The Finish

Finishing the Iron Butt Rally is an experience unto itself.  After over a year of planning, months of training, thousands of dollars spent and a little over 10 thousand miles of riding in 11 days it's over.  It is also a bit strange to see such a crowd hanging about.  From the rider's perspective it can be both welcoming and a bit jarring; who are all these people and why are they cheering?

When I finished my first Iron Butt Rally the parking lot was pretty quiet and I was just happy to be there after wrecking my bike in Utah.  When I finished in 2005 I was completely spent, having made a slight routing error that forced me into riding 1500 miles in the last 24hrs.  To say I was "meat on a stick" would be kind, I was all done.  In 2007 I returned to the finish 14 hrs early completely defeated as I did not have enough points to be a finisher after loosing my rally to a mechanical issue in Edmonton.  I was determined after all the heartache and drama of 2007 that this one would be different.

I have been through a lot of changes in the last six years; a divorce, death of a parent, re-marriage and the bankruptcy of my employer of 21 years forced many changes, some welcome and necessary, others not so much.  I wanted to have fun, be safe and most of all drama free for my friends and family.  As I approached the finish I felt I had achieved all my goals, except I didn't think I would top my best finish.

My route on the last leg was conservative and enough fun that I'd do it again.

Unlike the riders focused on points I didn't dip south after Vancouver.  I had a great ride through British Columbia and Montana, so great that tomorrow (8.13) I'm packing up the truck with the bikes on the trailer to head back.  My wife (she of the real job) is flying into Denver and we're going on a 11 day tour.

There are many different motivators for riding the Iron Butt Rally.  It really is the Mt. Everest of street riding; this time almost a third of the riders who attempted to finish the rally did not.  To be a finisher of the Iron Butt Rally is to accomplish something that fewer people have done than have climbed the real Mt. Everest.  For others it is the competitive aspect, which thanks in part to the Internet and the easy publicity it brings has been on the rise in recent years.  While it is great to watch the riders in it to win it at work, it gives me pause when a first time rider takes this approach.

Then there are the folks such as myself who know full well we are likely never to stand on the podium yet we keep coming back for more.  For us the Iron Butt Rally is one of the greatest games on two wheels.  It is incredibly well managed, fair and so much fun that multiple riders with no chance at a prize enter time and time again.  The friendships made and camaraderie shared through the common experience are enduring.

In my case it was to put away the sting of the DNF in 2007.  I was in that rally to be on the podium and my approach was not unlike how I prepared sailboats for national championships.  At the end of the day I was more prepared to win than to deal with mechanical issues and ultimately that's why I did not finish.   At most Iron Butt Association events there comes a time when they introduce folks that have finished the IBR.  The speaker will start by inviting everyone who has finished the IBR to stand, then remain standing if you've finished two, then three until there is only one rider standing.  Every time I attended such an event and had to sit at two it was like picking at an old wound.  This year the man most often the last standing did not finish the rally due to a mechanical gremlin; I can imagine how he feels.  The other painful memory of 07 was meeting Chace at the finish.  She got to see me at my lowest and I know it wasn't any fun yet she still married me.  It was very important to me that the finish of 2013 would be a wonderful contrast.

This is what I thought about often during the rally; the finish and some happiness for both of us.  When I starting getting too ambitious, or hard on the equipment I thought of how much it sucked for her to have to deal with such a wet blanket in 07.  It is why I ran such a conservative rally, this was not the year to worry about points or beating "that guy" whoever it may be.  This was the year to finish and get a big hug.

Love and Happiness

I was thinking about this hug previously as I rolled down the Pennsylvania Turnpike looking for 200 point receipts.  I didn't want to get to the hotel too early as I'd wake Chace up and I didn't want to get there too late and be so tired that I'd sleep all day.  As I tried to nap on a bench I couldn't help but think that while one more receipt might move me up one place It would put the hug at risk.  Now in reality one more receipt wouldn't have prevented our happy reunion but after 11 days we tend to fixate on the improbable.


A rider I know, admire and respect beat me by 173 points to finish 30th, which means I finished 31st.  He burned up one of the highest mileage tires known to man on the first leg, another on the second and yet one more on the third.  He rode 2,711 miles more than me and if not for rather big mistake he would be have finished in the top 12.  That's the evil nature of the IBR often it comes down to not making mistakes.  This year mistakes kept many favorites off the podium and into the DNF column.  I got lucky with traffic, ferries, hotel rooms and weather all of which allowed me to ride a virtually mistake free if not very casual rally.  I know I feel much better having used my experience and limited skills for the hug and a 31st than if I had gone for the win and ended up 30th.  The difference between 10th and 30th can come down to one receipt.

I got scored with little stress.  I didn't pay too much attention to my final score other than I was pretty sure it was good enough to be a finisher.  It wasn't until they started reading the results that I got nervous.  I figured my score would put me in the bottom third, so when they got to 35th I started to get concerned, then they finally called me at 31st!

One thing I've always said is once the banquet is over nobody cares how you did in the rally, only if you finished.  Since the rally I've run into folks who have offered up congratulations to which I've replied  "What did I do?"   I think it shows how incredible the Iron Butt Rally seems to "normal" people and that only those of us who play the game can really appreciate the accomplishment of those who finished in the top ten or on the podium.  While I know what it takes to win the IBR, I also I know I don't have it and I salute the riders who do.





   

Leg Three

Leg Three

There are certain types of bonuses that I prefer.  These are generally isolated or so incredibly obvious (a lightship for example) that they are easy to find.  Even better is when there is parking available where I can hang my flag on the case for a quick stop; producing a wonderful points per minute figure along with a nice rush.

Somewhere much lower on the list are markers in parks or a cemetery.  This can be a time sink but it is all part of the game; as in make one wrong turn while walking around and you might read 20 markers instead of 5.  This was where I found myself shortly after leaving the checkpoint, in a public park looking for a bronze plaque.  This was after my first bonus which I found with no problem, except when I went to insert my leg three memory card in my camera.  When I turned the camera on it asked if I wanted to format the card.  No, No and for the love of God No!, so I traded that request for a message indicating a "card error."  I powered off the camera, removed and reinserted the card, did a little itguy chant and turned the camera on.

Card Error.


I have to say that unlike the well discussed Old Faithful meltdown I remained remarkably calm.  


I did one more itguy chant along with a second reboot and the card worked.  This was good because while I am sure there was some way to deal with the issue and lose a bunch of points I had no idea what it was and I sure as hell didn't want to call the Rallymaster to ask.

Earlier that morning I awoke feeling refreshed.  Not quite full of piss and vinegar but awake, alert and excited to get going on the final leg.  Before the rider's meeting IBA President Mike Kneebone entered the room and requested that every rider who visited a specific bonus to form a single file line in the hall.

This is never good.  It can mean there was a problem with the bonus.  Each rider was going to have a meeting with the top guy and for some it could quickly turn into a really bad time, depending on the circumstances.  This also delayed the release of the books.  For the last 7 days I'd been making daylight bonuses by under 30 minutes so I commented to the folks at the table that we were losing time.  Considering it was the longest leg of the rally I was doing this to poke a little fun more than anything else, after all the wait as the same for everyone plus I wasn't one of the guys standing in the hall.

When Mike Kneebone entered the banquet room he was not happy.  The issue at the bonus involved people trying to get a cog train to start early and when it did one rider apparently jumped off after getting his photo.   So that's what the game is coming to.  Not only is it cheating but it's really dumb.  Perhaps it's just rose colored glasses for the past but the thought of jumping off a train is completely alien to me or anyone I've ever seen in the rally.   We did the rally for the thrill of it and the challenge of being a finisher.  I could go on about how this was before fuel injection and computers, when men were men and distance was measured either by string or cigarette butts however this would imply that the modern technology somehow makes it easier.   I imagine the 29 riders who did not finish would disagree, however it is different.  Earlier riders had to combat fatigue, mechanical gremlins, crappy headlights and darker roads.  Modern riders continue to combat fatigue (but they seem to lose more) and techno confusion brought on as the game has evolved.  Yesterday's game required the ability to adjust a carb to make it up Pikes Peak (which was dirt) whereas today one must be proficient in loading up a point and shoot GPS while processing a bonus list quickly. Jumping off trains and racing around car dealerships does us no good.  Additionally if people start getting that competitive against each other then I fear the fun of the game will be harder to find.  Part of the thrill of the rally is seeing another rider at a bonus and sharing a little "intel." about what kind of evilness the rallymaster has in store for us.  I hope that I never enter an event where we can't say hello and have the rider on their way out give the rider on their way in a little tip on satisfying the requirements of the bonus.

