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Around the Bend Feb 28 - Mar 3, 2024

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From watching the videos I would suggest some offroad riding to increase the safety and fun factor. Choosing the right bike and tires is very important also.
 
DFW_Warrior said:
Y’all are in for a treat. Old Ore is in epic condition! I haven’t seen it this rough in over 10 years. Now, will they clean it up over the next few months, who knows. But as it sits right now, she is a rough ol gal!
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As DFW_Warrior has stated, Old Ore Road is very rough. I too rode it this week, on my Honda CRF300L Rally, and it is in the worst shape I can ever recall. Sections of it are now class 3 and were challenging on my dual sport bike. If the park does not do any work on it prior to the Around the Bend rally, my recommendation is to not ride it on a big bike (adventure bikes weighing more than 400 lbs) unless you are a skilled rider.
 

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4loftins@sbcglobal.net said:
Hey Folks, I am new to the group but a long time rider and have riden Big Bend before.

Would like to come along if you have room for one more. I am based in San Antonio. Assuming work, etc...

I will probably trailer in my XR650R. My Vstrom 1000 struggled on Old Ore Road last time even with Michelin Anachee Wild nobbies. She is just too big. I would slow everyone down on the Strom.

My number is 210-760-8939. I have a 3 rail motorcycle trailer if any elses bike needs highway lift.

I am sorry about Steve.
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A plated XR650R is about as perfect as a bike for big bend as you can get... . I'll be on my Ducati multstrada enduo for this ride... .. but I've put over 10000 miles on a XR650Rs.. alot of those miles in the big bend area..
 
Mextrekadv said:
Hey Texas Dual Sport Riders,

2024 Around the Bend Rally is happening! Registration fee is $20

Register Here: https://forms.gle/GSKSdXh1ggf88vE27


Terlingua, Texas:

Around the Bend is an amazing and fun-filled 4-day motorcycle rally in the Big Bend region of Texas. For 2024 the rally is scheduled Thursday - Sunday, Feb 28th to Mar 3rd 2024. All riders are invited to attend on their street legal motorcycles.

Before the official start on Thursday, on Wednesday night we will have a new (and new to Big Bend) rider meet and greet cocktail hour on the front porch, and a seated dinner at the Starlight Theater.

Thursday will include a new rider orientation ride from 9 to 2 and an afternoon ghost town walkaround. Thursday night will resume the same basic schedule as in previous years.

What kind of rally is this? This motorcycle rally is predominately a dual sport adventure rally but it is open to anyone with a street legal motorcycle. Street-only, adventure, and dual sport riders are all invited to attend. Come by yourself or bring some friends. Ride when you want and where you want. Have an adventure. Got a few extra days off? Then come out early. Or stay a few days late. The main point is to have fun. Please note that there is no legal, public off-road riding in the Big Bend area so all motorcycles have to be properly tagged and registered.

What is riding like in the Big Bend region? There is both paved and unpaved riding all around the Big Bend area.

- Dual Sport and Adventure Riders Lots of dual sport riders show up to ride the Big Bend boonies, so if you've always wanted to play in the dirt at Big Bend but just haven't made it yet, this is a wonderful opportunity to do so.

- Dual sport riders: There are a number of primitive dirt roads in both BBNP and Big Bend Ranch State Park (The Ranch). BBNP is the most popular riding choice for most because the dirt riding there is superb but The Ranch has some good stuff too. (Note that riding larger adventure bikes in The Ranch can be quite challenging due to the ruggedness of the roads.) ALSO YOU MUST HAVE PERMISSION OF A POATRI PROPERTY OWNER TO RIDE ANY ROAD IN THE RANCH. THIS SHOULD INCLUDE A FRANK DISCUSSION ABOUT SPEED LIMITS, NOISE, TRESPASSING, BEING NEIGHBORLY, AND AVOIDING WILDING! (Note, I am a property owner)

- Street riders There are some awesome paved roads in the Big Bend area that really shouldn't be missed. For example, Hwy 170, aka "River Road", is one of the top 5 motorcycling roads in Texas

You can ride in Big Bend National Park (BBNP) and various other roads in the area. Some popular riding destinations for street-only riders are BBNP, Presidio, Fort Davis, Marfa, and Mexico (yes, Mexico).

There are also some excellent dirt roads across the border in Mexico too for those who want a bit more adventure.

If you've never been to Big Bend and would like a guide, indicate on the signup and add $25. Includes a Big Bend ride guide with planned routes & GPS tracks. The guide includes pavement-only routes and dual sport/adventure routes.

Is someone leading a ride one or both days? This year's event is a rally which means there are no planned routes that everyone will be riding. Instead, riders will self-organize into groups each morning and select where they want to ride that day.

I’ve never been to a rally before. If you have never attended a rally and don't know anyone, come on out anyway. We are a really friendly bunch of people and welcome new riders. You will easily be able to find a group to ride with. If you are an experienced dirt rider and need a group to ride with, just ask around - you will quickly find a suitable group to join. For those needing a group to ride with, we will be organizing riding groups immediately following the Friday morning riders meeting.

Can we ride in Mexico? Absolutely. There is a really awesome canyon (Peguis Canyon) about 25 miles south of Ojinaga, Mexico that is well worth a visit. You don't need to do any paperwork to visit it either but you will need your vehicle registration to ride into Mexico. On the Mexico side of the international bridge Mexican officials will stop you and compare the VIN of your motorcycle with the VIN on your vehicle registration to ensure they match. Once they have done so, they will wave you through. From there head south through Ojinaga on the main road and about 25 paved miles later you will arrive at the canyon overlook.

