bansheesandrider Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 So the boss is sending 2 of us to El Centro, CA to pick up a piece of farm equipment next week. We convinced him we have enough room for my Banshee and my co-worker's dirt bike. Because of the work commitment, I need to know how far fron El Centro to the good riding/staging areas, what is available for motels and resturaunts close to the riding area and/or town? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hp2000 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 El centro is close to glamis all hotels are in brawley that is also close you need flags and a day parking pass. I wiuld just park on gecko rd and ride from there. What day you guys going ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
So Cal Suspension Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 So the boss is sending 2 of us to El Centro, CA to pick up a piece of farm equipment next week. We convinced him we have enough room for my Banshee and my co-worker's dirt bike. Because of the work commitment, I need to know how far fron El Centro to the good riding/staging areas, what is available for motels and resturaunts close to the riding area and/or town? If you're going to be in El Centro there are tons of hotels there. The closest place to ride would actually be Gordons, since you'll already be off the 8 (Same sand dunes as glamis, just about 35 miles further south). A week pass is $35 and you can buy one at pretty much any Cycle store in El Centro (There are plenty). Worst case scenario you can buy one at the Ranger station at the entrance to Gordons, or at the Pair-a-Dice Bar/Grill inside the entrance to Gordons. El Centro is a decent sized city... ie, they have a Walmart, and pretty much every chain restaurant there. You'll be about 35-40 minutes from the sand. Like HP said, you will need a flag, and a helmet. That's pretty much all the rules there are... If/when you get stuck, call me, I wouldn't mind coming down to watch you dig out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansheesandrider Posted March 16, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 I think we are leaving Portland early Monday morning and driving straight through to El Centro. We will have to spend Tuesday dismantling the implement and loading it on the trailer. We are going to leave the trailer at the dealer and just take the pickup to go riding on Wednesday and Thursday. Then we are headed home Friday morning. So I was wondering if we should drive back to El Centro on Wednesday night or if there is a decent place to stay closer to the sand. i bought my Banshee in the fall of 89 and have wanted to go to Glamis ever since. I have driven to AZ many times, but I have either not had the time or it has not been possible to take the bike with me. So finally I am going to get to ride the Imperial Sand Dunes! I want to hit Comp Hill and Oldsmobile and maybe hit Boardmanville, so where is the best place to access the sand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ban99 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 (edited) They recently built a hotel/casino near the Algadones exit (right off of I-8). If you stayed there you would be no more then ten to fifteen minutes from Gordons and Buttercup. Edited March 16, 2012 by ban99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hp2000 Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 Hit me up. I might be ridding there on wesnesday or thursday and can show you some of those spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
So Cal Suspension Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 I think we are leaving Portland early Monday morning and driving straight through to El Centro. We will have to spend Tuesday dismantling the implement and loading it on the trailer. We are going to leave the trailer at the dealer and just take the pickup to go riding on Wednesday and Thursday. Then we are headed home Friday morning. So I was wondering if we should drive back to El Centro on Wednesday night or if there is a decent place to stay closer to the sand. i bought my Banshee in the fall of 89 and have wanted to go to Glamis ever since. I have driven to AZ many times, but I have either not had the time or it has not been possible to take the bike with me. So finally I am going to get to ride the Imperial Sand Dunes! I want to hit Comp Hill and Oldsmobile and maybe hit Boardmanville, so where is the best place to access the sand? Oh, if you want to do all the glamis sights, yeah, you'll have to drive up to glamis. It will be quite a ways from El Centro. You'll be about an hour, maybe more to GLAMIS. I think people who have never been there before underestimate it's massive size. The imperial Sand Dunes is 40 miles long... Where you are staying is at the very southernmost portion of the ISD. You can't just jump on the sand in Gordon's and expect to make it to Olds and back. You'd need about two, maybe 3 more tanks of fuel. The things you want to see are at the very NORTHERNMOST portions of ISD. Staying in El Centro: Glamis is about an hour, maybe a little longer. Gordons is 35-40 minutes. Just the GREEN portion is 40 miles long. As Ban99 said, the hotel/casino called the Quechan, is a very nice place to stay. Like he said, it's 15 minutes to Gordons, but you'll be about an hour back to El Centro. If I were you, I would stay in El Centro, and drive to the washes for the day see and do what you want to do in Glamis, then drive back to your hotel in El Centro. Also, if you're not going with someone who's been there before, for the love of god bring a GPS and set waypoints. The most important one is where your truck is in case someone gets hurt or lost. Don't underestimate the size of Glamis. People get lost out there all the time. You'll be going during spring break, so there is a good chance there will be a lot of people out there, so I doubt you'll get lost and die. The GPS is also helpful for first-timers, as you can set GPS coordinates for specific things you want to see, ie Olds, comp, flagpole, etc. Also, if you're starting your ride from the washes, comp, olds, and all the other places are more easily accessible. Every-other wash has a bathroom (shit in a concrete tank, type of thing), The glamis store is right there should you feel the need to buy a $12 tube of chapstick, and boardmanville is accessible from wash 10. I'm not sure if you can still get to it by going under wash 10 or not anymore. If you go to gecko, odds are you will not make it from Gecko, to boardmanville and back on one tank of fuel, unless you take sand highway. But that's boring... