Copper Canyon - Mexico 2001 tiger

[Montek]

I'll try to post as many twisty pics as turned out









It was fantastic riding.  Best part, we experienced an unrestricted speed limit.  We were ovewr the limit by 50 kph most of the time.  Saw 30 police and not one blinked at us.  In fact, we got blown off the 60 KPH road by the police.   We were clocking in the range of 120 to 140kph and the police blow by at 190 minimum on this big straight away.  Thought we would see him waving us over up the road for a proper shakedown, but never saw him.

[Montek]

So all these cool twisties through the mountains eventually lead us to this



And this



And then to this



This would be the last of any hard surface for the next 3 1/2 days.  the above pic is where we were airing down the tires for rapid travel on dirt.  We all air down to 20 psi up front and 18 psi rear.  We were running continental tkc tires and they held up well.  


Airing down for the roads like this




LET THE DIRT BEGIN

[Mustang]

 

[Rocinante]

[Montek]

o.k.  starting the dirt.  Good news for batopilas, bad news for us adv riders.  Within 2 years I would bet the good dirt mountain roads will be widened and blacktopped from creel to batopilas.  Its already half way and they are working at both ends building a new road system.  It'll be great tarmac twisties at first, then the traffic will build up and it will be loaded with cars and harleys and cops and 15 miles per hour tops. Batopilas will boom and the people will be in shock!!!

Get there soon, Batopilas will no longer be the quaint village that makes it a relaxing place to visit.

So, here is a series of dirt pics looking down, across and up the canyon on the way to Batopilas

[Montek]

This road was an absolute blast.  Dirt, twisty, scenery out the wazoo.  Only met on vehicle coming up in 3 hour ride.

More pics heading to Batopilas

















Notice the cars on the other side of the bridge?  they were all down below, having a picnic, playing, drinking and having a general good time

[Montek]

After the bridge, not a whole lot of elevation change as compared to what we just rode.  more long stretches with gradual turns.  You still couldn't see far in front of you as the road followed the contuor of the mountain, but it wasn't 400 yards - hair pin corner, 400 yards - hair pin corner, repeat 200 times.  It was fast and dusty and hot, bout 100 deg F.





Finally, having consumed our fair share of dust, I see the town in sight
and good thing because we were running out of daylight and desperately needed a cold beer to offset all of todays heat and dust.

Arriving at out hotel

[Montek]

This is the place to stay in Batopilas.  Right on the square(zocola).



One block up is the resurante' for super.(no pic to dark)

two blocks over and one up is the Breakfast place



And best of all, right across the square from the hotel is   - DA BEER







You may have caught there was a new face at the beer table.  Randy from Canada was also passing through and had arrived earlier that afternoon.  He is on a giant 1200 GS.  Great guy, would have fit in well with the group but was heading noth to home not south like we were.




After consuming enough beer to replenish our attitudes, it was off to the evening dining experience and more beer





After more beer, feeling pretty darn good(on the way to INEBRIATED), o.k., past that cause i forgot to get a picture of the meal, we head back to the hotel for more beer and wisky and to enjoy the town square on Easter Sunday Evening.





The 2 boys getting whiskied up in the zocola(square)



John and myself working on beer



This is a good part.  The owner of the hotel, Juanita, has been gone most of the evening.  We're getting crap faced, and we still need to get our bikes inside for safety.  What she does is open the double doors to the lobby and you ride the bike in to the courtyard area.  YA RIGHT.

Here is Dan, he is through the front door and going to the courtyard through the iron gates



I got through without taking the luggage off, however, John and dan had to drop the luggage, skill levels were a little low and judgement a little off at this point and no need to piss of the owner.  No more pics of the evening but we did a good job the next morning documenting as we were a little tipsy that night.

More from the evening




Eliminating bodily waste from the walk bridge



Oh ya, the bikes in the courtyard after 3 drunken fools finally put them to rest.



At this point, we consumed a little more and went to sleep(passed out).  This is beginning to be a theme - passing out that is.

DAY 2 is completed.  DAY 3, hangovers, high heat, no water, no gas - fun.

[2004Tiger]

I did that trip 15 years ago, but in a Toyota pickup with female friend, a four week big circle of west Mex. Your pictures look like my pictures, no changes I can see--- even the paint on the hotel and cantina is the same color. Things change slowly in Mexico. I would do it again on my Tiger.

