• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Mextrek #14 Galeana (and Beyond) Oct 23rd to 26th 2021

Forums New posts
Status
Not open for further replies.
Mextrekadv

Mextrekadv

0
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
2,064
Reaction score
550
Location
Houston, TX and Phoenix AZ
First Name
Peter
Last Name
Shaddock
Hey Fellow Dual Sporters,

Registration is open. Registration will close Sept 30th for "Lite" 4 day, but earlier, July 31st for Afterparty and DOD due to hotel booking lead times on this busy holiday week. Register here:

forms.gle

Mextrek #14 Registration

Sign up list for Mextrek #14, Oct 22nd, 2021 (Galeana, DOD)
forms.gle forms.gle

AMIGOS!!!!!!!!!!

It is time for another round of fabulous Mexico riding with friends. Come and explore the amazing mountains, valleys, winding blacktop, and magical towns of northern Mexico with the Mextrek Amigos crew. This trip combines elements from Mextrek 1 and Mextrek 13, namely visiting the towns of Santiago and Galeana, in one trip, while offering great riding for riders of all abilities.

Trip options:

"Lite" Santiago and Galeana, Sunday the 22nd thru Tuesday the 26th

"Afterparty" Xilitla and San Miguel Tuesday 26th to Sunday the 31st (experienced Mextrekkers only)

"Day of the Dead" Guanajuato for Cevantino and Day of the Dead Saturday 30th to Wednesday Nov 3rd (and possibly beyond...experienced Mextrekkers only)

20210705_132151_0000.png


"Lite" Trip Itinerary:

Friday, Oct 22nd: We will converge in Mission, TX (basically McAllen) on Friday night for a 6PM welcome dinner and meet and greet. A safety briefing and next day's overview at dinner should have everyone lined up for Saturday's events. All first timers must depart with the group from Mission Saturday morning, unless otherwise agreed. All riders should have a TVIP import permit and FMM travel visa in order prior to dinner on Friday. Doing this online seems to be the best method given increasing tensions on the border and continual problems with last minute crossings.

Saturday, Oct 23rd: 8 AM Depart Mission, TX for Santiago, Nuevo Leon. Arrive at our respective hotels, unpack the heavy stuff, and regroup on the main square for a nice Noonish lunch. At 2PM depart for the counterclockwise loop of the "Potrero Redondo" track including tackling the challenging climb to La Trinidad will show every rider where they shake out versus Richard's infamous Class 1, 2, 3, 4 road rating system. 55 miles total, it is 20 miles of concrete, 10 off class 1/2, 5 of class 3/4, and 10 of incredible winding highway 20 back to Santiago. Dinner at the scrumptious Compostela indoor outdoor restaurant next to the main square. Late night drinks on the square for the heartiest amigos.

Sunday, Oct 24th: Depart Santiago 9 AM after breakfast on the square. As we are fully loaded choose a less aggressive route than your ability. Guided routes are: Class 1/2 riders via Mex 85 and the twisty two lane into Rayones. Class 3/4 riders over the Gold Standard and all meeting up in Rayones. Then west to Cienaga del Toro and south via the Dual Sport Double Dragon into Galeana. Hotels Jardin and Magdelena on the main square. Dinner at the fancy new food truck court just across the square.

Monday, Oct 25th: Riders are free to explore the Mextrek region. Many will choose a ride south to Camarones, Zaragoza, or any of the 7 guidebook routes to the south. Visit the imposing and challenging 12,000 foot Cerro Potosi if you haven't had enough riding today.

Tuesday, Oct 26th: Depart Galeana for Mission, TX. Cross the border around 1 to 2 PM.

Any questions, contact Peter Shaddock at 281-772-1211. Send a message via whatsapp and I'll add you to my little Mextrek Amigo's group.

