IBA Certification Arrived

[RDY2GO!]

Not S&W or gun related at all, but I know there are a few riders on the list and I thought I'd share a proud moment.

My son and I became members of the Iron Butt Association last year by completing the required entry ride called the "Saddle Sore 1000" in which you have to ride a minimum of 1000 miles in 24 hours or less. On our ride we rode 1108 miles in 18 hours and change. It was a challenging ride, but honestly not difficult, and we had a great time.

Earlier this year we did our second IBA ride, and first "Extreme" ride as classified by the IBA, called the "Bun Burner Gold" or BBG. This ride requires that you cover a minimum of 1500 miles in 24 hours or less. Our ride started in Charlotte, NC at midnight and in the rain, we rode through Atlanta, Ga, Birmingham, Al and into Meridian, Ms before the rain let up at daybreak. We went from there to Slidell, La then over to Lake City, Fl, then down to Tampa, across to Orlando and then Daytona, then finished in Jacksonville. 1550 miles in 23 hours and 4 minutes.

It was a difficult ride due to the weather and because we chose a route that went through so many large cities and on Interstates that have more or less normal speed limits, time management was crucial. But it was also a lot of fun!

The certificate came in the mail Friday and I've already got it framed and on the wall.

Now we're looking forward to our next IBA certified ride, which will either be a Saddle Sore 2000, which is 2000 miles in 48 hours, or a 50CC, which is coast to coast on a preset route from Jacksonville to San Diego in 50 hours.

Thanks for letting me share the news.

 

[WC145]

Good on you! Great that you've got this to do wih your boy.

 

[27145]

Your son was riding on back or his own bike?

I never did an IBA ride. I have ridden cross country a few times and really enjoy that. It is great to stay at KOA's, people are friendly, start talking about the bike and the trip and end up inviting you to dinner. I would bring what ever cold beverages they wanted and I really enjoy those times.

 

[feralmerril]

I just wrote about this 1000 mile ride recently. I went and copied it, heres the story.
Back in 1968, I decided to ride my 1963 Harley to wisconsin. After visiting the folks I was headed back to california. When I left on the trip from california I had a close friend that also was going on his vacation on his BMW motorcycle. We wasnt going at the same time as we didnt quite match up, and he was going just wherever. I had pulled over near little america to change a flat for two women. As I was getting on my bike I looked over across the freeway and seen dean on his bmw flying down the highway the direction I had come from. We hooked up, rode a few miles to little america to plan on takeing a side trip to the tetons from there. Whats the odds of that? This was my ride on that trip, but not there. Thats a 63 FL. In 1966 I bought it for $1,000s. Didnt have many miles either. The guy I sold it to in about 1971 killed himself on it! That bike was perfectly balanced and smooth. Think I sold it for $900 after putting many miles on it. I mentioned we went to the tetons. I had worked up there in 1961 for the NPS for a 6 month hitch. I checked in with a GF that watched my house and she said someone broke in and stold all my guns! We were in jackson, I left jackson about 7am. I hit a pass with heavy snow. Got to SLC and needed a rear tire. The dealer sold me a recap. Never heard of that before or since. But I was next to broke. I tried to put it on myself for a couple lost hours and they finaly took pity on me and mounted it to get rid of me. When I hit st. george UT, that night it was so hot I peeled to my T-shirt. Got to vegas, walked around and decided to try for home. Got to old whiskey petes at nev/cal state line for gas and they told me bobby kennedy was just shot. Rode her in to home (Tujunga ca) it was exactly 1,000 miles and 24 hours from jackson wy! I was froze in a rideing crouch, left the motor packed in the back yard and fell on top the bed and never undressed!
The house was broke into, one revolver missing. (A ruger single six). I had thought I told the GF I had hid my guns, either I didnt or she forgot, but noticed the ruger I had left her for protection was gone and thought they all were stolen. Later I found a bb revolver that the theif threw down in the yard when he seen it wasnt a colt saa.
About a week later we were rideing and that tire broke apart slick as if it had been cut with a knife! I didnt drop it, but it did wipe out my wireing under the rear fender. Doesnt take much to get me started, does it?

 

[G-Mac]

Congratulations...that's pretty cool.

What kind of bikes did you do it on?

 

[RDY2GO!]

Good on you! Great that you've got this to do wih your boy.

We've been riding and racing together since he was 5 years old, almost 20 years now.

 

[RDY2GO!]

Your son was riding on back or his own bike?

His own bike.

I never did an IBA ride. I have ridden cross country a few times and really enjoy that. It is great to stay at KOA's, people are friendly, start talking about the bike and the trip and end up inviting you to dinner. I would bring what ever cold beverages they wanted and I really enjoy those times.

We camped on one trip, we recently rode from one end of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the other and received an "End to ender" certificate from the BRP Foundation. The first night we stayed at motorcycle only campground in Meadows of Dan, Va and the next at another one in Stecoah, NC.

Good times... good times.

 

[RDY2GO!]

Congratulations...that's pretty cool.

What kind of bikes did you do it on?

My son has an '05 Yamaha FZ6 and I have an '07 Yamaha FJR 1300.

Thanks!

