On our latest two-dayer in Baja, Rod Morris and I enjoyed challenging conditions in the
mountains.
After crossing the border on our KLR650A’s we headed east from Tecate into rather
fierce 40 – 50 mph gusting head and crosswinds that would steer your bike for you if you
weren’t alert. I stayed in 4th gear at about 50 mph for the 15 mile ride to the dirt turn off.
To run in such conditions at 60 + mph in top gear would be to abuse the engine
resulting in at least additional gas/oil consumption (remember pumping losses).
Once we had aired down the tires and headed south in the dirt, Rod and I began to
discover the effects of heavy rains that had hit the area a couple of days before; lots of
puddles, ruts and a few water crossings. The neat things about the road conditions were
1) that traction in general was good and, 2) the edges of ruts broke down easily. The
result was a less harsh ride with reduced wear and tear on wheels, shock absorbers and
most of all, steering bearings. All in all, a challenging but wonderful ride.
Once out of the dirt and after stopping at the Ojos Negros Military check point, we pulled
into the nearby Pemex, as usual, to air up the tires to street pressure. While at the
station we met Alberto Lopez and Rene Gonzalez who were testing the gas pump meters
for accuracy.
