watch out in baja

[traderpro2003]

Anyone running 90W or more with the stock wiring? I upgraded the wiring (including recepticle) awhile ago but just ripped it all out. The kit was from totally wired and served a good purpose as a light cut- out switch in add to hi-temp recepticle and thicker wiring. Anyway, I upgraded the left controls to push-to-cancel blinkers and love the new setup. Fred at Arrowhead hooked me up. This switch has the headlight off feature in the cluster...and it rocks. Anyway, I no longer need the over-ride kit and I'm wondering if the stock wiring (sans the OEM light recepticle) is ok to run with a 90W/130W bulb. I haven't asked Fred yet... Thanks all. - Brian

[Jeff Saline]

On Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:49:47 -0000 "traderpro2003" writes:

> Anyone running 90W or more with the stock wiring? I upgraded the > wiring (including recepticle) awhile ago but just ripped it all out. > > The kit was from totally wired and served a good purpose as a light > cut- > out switch in add to hi-temp recepticle and thicker wiring. Anyway, > I > upgraded the left controls to push-to-cancel blinkers and love the > new > setup. Fred at Arrowhead hooked me up. This switch has the > headlight > off feature in the cluster...and it rocks. Anyway, I no longer need > > the over-ride kit and I'm wondering if the stock wiring (sans the > OEM > light recepticle) is ok to run with a 90W/130W bulb. I haven't > asked > Fred yet... Thanks all. - Brian

<><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><> Brian, With that set up I think I'd be using relays for sure. Figure roughly 90 watts is about 7 amps and 130 watts will be about 10 amps. Maybe a tad more or a tad less depending on voltage and a few other factors. But either way that's a lot to put through the stock switch contacts. I think I'd control the relays using the stock wiring and add new wiring to make sure those lights got all the power they require. I've said it before but I'll say it again. Most of the stock KLR headlights have a voltage drop. I think Norm found 1.5 volts drop on his wiring. That's HUGE!!! And if I recall correctly a 1 volt drop on our headlight will be about the same as a 50% reduction in light output. If I got that correct it sure is a good argument for fixing the headlight wiring on a stock KLR. So if the stock system has a voltage drop like 1 volt... I wonder what almost doubling the requirement will produce for a voltage drop. I'm sure it won't get better. : ) I've got the parts to put relays into my system this winter when/if it becomes important enough. Best, Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT

[traderpro2003]

Hmmm...I didn't read this exact story. You're right it is disturbing b/c this isn't the usual $50 forced gratuity. This is armed assault and robbery. I can understand victims' feelings and desires not to go back there. Regardless, I don't carry a lot of valuables and have insurance on the bike. Take it all as far as I'm concerned. It's people with really expensive things and/or a high-profile that tend to stand-out and get into trouble. I've been under the gun in several countries (some with AK-47s) and never once have I lost my cool or anything nor given in to extortion. It's always scary. It might take hours but when your stakes are low and the enemy has everything to lose, they give up or move on quickly. Now, I understand your point and don't take this lightly myself. I remember last year when I returned the second time, I heard a San Diego businessman had been abducted. This was after my brother's KLR blew-up because of a failed doohickey and a group of strangers loaded it into a pickup and took him 50 miles plus to safety. From a guy that finds more good than bad and more really bad than really good...it's a shame. Anyway, thanks for sharing... --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, martin glazer wrote:

> > Race crewman reports latest Baja robbery > > > By Anna Cearley and Bill Center > UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS > > November 22, 2007 > > The violent robbery of an American family in Baja > California early Monday morning is adding to concerns > about safety south of the border. > The latest attack began about 1 a.m. when Chris Hall, > his wife, Debra, and their 16-year-old son and > 21-year-old daughter where driving home to El Cajon > from the SCORE Baja 1000 off-road auto race, which > ended Friday in Cabo San Lucas. > > Hall said their 2007 Ford F-250 was pulled over by a > black car with flashing red and blue lights and a > siren as they traveled on the coastal road just south > of the Playas de Tijuana toll booth. A second car > blocked the path in front of them. > > Hall, 42, is a truck driver and crewman who supports > off-road racers. He was pulling an empty car trailer > after assisting the race team of Andy McMillin, whose > family is one of San Diego County's biggest home > developers.The trailer was identified with McMillin's > race insignia. > > "I think they knew what they were doing,?Hall said of > the assailants. "If I had been a McMillin, I think > they would have kidnapped me.?> > The assailants took the wheel of the Halls' truck, > held the family at gunpoint for two hours, and then > released them at a secluded spot on a mountain, Hall > said. > > The men stole the truck and all of the family's > belongings, Hall said. It took the Halls more than an > hour to walk down the mountain and find help. Mexican > police took them immediately to the border. > > The Halls filed a report yesterday with Mexican > authorities. Chris Hall estimated the family's > personal loss at $70,000. "But we're alive and I > didn't think we were going to be . . . I'm counting my > blessings.?> > The attack was the latest in a series that has put > frequent Baja travelers on edge. > > Stories of at least six armed assaults have been > shared by travelers through the Internet and by word > of mouth. Some, but not all, of the cases have been > determined by authorities as credible. > > One widely publicized attack Aug. 31 involved a group > of North County surfers who were stopped by a convoy > of armed men who used flashing lights to pull them > over on the road between the San Ysidro border > crossing and Playas de Tijuana. > > The surfers were forced out of their vehicles at > gunpoint, and one was ordered to kneel and crawl as if > he were going to be executed. The gunmen took the > surfers' two trucks and other equipment. > > In another publicized case, Pat Weber of Encinitas and > his girlfriend were robbed Oct. 23 by two men wearing > military clothing and ski masks at Cuatro Casas, a > surfing spot about 200 miles south of the border. The > assailants shot at his motor home and sexually > assaulted his girlfriend before stealing $10,000 worth > of computers, video cameras and other gear. > > Baja California tourism officials didn't return phone > calls yesterday asking about Monday's attack. But last > month officials with the state attorney general's > office in Baja California said they were working with > other agencies to beef up patrols along the roads > tourists often use to get to and from the border. > > They urged victims to report such crimes immediately, > but some victims have been afraid of file reports > because they don't trust Mexican law enforcement > officers. > > Three people recently contacted The San Diego > Union-Tribune to report being robbed by Tijuana police > officers near the San Ysidro border crossing over the > past six weeks. > > Their complaints come amid speculation in the Mexican > media that extortion and other misdeeds by police have > increased recently because of an anticipated crackdown > once Tijuana's new mayor, Jorge Ramos, takes office > Dec. 1. > > Authorities are unsure whether the latest accounts > about attacks against tourists reflect an increase in > attacks or that more people are sharing their stories > with reporters or on Internet sites. > > Robert Fishman, director of administration for the > Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego, said he was > robbed of more than $500 in cash by a group of Mexican > police officers Oct. 13 after leaving a Caliente > sports gaming site. He said the officers stopped him > on a dark section of the pedestrian bridge that leads > to the San Ysidro border crossing around 10 p.m. and > searched his wallet and pockets. After they let him > go, he realized the money was missing. > > Fishman filed a report with the San Diego Police > Department, which forwards the information to the U.S. > Consulate in Mexico. However, he said the case > appeared stymied because he couldn't see the officers' > faces. > > Fishman said he does not plan to go back to Baja > California. > > Hall is more adamant. > > "I'm the person who has always dispelled the rumors > about being hassled in Baja California,?he said. "I > have always loved the country and the people. . . . > Before this year, we had never had a problem, only > great memories. But I'm never going back.?> > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------

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> Anna Cearley: (619) 542-4595; > anna.cearley@... > > > > Find this article at: > http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/20071122-9999-

