Michigan BBG Plan

JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#1
It's been almost 8 years since I did my first BBG. I'm thinking of attempting my 2nd - all done in Michigan, same as the first one. My age may be the limiting factor on this ride - we will see about that.

Click on the link on this webpage to view the Plan in PDF : 2022 Michigan BBG

11 stops in all. The 10 minute stops are for an inside DBR only - no gas or bathroom break ( if possible ) so I think those stops should actually be less than 10 minutes. I need those receipts at certain corners or to prove I didn't take a shortcut between the previous stop and the next stop.

Comments & suggestions, please.
 
#2
It's been almost 8 years since I did my first BBG. I'm thinking of attempting my 2nd - all done in Michigan, same as the first one. My age may be the limiting factor on this ride - we will see about that.

Click on the link on this webpage to view the Plan in PDF : 2022 Michigan BBG

11 stops in all. The 10 minute stops are for an inside DBR only - no gas or bathroom break ( if possible ) so I think those stops should actually be less than 10 minutes. I need those receipts at certain corners or to prove I didn't take a shortcut between the previous stop and the next stop.

Comments & suggestions, please.
A Troll BBG, It is interesting that you have totally avoided SE MI. Have a fun ride.

-Mark
 

Marc11

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#3
It's been almost 8 years since I did my first BBG. I'm thinking of attempting my 2nd - all done in Michigan, same as the first one. My age may be the limiting factor on this ride - we will see about that.

Click on the link on this webpage to view the Plan in PDF : 2022 Michigan BBG

11 stops in all. The 10 minute stops are for an inside DBR only - no gas or bathroom break ( if possible ) so I think those stops should actually be less than 10 minutes. I need those receipts at certain corners or to prove I didn't take a shortcut between the previous stop and the next stop.

Comments & suggestions, please.
No gas or bathroom breaks....for a BBG? Do tell?
 

rneal55555

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#4
Do you have a reason for the short out and back legs, were it me I'd figure out the longest interstate legs I could make to be within my fuel range (looks like 200 mi) and go back an forth. If I could mix that up a little I would but I'd not do those short legs unless I had a compelling reason.
 

JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#5
Hello der, eh Mark !

Here is Mark in action during the 2019 All Yooperland SS1K :

Mark on his Honda CB550F

BTW, the night before the ride after Rich & I saw the puddle of oil under Mark's CB550F, we both doubted Mark would finish. We were wrong : Mark was one of the first Riders to finish fairly early !!
 
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JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#6
No gas or bathroom breaks....for a BBG? Do tell?
Gotta read again what I said !! Not all stops are 10 minute stops for a DBR - the other stops are 15 or 25 minutes for gas, to pee, and hydrate or gas, pee ,hydrate and to down a sandwich, respectively. ;)
 

JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#8
Do you have a reason for the short out and back legs, were it me I'd figure out the longest interstate legs I could make to be within my fuel range (looks like 200 mi) and go back an forth. If I could mix that up a little I would but I'd not do those short legs unless I had a compelling reason.
I don't want to head south down into the morning traffic going to Grand Rapids, so it's better to head north to avoid that mess. I can't handle starting at 4 or 5 am like some Riders. So that first stop is a needed receipt to prove my route. Same for some of the other "shorter" stops. And instead of adding an extra 50 miles to the ride for a mileage "cushion" to prove at least 1,500 miles were done, I'd rather just get a few extra receipts and save about a half hour that way.

Lol that's not what you said....just busting balloons, I knew what you meant.
I did forget to say that at my age my bladder range is much less than my gas range.

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#9
Hello der, eh Mark !

Here is Mark in action during the 2019 All Yooperland SS1K :

Mark on his Honda CB550F

BTW, the night before the ride after Rich & I saw the puddle of oil under Mark's CB550F, we both doubted Mark would finish. We were wrong : Mark was one of the first Riders to finish !!