People have asked me what we get for finishing. "A plaque" is my answer and when they ask what does the winner get I say "A bigger plaque."   I'd hate to be the guy who jumped off a train or tried to cheat for a bigger plaque.

I don't remember exactly what time it was when we were told we could open our bonus packages for the third leg.  Through the process of elimination I had a map file with all the bonuses that had not been used highlighted and had reviewed it before the meeting.  This showed all the locations in British Columbia along with two in Alaska that were unreachable. I had told my wife before the checkpoint that I was definitely not going to Alaska but I really wanted to go to Vancouver and B.C. if I could make the points work.

At this point it became obvious to me that the rallymaster had made a terrible mistake. The problem with going north was that each bonus needed to be worth about 15% more.  Not only was there no obvious play north but with daylight restrictions, ferry routes and sunsets at close to 10pm it was quite a puzzle.  I loved it.  I had banked some extra points on each leg and I took it on faith that if I found the magic string the northern route would not only be fun but I would easily get enough points to be a finisher.

The games in your head are one of the beauties of the Iron Butt Rally and one of the things the rallystaff does very well.  Consider that you're given a book with 50 or so locations spread over most of North America and you have as much time as you want to think about the many ways you can try to solve the traveling salesman's problem, or how to get as many points utilizing the most efficient route possible.   If this isn't enough one can then think about the people who set up the rally.  They wouldn't put BC in unless it would work, would they?

This is classic leg three stuff.  It looks like it should work, by all accounts it makes sense but by golly it sure does look like there are more points to be had on the "vanilla" route along the southern border.

I shrugged it off because I had already decided before seeing the book that I wanted to go north yet I was mildly disapointed that the points were not there.  I felt the southern route would be easier in terms of collecting points but the heat could be tough.  The big challenge with going north was what to do for the third day.  If you went for maximum points you could find yourself having to ride close to 3000 miles in the last 48 hrs of the rally; one thing I was sure of is I didn't want to have to finish the rally with a BBG (Bun Burner Gold / 1500 miles in 24hrs) as I did in 2005.  I had to decide between trying to move up or ride where I wanted to go.

My magic number for this leg was 22,746.  That was the number of points I would need to collect to reach 60,000 points which was what we were told would be the minimum number of points to be considered a finisher.   I felt pretty confident I could continue to ride the way I'd been riding and come up with 23,000 points.

 Between the minimum rest, the call in bonus and the tracking bonus I could count on 5920 points leaving me 16,826 necessary to be a finisher.  These numbers probably would have been good to know while planning my leg. 

I had my outline of a plan and set off.  Little did I know that some of the top ten riders were also taking it on faith and also heading north, however they went to San Francisco first.  While it worked out well for me, it didn't work out well for folks who were paying attention to their results.  Every rider in the top ten who went north dropped a spot or two.  I dropped three, more on that later.

After finding the marker I started north.  It was hot and I was starting to have serious doubts about my plan to ride north.   The more I looked at it and the more I thought about it the more I realized the points just were not there.  I also started to consider how much time ferries can take plus I didn't have the schedules sorted out.  I decided to pull over for gas (early) and try to make a decision.  I decided to turn around.  I was "only" 100 miles north of Sacramento and I was thinking it was better to admit a big mistake now than in five days.

Before I got one exit south I got cranky.  One thing I planned on not doing was spinning in circles while trying to make a decision and here I was moving up and down the same stretch of highway.

I turned around again and went back to the same gas station.  For the first time on the clock I looked at the internet.  I also punched in a route into the Zumo and low and behold it showed me a ferry that was not shown on Street Atlas or the BC Ferry website.

The Zumo and me, we have a funny relationship.  For navigation when compared to any previous generation of GPS, the Zumo comes up painfully short.  As a point and shoot GPS it's very good.  I call mine the entertainment center as my primary use is for satellite radio, weather and the laugh that comes from watching it repeatedly state that that a four lane road with malls and stoplights will be faster than the interstate three blocks to the west.

This time the Zumo came through.  I motored north, still a bit concerned that I hadn't seen any signs of other riders.  It was also very hot with temps indicated in the high 90's.   I was so happy to have my cooler.  For the first time I decided I was going to carry a cooler on the rally and I am so happy I did.  This was part of my casual approach and desire to be comfortable.  There's nothing like a cold shot of something other than water at a bonus or when getting gas.  Being able to carry it on the bike encouraged me to stay hydrated and saved me a bunch of time and money.  It was also set up so I could reach back and get a cold bottle of juice.  I had a pair of climbers chalk bags on my tank bag to use as food and beverage holders.  Intake on the left, garbage on the right.

Plus there's nothing like a cold bottle of beer after a long day of riding.

I continued on thinking that at the very least I was going to be out of the heat soon.  I just wasn't mentally prepared for serious heat.   I was getting tired and quite happy to be closing in on Mt. Shasta.  It's the first mountain with snow, which for an east coast guy is a visual treat.  It's also a point where the interstate rises enough so the air cools off, in this case as much as 20 degrees.  I decided this would be an excellent spot for an afternoon nap so I pulled over, found some shaded grass and slept like a baby for 35 minutes.

In most motorcycling circles The Eisenhower Interstate System is referred to as "The Slab" which is short for Super Slab.  It is not a term of endearment, however out west the slab can actually be quite enjoyable.  The pavement is better, the scenery is incredible and often geological features will force the slab to be anything but straight, flat and boring.

It was in such a section of the slab that I encountered the Big Silver Mercedes.

I really don't think I was going *that* fast and in reality I wasn't but as I came up on this big Benz the driver was waving and fist pumping and gyrating all the hell over the place.  I was amazed he wasn't weaving all over the road but the Mercedes was tracking straight and true.  He must have popped for the "autodrive" feature.  I approach with almost extreme caution, the last thing I need is some  homicidal one-percenter knocking me into a ravine when I realize he is waving at me to go faster. Then I notice the only blemish on the Big Silver Mercedes is an Iron Butt Rally plate frame.

Giving me the big thumbs up was none other the Bill Watt along with Maura Gatensby.  Bill hails from Vancouver, is a wonderful guy and the architect of the Trains Planes and Automobiles theme; Both Bill and Maura are rally veterans and were helping out at the checkpoint.  I think Bill was so happy to see me because it meant that at least one rider was going north.

We exchanged pleasantries and I motored on.

Bill you'll always be number one in my book

Speaking of Bill Watt, he spent close to six years setting up this rally and collected over 500 great locations for us to visit.  As a rallymaster I can tell you that 500 bonuses is about 350 too many but the result was we got the best of the best.  The effort that went into putting together this rally was impressive to say the least.  A big reason why I was going north was because in addition to just wanting to I was counting on something special courtesy of Mr. Watt.

Finally I got to Oregon and headed west to the coast and the Columbia lightship which is now part of a museum near Astoria.  I wasn't going to make the other daylight bonuses that would take me through Seattle so I changed my plan to head to Port Angeles to get a room and await the first boat across to Victoria.

After bagging the photo of the lightship I ran into Paul Pelloquin at a gas station.  We said hello and had a quick chat about our plans for the next 24 hours.  I always enjoy meeting another rider and chatting about how it's going, the weather or where we're headed.  In this case it was getting dark and we determined we were both planning on riding the same ferry in the morning so we decided to ride together to Port Angeles.  In true rally fashion this led to our sharing a room.

I should have asked him if he snores.

 The next morning we made the boat with plenty of time to spare and were joined by Greg and Pat Blewett on their Gold Wing and a gaggle of other riders on random sport bikes.  I had a great nap on the ferry and I was able to get some 5 minute epoxy to address a small weep from my aux tank.

I was asked how I could possibly sleep so well on a ship with all the vibration and noise.  I remarked that it was like going home; I love sleeping to the constant hum of a big diesel and no matter how sound asleep I am if the motors were to stop I always wake up.  I thought about this while I was riding and figure it must have something to do with why I love the boxer twin so much and I find inline fours and sixes so bland.

