip, camping and staying in motels through Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, N. Dakota, S. Dakota and Wyoming back to Colorado. I visited many of the National Parks in those states and covered 3240 miles in a week and a half, again, on a 2013 R1200GS.

In 2016 moved from Colorado back to Austin. Before leaving Colorado, I sold the trusty DR-Z thinking that there would be little access to dirt in Texas -- and certainly not mountains -- but kept the R1200. Learning of this forum, I discovered -- to my delight -- that there is dirt here and was reminded that near here there is more dirt and mountains, (Big Bend, Mexico and the ever-enchanting Texas Hill Country), and so added a 2017 KTM 500 EXC-F to the stable. Let the adventure-enduro modifications -- and, indeed, the adventure itself - begin!

Looking forward to meeting all the good people in this forum in person real soon.
 
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He will definitely like Mexico.

Thank you! With such great people, how could I not?

Richard, for example, has already been VERY helpful with bike suggestions -- thank you, Richard! Ordered his books, too.

I have a lot to learn from you all, and as Ross Perot said, "Hey, I'm all ears!":bow:
 
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I called the hotel in Mexico on Sunday to make a reservation for the October in-country dates but I don't speak Spanish and she didn't speak English, so we didn't get very far. <stop what you're thinking>.

Should I just have a friend who speaks Spanish get on a speaker phone with me, or is there an approach you've used in the past that you prefer I stick to to make the reservation?

The reservation in Mission is done.
 
With respect to our awesome fearless leader (hi Peter!) who says that reservations don't mean much to the hotel in Mexico, they honored the reservations I made last year for several riders. This was despite a full house. My recommendation is to get a Spanish-speaking friend to call and make you a reservation in your name, but go prepared to adapt to the situation when you arrive.
 
Thank you, Randy. I made the reservation at Hotel Magdelana to arrive night of Oct 26 and check out morning Oct 29.

Now hopefully life will cooperate between now and then to make it so!
 
I tried to sign up the other day and I think I am just waiting for a confirmation email. But I have a friend who invited me and he knows many others that are committed to this trip


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