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansheesandrider Posted March 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 Thanks for all the info guys, unfortunately we have been pushed back at least a day because they did not get the deal finalized on Friday. I am pretty sure we wil still be going, but if we don't leave Portland on Tuesday mornig we will have to push it back a week because I have an appiontment the following Monday that I have to be here for. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansheesandrider Posted March 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 (edited) We were definetly taking GPS and what not. I was thinking about swapping the six pack rack from the wife's bike so I could carry extra fuel. I knew it was big down there, I have done alot of reading about it and know several people that have been there, but all the info I have was from the perspective of camping on the sand for a week or more, not 2 days of riding and having to stay in a motel. Thanks guys. Edited March 17, 2012 by bansheesandrider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansheesandrider Posted March 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 I was just reading some regulations about Imperial Sand Dunes and it stated that you need to have a spark arrestor. All I have are the older style CSFX silencers with the turn down pipe, is this going to be a problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hp2000 Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 I have never ran one. I live 1.5hr away and im there very often. Flag Helmet Out of state pass Thats what you would need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Titan up Posted March 17, 2012 Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 They don't enforce the spark arrestor rule, 90% of the bikes there don't run them. Get stopped for being a jack ass doing something stupid, then yeah the rangers will start righting tickets for anything they can....Make sure your bikes are registered! You need to display it also on the bike somewhere. In AZ we have "rv" plates that we use..Not sure if Oregon uses plates or stickers? Just make sure It's displayed and visible on your bike. Think about riding at Buttercup too for one of the days. It's literally right off the 8 and the dunes are right there where you park. There's no riding a couple miles to get into the dunes, they're right in your face...It's not nearly as big as glamis but that's actually what a lot of people like about it..It's not so big where you worry about getting lost or having issues breaking down waaay out in the middle of BFE...I mention that because It's just the 2 of you and your not familiar with the area (I did see you have gps though) I am partial to Buttercup, been going there for over 20 years..Our whole group prefers buttercup. We'll hit BC for 3 or 4 trips then the next trip camp across the hwy at Gordons, just for something different, then the next several trips are back at BC...I just like the way the dunes flow on the southern side, we're always in the "good" dunes, the only rutted up stuff is right in the main camping area. Which ever area you ride is going to be Badass! Just throwing my opinion out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bansheesandrider Posted March 18, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 (edited) I have never ran one. I live 1.5hr away and im there very often. Flag Helmet Out of state pass Thats what you would need. Thanks, technically SAs are required in the Oregon dunes, but as long as you don't do stupid shit they don't hassle you over it. One other question- are the closed areas clearly marked so we don't inadvertently get on the wrong side of a boundary? Oregon uses stickers, mine is mounted on a Cascade taillight bracket so that is covered. I will have my Oregon operator's card and an insurance card with me as well. Edited March 18, 2012 by bansheesandrider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ban99 Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Buttercup - 99% of our trips are spent there. I call it the sand dunes for grown ups. Gordons well - I end up crashing almost everytime I ride over there, its a good place but just some bad voodoo for me personally. Glamis - Was great when I was in my twenties, ok in my thirties, and no way in hell you'll catch me there on a big weekend now that I hit fourty. I just can't drink that much any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hp2000 Posted March 18, 2012 Report Share Posted March 18, 2012 Thanks, technically SAs are required in the Oregon dunes, but as long as you don't do stupid shit they don't hassle you over it. One other question- are the closed areas clearly marked so we don't inadvertently get on the wrong side of a boundary? Oregon uses stickers, mine is mounted on a Cascade taillight bracket so that is covered. I will have my Oregon operator's card and an insurance card with me as well. Since your coming from out of state I think you need a visitor permit for your bike not sure though. SA's dont worry at all about them and yes the boundry lines are marked with posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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