We got off the fist boat with 45 minutes to get across Vancouver Island to the other boat while stopping to photograph a helicopter for almost 6,000 points.  While it sounded close Mr. Watt didn't disappoint and it was easy to do with a minimum of fuss.  It was while waiting for the second boat that traveling with other riders who happen to be medical professionals came in very handy as my earbud came apart, leaving me with the cone stuck in my ear.  I had the pliers and Greg had the skills to save the day.  I wish I had a photo of him going at my ear with my muti-tool.  We were also joined on the second boat by John Coons.  It's always good to have a top ten rider show up, it makes one feel wicked smart.

90 minutes after boarding we were off the boat and headed into downtown Vancouver to photograph another Big Boy Locomotive.  My plan was to head to the Northeast the others were going south.

It would be difficult if not impossible for me to describe the day I had after leaving downtown. I took the TCH to Malawaka, then over to PH95 and down to Cranbrook for the night.  The scenery is stunning in every direction, the roads follow the rivers and speeds are high.  This was the money day of the rally and I had a ball.

For this rally the rest bonuses worked out very well for me.  They would have a requirement to start anytime on a specific calendar day and if you started it before midnight you could include time to the next morning.  Rather than define the amount of rest time we were given a point per minute value.  To claim the bonus we were required to get a computer generated receipt with a time stamp to start the rest and another to end it, with the two receipts ideally coming from the same place, if not they can be a reasonable distance apart.  I took advantage of this by getting a start receipt at as close to 00:00hrs, sleeping my planned amount and then getting another start receipt as close to but not after 23:59.  Whichever rest turned out longer was the one I claimed.  For leg three this meant I could claim either the five or so hours I was sharing a room with Paul or the close to six hours I got in Cranbrook.  Over the first two days of the third leg I got 11hrs in bed and a 30 minute afternoon nap to boot.  That should be good for a golden pillow award.


When we were on the boat we all broke out our various tablets and laptops to plan.  The problem was points, time and mileage.  We had plenty of time, not enough points and depending on how many points you wanted a big helping of mileage.  I figured I'd motor east, see what I could get out of the Chicago string and then mop up low hanging fruit near the finish.  While Paul and John were not going to Cranbrook because it was too far from other points I figured that if I went there I'd arrive just before midnight and get some sleep next to big points.  I reasoned that no matter what direction I go I'll be ready for my nap at midnight anyway, why not say in BC just a little longer and sleep near points was good enough for me.

I exited BC into Montana.  Montana... What can I say other than Montana rocks.  Speed limit signs full of bullet holes and "Reasonable and Prudent" still carries the day, especially off the interstate.  There's a special feeling of being alive when riding two lane blacktop with closing speeds of 180 or more with a dually towing a fifth wheel horse trailer.  Yippie ki ya...  I stayed off the slab, did my best to beat the heat and made great time east.

As I made my way east I started to get optimistic that I could run the string from Superior Wisconsin down to a cemetery in Chicago, with a swing by Sparta, Wisconsin and the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee.  The cemetery closed with locked gates at 5pm SHARP (emphasis from the rallybook) so it was a day with little slack, so little that when I went into a Subway sandwich shop at lunch I couldn't wait in line.  If I had I would not have run the string as I made it out of the cemetery with under 10 minutes to spare.

From there it was into downtown Chicago to photograph the sign indicating the beginning of Route 66.  I wonder if the rallymaster knew about the street festival that closed 8 square blocks near the start of Rt. 66. Good times.

It is now close to 6pm, it's hot and I'm in downtown Chicago with approximately 500 miles and 13 hours of rally left.  If I'd been anywhere else I probably would have found a nice patch of grass and taken a good nap, instead I joined the hordes of commuters heading south and grabbed some more points in Dyer, Indiana.

In Dyer I stopped at a large gas station / convenience store, my favorite kind of place.  I felt like my rally was complete, I had a good ride, a great time and all I needed to do was ride 430 miles in the next 12 or so hours so I relaxed a bit.  I found myself talking to a bunch of men who claimed to be riders; I was a little put off on the number of guys coming over to comment, then I took a good look at my bike.  It was a mess. Between the bugs and flies of British Columbia and the 20 miles of fresh chip seal in Montana my bike looked like hell.  I hadn't showered or attempted any meaningful hygiene since the checkpoint nor had I checked a mirror but I figured I probably didn't look much better than the bike.  I went down the street and other than at the second checkpoint ate my first meal at rest since the start of the rally.  All in all I spent a little over an hour in Dyer.


Over the years the last 12 or 24hrs of the Iron Butt Rally have defined the top riders.  From not getting a six pack of soda to mechanical failure 100 miles from the finish the last 12hrs of the rally is a great place to witness the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.  Often there are some easy bonus points to be found within a few hours of the hotel, often it will require riding past the hotel to get more points.  Mid pack and the weak throw in the towel as soon as they can smell the barn, others like my friend the late Eddie James will ride right up to the last possible minute.

I had spent a lot of time in the rally thinking of Eddie and how in 2005 when we both realized how far we had to go to the finish we split tracks with me making it back with two hours to spare and Eddie coming in with about 10 minutes left and 2000 more points.  I decided to give one more nod to Eddie.  I'd go past the hotel and run down some points along the PA turnpike by visiting the rest stops and making a purchase.

But first I felt a little nap would be in order.

Nap completed I ran the turnpike and passed the hotel at about 1am.  The rallymaster had mentioned they'd have the checkpoint open at 4 so it would be downright embarrassing to get there three hours before that so I started down the turnpike.  Each rest stop represented 125 or 200 additional miles and I had seven hours before the penalty window.  I thought I could get two or even three however to get the third I'd have to be able to use the employee lot which is connected to the local roads.  This could save close to 120 miles.  While you can't drive from the employee lot to the pumps you could walk to the convenience store, or so I hoped but in this post 9/11, homeland security world the rest areas are surrounded by high fencing, barbed wire, video cameras and you need a swipe card to walk from the employee lot.

Ah nuts, time for another nap.  For this nap for the first time in the rally I went for the quick and uncomfortable Iron Butt Motel style spot on a wrought iron bunch that was too short and too narrow.  After about 10 minutes I said to myself "you've been relaxing and living to be comfortable for the entire rally, why change it up now for 200 more points and by the way who are you going to beat and does it matter?"

Indeed.  So I got up and rode to the finish.

Next
The finish

The bike

The bike

The Iron Butt Rally can be very hard on a bike. From taking Sport Tourers down goat paths to running an over-loaded dual sport on western interstate the rally offers plenty of opportunities to make a new motorcycle old in only a little over a week.

Fortunately I had no significant mechanical issues during the rally.  I used an acceptable amount of motor oil and the only challenge was a weep from a fitting on my auxiliary fuel tank.  I addressed this on the ship using some 5-minute epoxy I begged from one of the crew.  Sailors care for their own  and they were happy to help.  My biggest frustration was the fresh chip seal I enjoyed for 20 or so miles in Montana.  It got everywhere and made a bike that started the rally with around seven thousand miles look like an old wreck.

Eww.  This was the last night.  I didn't look much better.

The bike is a 2012 BMW R1200 GS Adventure.  The Adventure model comes with a little taller suspension, crash bars, aluminum panniers, fog lights, upgraded wind protection and best of all a large (8.9) gallon fuel tank.

This is the bike I love to ride.

That's important because to enjoy the Iron Butt Rally you have to love your bike.  I've heard it said that the best rally bike is one you love enough to ride for 11 days but not so much you're unwilling to take a drill to the fairing.  Fortunately I found a way to ride a bike I love too much to butcher *and* the bike is a perfect platform for the rally with very few modifications.

My goals for the bike were reasonably simple and in no particular order.

Comfort
Performance
Range
Post rally daily rider

For the issues above I addressed comfort with a custom seat from Rocky Mayer.  This is actually a seat he made for a previous GS which I would not sell with the bike.  It won't go with this one either.  I also added a removable Touratech locking windscreen spoiler.  I chose this one because it is removable.

Between the seat I already had and the spoiler I made the bike almost LT like for interstate work *and* I didn't have to spend a ton of cake!

Auxiliary lights were ordered from Future Vision, FV90's to be precise.

Everything else was simple and bolted on or plugged into existing mounts.  The fuel tank required the removal of the adventure rack (a rather heavy item) with the tank using the same mounts for a very clean installation.   The storm case is mounted to the top of the tank.  The tablet is on a custom mount that clamps around the handlebars.

As an aside some might say extra fuel on a bike that already holds almost 9 gallons is silly, however I was usually getting fuel with between .2 and .5 gallons remaining so the extra capacity directly translated in to stopping less.

