Baja Rally 3.0: The Next Big Thing South of the Border

2015 was a special year at the 24-hour relay race known as Starvation Ridge. It’s always held late in the year, but last year’s fell on Halloween during Daylight Saving Time, making the race a full 25-hours. Officially the longest endurance race in the country.

Race day we awoke to the smell of two-strokes and coffee in the air. With a late-morning start, Pit Row came to life much more slowly than a typical morning at a hare scramble or motocross event. In an endurance competition, each rider knows the race is not about speed and skill, but perseverance, strategy and luck. Team strategies are built on the knowledge that one can’t win a race like this in the first (18-mile) lap but can certainly lose in that short distance due to injury or bike failure.



This was my first year assembling a team, as I’ve always raced in the Iron Man class. Our schedule balanced the need for fresh riders and appropriate rest times to carry us through the full 25 hours; it was the perfect plan and would unravel almost immediately in the face of foul weather, broken bikes and fatigue.

After a leisurely breakfast and chatting with other teams along Pit Row, everyone gathered around land owner Scott Doubravsky to hear the idiosyncrasies of this year’s race. He explained how we would start: A 1/3-mile foot sprint in full riding gear through a boulder field where our bikes would be resting on their sides. We would need to pick up the bikes, coax their flooded cold motors to life, and race toward a narrow choke point with a swamp bog on one side and a deep pond on the other.



Speeds would then pick up for the 18-mile loop of what would become 20-foot wide muddy troughs connecting steep hills, boulder fields, ruts, access roads, a barn and an old house where each racer would ride through the front door and out the back. Conditions would continue to worsen as the rain picked up near sunset and riders would get no relief from the downpour until just hours before the end of the race.

I finished the first lap in first place but this would be the last time we would see that position until our final lap, where we’d eke out a first-place finish.

My team was composed of four men and four bikes. We’d finish the race with only one running bike and one rider still able to ride—and me on a borrowed bike. On one side of us was a team of six KTM riders who were unable to finish because the terrain had consumed all six bikes. On the other side was a group of brave souls on large-bore BMW and KTM Adventure bikes whose laps were more than double the time of the smaller dual-sports and dirt bikes. For these riders, just completing a lap earned them bragging rights. Brave souls, indeed.



During one of the final morning laps, I found myself held up in a ditch, stuck behind a slower rider. Without warning, a KTM 990 passed me along the rim of the ditch, riding as if he were on a dirt bike. I wicked up the throttle, shot around the slower rider and chased down the KTM rider until I saw him bury the front end in a muddy corner, abruptly stopping any forward motion.

Less than four miles later I was on the wide open track again and looked over my shoulder to see the lights of the 990 tracking me. Not about to be passed again, I rode as fast as my depleted energy level would allow. By the time I made it through the final checkpoint, the big KTM rolled in right behind me. To say the least, I was impressed with this mystery rider. I’ve done races like this on an F800GS in the past and the speeds the KTM was doing were nothing to scoff at.

The race ended with a flurry of exhausted riders and broken bikes lining the pits. Trophy time was filled with crazy stories and humility. The crowd was filled with weekend warriors, a mess of nice folks and skilled riders looking to have a good time. Not a single rider left by ambulance or helicopter and only one local resident was angry about the event (some riders chose to disrespectfully practice before the race on the roads near the resident’s home).

All in all, the race at Starvation Ridge has to be one of the signature events on the West Coast, possibly the nation. It serves as a great reminder as to why many of us took to the sport to begin with. If you’re looking to better your off-road skills for ADV travel, I highly recommend you take the chance to do some of these friendlier events; you’ll learn to ride with skill beyond anything you would (or should) do on your own. The best part… did I mention my team took first place?!

We got a call from Ned Suesse a few months before the start of the FIM Sardegna Rally. It was essentially an interview during which we discussed everything from social media to motorsports, before being asked if we’d like to join him in Italy. All we heard were the words “Italy,” “motorcycle,” and “race.” And that’s all it took.

Sardegna is, for those as unaware as we were, an island off the west coast of Italy. It’s considerably larger than Corsica, although it receives far less notoriety. A summer vacation spot for Italians, Sardegna’s landscape is a mix of Arizona desert, California coast and Colorado mountains. Beautiful is an understatement, and with its rich geographic diversity, Sardegna makes a great place for a rally race—in our case, the 2015 FIM Sardegna Rally, one of many stops on the World Championship circuit—the last of which is the infamous Dakar Rally.

Our call concluded with a conversation about a winery called “If You See Kay.” Having supported Ned’s efforts while racing the Dakar, they’d agreed to fund him in Sardegna, where he would be one of just two Americans participating. Why would a wine company want to sponsor a motorcycle racer? Traditional advertising is dead. Spots in magazines, banner ads on websites or boosted Facebook posts only go so far. So why not spend some of your marketing budget supporting something awesome? And look, here we are talking about wine when we should be talking about racing. Now that’s what I call ROI.

