Counting the cost of the IBR

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#21
As another non-entrant (but one-day-hopeful), I would have thought it prudent to keep this sort of info to private messages and never leave it publicly accessible, where it may be found by The Prosecution!
I'm at a loss as to what your concern is. People considering doing the IBR should be able to get some handle on the overall cost to help them make the decision to put their name in the hat or not.

@OX-34 - You might be surprised how many garages have multiple IBR prepped bikes in them. And Fazer Phil comes to mind, having kept a bike in the US between IBRs and ridden the same bike twice. Another would be Margaret Peart who has maintained a GS here in the States for some time.
 

Marc11

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#22
I'm at a loss as to what your concern is. People considering doing the IBR should be able to get some handle on the overall cost to help them make the decision to put their name in the hat or not.

@OX-34 - You might be surprised how many garages have multiple IBR prepped bikes in them. And Fazer Phil comes to mind, having kept a bike in the US between IBRs and ridden the same bike twice. Another would be Margaret Peart who has maintained a GS here in the States for some time.
If it wasn't snowing right now my 2021 IBR bike could roll out of the garage IBR ready....three sets of high mileage tires sitting in my basement ready to be mounted.
 

Shawn K

Professional Cat Confuser
Premier Member
#23
As another non-entrant (but one-day-hopeful), I would have thought it prudent to keep this sort of info to private messages and never leave it publicly accessible, where it may be found by The Prosecution!
I can't tell if you're being cheeky or not, but I don't see this conversation as having any more risk than publicly discussing how much you paid for a car.
 

Marc11

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#24
I can't tell if you're being cheeky or not, but I don't see this conversation as having any more risk than publicly discussing how much you paid for a car.
Right. It's not that hard for any person to calculate how much it would cost to prep and ride a motorcycle for 11,000 miles over a time period. No secrets there.
 

SteveAikens

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#26
Right. It's not that hard for any person to calculate how much it would cost to prep and ride a motorcycle for 11,000 miles over a time period. No secrets there.
Exactly.

More to the point - the IBA and more specifically the Iron Butt Rally finishers - have a goal to encourage more and new riders to seek out challenging rides to qualify and join the Iron Butt Association, with a further goal of encouraging the newer members to consider the challenge of the Iron Butt Rally.

One of the major considerations to those not already aware, is the final cost of any of the IBA rides, and more importantly, the Iron Butt Rally.

There's nothing hidden within the IBA that I am aware of, and I've been a member for a little while, and done a couple rides.

We're proud to try to mentor more and more riders to join the IBA. Why would we withhold any information about the organization or the costs of riding some of the more challenging rides.

We have nothing to hide from "the Prosecution" Ed..
 

EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#27
It just occurred to me that "The Prosecution" may be a reference to his wife. There are a significant number of women riders on this forum, many of whom have ridden and finished the IBR. If hiding your financial expense for your IBR from your partner is a factor, perhaps some discussions with the partner would be a Good Idea™. We all handle our financial aspects differently. Communication is good.
 
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Ed.

Premier Member
#29
Was but a light hearted comment along the lines of Eric's realisation. I very diligently don't keep track of total expenditure when kitting out my bike or working on project bikes. For me, that way madness lies. Any individual part or expenditure is naturally considered within current budgetary constraints, but I really don't want or need to know that over the years I have spent new-house equivalent money on one of the world's most self-indulgent pastimes.
But if course I can see the benefit of having a ballpark figure to work to if embarking on the IBR, regardless of how confronting it may be either personally or domestically.
 

kerrizor

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#33
> I've noted some folks advocate a gym membership prior to the rally. The stronger you are physically, the better...

Without calling into question the fitness habits of anyone (myself included..), I think this is a piece of advice that I don't see often enough. Even for a basic 1k ride, you're doing something physically taxing, and the more fitness you have to draw on, the better.
 

OX-34

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#34
.............

@OX-34 - You might be surprised how many garages have multiple IBR prepped bikes in them. And Fazer Phil comes to mind, having kept a bike in the US between IBRs and ridden the same bike twice. Another would be Margaret Peart who has maintained a GS here in the States for some time.
Eric I was responding to the comments about riding the IBR as a foreigner and added in some of the expenses that that scenario entails.

Thanks for mentioning FazerPhil and Margaret who both experienced exactly what I was talking about. Add in Tabledrain who still has a bike in the US that he sees every couple of years.

It was a bit different for TD. He lived in Africa for years with nothing but an old Harley dirt bike to ride and not much in the way of sealed roads available, whilst his IBR BMW sat quietly waiting for him across the Atlantic.

None of us are complaining about the cost of riding in the big dance. We'd happily pay it again. It's just a fact that it costs more and perhaps a very lot more. So as SteveAikens says, there's nothing to hide in the IBA/IBR and overseas entrants need to consider and embrace the extra dedication required to enter and finish that spectacular and glorious thing that is an Iron Butt Rally.