Electrically the only additions were the connection for the HID lights for which BMW provides taps and the installation of a Curt Gran FUZEBLOCK under the seat.  There are a few sources on the GS for switched power, one was tapped for the FUZEBLOCK.  One switched 30amp circuit off the FUZEBLOCK fed the equipment in the storm case.  This included the power supply for the tablet, six USB sockets (not all used) phone and camera battery chargers.  There were two wires into the case.  The GPS units were wired to a factory connection and were switched.  One benefit of this design is there were only two additional rings on the positive terminal of the battery and four connections to BMW plugs. There are no splices or cuts to the wiring harness anywhere on the bike.


I had mentioned that the bike I rode in the rally would be returned to stock trim as a "woods weapon" and that's I'd be in the woods with it the weekend after the rally.

It took a few days and I'm still not done but on Thursday I posted a the photo below.

The rear wheel has been cleaned of the chip seal, front has not.  I think you can see the difference.

True to form I did get into the woods over the weekend however it wasn't on this bike.  For reasons not completely known, I spent Friday riding a new water boxer, rode K16GT home friday night, only to return with the GT Saturday morning to grab my GS Adventure Hack (sidecar) and take *that* for a few hundred miles including a jaunt down a class IV road in the woods of New Hampshire, but as they say that's a story for a different campfire.

 The dealer behind the bike

It's not possible, nor would it be polite for me to talk about the bike without mentioning the dealer who makes it all possible; after all I'm still buying new BMW's even after 2007 and it isn't because a member of the Quandt family sent me a Christmas card.

Ergo my dealer must be pretty good.

I met Max Stratton of MAX BMW MOTORCYCLES on day 7 of my first Iron Butt Rally.  I had crashed outside of Moab, Utah and done quite a bit of damage to my bike.  Because of the crash I made it to the checkpoint with less miles than I expected and decided not to get tires.  At the time there was a guy known as the Tire Nazi doing mobile tire service.  We had a deal, him and me that I could call him from the rally and he'd meet me "anywhere."

I called him on my way north and he told me "anywhere" had to be off I-95 south of DC as he was heading to Florida for a girl.  As an aside I'm not sure if we ever saw him in New England since, he was a true flash in the pan.

Now my tire plan is blown.  Thanks to being an early adopter to the cell phone in the helmet I made a bunch of calls and had a buddy meet the Tire Nazi for a rear off his truck, go to my house for a front and meet me.  The question was where?  I was too close and would be too late if I used my regular dealer in Rhode Island and I wanted to avoid Boston if possible.

Max had been open just under a year in North Hampton, NH as the area's first exclusive modern BMW corporate endorsed store.   I called and heard the party line from a service manager that didn't want to get involved in doing something "today" with tires he didn't sell, spewing bullshit about insurance and crap.  I played every card in the deck and told him that I'm quite confident that after I speak with this Max fellow we'll be good to go.

Upon arrival my buddy took over, separating myself from the hysterical service dude who was pissed that his boss had never actually heard of me, yet told him to help.  He was pissed at me for getting pissed at him as after his initial rant I said, screw it we'll to go Gorham, to which he replied "you can't leave."    I doubt to this day the service writer has any idea how close to death by mugabmo he was.   Peter guided me to a patch of grass, pointed and said sleep.  Every time the mechanic wanted to wake me up to tell me yet another reason why my bike should be put in the dumpster out back he guided him back to his lift. This was a great example of having the right friend at the right time, the 'Shagger was able to convince all parties of what needed to happen now, even if they didn't necessarily agree.

Max arrives and inquires about the dead guy on the lawn.  I wake up, we're introduced and I tell Max all about the Iron Butt Rally.  His reply was to ask me if I'd like a shower.  Short of a steak and some showgirls at that moment in time there was nothing that could possibly top a shower.  Turns out Max races almost anything with wheels and a motor so he took to the idea of riding bikes for 11 days immediately.  He's also smart enough to consider the benefits of multiple customers riding their bikes 11k in 11 days although for this he'd need a bigger lawn.

I arrived to the Maine checkpoint on a motorcycle that shouldn't be there, looking like I had not a care in the world.  IBR scribe Bob Higdon's first question to me was "What are you doing here?"

From 2003.  Big antennas and mustache.

Since meeting Max I've had even more fun on two wheels.   From building LD Rally bikes,  racing HP2's, vintage in the woods, Rally Moto and simply having a great time with my wife and friends on motorcycles MAX BMW MOTORCYCLES has been am amazing shop to work with.

Since their start over a decade ago MAX BMW MOTORCYCLES has grown to be the premier BMW dealer in the Northeast.  With locations in New Hampshire, New York and Connecticut and a fleet of Sprinter van MAX BMW is the place to go for all things BMW Motorcycle.

But wait, there's more!  If you're a fan of LD Riding in New England, Max is for you.  He sponsors the Minuteman 1000, a really neat 24hr rally, a new 10hr ride and a bunch more.

Visit Max's website or sign up for his E-Rider on his events page.

Thanks Max!

Next

Leg Three

CP2: Oh Captain, My Captain

CP2
Oh Captain, My Captain



The Iron Butt Rally is designed to be a test of the rider and machine.  In the early days of of the rally simply getting a motorcycle to the finish with three mandatory stops along the way was was an achievement worthy of being a finisher.  This was known as a base route ride.  As motorcycle design has progressed to the point where spooling off Saddle Sore 1000's for 11 days on the interstate is no big deal the organizers dropped a checkpoint and made the requirement to be a finisher points based rather than on miles ridden.  This eliminated the ability to ride a base route.  As in almost every Iron Butt Rally held, the degree of difficulty along with the point values go up in the final leg.  With this in mind I was determined to have a good stay at the second checkpoint.

Get scored, attend to bike, get sleep.

A few hours before arriving at the second checkpoint I was feeling pretty good.  I was starting to see other riders and that's always good for a boost. This is when I started to worry about getting stuck in a scoring que and tried to do a "splash and go" for a fuel stop.  A "splash and go" is a short tank, filling the main tank until the trigger pops.  No aux fill and no top off.  Because I was running a tracking device I did not need to keep a fuel log.  For the second leg I went all in on this bonus and didn't bother keeping receipts for fuel.

Other than costing me 30 minutes looking for my whiz bang super speedy gas cap that both my wife and dealer told me I'd loose it was a great idea.

While I looked for a small black cap that I heard pling off the bike at speed I had plenty to time to remind myself that it's really easy to be stupid on the IBR.  Thankfully it happened at a time and place where the potential to minimize the impact of my dope move was very high as one of my last stops for points was to be A&S BMW.

I made an intermediate stop and rolled into A&S as the mechanic as getting ready to leave.  They were open on this Sunday afternoon by appointment for IBR riders who needed tires and service.  While they didn't have an aftermarket cap they did have a '12 GSA on the floor.  I heard the bike telling me to take anything I needed.  The mechanic heard it too and before the GM could come up with a reason not to help me out the fuel cap assembly and an ignition key to the bike was in my hand and my card was on the table.  It's not rallying if you're not ready to throw down a VISA card before hearing the balance.

Back on my way to the checkpoint I was ready to reveal my secret weapon, my ace in the hole or more to the point a complete stranger I recruited off the Internet.  Adventure Rider to be specific.  Three weeks before the rally.  The rider's version of speed dating

On the 18th of June I sent the following request to "Capt. Ron."

Good morning,

I saw your gracious offer of help to a rider in the upcoming Iron Butt Rally and I'm wondering if I could also ask for a little assistance.

Specifically I need a friend I can ship a set of wheels to.  Ideally this friend would receive the wheels and bring them to the hotel on the afternoon of the 7th along with a torque wrench and if possible a small jack.

If you could help out I would be grateful and gladly send you a nice bottle of your favorite hooch or perhaps some genuine real Vermont maple syrup.

My direct email is xxxxxxxxxxx and my phone is 401 xxx-xxxx

Thanks very much.

- Rob Nye

A rider couldn't ask for a better "pit stop."  Also another example of my keeping fine company.

That PM generated a welcome station the envy of riders near and far.   After the first checkpoint I was a little less inhibited about asking for help and Ron delivered.  It went from "Did the tires arrive?" to "Are you any good with a wrench?" about halfway from Pike's Peak.  Thanks to Ron I was able to sit and prepare for scorning while he changed both wheels and replaced a bulb on my GS.   This was a vast improvement from the first checkpoint and I got scored with no issues and even managed to get a plate of food.  I even moved up a few spots in the standings which I sort of expected.  I figured my float level for the rally was in the mid 20's or so and if I kept riding error free and executing my plans I'd be ok.