Arriving in Sardegna, a short flight from Rome, we were greeted by Ned and the rest of the “If You See Kay” rally team, including serious go-fast-guy Scott Bright, his wife Cindy, and a young Italian rally racer and two-time Dakar veteran, Manuel Lucchese (also a fast fella). A few days later we also met Dave Peckham from Rally Management Services. A damn fine team.

Ned had rented a house on the south coast of Sardegna, about a half hour from where the rally would start. We spent the next few days prepping the bikes, swimming in the sea, and generally enjoying the down time before things got serious. The race, which would last six days and cover hundreds of miles from one end of the island to the other, would be a brutal test of man, machine and everyone else involved.

The first day of the rally featured a Prologue, sending racers around a local motocross track to determine the starting order. The following day saw the participants depart their hotels at 8:00 a.m., riding more than 100km in the first Special Stage. As luck and good friends would have it, we managed to snag some seats aboard a Land Cruiser piloted by two veteran rally journalists. Without their help we would have been in bad shape, as Sardegna is not an easy place to navigate, nor was our rental wagon worthy of its roads. The Land Cruiser allowed us to crawl our way into places we could have only imagined, edging cliff sides and sliding down steep embankments looking for the best place to shoot photos. Our adventure in the truck was epic, but we’ll save that for another story.

As the rally progressed, day by day, Stage after Special Stage, something became increasingly apparent: The hashtag we’d created to curate our collection of images from the event (#WineDineRally) was right on the money. We stayed at four-star hotels across the island, all of which had been arranged by Bike Village, the Italian rally organization. We ate fire roasted pig at long tables in the courtyard of an ancient monastery, and soaked up the views from our room high above the Is Molas Golf Resort. At the end of each day, we watched the racers tirelessly prepare their road books for the next Stage—highlighters of varying colors strewn across the dinner tables. Oh, and we drank wine… lots of it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1rN8l_mgJc

The race concluded in San Teodora, a small ocean-front town on the east side of the island. After six days, all of which featured a variety of terrain, an abundance of elevation, and as Scott described them “turns that could kill you,” it was a young KTM pilot, Matthias Walkner, who took home the trophy. As for us, Manuel finished 16th, Scott a solid 22nd, and Ned rounded out the effort with an ever consistent 29th place finish.

How do you describe an experience like this? Words fail me. Italy, in particular Sardegna, is a beautiful place filled with beautiful people and fantastic food. The ocean sparkles a cool blue, and the tree-lined trails provoke your inner dirt biker to explore. But the trip home—like any from Italy—was a sad one. Neduro.com | RallyRaid.net

Kyra Sacdalan and Justin Coffey are the co-founders of WESTx1000.com, a multimedia company creating unique editorial and photographic content for the adventure motorcycle community. Follow them on Instagram: @WESTx1000

So here it is, an expo that says if you make an appearance you’re an adventurer… or so you’d like to think. Sure, you can wear the right clothes, ride the right bike, or talk the right talk—but when it comes down to it, when the snow hits will you run to a hotel? Some did, but those aren’t the ones I’m here to write about; rather, it’s the diehards, the troopers, the down and dirty few who say, “Bring it on!” Those of you who survived “Snowverland Expo 2015” stand up and take a bow!

For Overland Expo founder and organizer Roseann Hanson, her steadfast husband Jonathan, and her tried-and-true staff, the 10-day forecast looked grim for OX West in May of 2015. They braced for bad weather and, as predicted, conditions at the Mormon Lake Campground near Flagstaff, Arizona worsened from rain to snow, testing each and every soul who dared take on the event. But through all the struggles to stay warm and dry with wits intact, there was an outcome that only the insightful saw coming: We became a much tighter family.

When you bring together individuals with guts and heart, and challenge them with a common hardship, you get the most electric results. The common goal of surviving a weather-beaten event brought out the best in participants and vendors alike. It also inspired some fun marketing ideas that garnered pre-orders for club mentality T-shirts reading, “I survived Snowverland Expo 2015.”

Aside from the weather, this event shone like no other. From four wheels to three wheels to two, there was something to satisfy everyone’s taste for adventure and get them better equipped to chase their dreams. What’s really fun about the people this event attracts is the fact that the lines of interest remain blurred. You may see participants’ and vendors’ garages housing the gamut of 4x4s, adventure bikes, and sidecars. So, the event’s entire acreage was covered by everything imaginable to make vehicle-based adventuring possible.

I actually welcomed the weather, because I had a vehicle that thrived under these circumstances—a 2015 Ural cT. A big thanks goes out to Mark Tetreau of Scooter and Auto Source ScooterandAutoSource.com of Prescott, Arizona, for lending me his latest to test its new features of fuel injection, and a lower, lighter, faster build. Even though this baby is designed for the city, I was thoroughly impressed with its performance in the deep road “lakes” and multiple mud bogs. And, the quick and easy start-ups allowed me to immediately grab photos of the annual Ural ladies ride.