Previous Mextreks and other info:
www.twtex.com

Mextrek #13 Santiago "Lite" April 22nd to 25th, 2021

Registration will end at midnight, March 22nd. After that, hotel and guidebooks are not guaranteed! Hello Mextrek Amigos!! Mextrek Mexico Adventures is happy to announce our first group ride of 2021. Host town is the upscale and exciting villa of Santiago, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Question 1...
www.twtex.com www.twtex.com

Many, many more details to come amigos!
Peter, aka Pedro del Norte
 
Last edited:
Registration is open. Registration will close Sept 30th for "Lite" 4 day, but earlier, July 31st for Afterparty and DOD due to hotel booking lead times on this busy holiday week. Register here:

forms.gle

Mextrek #14 Registration

Sign up list for Mextrek #14, Oct 22nd, 2021 (Galeana, DOD)
forms.gle forms.gle
 
What’s the cost of insurance to cover bike there and health insurance in case of accident? Do you guys go by Santiago? All nights are in hotels right? No camping? Any idea on total budget for Galeano lite? Thxs
 
RobFelicci said:
What’s the cost of insurance to cover bike there and health insurance in case of accident? Do you guys go by Santiago? All nights are in hotels right? No camping? Any idea on total budget for Galeano lite? Thxs
Click to expand...
Insurance for you and the bike maybe $150.

One night in Santiago.

All hotel, no camping, food, or coffee kits needed.

$500 to $700 including all visas permits and insurance.
 
I just signed up and sent $ in by Zelle. This is my first MexTrek and I'm on a Triumph 1200. Have wanted to do this for years but I kept screwing up priorities!

I think I'm loading the bike in my 20' cargo trailer from Harker Heights (1-hr north of Austin) for the trip to Mission and if others were looking for a trailer lift for their bike, let me know as I'll have plenty of room! Scot, 703-401-2316
 
note; this is kind of a rough draft atm, and still needs some feedback from the experienced members for me to be confident in my answers.

MEXTREK NEWBIE GUIDE​
Because I'm tired of writing/reading Q&A's in a whatsapp chat that gets 50+ messages a day. This is a WIP. This is meant to be super-concise to keep the doc from being overwhelming.

FAQ's first, because that's probably why you're here. This is assuming you've signed up and are just looking for details. This is not the "Is Mexico Dangerous?" FAQ.

"How do I get my TVIP?" ​

Currently, there are three ways to get your TVIP. Online, at your local consulate (per Austin, Houston or Dallas), or at the border.

- Online: This one is the most convenient, but also the most confusing and the biggest chance to screw it up. If you need your grandson to help you with your iPhone occasionally, I recommend the other two methods. Must submit the request between 7-60 days before you cross. Mine took 3 days to process, they say give at least 10.

- Consolate: The most commonly recommended method. Consider this the Mexican DMV, if you're missing anything, they will reject you.
Fill out a pre-authorization form here
And make a consulate appointment here
Clicking in the top right on 'ingles' should give you the english version of the page. See "other tvip notes" below for website issues

Then come to the consulate and bring the following:
  • Title and/or vehicle registration. In your name.
  • Passport
  • The email they sent you
  • The PDF they attach to the email; Download it. Read it. Print it out.
BRING THE ORIGINALS (where applicable) AND COPIES. OF EVERYTHING. THE PASSPORT/REGISTRATION TOO. Just print every god **** thing they send you. The list might be overkill, I'll cut it down if necessary.​

- Border: The most "practiced". When all else fails, bring your docs to the border office (just title and/or registration, passport), try to go with a group. This one is a bit of a ****, but it's the most reliable. Note:
  • The anzalduas crossing office (that we normally use) closes at 4pm. That means get to the border the day before crossing and get it done quick. There are other ports open later, but....absolute last resort.
  • There will probably be a short line at the office, and an hour of traffic getting back into the US.
  • You can make copies there (there's a little side office, couple bucks a copy), but it's worth trying to make copies before hand
  • Don't expect any english at the border office
OTHER TVIP NOTES:
  • If you have website issues, (it's pretty common) use a different web browser (chrome, edge, internet explorer) and make sure pop-ups are on
  • If you need a destination, you can use "Posada De Colores" in Santiago, where we usually stay for a night
  • Once created, you have physically bring the vehicle to the border within expiration to get your deposit back. Yes, really. You will not be able to bring another vehicle into mexico until the current tvip is finished. (without a trip to Mexico City and a legal nightmare)
  • If you share the bike on loan with a dealership or bank (via financing), you must get a lien stating permission to take the bike into mexico. This could take up to a month, get it done early
  • If you have a weird situation with shared bike ownership or a criminal record, do your research before applying, there will probably be extra steps.
"How do I get my FMM?"​