Leg 2 as ridden.

In addition to painless scoring and the excellent service on the bike I got to spend a few minutes with some of my LD Riding friends from the west.  It was great to get a high five and chat with you guys and gals; thanks for coming out.  I can't say I blame you for never coming east of Denver.

I had looked forward to the California checkpoint.  I love riding in the west, I have some great friends to visit and if I do it right I'll be ready for the final leg which I figured will be the best riding of the rally.  I felt that if rested I could make a choice, ride hard for points and see how much I could move up or go for a great ride.  I was hoping one could combine the two; as I drifted off to sleep I looked forward to getting the book in almost 8 hours.

Next

The Bike

The second leg

The Second Leg

The Leg 2 book was distributed at 06:00 on Friday the 5th of July.

We had until 20:00 hrs PST on Sunday July 7th to present ourselves at a Marriott hotel in Rancho Cordova, California.  If you left the hotel the second you got the book and took the direct route you'd have 65 hrs to do 2,465 miles.  This would require an overall rate of advance of 38 mph, which is quite sedate.

Most riders will have an anticipated mileage for each leg of the rally.  The variable is the overall rate of advance or VMG (velocity made good).  In my case I use 47 to 48 mph, so my potential mileage cap is right around 3100 miles.  With the straight line route taking almost 80% of my potential mileage it became clear that something like a repeat of Key West would be a sucker play.  Leg 2 was shaping up to be what I'd call a Squadron Run, with everyone staying mostly to the same route with timing and options making the difference.  I also felt that given the nature of the leg the rally would follow tradition and there would be plenty of opportunities to gain spots on the final leg, if one was ready to go when they got the final book.

One thing I was not ready to do when I got the second leg book was go.  For the first time in the rally I needed an alarm to wake up and I was a bit groggy.  I tried to sleep as late as possible so the bike was not packed.  Other than change the tire I didn't do any of the housekeeping items I had planned, however none were super critical.  I digitized the book and went upstairs to plan my leg.

Leg 2 Bonuses 

One great thing about color coding the waypoints is it can help identify strings or clusters.  In this case the green flags are the Pony Express bonuses and the four red flags in Colorado represent Pike's Peak and a few others.  While the front runners were ready to go I was thinking a mid-day nap under a tree would be fantastic.  I figured the Pony Express combo wasn't for me so I headed west planning on the easy stuff with an arrival to Colorado early the next day.

Did I mention I blew the checkpoint?  I did all sort of little stuff wrong and didn't get my electronic files set up properly.  I got my first few bonuses, then found myself at the Air Force museum spending almost 30 minutes for 100 points.  This was no way to rally so I took another 15 minutes, got my plan back on track and continued west.

The Race is On

Now the race is on and here comes pride up the back stretch
Heartaches are going to the inside
My tears are holding back, trying not to fall
My heart's out of the running
True love's scratched for another's sake
The race is on and it looks like heartaches
And the winner loses all
-lyrics by Don Rollins


Much has been written about the Iron Butt rally as being a race.  I have said it's not a race until you're not on the bike. Since my first rally it seems people have really taken this a bit too seriously.   I noticed that there were some people who were ready to sprint to their motorcycle seconds after receiving the book.  Jim Owen made a quick departure the thing to do on his way to winning the IBR and the trend of using mostly time or daylight restricted  bonuses makes the idea of getting going quickly appealing, so long as one knows where to go.  Then there's the business of collecting bonus points.

Most bonuses will require a photograph of a specific object.  Sometimes this may be of a train at a specific stop, or a natural event such as a photo of Old Faithful.  For almost every photo your rally flag must also be in the photo and to further complicate the issue some photos require you to include your motorcycle in the picture, or if not possible to take a second photo with your bike.  On top of all this you may also be asked to return with a receipt or specific item too.

Like many riders I have a routine to make this process as efficient as possible.  Ideally I can park the bike just so, hang the flag on the bike and get a quick photo.  Log it in, close up the case and I am off to the next bonus.  Where things get a little trickier is when we're instructed to do something like ride a tram with specific open and closing hours.  One of the core rules of the rally if the book says something opens at 9 and you get there at 8:45 and it's open that you wait until 9 to take the picture.  It's also pretty clear that if the instructions state to ride a train, you must ride the train its entire length, not jump off as soon as you get your picture.  Apparently both events happened on Leg 2.

This gave me a chuckle and pissed me off.   If I planned a 600 to 750 mile day and I'll need to shave a minute or two by jumping off a train my chances of success are dim.  The IBR is about doing your best; at the end of the day your biggest competitor is yourself.  I've learned from experience getting all amped up because you're around other riders and now it's a "race" is a great way to loose not only points but important items (like a gas cap).   It pissed me off because we spend a huge amount of time explaining how we're not racing on public roads, which is true.  We set our routes based on what we feel we can accomplish and then try to execute it.  People who have been too ambitious spend more time talking to Law Enforcement than getting points.  People who jump off tourist trains reinforce the misconception that we race around at crazy speed for 11 days.  For the record I did this years rally with no radar detector and I received no tickets.  Lovely!

If you're inclined to enjoy yourself one of the real treats of riding the Iron Butt Rally is the rally book proper.  Not only does it contain the instructions but it will include a little bit of information on the location we're to visit.  The rally will have a theme, this year it was Trains, Planes and Automobiles.

Having the ability to search and read the rallybook on the tablet was a huge benefit, if not for my performance then my enjoyment of the rally.  While many were scribbling "chevy dealership, photo mural inside" or such on an index card I was able to read the actual book, over and over.  Here's the listing for the "Chevy dealership"

HCD 204 points
Hare Chevrolet
2001 Stoney Creek Road
Noblesville IN
40.03023 -85.9982
Mon - Thur. 9:00 am - 8:00 pm,
Fri - Sat 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

The United States longest-lived family-owned vehicle retailer Hare Chevrolet has been
in business for over 160 years, giving them the title of the "Nations Oldest Transportation
Company". The saga began in 1847 when Wesley Hare started building wagons,
carriages and buggies out of his log cabin in Noblesville, Indiana. His primary market
was the steady stream of Americans heading west to California to pan for gold.
Take a photo of a portion of the 90-foot long mural inside the dealership depicting the
company's journey.

Here I am riding my motorcycle all over North America and I'm going to stop in at the "Nation's Oldest Transportation Company."  How cool is that?  As I arrive it's just like I imagined; a big Chevy store in the heartland.  I walk in and ask the receptionist if they mind if I take a few photos.  As I unwind a small crowd gathers and the ladies excitedly tell me "You're in FOURTH PLACE!"

I said it isn't a race to which they replied that from the way the first three acted it sure seemed like one.  I really felt like a tortoise at that point, with the hares racing ahead while I chatted with the son of the current owner.  I asked if along the way any of the sons had six daughters before a son.  This got a chuckle and the explanation that & Sons part of the company had been dropped a few generations ago but it was still family owned.

Hare Chevrolet

From Hare I headed west, taking an interesting route that avoided Indianapolis and St. Louis putting me a few hours east of Colorado Springs for some quality rest.

My sleep plan for the rally was simple.  Get plenty of it.  Don't make stupid routing mistakes, forget my flag or break the bike.  The clock doesn't stop for any of these issues so when they happen the first thing to go is time to sleep.  More sleep = more fun.

Another concept I embraced is while you cannot bank sleep you can conserve energy so I worked on being efficient and not getting worked up over the issue of the moment.  I burned a lot of unnecessary energy at the checkpoint and I didn't want to repeat it.

Like the choice of the bike itself sleep and rest are topics that few two riders approach the same way.  For some a series of short power naps broken up by the rest bonuses and time at the checkpoints is plenty, with sleep found on benches, tables and for some, even on the parked motorcycle.  Having done it the hard way I decided that I was going to use hotels more often than not, get at least 5hrs in a bed and allocate the time for one mid-day power nap if necessary.

