Operation Wrong Way 2013

Last month was the fifth El Diablo Run and you can check out the story, pics and videos on ChopCult to get the scoop if you missed it. When everyone was ready to head north on the last day, me, McGoo and a handful of friends hit the road south instead. We called it "Operation Wrong Way" and the goal was simple: make it to the tip and back. So, we rode down to the bottom, stopped in Cabo for some tacos and headed home. We tried to lay around a bit and not just hammer down the whole time and it mostly worked. We did a little surfing, a little snorkeling and kayaking, a bit of bike tinkering, but mostly we rode in the day and drank at night. Not bad work if you can get it. I won't bore you with a daily blow-by-blow account of the trip, but I will share some pics and captions. Huge thanks to the Biltwell team back home for keeping things running so we could dick off in Baja for two weeks.

We deviated from the route only on the last couple days. Since we had already seen it on the way down, we hauled ass and added an afternoon and morning of surfing at Cuatros Casas and still made it home a day early.

Camping night one in Catavina. We broke the trip up with a few hotels but did a fair amount of camping along the way.

Shandra the stow-away was a good sport traveling with jackasses like us.

Black Rob learned a bit about motorcycle maintenance and his trusty, crusty CB made it almost the whole way.

S&S Panhead and Poler tent. Neither let me down.

Kyle from Lowbrow Customs crashed in the curves east of Julian a few years back. I know some of the long days and twisty Mexican highways weirded him out, but he stuck with it on his Gasbox colab rigid sporty. When he got back to SoCal, he hopped in their team's box van and drove back to Ohio. Rod Dawg shit right there.

Whatchoo looking at, Gringo?

JD Sansaver of Flying Monkey Fabrication. His trusty shovel was a crowd pleaser everywhere we went. Infinitely capable and always ready for adventure, you couldn't ask for a better guy to ride with.

Real outlaws probably stop and drink and fight. Us? We know all the shady ice cream spots.

JD's bike at the mission in San Ignacio. We learned more about this town on this trip.
If you go there, try a new place called "Tootsie's". It's worth it, trust me.

Team Canada went as far as they had the time to go, which was San Ignacio. Lee wins MVP for being the most polite guy at the firepit who could gladly snap your neck if he felt like it. Tanks!

Three-Star earned it on this trip! Dude's trunks and hoodie got jammed in his sprocket on a fast section of road with no shoulder. Think fast, young man!

Team Captain for the north, the venerable and articulate, not to mention handsome: Canada Shawn.
Always a pleasure, and I sincerely mean that!

San Ignacio is where baja gets some shade and starts to get interesting.

2700 miles and I shot a lot of selfies. Some on purpose, quite a few on accident.

Jesus loves Mexican highway designers because they build us some fun racetracks, I mean roads!
Note the lack of barriers. Uh-huh, you are on your own if you run out of talent on this stretch.

Over the shoulder.

There are two ways into my friend Ron's place in Mulege; the kinda smooth way and the totally not smooth at all and much longer way. We took the latter. You are welcome!

Retired off-road racer Ron Brant built a great shop under his house to store his baja bug and boat.
This night it was chopper sanctuary. Thanks Ron!

Kyle's sporty sunbathing at a cove called Santispac. We hired a panga boat and driver who taught us to catch scallops, made fresh ceviche and wrestled an octopus. No shit. Nick and I paddled kayaks back from our fishing spot and it felt good to get some exercise after taking a pounding on bikes and drinking way too much nearly every night.

Yep, we brought the team van. Glad we did too. Matt Frick hauled extra gear, five surfboards, snokel junk, spare tires and extra fuel. We needed all of the above. Three times bikes went on the trailer until we got to the nights final spot where we could work on 'em. Only Rob's stayed on for the last two days with a nagged-out sprocket that couldn't be fixed. Matt is working on putting together some off-road tours in Baja, you can check that out here: Camp 4Lo

Million dollar view. I think it cost us $8.00 US for each palapa. We splurged and got two.

Santispac is between Mulege and Loreto and is probably the most obvious of the coves. There are more secluded ones that are even better...

Camp Life.

Early morning and on the road before it got too hot. Sea of Cortez around Burro I think.

Our only stop in Cabo was for tacos. McGoo stayed one night here while we went up and secured a camp spot on the beach in Pescadero. Something about a shady solo mission? I don't ask anymore. That's Nick's Buell.

Dirt roads and improbable bikes. Why are we so dumb?

JD rules the washboard with that springer. We both ended up with a few small rocks embedded in our open belts but those things are tough and held up the whole way.

We camped here two nights. I could've stayed for a lot longer.

JD's bike is a true piece of road warrior art.

Fish scales by the sea, anyone?

Gabe from Afterhours sent Frick some cash and instructions to buy the best tequila he could once we passed the tip. Thanks Gabe, that was a hilarious night.

You mean you actually have to work on Hondas?

My burrito hammock. I torched all the paint off the inside of a juice can, lined it with tin foil and made a few warm tacos out of bagged refried beans and some lumps of cheese. Delightful. A strand of safety wire for a chunk of bamboo to pick it out of the fire and it's ready to rock. I could see one of these in cast iron... Poler, you listening?

Kyle shredded a tire one day and we were sure glad to have an extra Avon on the roof rack of the van...

More dirt roads? Yep!

You can tell I was running out of photo ideas. Bike in front of taco shop, bike at beach, bike in epic sunset. We should've brought a real photographer. That gas can worked great the whole time BTW and came in super handy on several occasions.

 

The last night we got to Cuatros in time for a session. Richard treated us with a great dinner and warm beds. 

In conclusion, this one of those bucket-list trips that none of us will forget anytime soon. It's rare to find a group of guys who can ride together day in and day out and not want to kill each other by the end, but I think we pulled it off. Next year? Canada man, I'm sick of the desert, I want some green trees!

-Bill

What's All this Crazy Stuff I Keep Hearing about Gringos?

 

It feels like we've beaten this horse to death, but there are still enough redundant questions surfacing in social media about our first DOT-approved full-face helmet that a blog about the Gringo seems necessary. In no particular order, here are some short, sweet answers to the questions we hear most often:

What colors does the Gringo come in?

That's easy: Gloss Black, Flat Black, Gloss Orange, Gloss Antique White and Flat Titanium

Is the Gringo helmet DOT approved?

Yes, The Gringo is DOT approved.

 Are you going to introduce a novelty version of the Gringo helmet?

No, and here's why: Novelty helmets exist to help style-conscious bikeriders avoid the astronaut look so common with open-face helmets. Because full-face helmets have a chin bar that obscures the rider's face, the astronaut factor is greatly minimized. People who buy full-face helmets are doing so for safety, so a novelty full face doesn't make sense.

Will Biltwell goggles and bubble shields work with the Gringo helmet?

Yes. See photos for proof. Peripheral vision in the Gringo meets or exceeds DOT standards, but motocross goggles have a tendency to reduce the rider's peripheral vision do to limitations inherent in their design. If you like the look of a retro-inspired full face like the Gringo with MX goggles, please keep this in mind. Peripheral vision is more important on a street bike than it is on the motocross track, where most of the action happens in the rider's line of sight. On a street bike, shit's going down everywhere, and you need to see it. If safety is your number one priority, there are few safer or better-looking setups than our bubble shield on a Gringo.
 

How many sizes? Do the different sizes employ different-sized outer shells?

The Gringo comes in six sizes: XS through XXL. There are two different outer shell sizes: One for XS through M, and a second slightly larger one for L, XL and XXL.

Can I wash the Gringo's cheek pads and inside comfort liner?

Both the interior comfort liner and cheek pads in the Gringo are removable and washable, but you must use care in doing so. NEVER throw the liner or cheek pads in a washer or dryer—hand wash only with mild soapy water and allow to air dry before reinstalling. We will offer replacement cheek pads and comfort liners for Gringos in the future, probably in the early fall of 2013.

If I order a Gringo online, can I exchange it if it doesn't fit?

Yes, but please see our sizing chart for Gringo helmets here before placing your order. Sorry, we will not accept returns on improperly sized Gringo helmets that show visible signs of excessive wear and tear. If it doesn't fit, put it into its original packaging and email Erik at Biltwell customer service for instructions on returning helmets.

If you have questions not answered here, please visit the Gringo helmet section on our website.

Ride to San Dog?

Hey, let's ride motorcycles next weekend! Oil & Water was a cool art show last year in LA, let's check it out in San Diego this year. It's about 90 miles from Murrieta, most of it on some neat twisty backroads 'til we hit the beach. Meet up along the way, or start with us here at 11:30. Here's a link to the map: http://goo.gl/maps/4HGDJ

Biltwell Bonanza & Gringo Update

Here's the latest scoop on our new DOT-approved helmets.

Bonanza. This is the open face helmet that replaces previous models like the Hustler and El Fuerte. We will have these in stock and ready to ship by the end of this week.

Colors: Gloss Black, Gloss Vintage White, Flat Black, Flat Primer Red, Flat Titanium, Root Beer Mega Flake, Wine Red Mega Flake and Gang Green Mega Flake.

Prices: Flat and Gloss colors are $99.95 and all Mega Flakes will be $119.95

Fitment: These are the same shell and foam shape as the previous El Fuertes. The only difference is some labeling and the foam density. If you had an EF and liked the fit, the Bonanza should be a direct replacement for you. Sizes are XS thru XXL.

Gringo. The much anticipated full-face DOT-approved lid. We've been ride and lab testing these for a while now. So far, the Gringo has passed everything needed for DOT certification. We are working on the second mold and making sure all sizes pass all tests. Sorry if this seems like it takes forever, it just does. We've learned not to rush the process.

Availability: We're hoping to have the first run (L, XL and XXL) ready to ship in May. A month or so after, we should have the smaller sizes (XS, S and M).

Colors: We're going to surprise you with this one. No reason to tell any other helmet companies what's coming next. Don't worry, you will like 'em and there will be more choices later on down the road.

Sizing: These are not the tiny Japanese novelty style helmets that fit super close to your face. These are real helmets and have reasonable proportions. When placed next to a modern sport bike helmet they look tiny. Think 1970's flat track. If you like that look, you'll like these. We'll do some action shots and comparisons before they go on sale so you can see the lids in context. For now, all we have is this one of me from about a month ago (thanks, Austin).

Features: None. Just kidding, there are a few, but compared to a contemporary, feature-laden sport bike helmet, the Gringo is quite sparse. We did this on purpose because we like the simple look of early full-face lids. There are no vents. There will be five snaps. A flat, non flip-up clear screen will be available, and Biltwell Moto Goggles and Bubble Shields work with the snaps and eye port.

Price: Figure around $150 USD

Check out our website for all helmet and helmet accessory availability.

That's about it. If you have further questions, feel free to ask them here so other people can see the answers too. -Bill

Gonzaga Bay After Action Report

A couple weeks ago, a group of us rode down to Baja to check on things in preparation for the upcoming El Diablo Run and to see if the newly-constructed highway south to Gonzaga Bay was completed yet. It's not. But it's close. Only about three or four miles of dirt road left and then it'll be smooth sailing to one of Baja's loneliest shorelines. Bittersweet really, as they say: "good roads bring bad people" and all that. Either way, I wanted to be the first people to ride choppers there and back and by the comments from the few locals, I think we pulled it off. We cheated and brought the van and a small trailer which was nice for hauling a big ice chest full of beer, a load of fire wood and the occasional broken bike. In the end, all bikes made it save one (there's just no finding a modern Triumph coil down there). I'll save you the blow-by-blow description, but if you ever want to go, it's an easy route to navigate and even nicer coming back through Tecate where we stayed in some rather posh little cabinas. http://www.rancho-ojai.com/ Here's the route: http://tinyurl.com/ac2hzhv

JD Sansaver of FMF. http://www.flyingmonkeyfabrication.com/ One of the most creative, hard-working and easy going guys ever. Total joy to ride with this dude.

Austin's bike just before heading into Borrego Springs. EDR route.

Just north of San Felipe. No construction on the highway this time for once.

South of Puertocitas on the new highway. It'll probably be full of graffiti and trash in a couple years so it was nice to see it in it's virgin state.

Good as it gets right here.

The last few miles were dirt, but totally doable.

We made it. The PEMEX station was open and the store had ice cold Pacifico. Recently acquired pan did great!

Setting up camp. I think it cost us $2.00 US per person to stay here.

The van was about five hours behind dealing with other stuff so we scrounged a fire.

JD and McGoo relaced his wheel minus three broken spokes (now spaced equidistant) and everyone was together again just before dark.

Just in case you wondered, an empty mini keg placed on a bed of hot coals will blow in about one minute. It isn't smart, but it sure is fun. Close tents get ventilated. Sorry, Evan!

Sunrise on the Sea of Cortez is pretty hard to beat. I woke up just long enough to snap a pic and go back to sleep.

After a dinner of MRE's, breakfast at Alfonsina's in Gonzaga Bay did not suck.

Back on the road again. We rode four across on some stretches of the deserted highway.

Hot Springs in Puertocitas mix with the incoming tide. This pool was too hot to go into yet.

But this one was just right...

Frick the van pilot has had it with cranky motorcycles by this point. A sticky float got a little love and we were back on the road.

You can't stop Black Rob and his well-worn CB750.

I can't help but take photos when riding next to JD.

Charlie "The Cobra" got his ass kicked by two blind guys (don't ask, he doesn't remember) a couple nights before the trip. He wasn't about to give up though, so he jumped in the van.

We tried to steal this kid but he said "Struts are for kooks ess-aye" and hauled ass.

Cabinas in Tecate were a nice surprise for everybody.

Kickstand rubs the belt? We can fix that.

Austin of Odyn Vovk. Forget what people say about "kids these days". There are young guns out there that kick ass. Here's one of 'em.

More youngsters that got it right. Whitney and Eric. Lots to learn from these two.

Jason "Timmy" Ball. No matter what name you know him by, you probably know him. If you don't, your girlfriend most likely does. Just sayin'.

Thanks to everyone for a real memorable trip. This is the part about motorcycles I enjoy the most and this trip well above average. Sorry Joel, Nick, McGoo and Evan, somehow I didn't get any decent pics of you guys. ¡Viva Motos!

-Bill