 

[feralmerril]

I told the 2nd half of that 1,000 mile ride first, here is the first half of the story. To start with I started that trip in mid may 1968, too early in the year for that trip! I had bought war surplus rain gear that I stupidly didnt check out untill use. I had a cheap pup tent and was planing on doing the trip on the cheap. I had worked my graveyard shift and put the stuff together and hit the road. Started out from tujunga california.
That first day went okay. I found a place to pitch the tent somewhere between williams arizona and the grand canyon. That night was cold, windy and rainy. I was tired and weathered it through. Woke up and found the tent had collapsed with just the pole sticking up above my head. Fought my way out and found the harley laying on its side. Went along the side of the grand canyon, ran into a navaho herding sheep. He looked like out of a JW movie, asked him to pose, he did, then smiled and held out his hand. Got to tuba city, got off to check out the tradeing post. Couple indian boys about 10 years old checked out my bike. One didnt speak and his little friend indicated he was deaf. The boys mother and father walked up, couldnt speak english, and on impulse I had the other boy ask the parents if I could give their son a short ride. They just smiled and nodded. I put the little bugger in front and off we went. That old hog I could well control with my knees and weight and back then they ran where you set the throttle. Soon I took my arms off the bars and had the kid driveing me. We approached the tradeing post with his folks watching and the little demon cranked her wide open on me! Might had threw me off had I not had a lot of luggage tied on behind my back!
Got out of tuba city and the bike ran rough at times cutting out. Got somewhere around silverton colorado and spent the next day trying to fix the bike myself after a small shop couldnt figure it out either. Finaly I wired around a breaker that I didnt know existed hidden by the frame and that got me through the trip.
I got to the kansas/colorado border and hit a downpore. Put on the 30 year old surplus rain suite and it was so old and brittle it blew off me in a couple miles. I had solid cold rain from that point on untill I pulled up in my folks driveway a couple nights latter! Maybe one or two hours on that trip did it not rain!! It really got to be a endurance contest!
I lived on harleys and britt bikes many years and rode many thousands of miles. You dont tend to remember the "good" trips with no problems and good weather like you do the hard, rough trips!

 

[27145]

His own bike.



We camped on one trip, we recently rode from one end of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the other and received an "End to ender" certificate from the BRP Foundation. The first night we stayed at motorcycle only campground in Meadows of Dan, Va and the next at another one in Stecoah, NC.

Good times... good times.

Stecoah, that would be near "Tail of the Dragon" right?
Good to see you and your son do things together.

 

[Marshwheeling]

Congratulations. I have never done a 1000 mile day myself. Come close a few times, but by the time the IBA would certify it, I had lost my taste for riding after dark.

That FJR is a nice choice for a sport-touring mount. A lot of old BMW riders are buying them.

Another thumb up for doing it with your son. That's something the two of you will be able to recount for a long time.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

We camped on one trip, we recently rode from one end of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the other and received an "End to ender" certificate from the BRP Foundation. The first night we stayed at motorcycle only campground in Meadows of Dan, Va and the next at another one in Stecoah, NC.

I had no idea there was such a thing as the "End to ender". My brother and I have started planning our round trip up and down the BRP, hopefully for next year.

We did a short stretch of it last week.

 

[RDY2GO!]

Stecoah, that would be near "Tail of the Dragon" right?
Good to see you and your son do things together.

Exactly right. In fact, after completeing the End to End ride we made a couple of passes across the Dragon, the Cherohala and then worked our way home via the north Georgia mountains.

Heck of a trip!

 

[RDY2GO!]

Congratulations. I have never done a 1000 mile day myself. Come close a few times, but by the time the IBA would certify it, I had lost my taste for riding after dark.

The SS1K wasn't as hard as I thought it would be honestly, and I hear you loud and clear about the night time riding. We didn't see many deer during the BBG, but lost count of the forest rats during the SS1K. Danger lurks everywhere for a rider after dark.

That FJR is a nice choice for a sport-touring mount. A lot of old BMW riders are buying them.

I love mine... My previous street bike was a Kawasaki Nomad, great bike that my wife and I loved, but we were both craving something with a little better handling, a little more power, a little more comfortable on the long rides and something a little quieter... The FJR filled all those requirements and more!

Another thumb up for doing it with your son. That's something the two of you will be able to recount for a long time.

Thanks. I'm very fortunate to have a great relationship with my son and am proud to say that we enjoy doing a lot of things together. Like more recently owning M&P's and shooting!

 

[27145]

I loved the Cherohala a lot more than Tail of the Dragon. People do not realize how awesome travel is on the bike. The bike is an instant ice breaker, you end up making friends with strangers. After an hour in a car, I want out. I will ride dawn to dusk on a bike.

 

[RDY2GO!]

I had no idea there was such a thing as the "End to ender". My brother and I have started planning our round trip up and down the BRP, hopefully for next year.

We did a short stretch of it last week.

My family and I have ridden it so much over the years that my wife is sick of it. Can you imagine? *lol*

Get in touch with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and you can get more info on the "End to Ender" deal. Very loose, not real strict as far as requirements. We sent in fuel receipts from both ends as well as from Meadows of Dan, Va along with pictures of us at the BRP signs on each end as well as the 1 and the 468 mile markers, which was waaay more than they required. The certificate is no real big deal in itself, but it does serve as a memento from a great trip!

We had planned to do the Skyline Drive as well, but just couldn't fit it in within the time frame we had at the time. Maybe next time. My wife and I rode it a couple of years back, but my son hasn't been on it yet, so what better excuse for a ride?

Hope to see you on the road some day!