To accomplish this every evening at around sunset I'd figure out where I was going to be in a few hours.  I'd select a budget priced hotel and give them a call.  Once we'd get over the less than perfect connection you can expect from making a call on a bike I'd get a reservation for a ground floor room as close to the desk as possible with a promise to hold it until I arrived.  I'd explain I was on a bike and couldn't get to a credit card so they'd hold it on a verbal agreement.  This worked great, I was usually off the bike and in a room quite quickly.  When combined with the long days I was able to reduce my time riding in absolute darkness to a minimum which worked out to under three hours per day.

I made it to Pike's Peak a little later than I would have liked.  It was Saturday morning and everyone and their brother wanted to ride to the top.  There was quite a line to the toll.  Too much heat, too much incline and too much traffic meant that caring for the bike was the major concern.  There was a Vespa club that was running to the top, however down here there were Vespas along the side of the road at every turn.  Apparently every Vespa with a rider greater than 200lbs was having clutch issues.  Go figure.  While in line I got passed by a two up couple, they bullied their way to the front and I decided to drop in behind.  The set a great example of how to be "from out of town."  From the que to go up the hill to getting a beer at the finish party they come from a land where they have even less tolerance for waiting than a Gingerbomb from New England.  Cutting the beer line?  Really?

It's all in good fun, while their passing was limited to the parking lot I enjoyed a good ride up the hill getting to the summit while the train was unloading.  14,000 feet of elevation on day 6 was getting to me a bit so I got my second photo, closed up and headed down.  I received quite a nice hello wave from a ranger along the way,then saw my new friends clutching along behind a pickup truck at about 10mph.  Satisfaction indeed.

The train at the summit of Pike's Peak

I snagged the other red flags in the Denver area and went north to capture a photo of a really big locomotive.  I decided I was going to maximize the rest bonus so I splurged for a room at a Hampton Inn for 7 hours of high thread count bliss.

I awoke feeling pretty darn good for the morning of day 7 of the Iron Butt Rally.  It's a reasonably direct shot to the checkpoint and I have all day to do it.  Before going to sleep I decided I might add in the Golden Spike Bonus, this is the location where the transcontinental railroad was joined.   It is a small National Forest Service monument with a few buildings located in the middle of nowhere, Utah.  It opened at 9 and I arrived around 8:20, giving me plenty of time for a nap.  Todd and Dianne LeClair rolled in a short time later so we had a nice visit before taking our photos.  It was great to see them as they were doing very well and made me feel like perhaps I wasn't being a complete dope with my routing.

As I approached the check point there were still a few bonuses to get, one being the monument on Donner Pass.  I started seeing more riders and got caught up in the race mentality enough that I made a critical mistake.

One of the modifications I made to my bike was to remove the stock BMW (keyed) gas cap and replace it with a threaded cap.  Both my wife and my dealer said I better tether it or carry a spare or I'd loose it.  Sure enough in Tahoe I forgot to screw it in and while I heard it fall 30 minutes of searching didn't fine it.  Doh!  What a dope.  I was focused on getting to the CP early to avoid a repeat of Leg 1, but now I had to figure out a gas cap.  Fortunately for me A&S BMW was a bonus and I was able to talk than into giving me an assembly *and* key from a new bike they had on the floor.  Thanks A&S!

I also took the time between Tahoe and A&S to remind myself that it isn't a race and I am not competing against my friends.  We ride our best rides and get scored against each other's rides.  There is nothing you can do to change this, trying to shave 60 seconds or beat another rider to a bonus has no benefit, especially when it can lead to careless errors.

Next

CP 2 

Oh Captain My Captain

Blowing the checkpoint

While there is no replacement for experience (Unless you're a guy named Josh Mountain) what counts the most is recent experience of which I had little.  This bit me at the first checkpoint.  In 2007 the defining issue of the rally was the use of outside assistance.   Needless to say this topic is good for a book of its own but part of how I was going to do the rally was to service my bike on my own, using outside help for the staging  of materials only.

Most modern bikes should be able to do the entire rally with no major service, not even an oil change.  The only variable are tires or chains.  Some riders opt for rock hard tires hoping they can go the distance, others hope for a kind dealer along the way and others such as myself make arrangements to change tires at or near the checkpoints.  Because of Max BMW Motorcycles excellent support and the fact my wife also rides a GS I had the opportunity to change to a fresh rear tire at each checkpoint and change the front tire at the second.   My anticipated mileage combined with heat meant that I couldn't guarantee my favorite or similar rear tire would last from the start to the second checkpoint (California).  My anticipated high mileage for the first two legs was in the 7,500 range, I ended up riding 6,678.  As I had an abundance of rims I enjoyed excellent rubber for the entire ride.

The checkpoint instructions as I understood them were simple.  Stop the clock before the penalty starts.  Within one hour of stopping the clock present yourself at scoring, ready to be scored.  This made me think I had one hour from stopping the clock to being ready to be scored.  As it was going to be dark I wanted to get my tire swapped first, then stop / start the clock.  This was an error as you only had to check in with scoring, then you could leave, i.e. you didn't have to be ready when you checked in a scoring.  This coupled with three scoring volunteers who were unable to attend in the 11th hour meant I didn't get scored until the 12th, or 00:15 hrs.  I shook it off, went to my room and got 4.5 hrs of sleep instead of 7 or 8.  Oh bother.

Next

The Second Leg

Let the Games begin

Thursday evening before the rally I found myself in the second row for a David Byrne concert in New Bedford.  David Byrne went to the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence where he founded the Talking Heads so a show in NB was almost a homecoming of sorts.  It was a great show and a great way to spend some quality time with my wife Chace.  It's a bit of a tradition, in 2007 I stopped in Cleveland to see Modest Mouse.  David Byrne was better.

At some point during the week prior to the start the Chief Technical Inspector, aka "Warchild" offered up a way to guarantee to be one of the first out of the lot.  Now let it be known that while I have stated I was planning on being casual, that didn't exclude me from taking advantage of situations when presented.  In this case it was allow the rally staff to give you a hair cut and if your trim was judged most interesting by the masses you could leave the lot first.  Personally I like getting out first if possible.  Everyone is tight, it's raining and anyone could waffle before the first stoplight, not to mention that if everyone is going to the same bonus first as in 2007 it will be beneficial to get there early.

That and the chance to save fourteen bucks had me convinced it was worth it to get my traditional #2 from Nancy Oswald rather than my normal barber.  I bravely went first while Nancy and Dale learned how to use trimmers.  Thank God for John Harrison; himself a father of some very well cropped young men.  He stepped in and made me presentable.

 Saturday morning I breezed through the technical inspection and registration process.  It was so well done that I was through in record time, so fast that I had to cool my heels to wait for Lord Kneebone as he had gone across the street for supplies, confident the first rider wouldn't be done until lunch.


Sunday we had our mandatory rider's meeting then a nice banquet followed by the distribution of the first leg rallybooks and the thumb drives containing the waypoint files.  All good so far and I loaded the waypoint files into the tablet at the table to start getting a visual representation.  They gave us all the waypoints at once which was good and bad, good because all the data was there, bad because you didn't know which waypoints were for which leg or if there were any repeats.

All bonus locations as provided at the banquet.

Once released from the table I got my rallybook to the fax machine then went upstairs to input the point values into my spread sheet.  Just about everyone is using a spreadsheet to input point values, I use one to combine the bonus name, value and D (daylight) or R (time restricted).  I then sort by value and create my breaks based on points.  This takes about 15 minutes.  I didn't use EZ bake or calculate the anticipated number of points because I never knew exactly where I was going when I left the checkpoints.  I looked for clusters of red flags in areas I wanted to go.

My Leg one "Picture."

Most of the Reds are daylight only.  In reality most of the bonuses in the rally were restricted either by daylight or opening hours.  I decided that the cluster over the lake would be important as would be Quebec and Detroit.  I decide it would be fun to visit the incline plane in Johnstown on my over to New Hampshire and Quebec.  I'd see how I was doing and decide how to approach the lakes and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn as this was big points.  While the winners went clockwise, sweeping up points to the Northwest, I went counter clockwise running down some low hanging fruit on the PA turnpike before blowing my rainy sunrise photo of the Cog train in New Hampshire.  This was my first big bonus and my first and only mistake of the rally as I forgot to include my bike in the photo.  Better to work the kinks out here than on Pikes Peak.

No bike, no points.  Oops.

Moving on to the North I really enjoyed Quebec.  In fact, all my time spent in Canada was fabulous.  A fellow rider, Perry Karsten proved to be a great banker, exchanging US for Canadian dollars on par.  A few bucks in local cash and some really horrific High School French got me by although my fist gas stop was a challenge.