1m22baja.html

> > > > > > > --- martin glazer wrote: > > > Look at the article from the san diego union > > tribune. > > The police are robbing tourists at gun point. The > > Mexican system has a big corruption problem. Getting > > robbed at gun point is not my idea of fun. It is a > > risk I don't need to take. At least in California, > > if > > you get you car stolen, you stand a chance of > > getting > > it back. > > > > > > --- traderpro2003 wrote: > > > > > I spent 2 months riding throughout Baja last year > > > and had no > > > problems. It's pretty simple in the popular > > > cities...don't leave > > > your bike unattended. If you must, sleep next to > > it > > > or have the > > > hotel take responsibility for it. Most hotels > > tell > > > you were to keep > > > it safely and let you know if you need to worry. > > > Most want you to > > > put it in your room! I find this ridiculous, but > > so > > > are the > > > thieves. Bottom-line...stay out of the cities and > > > experience the > > > real Baja and you won't have to worry. And btw, > > > just leave your bike > > > unattended in LA, Boston or NYC...you'll find the > > > same risk here, > > > too. I've seen cars broken into at the border all > > > the time...while > > > standing next to an officer with an M16 that did > > > nothing. Ditto in > > > Boston when someone cutaway a bag I had locked to > > my > > > moto. There > > > were witnesses that saw it and told a cop in > > Dunkin > > > Donuts. The > > > thief actually came into the store like nothing > > > happened...even > > > talked to the cop! The Dunkin clerk said, "He was > > > messing with that > > > bike...maybe stole something." The cop responded > > > with, "How do I > > > know it's not his bike?" What an idiot. I found > > > out all this when I > > > went to my bike after work and the Dunkin clerk > > came > > > out to > > > apologize...worthless Boston police. If he would > > > have asked for his > > > id???? Geeez...anyway, it's not Baja, it's > > thieves > > > in general.... > > > > > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, martin glazer > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > I had my Honda stolen in Tijuana last year. It > > > took > > > > many weeks to get the Insurance straignteded > > out. > > > I > > > > would not dream of driving a Motorcycle down > > > there. Be > > > > carefull. > > > > > > > > > > > > --- mbetcher wrote: > > > > > > > > > This doesn't sound like it's narco-related, > > > because > > > > > the drug cartels > > > > > have bigger fish to fry -- and bigger profits > > to > > > > > make -- than mugging > > > > > tourists. It sounds like good old > > > garden-variety > > > > > crime, maybe a > > > > > little more creative than before. > > > > > > > > > > Although I lived in Mexico for about three > > years > > > off > > > > > and on I have > > > > > little desire to travel there now for the > > reason > > > you > > > > > cite. Crime has > > > > > always been a problem, but at least in the old > > > days > > > > > it was manageable > > > > > if you knew the rules and followed reasonable > > > > > precautions. Now it's > > > > > open season anywhere and at any time. > > > > > > > > > > It's a credit to most Mexicans that they are > > NOT > > > > > involved in mugging > > > > > tourists -- it's the easiest work there is, > > > pretty > > > > > lucrative, and > > > > > there is zero chance they'll get caught, much > > > less > > > > > punished. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In , "Harry Seifert" > > > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > For all you intrepid Baja voyagers, > > > > > > > > > > > > There has been a rash of thugging going on > > in > > > the > > > > > Tijuana, Rosarito, > > > > > > Ensenada area lately. First report was from > > > some > > > > > surfers that got > > > > > pulled > > > > > > over by a black sedan with red and blue > > lights > > > and > > > > > siren followed by an > > > > > > unmarked black late model pick up. They got > > > > > muscled around a little bit > > > > > > and had all of their stuff stolen. The > > > Federales > > > > > and the Municipal cops > > > > > > said the vehicles and men weren't theirs. > > > > > > > > > > > > In todays San Diego Union, the crew chief, > > > with > > > > > his wife and kids, > > > > > from the > > > > > > McMillin race team was pulled over by the > > same > > > > > assholes and held for 2 > > > > > > hours, driven about an hour up a dirt side > > > road > > > > > into the mountains > > > > > and then > > > > > > had their truck, trailer and all of their > > > > > equipment stolen. They had to > > > > > > walk back down the mountain and were "found" > > > by > > > > > the local police and > > > > > > escorted to the San Ysidro border. I > > remember > > > > > this kind of crap > > > > > going on > > > > > > about ten years ago at the height of the > > > NarcoWars > > > > > in Baja. Looks like > > > > > > they're back at it. The details are in > > todays > > > San > > > > > Diego Union Tribune. > > > > > > Really makes me want to go back to Baja!!! > > > > > > > > > > > > Buddy > > > > > > bseifert71@ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >