There are few things I’ve wanted to experience more on a motorcycle than riding to the tip of Baja, Mexico. Since I haven’t been able to make that dream a reality yet, watching other guys do it is always high on my list.
Riding down the coast of Mexico has always seemed like the quintessential motorcycle trip. Maybe it’s my love for tacos, or maybe it’s my belief that every long day of riding should end by jumping into water - but something about it speaks to me in a way nothing else does.
This video captures all of that, from the different landscapes and wonderful culture of Baja to the crashing to the way a group of friends grow together on a trip like this. While some of the riders are Baja riding legends, it also shows that you don’t have to be anyone special to go enjoy some bikes on a sandy beach, followed by some tacos, beers, and a campfire.
This video found it’s way on my Facebook feed, with a caption about it being Carlin Dunne and company taking a buddy trip. Dunne isn’t a huge name in motorcycling, but why not is completely beyond me.
The dude is an absolute stud, having won the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb, raced the Baja 1000, was a pro mountain bike rider, and is a super talented trials rider (as seen in the movie On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter). He does all of that while running a Ducati and Vespa shop in Santa Barbara, California with his dad.
The video was posted to the Facebook account of a company called Yeti which, after spending several minutes clicking around on their page, appears to be a cooler company. Why a cooler company involved in making this video is beyond me, but I’m sure glad they did because of the story, photography, and locations.
I love videos that don’t make everyone look like they’re having the best time ever the entire trip or never struggling. Part of taking trips like this is that frustration and struggle and experiencing it all together.
I just need to plan a trip already.
Contact the author at sean.macdonald@jalopnik.com. Follow Lanesplitter on Facebook and Twitter.