Bun Burner Gold attempt

[rustyshackles]

The Iron Butt Association (IBA) is the governing body for endurance or long distance riding (LDR).  Along with maintaining a list of official rides which range from challenging to insane http://www.ironbutt.com/themeridesthe IBA certifies rides and bestows membership to those that satisfy requirements and pay a fee.

I’ve been an IBA member for about three years, having qualified by completing the entry level Saddlesore 1000 ride http://ironbutt.com/rides/ss1000.htmon my Street Triple R.  That was a fun experience and I learned a few things about LDR covering a loop (all within TX) using I-20, US-285, I-10, I-35 & I-35E.  Unknown to me then, the IBA also gives recognition for SS1000s done all within some state borders (including TX) so that was a bonus.

I had been waiting for a convenient chance to attempt a step up in difficulty to a Bun Burner series ride (1500 miles in 24, 30 or 36 hours).  I had done one or two rallies per year since the SS1000, most recently a 65-hour, so when a window opened in early June 2019 (wife away on business travel, sons at an overnight summer camp) I was feeling fit and decided to go for gold.

I enjoy ride planning, and my rally experience has made me reasonably proficient at this, and I know my way around Garmin Basecamp software well enough.  Preparation for the BBG attempt was straightforward as the route was a boring out & back on I-20 and I-10 from Benbrook, TX (west side of Fort Worth) to Lordsburg, NM and back to Benbrook.  5:00 AM start after spending the night in a nearby hotel.

Planning amounted to picking gas stops (and verifying they would be open at my ETA), confirming there would be no planned highway closures, making sure the route was more than 1500 miles (Google Maps), and readying the bike including inspection and packing with needed items.

I joined the IBA Premier program to support the organization and for the priceless benefit of avoiding the need for signed witness statements at the start and end of rides.  The documentation I needed was dated business receipts at gas stops, photographed next to my bike’s odometer.

LDR experience has taught me that time off the bike really adds up. Unplanned stops, such as the I-10 closure during my SS1000 ride due to a fatal crash, compound the situation and are out of the rider’s control.  Throw in road construction slowdowns, city traffic, maybe a missed turn or two, severe weather, gas pumps that don’t dispense receipts etc. and the need to stay on task is clear.

I needed some things to go right (see above list) to successfully complete the BBG.  The FJ-09’s range means more gas stops than for riders of bigger bikes with the clock ticking at each.

Happily things did go right and despite up to 90 minutes off-bike I finished with 30 minutes to spare and no big challenges other than time, distance and sleep deprivation 😬.  There was rain but not heavy.  I never felt threatened by law enforcement.  The FJ performed flawlessly.

My odometer is optimistic - indicated ride distance was 1.5% more than GPS and Google Maps, 1,540 v. 1,516.  I’ve sent my paperwork to the IBA for approval.

The mind-body connection is powerful.  It was interesting how my perception of morning rush hour traffic during the ride home was effected. After staying “on” for an entire day I was now off, and I was a bit shocked at the aggressive driving of cagers going to work.  The truth is it was normal traffic!

 

 

 

[betoney]

@rustyshackles  Congratulations!  That is one hell of an achievement, good job!  👍

[wmailhos]

I lived about five miles from that QT (of course it wasn't there then) when I moved to Fort Worth in 1991.  Lived over by Hulen Mall.

I have very little interest in LDR but respect those that do.  My idea of LDR is riding the "new" 2015 FJ-09 back from Sarasota to Knoxville over the next two days (staying on the beach as long as we can today).

Congrats.

 

[keithu]

Well done, congrats! Despite all the LD riding I've done over the years, I've never quite done a BBG. The closest was 1440 miles in 23.5 hours. At the time I didn't realize how close I was because my odometer had failed, but I mapped it out later in software. I need to bump this up on my "to do" list.

[sirepair]

I'm also an IB SS1K Cert holder and congratulate you for a BBG on an FJ09.

I rode my ST1100 for my ride, and would likely use it for the BBG.  I'm not as comfortable on my FJ as my ST.

Again, congrats!

BTW, did you hear that a woman won this year's Iron Butt Rally? Wendy Crockett is the first woman to win. She rode nearly 13,000 miles in 11 days!

[keithu]

Yep, Wendy Crockett is a true badass. There have been many successful women in LD riding over the years, so it really isn't a surprise that one finally won the IBR.