Back then the peso was 10 for a dollar. Is it really 36 per dollar now? That hurts.

[Montek]

I did that trip 15 years ago, but in a Toyota pickup with female friend, a four week big circle of west Mex. Your pictures look like my pictures, no changes I can see--- even the paint on the hotel and cantina is the same color. Things change slowly in Mexico. I would do it again on my Tiger.

Back then the peso was 10 for a dollar. Is it really 36 per dollar now? That hurts.

The exchange rate for U.S. dollars is 12 or 13.  When we went to the bank it was a little over 12 to 1.  $400.00 = $5,000.00 peso's.  The cool thing is, we all took out 5,000 and put it in a pool - one person in charge of money.  He paid for food, beverage, hotels, did i say beverage?? :lol:   Any way, I came back with 90 peso's,  10 days for $400.00, ate like kings and drank like fish,  I'll take that deal any day!!!!

As far as change, it is a bit slower down there, but with all the paving and black top roads being completed on the mainland and baja, change is going to come fast once the projects reach completion.  I give it 2 years and we will see a completely different Mexico.

Monte

[Montek]

Was out riding this weekend, more copper canyon tonight.

Monte

[rf9rider]

Excellent report, enjoyed the write up so far

[Montek]

Lets see,  oh ya, beer in Batopilas.  I have to back up a bit, back up the mountain to Creel before we got to bato.  Going through creel usually isn't bad, according to john.  but it was easter sunday, and people where every where.  the town was packed. one big traffic jam.  like any and every other town/city in mexico, the zoning and planning is a little lax as in non existent.  they never thought about a main street through town.  instead, you come in on the only highway to town, go to the other end, then over a block, then back to the other end, over a block, and wind through a series of lefts and rights and then you find the main highway out of town.  john being the savy traveler he is, says, I know a shortcut---well that short cut is short, and it involves railroad tracks.  rail road tracks that are a little higher than the tigers ground clerance.  well, one rail was higher anyway!!!!!  in crossing, wheel base and ground clearence was just so that it caught my exhaust and pulled it lose and bent one head bolt.



working away, tightenjng bolts, turn one, turn the next, the next etc..  got em all tight and just like new



that was the one and only problem the entire trip for the cat.  bouncing up and down mountains on crappy ass roads and only one problem at the railroad tracks.  I'll take that any day.

[Montek]

ok, back to batopilas, the evening with friends and beer. Wake up and have a bit of a hangover, not bad, just a touch.  went to dona mica's for breakfast.  You know you are deep in the back country with not a lot of visitors passing through when you have to knock on somebodies door the night before to line up breakfast.  we did and it was on breakfast, fricken delicsh.



been a while since i've had a meal cooked up on a wood fired stove




they may not have much, but they do know how to cook

after a bit to eat and a couple coffees to clear the head, we gotta get the bikes out of the courtyard area and through the lobby to the street.

bikes in the courtyard



coming through the lobby



and out the front door to the street



loaded up, mounted up, and headed out of batopilas to urique via the new road.

BEWARE, this days trip includes getting lost, bikes on the side, run out of water, 108 degrees f., a "new" road thats more of a goat trail, talc on the road, crossing a river.  fun fun fun.

headed out of town in search of the new road

[fishnbiker]

Ahh, the switchbacks in the canyon ... Batopilas is one of those rare gems. I'm glad I got you see it as you described. It's saddening to imagine them paving paradise & putting up a parking lot.

Dunno if it's anything you picked up on, but, when I was there in 2006 I remember everyone being kicked out of all the bars at 9 pm. By the police!! Every bar in town!! 3 Guardias told us all to finish the beer in the next 30 seconds, then leave. Every night for months. Fortunately we we're sitting with an Ex-pat American lady who told us she had prepared with a case in her purse, we could carry on back at the hotel.  Seems the mayor of the day had a hate on for late drinking & the bars in general. I wonder if it leads to those fine Mexican citizens like I found outside my hotel door, asleep on the sidewalk across from the church Sunday morning at 8 am, sound asleep with 2 Tecate left out of a six pack, dead butt in his hand, hat on his tummy

The Batopilas road, along with the Devil's Backbone (Durango /Mazatlan) & the Hermosillo / Creel road are among the most energizing I have seen anywhere in North America.

My photos of Mexico are at   http://fishnbiker.smugmug.com/motorcycles.