Back on the road we pass through Tijuana and are heading south on the toll road to Rosarito. The excitement is creeping back in along with caution but no more so than when certain types of road conditions require your attention. I am riding my 1963 GL with a 177 Pinasco cylinder kit 24G carburetor and BGM BIG BOX. The engine has done 3963 miles now we are in TJ I forgot to check it before we left San Diego but it should be 12. The speed has increased I am trying to keep up with the pack mostly put together by P2's and Lambretta's I presume to be in the 200 class. There is one Primavera kicking some butt with a stock motor and Leovinci exhaust. I can push past the primmy but it's really strange (for me) to be riding at this speed for such sustained periods, I do not do this at home. I do not know the speed because I have not seen the speedo needle since we left San Diego the needle is buried totally beyond the maximum.
There is a gas stop a few toll booths which include photo op's for local police who like the scooters. We are traveling on an open 2 lane highway with few exits along the Baja coastline to Ensenada. I believe we had one casualty on that stretch which was rescued with the support truck. After about half way I become more relaxed and removed my grip from the clutch lever. This made things much more comfortable as my confidence improved with each mile the engine performed . When we would come into a toll booth and slow down I could tell things were good by the sound of the pop when the throttle was closed and the response when opened, could not ask for more.
We reach Ensenada and have a delicious lunch on the wharf. We are treated with the local musicians and all things Mexico it is good. After lunch we take a stroll to Papas and Beer before heading back north a few miles to the campsite. There the big truck hauling the camping trailer and everyone's tent and sleeping bag is all set up the sun is just reaching the magic time which is cocktail hour(s). People are setting up tents and chatting about the days ride. There is a big pot of homemade chili for everyone to eat and fill their tummies for a good nights rest listening to the waves crash and the neighbors blast omm papa into the sunrise.
The next day breakfast is made with eggs and beans and tortilla's and bacon it is good. Some new arrivals are coming in some from the US and some from Mexico. There is a Rallye 180 with California sidecar and Baja plate. There are some scooters being prepared for the day, a Lambretta began having some carb issues and was discovered the choke cable was too short causing a rich running condition. Cable removed problem solved. Another Lambretta has a fuel line re-routed to eliminate a kink and an increase in the main jet size. The days ride is taking us inland to the Valle De Guadalupe. This was such a beautiful day with a nice curvy canyon and stops at two premier wineries. Several of the visitors are looking over the scooters and taking photo's with them. This is fun to observe. Back at the campsite dinner is prepared large pieces of beef flank are cooked over hot coals served with rice beans tortillas and salsa and lots of beer. Tonight's sleep was even better I was exhausted.
The next morning is here again feeling refreshed. Breakfast again is prepared and it's again delicious with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash brown potatoes man it is good. It is the last day and I'm just getting acclimated but it's time to pack up for the ride north. A small group of about 6 of us pack all of our belongings to our machines. I had practiced at home making sure all would fit. This option makes crossing back over the border much quicker because we are able to split lanes to the front. It was not as simple as back home because typically the vendors are set up on the sidewalk not in the lanes. We are back at the Shakespeare pub in San Diego before noon. Final mileage 260.
This was an amazing adventure filled with great riding, views, people, food and drink. Hope to do it again someday!
