Planning help please

[Morrissey]

Hey all. It's been a LOOOONG winter here and it's not quite done. I've been planning and re-planning my first SS1000 attempt. I have included a link to the route I have so far. I am planning on starting in Peterborough (my home town) and heading east first and doing the ride counter clockwise. I haven't planned out all of the fuel stops yet, but I do have them planned in Sundridge (the northern most point of my ride) and in Reeces Corners (the south western corner of the ride). I will be starting and finishing at the same gas station in Peterborough. So what I would like to know is where else would everyone recommend I stop for fuel to ensure I have stops "in the corners" so I can prove I didn't cheat the mileage?

I was thinking I need to do a quick stop in Port Hope for a receipt. Even though it's only a short time into my ride, I figured I might need to prove it to ensure I didn't take a short cut. Then I figured I'd stop at the Huskey truck stop at the 401 and 16 just outside of Johnstown to prove the south east corner. Would I need to stop in Kanata for a receipt, or could I push through to Barry's Bay? After my planned stop in Sundridge for the northern point receipt, would I then need a receipt from Parry Sound to prove I didn't short cut over to the 400? Then I figure I might need a receipt from Own Sound or Saugeen Shores to prove that corner.

I haven't had a chance to figure out the exact mileage between stops yet. I know my Bandit will comfortably go 320+km in top gear cruising between 100km/h to 120km/h. Just doing a rough calculation for the stops in the corners and the possible stops I've mentioned above, I'm looking at 8-10 stops. Is that too many? Not enough? Some of the stops will be well short of my bike's range but I figure I will need to stop for proof of route.

Any advice as to where I need to stop for proof or any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/44.2...03!2m2!1d-80.9405602!2d44.5690305!1m0!1m0!3e0

 

[Scott Parish]

Are you planning to use tracking i.e. Spot, Bubbler etc.?

 

[igneouss]

A few comments: (I'll guess you don't need a lot of advice but I'll jump in anyway)
1) Kudos for careful planning.
2) As mentioned above using a tracking device will help confirm documentation. It's not manadatory. If you are likely to get more involved in IBA riding/rallying then go ahead and get a spot device and Spotwalla account. This way you will gain experience using it. The budget alternative is a smartphone app like Bubbler combined with Spotwalla. This option is limited by cell reception but can still work to help document a ride. Lots of people here know more about this than I do.
3) Take a careful look at your route. anyplace that you could take a shortcut will require you to get a corner receipt. Keep in mind that the folks approving your ride probably don't know that a given short cut is really an impassable logging road. As they say, it's up to YOU to prove the ride. I've traveled over most of your route as a commercial truck driver so the good news is that you should be able to get good DBRs where you need them.
4) Range. Be conservative here. If you are not it guarantees you will hit 200 km of stiff headwinds and need gas early. Or that you will arrive at a remote fuel stop on fumes and discover the place lost electricity for the next few hours... you get the point.
5) Make sure your totlal miles has a bit of extra in it. The verification folks might use different mapping tools and not get exactly the same numbers as your plan. Tack on 5% and you will probably be fine.
6) if you identify key corners that will require a receipt that occur in the wee hours, it might be wise to call and confirm the place is open and that receipts include the time date and location.
7) Take pictures of everything with a camera or smartphone. Starting ODO. Starting GPS. All receipts as you get them. Your bike at the pump in key locations preferably with the business signage visible. Ending ODO and GPS, etc. This stuff could save your bacon if you lose a receipt or discover a bad receipt later etc. If you did this in a networked app then the images are saved to the cloud so to speak. So even if you lost everything you would still be able to document the ride. This might be overkill but taking the pics in a text message and sending them to your wife, etc is not very difficult. There are a few famous stories of riders arriving at a stop and discovering an open zipper and all receipts blown away...

And HAVE FUN! Cheers!

Rereading the above it sounds like I am encouraging overthinking the ride. Be rational and logical and go do it. Deal with the problems that arrise. Plan for the obvious. Be flexible. The good news is that an SS1600 has about 6 hours of extra time in it. If all goes well and you run at a reasonable speed you should be done in 18 hours. So no need to panic if you hit a problem.

 

[Morrissey]

Question, DBR's?

I currently have no GPS or Spot device and I doubt my phone battery would last even 8hrs into the trip running an app. and I don't even have a charging port on the bike. My Bandit is pretty basic. An engine, a seat, dual trip metres and a clock and some big Givi cases bolted to the ass end of it! I was planning on doing the ride with a map on the gas tank and really well planned fuel stops, thus the planning now and looking for advice about my route. I really want to be successful but I don't want to have to buy a GPS to do it. I certainly don't want to spend the money on a GPS for a bike that I'm hoping to replace next spring. Am I going to run into trouble proving I did what I say I did if I don't have a GPS file to back it up? I always find the learning curve steep with new tech devices and would hate to bungle things up because I didn't fully understand the device and all it's features. If I complete the ride and this kind of LD riding isn't for me, I don't want to have shelled out the $$ for a GPS that I won't use too much in the future. I've gotten this far on paper maps after all. If I do really enjoy this kind of riding then I will be looking into a GPS etc for future rides.

There is 78km extra built into my route as a buffer to make sure I don't miss by 1 or 2 kms in case of different software to confirm mileage. So I have that covered.

 

[kwthom]

This is your first attempt? A GPS is nice, but it's not needed.