Bring your passport or passcard because US Customs will need to see it before they let you back into the United States.

Is it safe? Mexico sure is close, is the Big Bend area safe? Yes, it is safe. As of this writing all the border drug stuff you've been hearing about on the news has not been a serious issue in the Big Bend region.

OPTIONAL NEW RIDER EVENT
Wednesday
5 PM to 7 PM New rider meet and greet, Front Porch
7 PM New rider dinner, Starlight Theater

Thursday
9 AM - 2 PM New Rider Ride, Top of the World
2 PM to 3 PM Ghosttown walk
4 PM TO 7 PM, High Sierra Bar & Grill Social and Rally Check In
7 PM Group Dinner at High Sierra

Friday
Trailboss' Big Bend 400 / Desert Challenge 200 details tbd

Or

Organize a group and ride wherever you want
5 pm - 7 pm, meet on the front porch in Terlingua

Saturday

Organize a group and ride wherever you want!
6 pm - 10 pm group dinner

Sunday
Adios Breakfast at Posado Milagro in the ghost town.

Signups:

Peter Shaddock
Paul schoelen
Steven Michaelis
Colin Schneider
Richard Gibbens
Ken murphy
Ross Elliott
Jai Vishnuvarman
Todd Trulock
Matthew Coupin
Richard Partida
Jeff Elliott
Shaun Boardman
Mitja Peterman
Vic Arias
Udo Erkenrath
Michael Fuller
Willi Carville
Steve Trester
Peter Marsh

Hope to see everyone there!

Peter Shaddock, aka Pedro Norte de Mextrek
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Registered....money sent through Zelle...
 
Im a maybe...fighting some health issues tail end of this year which has kept me off the bike and out of dirt riding. I'll know by mid Jan if I'll be able to go. I really want to go try out my KTM as it seems like a ideal bike for this kinda adventure.
 
I am really looking forward to this ride. I have never done a group ride like this. I also plan on doing the 200 mile ride. I am riding a plated 300 XC-W with a 3 gallon tank. Is anybody else riding a plated dirt bike?
 
blwdup said:
I am really looking forward to this ride. I have never done a group ride like this. I also plan on doing the 200 mile ride. I am riding a plated 300 XC-W with a 3 gallon tank. Is anybody else riding a plated dirt bike?
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You will be one bored rider on a 300 smoker. There isn’t anything out there that a 25 year old KLR won’t go through.

As someone that has the aforementioned old KLR and a 300xcw, there isn’t a chance in heck I would bring that to Big Bend unless it was my only bike. It isn’t that it won’t do well, it is just a lot of overkill for out there and not very comfy for the long stretches.
 
DFW_Warrior said:
You will be one bored rider on a 300 smoker. There isn’t anything out there that a 25 year old KLR won’t go through.

As someone that has the aforementioned old KLR and a 300xcw, there isn’t a chance in heck I would bring that to Big Bend unless it was my only bike. It isn’t that it won’t do well, it is just a lot of overkill for out there and not very comfy for the long stretches.
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It is my only bike. So you ride what you got. I would love to have a more dual sport bike as well but I can only really have one and I cannot part with the 300.
 
blwdup said:
It is my only bike. So you ride what you got. I would love to have a more dual sport bike as well but I can only really have one and I cannot part with the 300.
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I totally get it. The 300 is a SWEET ride, and I wouldn't give mine up for anything.

I don't know what year yours is, but if it is like mine and a pre-mix in the tank version, then I would carry some small bottles of mix on the go oil. I don't know about yours but mine is pretty fuel hungry so that 3 gallon tank will be needing to get refilled mid-ride on the 200 mile ride, maybe a few times.
 
DFW_Warrior said:
I totally get it. The 300 is a SWEET ride, and I wouldn't give mine up for anything.

I don't know what year yours is, but if it is like mine and a pre-mix in the tank version, then I would carry some small bottles of mix on the go oil. I don't know about yours but mine is pretty fuel hungry so that 3 gallon tank will be needing to get refilled mid-ride on the 200 mile ride, maybe a few times.
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I really appreciate any suggestions to make this experience better. It is an 18 with a Lectron. The Lectron helps with fuel mileage but yes I will have a couple of bottles of fuel and some premix for fuel stops. I will use this ride to gauge how much I like the dual sport riding and from there make some decisions about bikes.
 
I just signed up and sent Peter money via Zelle. I did not indicate I wanted to do the Desert Challenge 200, butI absolutely do!
 
blwdup said:
I really appreciate any suggestions to make this experience better. It is an 18 with a Lectron. The Lectron helps with fuel mileage but yes I will have a couple of bottles of fuel and some premix for fuel stops. I will use this ride to gauge how much I like the dual sport riding and from there make some decisions about bikes.
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I have a 17 with a Lectron. We have the Goldilocks bikes that have it all (carb, counterbalanced, xplore48’s, e-start, AND kick start)!👍

I’ll thread hijack this just a bit if I may. I took a plated WR450 down to Big Bend once and it was the least favorite of all my trips down there. The bike was just too much everything for down there. The suspension didn’t really want to start working until I was going way faster than sight seeing pace, and I guess that was a good thing as the seat was TERRIBLE for the long slogs that are often required when riding out there.

No joke, I’m 1000x happier on my 24 year old KLR down there over riding my hotrod 450.

I only say all that to say that if you do end up bored, don’t write off the dual sporting. And NEVER sell that KTM. 🤣
 
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