What really made 2015 stand out was the invasion of the Brits; our cousins from across the pond are some of the most legendary in the industry. We were lucky to have Tiffany Coates encourage loose lips with her Pimm’s concoction for the best storytelling from her cohorts Ted Simon, Sam Manicom, Simon and Lisa Thomas, and Iain Harper. The sweet melody of these global tales seeped out well into the night, with snowfall bearing down after a fun group camp dinner and Bill Dragoo cleaning the last of the dishes before we were all covered in the white stuff.

We poured paths of pine needles to find the way back to our tents more easily by nightfall after the weather continued into the morning hours. And a tight camaraderie waged on in the laundry room as we pumped quarters into the dryers to warm our souls and keep the conversations lively.

By morning, the sun was shining to encourage some bustle to the higher ground vendors in Moto Village while the weather god was smiling. As usual, Pete Day, owner of Mosko Moto MoskoMoto.com, had a packed house of customers-to-be ogling the latest innovation of his popular line of soft bags. Also in rare form, was RawHyde RawHyde-OffRoad.com, leading local rides and the arena whoops skill course to test riders’ big enduro prowess under the adverse conditions resulting from the previous night’s weather. And with over 180 classes, demos, presentations and activities, OX West had all the ingredients to prepare every adventurer for their next journey.

From sand skills and front wheel lofting to DIY hack fixes and how to add electronics to your bike, there was new ground to cover for every interest. It was fun and enlightening to help Carla King lead the all-women open platform class in the cozy quarters of the Mormon Lake Lodge. To our surprise, the conversation steered directly to tips for the men on how to maintain their ladies’ interest in a trip while on the road. Cutting travel days shorter to enjoy the surroundings while not pushing them past their skill levels and comfort zones topped the list. Spending a part of the budget on hotels once in a while to enhance both romance and hygiene also had everyone chiming in. And lastly, including gear and apparel to help keep them warm and comfortable under varying travel conditions. So men, if you want to woo a lady to join you on the road, or keep the one riding on two wheels beside you, these tips are free for those who like company.

Just a zip in the Ural away from the ADVMoto booth was the delightful presentation of Guinness World Record contender Danell Lynn DanellLynn.com in the midst of her “Black Tie 2 Black Top” ride stretching over 30,000 miles through all 50 states and Canada. She shared intriguing and colorful stories from her trip of interactions with people from all walks of life. Also warming the audience was her philanthropic outreach to the children along the way, as she stopped at schools to donate her cultural coloring books. Her 2006 Triumph 790 named “Amelia” showed the wounds of a road warrior, while Danell shined like the adventure goddess that she is throughout the entire weekend.

These types of riders are the pillars of our community. And Overland Expo is the event that celebrates them. Whatever tests the road may bring, you know that those who survived OX15 will be ready for them. They’ll meet obstacles with a thoughtful and good humored approach, and will set an example for others to come. OverlandExpo.com 

The 2 Sun Adventure, Dual Sport and Adventure Bike Event is a two day non-competitive, self-guided motorcycle rally. There are 100 miles of riding each day through desert (Saguaro cactus, Ocotillos, Prickly pear, etc.) and 7,000 foot mountains around the Tucson area. The trails are a combination of dirt roads, jeep trails, and winding pavement with plenty of challenges and photo opportunities. The best riding in Tucson is from September through April. The weather is perfect. Riders from colder areas may be socked in by snow and cold, but riders in Tucson look forward to this cooler time of year. You might say the winter is our primary riding season. That’s why the 2 Sun Adventure Rally on March 19th & 20th is so appealing.

I have been riding in the desert, mountains, canyons, and washes around Tucson for over 20 years. I love the desert, the solitude, the scenery, and even the rocks and sand. There is a lot of public land here within minutes from my home and with a Dual Sport (street legal dirt bike) I can access these places without even having to trailer my bike. I am fortunate enough to have a son who enjoys riding dirt bikes with me. We have ridden all around the state of Arizona and especially enjoyed the experience of riding with groups of dirt bikers in AMA sanctioned Dual Sport events. These Dual Sport events are very similar to racing an Enduro: you ride with large groups of people on preselected routes, follow GPS or roll charts, and sit down together after the ride to enjoy a meal and discuss the day's excitement and challenges. The main difference is there is no pressure to win a race. For details go to TucsonDualSport.com

The rally offers three levels of riding to choose from. Each group includes some dirt roads and pavement with the following differences:

A – Expert. Toughest route with rough jeep trails.
B – Intermediate. Moderate jeep trails. Expert for Adventure riders.
C – Novice & Big Adventure bike friendly. Maintained dirt roads, some short jeep trails, and pavement.

All groups converge for lunch and there is a banquet Saturday night. There will be plenty of opportunities to socialize with fellow riders from across the United States. The rally is not a race; it is a self-guided adventure. Tucson Dual Sport hosts the event and provides GPS routes and Roll charts to participants.