Not too far into that video I dropped the bike. The reason for the drop was my foot slipping on the foot peg due to the oil. The leak was from the seal around the oil pump.

Back to the topic at hand. This route would be much more of a challenge. https://goo.gl/maps/YSvfY44nGMJrACNp8 Easily a BBS, but a perfect run would be needed for a BBG.

JAV it is your run, you have plan, Look for a warm spring day and ride.

-Mark
 

JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#10
Ya, good suggestion about the weather. On a BBG attempt that I was forced to terminate early, I didn't check the forecast. I went south towards the Michigan / Indiana border and about 2 hours into the ride my toes almost were frost bitten. I terminated and then stopped at a restaurant in Schoolcraft to warm up and a patron told me it was 29 F at his farm that morning. The temp was much higher 2 hours north near my home that day. I've been more careful about the weather forecast since then.

I also remember on a BB1500 when I got up to Grayling that morning, I stopped to put on my heated vest. Then later in the day down in Indiana it was about 82 F .

I'll probably do the ride in June when the night-time temp will not be too cool.
 

Dogpoope

Premier Member
#11
Only have 1 BBG myself so don't know if I can give so much feedback but my biggest problem were to keep my short stops short. It took precious min to get off the road, get down to turtle speed, fill up and then get up to speed again. My solution when I got over the first bit of nerves was to not rush, do same procedure every time and it ended with almost 40min to spare while Google claimed it to be a 26h ride for some reason.

You know you best so if nothing else, best of luck. Everyone here will be cheering on you.
 

JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#12
Congrats on your successful BBG !

I think for most Riders ( not Greg Rice, of course ) all the stars must be in alignment for a BBG attempt to be successful. I have terminated several for different reasons :

traffic back-ups due to an accident, freight train box cars disconnecting causing a long delay & detour, weather ( above ), partnering with another Rider who only got a few hours sleep the night before and who was falling asleep during the ride, frustrating equipment problems, a fuel pump failure, and once at the 700 mile mark when I just lost motivation for some unknown reason - I was ahead of schedule at the time ( my last attempt )

EDIT: These issues are minor during a SS1K but can be fatal for a BBG. I was carrying a spare fuel pump in my top box and had it replaced in 45 minutes ( Honda ST1100 ) but that can kill a BBG attempt. The box car problem delayed me about 20 minutes, but it looked like I could still finish in time so I continued, but later in the ride a back-up due to an accident near Grand Rapids made me decide to only do a SS1K. So I stopped for a sit-down dinner to relax and plan my ending route for the SS1K. I finished the SS1K at around 11:15 pm.
 
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Dogpoope

Premier Member
#13
Thank you very much, sir. I started my ride on the evening midsummer eve when everyone had arrived to their place to party and in to midsummer day so very little traffic due to party and next days hangover. This challenge require to go through our 3 major cities, 2 of them twice and it's my first and only time I've had a lane all to my self through the entire capitol. Don't remember exactly but I guess it took about 1/3 of regular time to cross which helped a lot to keep up the time and also be able to get some extra min of my ride when needed.
 

JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#14
Sounds like you did well planning your BBG !!

What are the speed limits in Sweden ?? Do you have many "freeways" like in the States and how many 2 lane roads were you on and for what distances?
 

Dogpoope

Premier Member
#15
Speed limit are 70-75 on freeway/highway. Most other roads are 40, 50 and some have 55.

On this BBG you're not allowed to go on other roads than E4 and E6 (2 lanes pretty much all the way) with specific turning points, you have to start somewhere along one of those roads as well and return to that place to finish.

Pic shows an example but it's more or less my route I took in June.
 

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EricV

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#16
@JAVGuzzi - Another option - LINK One 'corner' DBR location is not marked, but would be prudent to do at 3110 Plainfield Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505 as the last DBR before the end point. Down side of this route, riding up North off the clock to the start. Advantage - Bigger roads. You may have better local knowledge, but I've never had an issue crossing the Mac, in terms of lines or slow downs. Probably best to time it to avoid 'rush hour' peak commutes though.
 
