This might help if you haven't already watched ...
Has anyone done the New Mexico BDR lately?
I'm in central Texas at the moment and have a free week in October to actually leave town and go ride somewhere cool, was thinking about doing a week solo in NM and camping along the way. Not sure if I'd be into riding the whole NMBDR solo with my limited off road experience, but I plan on touring through several of the towns near it on pavement at the very minimum, so I might as well do a little of it. How difficult is first leg, Dell City to Ruidoso? Been riding for years, just not very experienced on dirt, and only have 80/20 tires at the moment. Think I'll be able to handle the first section without difficulty?
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Yeah, been watching these lately. You think 80/20 street/dirt tires are good enough for the early ones? I know that some later sections get pretty hardcore, think I'll avoid those until I have some knobbies and more experience.This might help if you haven't already watched ...
Not anything close to lately. So you can stop reading here if you want.
It should be dried out by October and perfect for riding. It's a mud pit now for sure with the record monsoons we got. I've seen a very good rider get a 250cc knobbied motocross bike stuck in the mud of that beautiful Chihuahuan Desert.
I lived in Alamogordo and rode that area on a Honda XL250S back in the 70s and 80s. Could never find a way to cross into Texas back then. When you head north from Del City, there's nothing out there. You are truly on your own. Not sure about cell service. Last resort, be ready to walk many miles to the nearest ranch. The worst of it I remember are the deep sand washes that seem designed by god to flip you over. No panic, and constant, steady throttle to lighten the front end a tad, and just bull the bike forward and straight. No idea if that would work or how that would feel on a 500+lb bike. Once you get north of the Guadalupe Range, there are more people.
Who knows what has changed since then. It could be a tourist mecca now. But I doubt it.
Just purchased the map. I may ride down that way. If I do, I'll post back up.
It should be dried out by October and perfect for riding. It's a mud pit now for sure with the record monsoons we got. I've seen a very good rider get a 250cc knobbied motocross bike stuck in the mud of that beautiful Chihuahuan Desert.
I lived in Alamogordo and rode that area on a Honda XL250S back in the 70s and 80s. Could never find a way to cross into Texas back then. When you head north from Del City, there's nothing out there. You are truly on your own. Not sure about cell service. Last resort, be ready to walk many miles to the nearest ranch. The worst of it I remember are the deep sand washes that seem designed by god to flip you over. No panic, and constant, steady throttle to lighten the front end a tad, and just bull the bike forward and straight. No idea if that would work or how that would feel on a 500+lb bike. Once you get north of the Guadalupe Range, there are more people.
Who knows what has changed since then. It could be a tourist mecca now. But I doubt it.
Just purchased the map. I may ride down that way. If I do, I'll post back up.
Phew, sounds like I might want to take it slow and be ready to turn back towards the tarmac. I'd rather my first time off road not be my last, thanks for the info there. I'll be sure to pack a lot of water and some good boots just in case things go sour.
@Wastelander
I'm so glad for your post. Thank you. I really want to go see my old stomping grounds again. Never even heard of the NM BDR before this.
It's decades old info I'm giving you. Play it smart and you'll be fine. Have contingency plans. Yea there's no water. Or fuel. The first water is the Sacramento River just north of the Guadalupe Range.
Pretty sure I've ridden or driven ever inch of the entire NM trail at one time or another. I'm thinking you'd be starting out on the most difficult and remote part of it. Most remote for sure. I'll know more when I get the map. I'm thinking of riding to Alamogordo and staying a night in a motel. Then heading south on 54 and the east on 506. Then make the call to head south to the Guadalupes or north to the Sacramentos. Then back to a motel in Alamogordo again and home. All tentative, depending on weather and how an old man feels.
I'm so glad for your post. Thank you. I really want to go see my old stomping grounds again. Never even heard of the NM BDR before this.
It's decades old info I'm giving you. Play it smart and you'll be fine. Have contingency plans. Yea there's no water. Or fuel. The first water is the Sacramento River just north of the Guadalupe Range.
Pretty sure I've ridden or driven ever inch of the entire NM trail at one time or another. I'm thinking you'd be starting out on the most difficult and remote part of it. Most remote for sure. I'll know more when I get the map. I'm thinking of riding to Alamogordo and staying a night in a motel. Then heading south on 54 and the east on 506. Then make the call to head south to the Guadalupes or north to the Sacramentos. Then back to a motel in Alamogordo again and home. All tentative, depending on weather and how an old man feels.
I am also new to the whole BDR thing - fairly new to off road, generally - but my opinion is you should go for it. Yes, those 80/20's will be limiting, but I started on that same config, and thus learned how to pick up a DL1000 from sand, but also learned the importance of technique ... my point being had I known known HOW to ride in sand, I likely would have saved myself a couple pick-ups!
Hoping whatever your decision, you keep the forum up on your adventures!
Hoping whatever your decision, you keep the forum up on your adventures!
Dell City up to the 506 and into Pinon is the part that scares me. One mechanical failure and I'll be walking for potentially 75+ miles of desert, possibly injured, with no cell service, and I don't see a single ranch in between Dell City and Pinon on the satellite map. Sounds pretty fun regardless haha. Off road or not, I'm gonna stop up in Cloudcroft, Ruidoso, and probably head west to Reserve (there's a cool looking bar there with antique guns hanging from the ceiling). Honestly, the worst part of the trip is going to be that boring, straight interstate thru west Texas just to get there. Appreciate the posts guys!
Wear your Save the Wolves t-shirt when you go to Reserve.
@Wastelander
^Just an inside joke, nothing personal.
Got the Butler NM BDR map today. What a great, well thought out map. Definitely lots of local input and worth every penny. Even has routes I haven't done ever in my many decades here. I'd reckon you better be pretty darn good at wielding a heavy bike off the asphalt for a lot of those routes. When that map warns 'May be impassible', they are not wussie warnings. In wet weather, some of those roads can't be done in a Jeep with mud tires and lockers. Even going west up from Winston to Reserve I wouldn't call easy. Just all depends on the weather.
^Just an inside joke, nothing personal.
Got the Butler NM BDR map today. What a great, well thought out map. Definitely lots of local input and worth every penny. Even has routes I haven't done ever in my many decades here. I'd reckon you better be pretty darn good at wielding a heavy bike off the asphalt for a lot of those routes. When that map warns 'May be impassible', they are not wussie warnings. In wet weather, some of those roads can't be done in a Jeep with mud tires and lockers. Even going west up from Winston to Reserve I wouldn't call easy. Just all depends on the weather.
I'm definitely going to have to grab one of those maps. I've watched a few videos of the BDR, does NOT look like a fun place to get lost haha
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