From Quebec I headed west.  I was planning on going to the top of the lakes but it soon became apparent that the daylight restriction would be working against me so I adjusted my route to go south to the Whirlpool Aero Car in Niagra Ontario.

One area of advance work that did prove valuable was my taking the time to get a Nexus card.  This is a card that requires enrollment in the trusted traveler program.  Getting the card was a process, however for entry back into the U.S. it saved me over three hours on one crossing.

The Whirlpool Aero car is a bonus I love to hate.  Riding in an antique cable car suspended high over raging currents is not something that I seek out on a regular basis but for 999 points I'll give it a go.

Don't look down!

From there I continued west to the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn with a stop at Canada's first commercial oil well.

In Dearborn I ran into Jon Good and Ande Bergmann. They're a pair of Naval officers riding two up on a K16GT.  There's something about Naval officers that make good rally riders and these two are no exception.  It was nice to see them.

Ande Bergman, still smiling on the third day. 

To claim the Henry Ford bonus we had to find and photograph 25 exhibits, with our flag visible on any one.   If I could have brought any car home it would have been this Beetle for Chace.

From Dearborn I went north to the Mackinaw Island Bridge and the cluster north of the lake.  This was a night I elected to sleep on the ground.  I brought along a nice Big Agnes bivy sack, sleeping bag and thermarest pad.  But for a good pillow I would have enjoyed a great sleep but it was still pretty good.  With minimal practice I was able to go from the bike to a bug free IB hotel in under 10 minutes, or less then it takes to get most hotel rooms.

I finished the leg with time to spare and between the COG mistake and another location I arrived to 15 minutes late due to rain and traffic I left 1055 points behind.  I finished the leg with 16,426 points while riding 3,710 miles.  This had me in 34th.  I gave it a "meh" and was happy that I had banked more points than required to be a finisher.

My leg one route as ridden

Next:
Blowing up a checkpoint.

On June 30 I posted the following status update on my Facebook page.

Friends, Tomorrow I start my fourth Iron Butt Rally. I'm looking forward to a great time on two wheels and seeing my sweetheart at the finish. I'm not in it to win it but I figure I have a good shot at beating my best finish. To those who have asked for my tracking information I'm sorry but we've been instructed / asked not to share this sort of information. You can follow everyone's progress on the IBR page: http://www.ironbuttrally.com/IBR/2013.cfm

To those who have sent me good vibes thank you very much. Cheer for me to finish and I feel confident we'll all be happy with the results. Bet on me to win and you'll likely lose your shirt.

Here is the story of my ride in the 2013 Iron Butt Rally.

After my first rally in 2003, I labeled The Iron Butt Rally an 11 day "Scavenger Hunt on Steroids;"   As far as results go it was my best finish (23) along with being an epic ride as I slipped on some oil outside of Moab, Utah, tearing a hole in my valve cover and removing most of the glass and plastic from one side of my motorcycle, yet still made the next checkpoint on time.

I came back with a BMW R1150 GS Adventure in 2005 along with the support of a great dealer; Max BMW Motorcycles.  There was a bit of fun and hype in '05 with Max featuring me and my bike in some advertisements in some BMW publications.  Hype is no guarantee of success but I did enjoy a Gold Medal finish however I was still mid pack on points.

In the spring of 2006 a casual conversation with some executives from BMW resulted in my coming to own a BMW R1200RTP with the P designating a police bike.  This bike was a marvel of engineering and planning.  It came with a gaggle of switches for lights, sirens, radios and such. We used each one.  The bike was dubbed the spaceship and I was looking forward to meeting my goal of a top ten finish.  From the if only files I was well on my way to a top ten when the final drive gave up the ghost in Edmonton while on my way to Alaska. 

This was to say the least a very painful experience.  I had built what I felt was the "prefect" rally bike only to have it succumb to an issue that BMW did their best to deny existed.  I became the poster child for every flaw in the drive train of a BMW built from 1999 to 2010.  The relationship between a boy and his horse is vital to his success and after driving the rear shock through the swing arm scouting Minuteman bonuses I sold the bike on e-bay for 8 grand and a  promise to never call me.  I like to think we both got a good deal.

Since 07 life has been busy, busy enough that I entered and did not start 09 and 11.  I got divorced, remarried, watched my father succumb to Parkinson's and my employer of 21 years get caught up in the economic crisis; forcing a AMEX listed company to liquidate, leaving me under-employed as I decide to do with life after the big 5-oh.  I've also become a "stunt father" to my new niece, a delightful 10 year old who is now living with us.

They say you have to be certain kind of crazy to want to do the Iron Butt Rally, I wonder what they would say about someone who is doing it to relax.

I looked forward to the Iron Butt Rally as a vacation, eleven days just for me and my motorcycle. Having been in it to win it I knew there was no way I'd be able to dedicate the time and resources to be ready to compete at the top, while at the same time another DNF would be completely unacceptable.  One thing I was sure I didn't have the juice for was to "trick out" another bike, or dedicate close to 20k on a dedicated rally bike.  I've also evolved in my approach to the bike and the rally; gone is the appeal of extra buttons, pumps or bells and whistles.  I wanted a bike that when rolling would look like any other bike out on tour, not some sort of geeks wet dream or something that would be called a spaceship.

Just a guy on a bike heading north on I 5.  Photo courtesy Maura Gatensby

 I ended up adding some bits to my BMW R1200GS Adventure.  With a stock fuel capacity of 8.9 gallons, a riding position I love and the comfort of a boxer twin I already owned what in my opinion would make a fine platform for a big ride.

My original plan was to leave the bike as close to stock as possible.  I planned on not mounting a second fuel tank, fancy water jug, pumps and all that.  This was before I started channeling my inner Eddie James.  I could write volumes about Eddie; he was a friend who served as the rallymaster for the first event I entered; the Butt Lite II in 2000.  We rode together a little in 2003 and for the last few days of the 2005 Iron Butt Rallies.  Sadly he left us too early as a victim of a motorcycle accident in Atlanta a few years ago but I carry him in my heart whenever I rally.  Eddie would never consider entering an IBR with anything less than maximum fuel so I came up with a nifty aux fuel design that utilized the stock mounting points for the Adventure rack and worked by gravity.  No pump required.  For a top box I mounted the same Hardigg storm case I used in 2005 to the top of the fuel tank, for hydration I put a platypus water bladder on top of the storm case, again no pump required.  I felt I was on to something as one of my major build goals was to make a IBR bike that I could convert back to a woods weapon in a few hours *and* I really wanted to keep the weight down.  Using the stock mounts and standard switched (electrical) sockets on the GS I was able to accomplish this easily.  My bike will be back to stock and in the woods 5 days after finishing the rally.

For navigation I wanted to return to the active screen I used in 2007 however I was very interested improvements to be gained from 2007 when I ran a remote display slaved to a laptop in the topcase.  This time the cornerstone of my set-up was a Panasonic Toughpad.  This is a recently released military spec tablet running Windows.  I configured it to run Windows 7 Pro, Delorme's Street Atlas and Adobe reader.  Using a fax to email service I was able to get the paper rally book converted to a searchable .PDF file.  I did my planning on a full sized laptop, then transferred the files to the tablet using a USB stick.

I was not able to get the tablet until early April and the mount wasn't available until mid May.  This didn't leave me much time to practice or get familiar with the tablet but I figured by the end of leg 1 I'd have it well sorted out, one way or another.  I finished the bike three weeks before the rally, then went to a motorcycle rally in Johnstown, PA as a demo rider for Yamaha.  Interestingly enough we rode the incline and I mentioned to fellow IB Rally vet and co-worker Pete Withers that this could be a bonus in the rally.

By the time I left for the start I put about 750 miles on my bike in rally trim.  I wasn't ready but I was somewhat confident that because of the simplicity of the modifications that there was nothing done that could be a ride stopper.  If all failed I had a laptop, Zumo and a stack of index cards along with the mantra of "no drama."  If it doesn't work move on.  In each rally past I've spent some time in a truck stop fiddling with this or that and getting worked up that something isn't just right.  I was determined through either redundancy or a I don't care attitude that I'd be able to avoid reaching for tools this time around.  Bluetooth and simple electrical wiring made this a reality.

I only wish the bike looked this good now.