#17
"I'll probably do the ride in June when the night-time temp will not be too cool."

Advice, take heated gear! You have very little room for unnecessary fatigue on a BBG.

During the Underdog Rally in June 2021, I rode across the UP, down across the Mac and cross-crossed the lower state all during the day (Starting about 6AM IIRC). It was cold and raining most of the way and I ran my heated jacket liner and gloves at least 1/2 of the day.
 

JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#18
Eric : Thanks for the LINK. I'm familiar with all the roads on the LINK and many are potentially problematic. Always a good idea to avoid SE Michigan and I-94 - OK for a SS1K or BB1500, but not for a BBG IMO. And sometimes there can be a traffic back-up at the toll plaza at the bridge. And there has been a lot of construction around Ann Arbor ( US-23 & M-14 ) and the Flint area.

I'll be returning through Grand Rapids before rush hour. And I'll be starting & ending near my home so that will not require the ride up to and back from the Soo and 2 nights at the motel up there. I should get a better nights sleep at home the night before I leave. And I won't have to haul my CPAP machine with me, either. I do like the stop at the Napier Road Pilot - it's one of my favorite stops. The route I came up with is a pretty low traffic route and the traffic flows pretty good with usually not much enforcement during the week. The speed limit on most of the route will be 75 mph. And for a stretch along US-127 that doesn't have limited access, the limit has been raised to 65 mph and flows at 70.

I have done a lot of IBA rides in Michigan and I think I have come up with a pretty good, low stress route.

As a side note, I planned a Yooper Madness II SS1K ride a few years ago and had a big turn out of about 54 Riders. Usually I get about half that number on the rides I have organized. Anyway, the ride started in Houghton Lake and ended in St. Johns ( 24/7 restaurant back then ). The route went up across the bridge and went to Marquette VIA Iron Mountain, then back to St. Johns. Four Riders finished the ride in less than 16 hours - at a BBG pace ! One was George Barker ( IBA #419) so that wasn't too surprising. But George had a 20 minute head start on Jeff S. and Jeff caught up to George around Gaylord. And this was a first time IBA ride for one of the other early ending Riders. It's amazing the Riders I have met organizing these rides, such as Grampa Chuck Gatecliff.
 
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JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#19
"I'll probably do the ride in June when the night-time temp will not be too cool."

Advice, take heated gear! You have very little room for unnecessary fatigue on a BBG.

During the Underdog Rally in June 2021, I rode across the UP, down across the Mac and cross-crossed the lower state all during the day (Starting about 6AM IIRC). It was cold and raining most of the way and I ran my heated jacket liner and gloves at least 1/2 of the day.
I hear you Jay !! It can rain for days up there. Being retired, I'm flexible on when I will do the ride. I'll check the forecast before I choose the date. I hate being rained on, especially when it's cold. Back in 2019 , during September when we did a Great Lakes 100, it rained from Nipigon to Hearst and it was pretty cold. My old ST1100 developed an electrical problem the night before I left for the ride so I was forced to take my Concours C-14 ( my thrill bike ) which wasn't set up for heated gear - not good. And the next morning it started to rain shortly after we left Hearst ( and it was even colder than the day before ) and continued to rain until we stopped in Cochrane to warm up and wait for the rain to stop. But by the time we got down to North Bay, the weather was beautiful. But then it rained pretty hard again from Ottawa to Brockville.
 
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JAVGuzzi

Premier Member
#20
Speed limit are 70-75 on freeway/highway. Most other roads are 40, 50 and some have 55.

On this BBG you're not allowed to go on other roads than E4 and E6 (2 lanes pretty much all the way) with specific turning points, you have to start somewhere along one of those roads as well and return to that place to finish.

Pic shows an example but it's more or less my route I took in June.

I have heard of Stockholm, but not any of the other cities. Time to do some research on Sweden - a winter project.

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