I started motorcycle riding in the fall of 2013, thanks to a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. I think I may have dreamed of big rides as I browsed through motorcycle forums looking for what motorcycle to purchase. My guess is that's how the Iron Butt Association came on my radar back then. I learned to ride on a DR200SE as I thought it safe to start small (realize I'm 6'6"). Then a year or so later I moved up to a used 2011 Vstrom 650 ABS that was all set up for dual sport. After that, life happened ... And lately we were thinking about selling our motorcycles (my wife got somewhat into it too).
A few weeks ago, the idea of completing an Iron Butt ride before selling our bikes seemed like the right thing to do, coming 360. So I came back here, read the rules/FAQs/Tips, watched YouTube videos of ride reports, put the bike into maintenance, and planned a route. Being in San Francisco Bay, going all the way South to Fenner and back tallied up to just over 1,000 miles, mostly on interstate highways (5, 40).
On the days leading to the start (a Saturday), I was mentally preparing myself to be uncomfortable, tired, etc. I had plans to stop every hour for 10 minutes or so, to get the helmet off, hands and feet off the bike, drink, snack, etc. I had never ridden for so long and had no idea what to expect. There was one concern coming out of maintenance that the chain was at the end of its life. I was looking to purchase one in case I'd have to replace it (I don't do much wrenching so it would have involved towing, finding a shop, etc), but work happened and I forgot about it. I did install highway pegs, which came in handy!
The day I left, I fueled up and started the process of getting receipts/and taking pictures. An hour or so later I stopped for a quick break. Riding at 5 AM, I was cold and my helmet was fogging regularly. I was anxious for the sun to rise. I left and stopped one hour again later. But you know what, it didn't feel like I needed to stop so I decided to carry on and mostly stop at gas stations. The sun came up, the temperature started rising and I was more comfortable. Ultimately, as noon approached it was getting too hot! So a layer came off.
I hit my turn around at 12:30 pm at "Najah's Desert Oasis", which proved to be not much of an oasis anymore (following COVID, food services had been eliminated). So it was chips, a packaged sandwich, Twix, and off again an hour or so later. The bad news was that as I pulled to a stop there, the chain started making that sound that tells me it was loose again. So now I had this chip on my shoulder for the whole trip back. I slowed down a bit but the idea of a chain breaking on the highway was making me nervous for the whole trip back. I suspect this helped me stay focused.
On the return leg, I did stop and laid down at a rest stop off I-5 to relax and close my eyes because there was a good amount of wind, which was more tiring than on the way down. I got home at 10:30 pm.
All in all, it was a great experience, my helmet wasn't trouble, my boots were fine, and the bike handled great. My right hand got tired towards the end, and my left shoulder was sore but the only thing that was a real problem was my left ear. A day later, a bit of liquid came out of it, which a few drops should be fixing (according to the doctor).
I'm getting the chain/sprockets replaced today, and thinking about another ride.
I can see how people can get "addicted" to this ...
A few weeks ago, the idea of completing an Iron Butt ride before selling our bikes seemed like the right thing to do, coming 360. So I came back here, read the rules/FAQs/Tips, watched YouTube videos of ride reports, put the bike into maintenance, and planned a route. Being in San Francisco Bay, going all the way South to Fenner and back tallied up to just over 1,000 miles, mostly on interstate highways (5, 40).
On the days leading to the start (a Saturday), I was mentally preparing myself to be uncomfortable, tired, etc. I had plans to stop every hour for 10 minutes or so, to get the helmet off, hands and feet off the bike, drink, snack, etc. I had never ridden for so long and had no idea what to expect. There was one concern coming out of maintenance that the chain was at the end of its life. I was looking to purchase one in case I'd have to replace it (I don't do much wrenching so it would have involved towing, finding a shop, etc), but work happened and I forgot about it. I did install highway pegs, which came in handy!
The day I left, I fueled up and started the process of getting receipts/and taking pictures. An hour or so later I stopped for a quick break. Riding at 5 AM, I was cold and my helmet was fogging regularly. I was anxious for the sun to rise. I left and stopped one hour again later. But you know what, it didn't feel like I needed to stop so I decided to carry on and mostly stop at gas stations. The sun came up, the temperature started rising and I was more comfortable. Ultimately, as noon approached it was getting too hot! So a layer came off.
I hit my turn around at 12:30 pm at "Najah's Desert Oasis", which proved to be not much of an oasis anymore (following COVID, food services had been eliminated). So it was chips, a packaged sandwich, Twix, and off again an hour or so later. The bad news was that as I pulled to a stop there, the chain started making that sound that tells me it was loose again. So now I had this chip on my shoulder for the whole trip back. I slowed down a bit but the idea of a chain breaking on the highway was making me nervous for the whole trip back. I suspect this helped me stay focused.
On the return leg, I did stop and laid down at a rest stop off I-5 to relax and close my eyes because there was a good amount of wind, which was more tiring than on the way down. I got home at 10:30 pm.
All in all, it was a great experience, my helmet wasn't trouble, my boots were fine, and the bike handled great. My right hand got tired towards the end, and my left shoulder was sore but the only thing that was a real problem was my left ear. A day later, a bit of liquid came out of it, which a few drops should be fixing (according to the doctor).
I'm getting the chain/sprockets replaced today, and thinking about another ride.
I can see how people can get "addicted" to this ...
