Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/146664
" , . ' "v' , ~ • ----- Standing by the side of the dirt road were two Mexican federal police holding guns, one of which was an AK47, We stopped. As it turned out, they were patroling the road looking for people transporting drugs, primarily marijuana, which is apparently widely grown in this highly remote area, The "federales" were quite friendly, as one of them let Kinney hold the loaded AK47, We eventualy reached our destination of Batopilas, a small silver mining town surrounded by towering canyon wallsThe heart of the town is built along the river and has one main dirt road running through the middle; riding into town for the first time was like riding back into time - into the "Old West." Batopilas is overflowing with history, It was the second city in Mexico to get electricity back in the late 1800s; the first being Mexico City, The mining operation was run by an American, Alexander Shepherd, who was eventually run out of town by revolutionary leader Pancho Villa, The legendary bandit stole much of the town's silver in order to help fund the Mexican Revolution, Before then, when the mining operation was at its peak, Shepherd reinvested his silver earnings into machinery and community improvements, including electrification, When the mining operation stopped and Shepherd vanished, so did the resources to produce electricity, It wasn't until a little over a year ago when electricity was restored to Batopitas, via a "large" riverpowered generatorIt was here where some people might say we "roughed it" for a day and two nights, but for us it was just part of the adventure, Nonetheless, "snivel" potential was high, Our group was split into two hotels, The better of which featured rooms nothing more than four concrete walls, a ceiling, an adobe floor, a couple of beds and one light bulb hanging in the middle of the room. In the other hotel, the rooms were separated by six-foot high partitions, and the doors were nothing more than hanging bed sheets, It had two stories, and the second story floor was constructed of wooden planks, In between each plank was about a half-inch gap, so you could see inside the room below you, and vice versa, No privacy here! You could easily hear someone snoring five rooms down the hallway! Some of the shower and toilets were in separate buildings outside the hotels, There's nothing quite like walking down "Main" street in your shorts with a roll of toilet paper in one hand, shampoo in the other, and a towel draped over your shoulder- I particularily liked the one bathroom that had a light bulb hanging in the middle of the shower just above the stream of water- Operating the light switch was simple - twist the bulb clockwise for "on", and counterclockwise for "off!" Ahh, Mexico! Despite the "unique" accommodations, no one really complained, instead we just laughed it off. "Uno mas cerveza, por favor!" However, things are changing fast in Batopilas, A new hotel is nearly complete, which will feature colorful tile floors, personal bathrooms, including bathtubs and large beds, But it will cost. Rooms will start at around $100 a night, whereas the most expensive rooms we stayed in cost no more than $15 a night. Thursday was a "free" day - no official ride was planned. But most of us, of course, ended up hopping on our bikes and riding six miles out of town to a mission called the Lost Cathedral of Satevo. The small adobe building was constructed in the 1600s but no one, not even the locals, really seem to know who built it or why. We also checked out the ruins of Shepherd's empire - the Hacienda de San Miguel - located across the river from the main part of town. It served as Shepherd's family residence, business office, mill and reduction plant. Our meals in Batopilas were surprisingly good but short on quantity. We ate all our meals in the two-story hotel. There were no menus, you just ate what you were served, usually bacon and eggs in the morning, and refried beans, tortillas and meat at night. Because of the upcoming Easter weekend holiday, there was entertainment in Batopilas. One night, a five-man band played and people danced outside in the village square, Unfortunately, the town's new generator couldn't handle the load of the band's amplifiers. After about every third song, a fuse would blow and poof! Darkness blanketed the whole town. Eventually, the band got fed up, packed up their guitars, drums and accordians and called it a night. Following breakfast on Friday morning, we geared up, hopped on our "mechanical horses" and 'rode out of town, Some of the Mexicans and Indians . , > - - --~--~ -- -~~~. ---,.ti..c::::.....· r - - - ~:1 ' _-::::::::- ';=:-"':::::=-:= (Right) Awesome scenery is never-ending on the Copper Canyon ride. You cross this bridge on the way to Batopilas. (Below) In the background is the Lost Cathedral of Satevo. Leroy Winters, who joined us on the ride, claims to have been the first motorcyclist to have ridden to the cathedral two years ago along a singletrack trail. The trail has since been bulldozed. (Below)This Tarahumara Indian has painted himself as one of the rituals of the celebration of the Easter holiday, or Semana Santa (Holy Week), in Copper Canyon. The sandals he is wearing are made from old tire treads. waved good-bye as we rode past. Hasta la vista, amigos! We back-tracked to Creel but made a couple of detours along the way to visit small Indian villages. In celebration of Easter, or Semana Santa (Holy Week), the painted-up Tarahumara Indians were performing traditional ceremonial dances, (One of the Tarahumara traditions is to "bang the drums." No matter how far away from any town we were, you could stop, tum off the engines and hear in the distance the sounds of drum beats, echoing off the canyon walls.) Back in Creel on Friday evening, the ride was over, but the fun continued. That night in the hotel bar, we watched videos taken of us during the past five days of riding and laughed at one another- Even some of the tourists off the train gathered around and enjoyed the show. Copies of the vidoes were later made and sent to each participant on the ride. The next morning, we loaded up bikes and bodies and caravaned back to the border, approximately an eight-hour drive. But well worth it. . We said our good-byes that night in El Paso, as Kinney and I headed back to California, Looking.back on the trip, I know that I want to do it again, and probably will. The overall trail was fairly easy and mostly two-track. Some sections were a little tough but not too bad. Perfect for dual sport bikes. In fact, Jerry and Betty rode almost every single mile two-up; only twice did I see Betty get off the bike so Jerry could negotiate a short, rough section alone. But there were a couple of times I saw beads of sweat form on Jerry's face while Betty hung on for dear life. Overall, the trail pace was mostly kickback. Our traiImaster, Craig, did an excellent job of leading the way and making sure none of us got lost or made a wrong tum. He usually explained what to expect up ahead, and he seemed to know a lot of the area's history. Without a doubt, the Copper Canyon trip is more than just a motorcycle ride, it truly is an adventure and a learning experience, as well. The Copper Canyon trip costs $875. A steamin' deal, in my opinion. You can rent a bike from GMA, but that will cost an extra $400. Most of their bikes are Honda XRs, and the ones I saw looked beat but seemed reliable. I suggest bringing your own bike but make sure it's in good shape. Any dual sport bike on the market right now would do just fine on this ride, but the more dirtoriented the better- I would also suggest starting out on brand new knobbies. Of the total 400 miles we rode, only 40 miles was on pavement. Most of the terrain was either hard-packed, dry and rocky or sandy. Plus, you need at least 80 miles of range from your fuel tank. As far as jetting, altitude ranges from 9000 to 2000 feet. Also, bring every ounce of paper work you have on your bike. You'll need it all when crossing the border- You'll also need a passport (that's right, Kinney, a passport. This isn't Baja), and a lot of patience. Once you fork out the $875, your only responsibility is getting to El Paso, because after that GMA takes care of everything! Food, accommodations, transportaion, gas, and sometimes, if you're nice and don't snivel, just maybe, drinks too, But don't expect it. Officially, you pay for your own acholic beverages. If you're interested in the next Copper Canyon trip, or any of the other Mexico trips, call GMA at 1-800/642-3933 or 409/ 866-7891. Ask for Les or Leslie French. In closing, don't let the word "Mexico" scare you! It's a beautiful country and the people are some of the friendliest you'll ever meet, especially below the border towns. Just don't ride over your head and take the chance of getting hurt. That's really all there is to it. (;N Now, go ahead and just do it!