Northern AZ to Cabo on the S10. Ever been? What do I need?

[gfoulke]

I am planning a trip (2 up, panniers, full gear) from Northern AZ to the tip of Baja, Mexico in Early July. I'll be taking my S10' wife and lots of gear. The other guys are on a KLR650 and Honda 650. We've allowed 3 weeks for the trip. We figure about a week down and a week back and about a week to kick back on the beach.

My bike is equipped with K60 scouts, crash bars, skid plate, panniers, top case, Corbin seat. Anyone ever make this trip or one like it and can offer up some tips/do's and don'ts? I am wondering:

Are the K60 scouts a good tire choice?
How did you mitigate the July heat?
What did you do to keep your bike safe at night at the hotel?
How are the road conditions...OK for a big bore bike 2 up?
Any issues using lower quality gas?
Able to find gas along route... Did you carry extra fuel?
Find enough lodging along the route?
Any safety/security issues (one cop and 3 Marines will be on the trip)?
Any other tips?

Thanks for your help on this... PM me if you are interested in going!

Greg

 

[houndman]

Yea can you mount an air conditioner somewhere? Try not to travel at night. Seriously. I am a former Marine and was shaken down for all the cash I had down in Rosarita. By Mexican cops. I know some folks who were on thier way back from Baja when they were acosted at gunpoint in other vehicles, left on the side of road while 100,000 bucks worth of truck,toyhauler, and 4 dirtbikes were never seen again. Safety and security is ALWAYS the main concern down there. The heat is obviously going to be extreme, powder electrolites with lots of water, the cop can't carry in Mexico, and they could care or less. That incident with me( I did NOTHING, not drunk or anything,standing waiting for friends to come out of a restaraunt) and the armed robbery of people I know nailed it for me. Never will I step foot in that country again. BTW I am in LE myself.

 

[imrubicon]

maybe a machine gun ?

sadly could answer many of the issues you are asking

 

[Don in Lodi]

A friend and an acquaintance just finished a loop down there. Copper Canyon, Gulf Coast, Oaxaca, Pacific Coast, Ferry ride across to Baja, and home. Took about five weeks with one week lay over in Oaxaca. They bought gas out of the back of a pick up at one point. The KLR and DR ate it up. Did you know there was an "import fee" at the boarder? You get it back when you leave. They cabled their two bikes together at night. Some hotels let them park in the lobby! Never heard of any shake downs. They threaded the needle between two cities they knew to stay out of because of crime. I'll see if they ever wrote anything up other than Dave's Facebook stuff. I know whats-his-name that ran from Argentina to Alaska... three times, couldn't have been running the greatest gas all the time, and his Tenere did fine by all accounts.
ADV would be the place to go see a lot of write-ups on Baja.