  Next:

Let the Games begin

 




 

Daytona Bike with Yamaha Motorcycles

Last year I had the opportunity to attend Daytona Bike Week for a few days as a new contractor for Yamaha Motorcycles, helping with the demo rides.  This led to other opportunities and this year I returned to Daytona for the entire week.  The demo rides are opportunities for members of the public to take a test ride on a new Yamaha or Star motorcycle.  For those unfamiliar with Yamaha, the Star line are the cruisers; from the new 950cc Bolt all the way to the 1900cc Stratoliner Deluxe they provide a fun relaxed ride which is perfect for Daytona.

Because I was on a schedule I decided to load my bike on the Kendon and trailer it to my friend Pete's place just south of Charlotte, NC.  I have a new GSA which I kept in the garage all winter to keep it salt free, then wished for an enclosed trailer as I towed it south (and back home) in a snow storm.

Liberty CRD (Diesel) towing GSA on Kendon fold up trailer

With a need to be in Daytona by Friday afternoon I planned a trip to arrive at Pete's place Thursday.  We had a plan for some back roads to Daytona as my GS had a total of 7 miles when I loaded it on the trailer.  The last thing I wanted to do was break it in by going down the interstate.

We departed early Friday morning and arrived in Daytona at 4 that afternoon. 

The Yamaha set up at the track. Demo bikes are upper left.

 

We jumped right in Saturday morning and were greeted by a line of enthusiastic riders waiting for registration to open.  Riders can do two rides per day but they can only sign up for one bike at a time.  They are also issued a wrist band so they can come back every day for two rides and not have to fill out all the paperwork each time they want to ride.  At a big event we'll run two lines, one of sportbikes, FJR and Super Tenere and the other line will be all cruisers.   We'll have five riders with one rotating into the tent for the day to assist with sign up and whatever else comes along.

Given a choice I'll take the sportbikes and to start my week I got lucky and was assigned to the sportbike line with a new (old) guy named Mike.  Mike is a retired motor cop from Milwaukee and spent the last 16 or so years doing the same thing for Harley and Buell.  Choice of mount aside He's a great guy.  Retired cops are great to work with, especially when you consider the primary focus of our job is to take 10 strangers who have never ridden the bike they're on for a fun, safe group ride in Daytona traffic 8 times a day. 

We put 12 bikes out in the line with all 12 on the sign up sheet.  The ride is full when we get to 10 signed up, the demo riders take what the customers do not select with the lead rider choosing first.  This way the lead rider doesn't end up on an R6.  Not that we don't like the R6 but it's a bit cramped and the visibility through the mirrors isn't the best for leading a group.  Competitive riders love the R6 and it dominated the 200; taking the top six spots.  When I follow a ride on a R6 I always come back grinning, if not in need of a chiropractor.  25, I'm not.

My favorite bikes to lead on are the Super Tenere, the FZ1 or the FZ8.  The Tenere and the new FJR are the popular new bikes and get booked for the day early, however on this fine Saturday morning it was the FZ1 that customers were overlooking; making it a lucky day for me.

Slightly de-tuned R1 race motor, 12,000 rpm redline and 487lbs wet.  Oh my.

The FZ1 is a gentleman's version of the legendary R1, Yamaha's Superbike.  The seating position is just relaxed enough with the perfect amount of weight on the bars.  It's hyper quick and a ton of fun.   The combination of power, handling and a great seating position keeps me coming back to it as a great bike to lead the demos, plus I can see quite well from the relatively high mounted mirrors.

The other highlight of Saturday was the unveiling of the Bolt, the newest addition to the Star line.  It's a 950 twin in a stressed frame done in a bit of a retro / bobber theme.  This was a pretty secret project, we knew a new bike was coming but had no idea what it was until a few hours before the unveiling.  It was quite a time, the Yamaha guys did a great job with the intro and some dancing girls from Miami Beach led everyone in Daytona Bike Week's largest ever Harlem Shake.  Totally Wow.

Sunday I was on the cruiser line, after all somewhere it's been said Sunday is a day of rest.  I was teamed up with "Big Rick".  Big Rick has been doing this since bikes were powered by wood.  A former Marine, current husband and doting grandfather, Rick is the real deal.  He's got a ton of riding experience including a bunch of Iron Butt Rallies and I love riding with him.  We're lucky if we can make the radio batteries last to lunch.

Monday I was on Tent duty which is much harder than riding.  You'd think it was easy but round about mid-afternoon it became apparent that looking busy is harder than being busy.

When we returned to the hotel Monday there was a Suzuki Boulevard (650 thumper) in a non-specific state of dis-assembly under the portico.  One of our truck drivers suggested that we stop and help the owner out with her issue which involved installing a stereo she purchased at a vendor earlier that afternoon.  While the vendor wasn't exactly lying when he said installation would take 15 minutes he didn't know his customer had never used a socket wrench and it would take her 45 minutes to remove the seat.   I asked her how she planned on connecting the wires and she mumbled something about having some scotch tape.  We had to help.

How many guys does it take to install a stereo on a pretty girl's bike?

While I was out getting some butt connectors Tammy had someone from the hotel get us some beer as a way to say thanks.  6 cases of Yuengling was more than generous!

Tuesday... Tuesday I must have rode with Pete but I don't remember a thing about it.  That's because Pete and I ride together quite a bit and we work very well together, so well the day went smoothly enough I don't remember a minute of it.  I'm not completely sure Monday's bell cart of Yuengling doesn't have anything to do with this.

Wednesday it rained.  Cold too.  We don't do demos in the rain.

Thursday morning I got some bad news.  My father passed away.  This was not unexpected, I'd been there when we decided it was time for hospice but after a long battle with Parkinson's disease it was his time.  My silver lining was I was busy working in a great environment with a great team and a few close friends so it was as good a  day as one might expect.  My boss offered me the day off but the last thing I wanted to do was mope in a hotel.  As a compromise I took a V Star 1300 for a ride.

Before we can put a demo bike in the hands of a customer it needs to have 150 miles.  As this was our first major event of the year we had a few bikes that needed mileage.  Starting with the 1300 I rode most of the day, finishing up on a 950T.  I can't lie, I liked the big motor better.  In fact, my favorite Star motorcycle is the Stratoliner S or Deluxe which as a massive 1900 cc V Twin.  I laugh every time we refer to a 950 as a "starter" bike as my first big bike was a 650 back in 1978.

The Bolt, 950 cc, low seat height and classic looks. A "starter" bike I can't wait to ride

Friday I was back in the sportbike line working with Catlin.  While Thursday was super cold, Friday was only somewhat sub-tropic.  The demo loop is just about 13 miles, we did it 8 times for a grand total of 104 miles of incident free riding.

Friday evening Pete and I took a ride up to Jacksonville for the Iron Butt Association's Annual "Pizza Party."  We had a Super Tenere and 2013 FJR that needed their minimum mileage requirement.  Originally we were going to switch but after riding the FJR north I begged, pleaded and ultimately would not give up the keys to the FJR.

For 2013 the FJR has larger forks and updated suspension components up front.  This is a dramatic improvement of what was already a great handling motorcycle.  Also changed are the electronics and instrumentation.   Yamaha's new Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T) delivers outstanding throttle response.  With the ability to select touring or sport mode and the YCC-T the FJR can be a pussy cat in Daytona traffic or a lion charging up I-95.  I could have skipped Jacksonville and gone on to Atlanta with no problem.  One never knows when a FJR may show up in my garage but I'd be happy to make room for one next week.

Saturday I was back on tent duty for what was scheduled as a half day.  Traffic builds in anticipation of the 200 later in the day.  There comes a point when traffic is too heavy for us to ride and the boss adjusts the schedule accordingly.  Fortunately for me we had a Stratoliner Deluxe with zero miles so I went for a nice ride into the swamps to break it in.

Give me some George Thorogood on the stereo and I'm outta here.

Saturday afternoon we were told in no uncertain terms that we needed to head to the Yamaha suite for lunch and the 200.  Not one to disobey orders I ended my week with one more hamburger while chatting with some great people.  After lunch there were three bikes that needed mileage but I'd had my fun so Pete, Rick and Mike did a tour of the swamps while I retreated to the hotel.

Sunday Pete and I blasted north, now that work was done I wanted to get home and give my family a hug.  We got to his house in the early afternoon and I was loaded and moving in under 15 minutes.  Once again I was very happy to be in the Jeep as this is what I encountered Monday morning in Maryland.

I'll be doing demos with Yamaha all year.  For our current schedule of events visit the Star Motorcycles website or click here.