TODO: From what I understand, this is tied up in the TVIP process, the pre-authorization (before being stamped) is created just before you create your TVIP. No matter what you do, this still has to get stamped at the border.

"What insurance should I get?"
​
Technically? Only vehicle insurance is required. Although, motorcycles aren't really treated the same as cars in Mexico, so insurance usually isn't really expected or checked. In the more remote areas that we ride, that may apply to cars as well, so don't always expect insurance from other vehicles. If your trip only involves Galeana, your accident will probably not involve other vehicles.

The rest of the insurance is up to you, unless specified by Peter. Unlike Texas, the roads we travel on have a lot of cliffs, ravines, potholes, tight turns, washouts, etc. Both trips I have been on have had one or more hospitalizations. If you can make it to the border (either on a bike, or by paying a guy to haul you and your bike), you can then apply regular US insurance, but if you can't make it, you're facing a Monterrey hospital bill. Not as bad as a hospital using a ****** up American health system, but still more than is probably in your bank account. Extraction is up to you, I don't recall actually using it before, because of the related note below.

Other notes:
  • Check with your current policy holder if they have Mexico insurance. Worth a try with what you're familiar with (and speaks english)
  • If using an extraction service such as inReach, they generally will not extract you if you can get out yourself. In most scenarios, you're on a road traveled by farmers or truckers or whatever, so they'll tell you that you should get a vehicle up there or contact locals before the service will apply. If we have a support van available, that will likely be your method of extraction.​
  • ...On the other end of that, there are insurance services that will cover the "ambulance ride". But usually, they will not send out a unit to an "impassable road", which from what I understand is most of the offroad sections​
  • A lot of the mexican motorcycle "insurance" policies are just a form and a phone number and/or email that goes nowhere. Unless you've consulted someone who's actually used their insurance provider before, don't expect any payment without a monthlong battle of phone calls/emails.​
  • For moto insurance, bajabound is the most recommended, although I haven't heard any accounts of someone actually using it. Chubb has been reported as a terrible experience.​
"What spanish should I know?"
​
With the right friends, none, really. And in general, Mexicans know not to expect much spanish from some dumb gringos. But if you want to be more confident being by yourself, you should learn some in a couple key areas:
  • Basic vowels; vowels in spanish are a lot easier than english, just a couple sounds to learn​
  • Numbers. Just for prices, pesos have a higher exchange rate and your prices will usually be in the hundreds somewhere​
  • Food: Pork, beef, chicken, eggs, ​
  • Directions: here, there, north, south, up, down​
  • Some generics, think about a mcdonalds drive-thru; yes, no, I want, I need, good, bad​
  • Hint: alot of the "-tion" words are pretty easy to just end with "...cion", e.g., attention -> atencion​

"What all do I have to actually bring into mexico?"​
Generally, I just bring everything. Doesn't hurt to bring copies. What you definitely need:
  • TVIP form​
  • FMM form​
  • Passport​
  • Mexico moto proof of insurance​
  • Moto driver's license​
  • (Probably) Registration or Title​
Additionally, some extra items:
  • All the base towns should have ATM's, but certainly don't rely on any locations on the way to have ATM's to pull pesos. At least bring enough for tolls, gas, and food for the first, even second day if you can. Maybe $100 US worth?
----- END FAQ SECTION ------
​
Congrats, you've signed up for Mextrek. Maybe. Probably. What now? Well, first, read through the rest of this doc.

Immediate action items, once you're sure you're attending, are to go through a document checklist.
  • Is your passport (or passport card) valid on trip dates?
  • Is your license valid on trip dates?
  • Is your registration valid for trip dates?
  • If you have a lien have you rec'd lienholder permission to go to Mexico?
  • Does your registration's license plate match the plate on your bike?
Check out? Cool. Next up is getting your new documents; TVIP and FMM, described in the FAQ section. Be warned, these are a major pain in the *** to cancel once created.

Got it? Great, you're past the hard part. If not, you'll have to do it at the border later. That's the DMV-esque experience out of the way. Now, go through the personal prep checklist.
  • Is your bike mechanically sound and have you put minimum 50? miles on it in the last month, fully loaded with gear, to test it out?
  • Do you have Mexican liability, collision, and extraction insurance? Worth considering, not technically required.
  • Do you have Mexican health insurance?
  • Do you have life insurance?
  • Does your significant other support this activity?
  • Does your cell phone work in Mexico?
  • Do you have some form of GPS that works without cell data?
  • Does your bank know you're going to Mexico?
Then we get to more trip-specific stuff, dates, destinations, etc. Should be spelled out in the TWT posts and emails. If you're a newcomer, you should get down to the border the day before crossing, before 4pm, and go to the border office and get the paperwork done. (If you went to the consulate, just get your FMM stamped. If not, get the TVIP and FMM done).

There's usually a dinner the night before crossing. Find a group, preferably with at least one experienced member, eat some crappy seafood and get some sleep. You'll be getting a lot of the same info as all the stuff I'll say from here on out.

Boom. Done. Let's go to Mexico!

It's departure day. We'll usually meet as a big group at the border office again; cross over and find us in the parking lot. From there, find your group and be on your way! Now, just a lot of random things to keep in mind.
  • Don't dillydally at the border. The border is the most dangerous part of this trip. Cannonball until you're at least 50 miles past.
  • Always use toll roads where you can. When going through toll booths, have the person in front pay the toll for each member in your group. Then, the person paying stays beside the booth while the other members go through, one at a time, waiting for the gate to close and open between each member.
  • Don't ride at night. Not really violence-related, but drunk drivers, road conditions and wildlife.
  • On highways, locals will pull over to the shoulder to let you pass, then put on their left turn signal, signaling you to pass.
  • Don't have a group larger than ~6. The highways are easy, but when you get into/near Santiago, you'll lose people very quickly in the traffic.
  • There really isn't a speed limit on the toll roads. When you check your mirror to pass a car in front of you, make sure the other car 100 feet back in the passing lane isn't going 30mph faster than you. I've seen people almost get run over many times because they do a quick shoulder check, see the car and think "that's far enough back", and end up almost merging into them.
  • Mexico pavement gets very slippery when wet.
And all of that is really just for getting to the fun part of the trip....

If you've only ridden in Texas, you've seen nothing like this, pavement or not. Twisted Sisters? Big Bend? Not even close. These are tail-of-the-dragon twisties, mountain passes, nasty dirt "roads", river crossings, it's got it all.

BUT.

You've also never ridden something like this before. Do you ride within your abilities? ********. We all "take it easy" until we don't. Every year there are multiple people that are suddenly salivating over this motorcycle fever dream and end up pushing themselves too far. Remember, on the pavement, you're on knobbies (probably), you don't have cell service, maybe you're fully loaded up, and these roads aren't pristine. Just take a deep breath once in a while.

That's it. Have fun, ride safe

- Bebe Mark

Some random notes for those who are still reading for some reason
  • Some smartphones' GPS will work without cell service. If you have one, dig out an old phone and see if google maps works with your wifi. If so, you can download an app that uses maps offline and wal-ah, free GPS. Mount that guy on your dash somewhere
 
Last edited:
Thanks for this info. How about the Mexican health insurance and collision extraction insurance, can u provide additional info? Thxs
 
RobFelicci said:
Thanks for this info. How about the Mexican health insurance and collision extraction insurance, can u provide additional info? Thxs
Click to expand...
I gave a bit, unfortunately I don't have a ton of experience with it, I've taken the cheap way out many times :(
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top