As long as you're able to definitely prove that you rode the ride and did the distance you claim, you'll be fine. Thus, you will be really needing to check those DBR's at every stop, documenting the odometer at every stop...

I think you have it covered. As others have stated, it's waaaaay too easy to over-think the process - especially on your first attempt.

Luck to you & welcome to the madness!

 

[igneouss]

DBR = dated business receipt. Date, time, address, etc
You can certainly do it all without tech. I'd guess that many, maybe most, SS1600k/1000m have been done without Spot or GPS. Just make sure you have all the required documentation and it's all good.
Let us know how it goes!

 

[Gerry Arel]

It looks like your route is fairly straightforward given the roadways and geography. I'd look at each section and verify there is no shorter run between each corner/stop and then just ride it. If you're worried - you can simply keep on heading east instead of turning north for home to gain extra mileage - you have plenty of time.

Gadgets are not critical, as Ken said - my gps failed on my 1st Bun Burner Gold and was off most of the middle. i kept to the planned route, stayed positive, and made it by the skin of my teeth.

Be sure to log 'every' stop, not just where you get a receipt. Its a good habit to get into, and helps you build a routine. Have fun!

 

[cacomly]

7) Take pictures of everything with a camera or smartphone. Starting ODO. Starting GPS. All receipts as you get them. Your bike at the pump in key locations preferably with the business signage visible. Ending ODO and GPS, etc. This stuff could save your bacon if you lose a receipt or discover a bad receipt later etc. If you did this in a networked app then the images are saved to the cloud so to speak. So even if you lost everything you would still be able to document the ride. This might be overkill but taking the pics in a text message and sending them to your wife, etc is not very difficult. There are a few famous stories of riders arriving at a stop and discovering an open zipper and all receipts blown away...

Having a photo of my receipts bailed me out during my SS5K last year as I had somehow lost one of the receipts.

Regarding the GPS, IBR rides have been done long before GPSs were commonplace, so you should be fine.

As for charging your phone, do you have a heated gear plug or battery tender plug? USB adapters are available for each of those.

 

[BMWguy]

You've got a good cushion built into the distance - that's great as you don't want to be short on KMs.
Most motorcycle odometers (at least the ones I've encountered) can be pretty inaccurate for mileage as well as speed.
The mapping looks fine to me. I use a GPS and document time and mileage by that as well as my odometer.
Hands down the GPS is accurate - usually within 1 or 2 miles of the map.
igneouss has stated everything well - follow his lead and you'll be good.
Have fun and post some pics upon your return!!

 

[Stephen!]

If you are planning a morning departure, my humble suggestion would be to reverse your route for the simple fact that the sun rises in the east. Going west in the morning and east in the evening will go a long way to alleviate fatigue and eye strain caused by staring into the sun while it is near the horizon.

 

[Stephen!]

WRT phone battery life. I run a 9.5" tablet and a power hungry Android phone on one of these for two days straight before I even worry about recharging it...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01422TC14/

 

[David Yanke]

Coming late to the party, since your OP was in March I am assuming you did the ride already., but have a couple suggestions.

1. As a rule of thumb, I plan my stops at 75% of what my bike traditionally gets for a tank. Traditionally being on similar roads at similar speeds. Obviously, this advice would change for Extreme or Gold rides, but this is a Saddlesore/Bun Burner.
2. Just in case I carry 2 20oz MSR bottles filled with premium fuel. What you carry may vary, if at all. I am on a HD Touring bike with lots of room, but if a station I was depending on is closed and I did not follow the advice in point #1, I always have the piece of mind.
3. If you use a battery tender, you can get a quick connect usb port for about $10 at Amazon or many local bike dealers to charge your phone.. If you do not have a battery tender hooked to your battery, you can get the pigtail at Amazon for about $10-12 or local dealers as well. I know Harley and Honda dealers are pretty good about stocking both items.
4. A trick I heard about when not running GPS, I think I read in one of Ron Ayers books, is to use strips of masking tape with the turns on them. A different one for each turn or exit, kind of like pull tabs fastened to your tank in order. Then just tear it off when you get past that stop.
5. Put a printout of your route and the turn by turn instructions in a zip lock bag in your gear. You'll be surprised how easy things can get lost and/or wet. The advice about photo back ups is good. If your worried about phone battery, cheap digital cameras can be had almost everywhere.
6. I have a "Write in Rain" pad and pen I keep on the bike to also make any other quick notes, just in case. But that's always in the bike.
7. I live on breakfast bars (crisp type not chewy as the later does not like heat) and bananas (help prevent any possible cramping, when I am riding.
8. The Archive of Wisdom on this site is your friend.

Newer to IBA myself but have been LD Riding for a while. It was still a bit nerve racking my first SS ride. You can't over plan this first one, however subsequent ones will be easier to plan.

RIDE ON!

 

[Morrissey]

Thank you all for the advice! Stephen! I will be ordering one of those battery packs very soon as well as my LD Comfort undies! I have not completed my ride yet as it has not even gotten consistently into double digit temps here yet! My bikes are still stored away in the garage and I'm hoping to resurrect at least one of them this weekend. I am planning on attempting my ride in July. I have a busy schedule with a 4yr old and a 1yr old so. I am also someone who likes to have things planned out well in advance, especially when it is a first time doing something. All of the advice so far has been great.