Preparing for a Bun Burner Gold

[c10]

Good day fellow members . Not much under my belt just two SS1000's and a Bun Burner 1500 in 36 hours cert. I've been invited to a friends motorcycle mod party 1533 miles away on June 26th , and really kicking this can hard to make this run west from Houston Tx ( Sugar land actually ) .
My concerns are West Texas / NM / Arizona heat so looking to start in early evening to ride through the HOT zones in dark or early light am hours .
My mount is a reliable Gen 3 Triumph Tiger 1200 XCX ( off rd spoked wheel model )
Other than hydration , critters on rd at night what would you think that I might be missing ?
Also GPS im not planning to use as I know the route , and 95% of it is I-10 west bound . Going to print out the IBA paper forums , and photo every fuel stop with receipts / odometer .
Dreading the lack of a RDL seat though . The Hayabusa had my RDL , and it was the game changer .

 

[kwthom]

My concerns are West Texas / NM / Arizona heat so looking to start in early evening to ride through the HOT zones in dark or early light am hours .
<...>
Other than hydration , critters on rd at night what would you think that I might be missing ?<...>

You simply can't stay away from the heat between Van Horn, TX and Beaumont, CA. That's ~800+ miles worth. It's June in the desert...I mean, unless you're acclimated to it, it's tough.

The last ~60 miles of I-10 in the LA area (from Redlands west...) is a parking lot in the afternoon. Unless you have done any lane splitting, you might not be in a condition to learn the ins-and-outs of that riding style while fatigued.

Get very good at the 'photo the receipt/odo' photo trick, and omit the paper log while on your ride. You don't need them, but you do need those receipts. Log your data after the ride is completed.

 

[EricV]

If you're not accustomed to being up all night, choosing to start a BBG against your normal circadian rhythm is not a great idea. Most people find it difficult to get a good, restful sleep prior to an early evening start. If you work graveyard shift, no big deal. It also helps to know your low ebb times during the day so you can be aware of them and either take a brief nap or augment your diet at the right time to help stave off micro sleep.

What are you using for hydration?

What riding gear are you wearing?

Got aux lights? More lumens are better, when you can use them. Which can be a challenge on the interstate, even in the dead zones of I-10.

The single biggest reason BBG events fail is because people stay stopped too long. Have a rhythm for your gas stops. If you're taking off gloves, helmet, etc, ask yourself why? Do what you need to do and GO. I don't even get off the bike unless I need a bio break or food during a BBG. /and do eat, that's a stressor too. Just avoid large meals and heavy carb content, which tend to bring on the nods.

Do paper submission or do electronic, don't do both. If you're going to do the witness forms, understand you don't need a witness at the exact time you start and end, it can be the night before or morning after and a reasonable distance from where your start/end receipts are gotten. The receipts are your official start and end times, not the witness forms.

If you're going to do the electronic submission, practice taking pics of a receipt and your odo in different light conditions. Electronic odometers can be a real pain to photograph in some light conditions.

 

[c10]

Hydration camel back mounted in tail bag , Aux lights yes ( tiger head lights are great ) . My stops are quick over my 1137 mile run SS1000 total stop time was 30 minutes ( rain clothes change / food / dry out were slow down ) I have a 700 mile frequent run to Arkansas that my stopped time is 8 to 12 minutes total each way .

Sleep is a big key , and did not consider the shift swing . Lane splitting I've done a fair bit of on California trips , but with my wide bags its not the quick pace you see of some , just poking through . I'm not sure I could be left alone for enough hours to sleep before a night run . Maybe better to do mu normal up @ 3 am , and roll out by 3:45 am for long road trips .

 

[EricV]

Some reading for evaporative cooling methods - LINK

Mesh gear is not your friend in temps over ~95F. You're losing moisture too fast and just being blasted by the hot air. Same for open face helmets, for that matter.

Timing wise, consider your end time too, and make sure what you need will be open or available then. Know where to get a secondary receipt, should your primary location fail to provide you with the receipt.

Lane splitting likely won't be much of an issue at the time you hit CA if you do a 0345 start.

Remember that when you think about taking a sip of water, TAKE A SIP of WATER. That's your brain trying to tell you it's thirsty before you get dehydrated. It's really hard to re-hydrate during a ride once you go past the tipping point into dehydration. And a bag of ice in your lap can be quite effective, considering the large veins and arteries in the legs and groin. Just dry out before nightfall.

 

[c10]

Eric I typically ride in jeans / Mesh jacket in summer . Good tip on ice bags Modular C3 pro helmet that stays shut after fueling / eating .
I have some riding pants that I thought of wearing shorts under ( normally jeans as it winter time )

 

[Shawn K]

Eric I typically ride in jeans / Mesh jacket in summer .

Buy different riding gear. You'll regret wearing that in the desert in June.

Study that link that @EricV put in his post, and learn about the absolute importance of reducing your exposure to the wind as you get into the mid-high 90's or more. There's information there that can save your life.

I'm not being melodramatic. This is important information.

 

[EricV]

Eric I typically ride in jeans / Mesh jacket in summer . Good tip on ice bags Modular C3 pro helmet that stays shut after fueling / eating .
I have some riding pants that I thought of wearing shorts under ( normally jeans as it winter time )

I would suggest you consider ordering a pair of LDComfort shorts or tights and a long sleeve top to wear under your riding gear, and do wear those riding pants, hopefully with knee armor. Cotton, once it gets wet, tends to retain moisture against the skin and can cause some nasty rash and other issues. Keep in mind you'll be in the same gear, whatever you choose, for 20-24 hours strait.

As Shawn K said, reducing your exposure in high heat is key. If your mesh jacket has a rain liner or over jacket, once it gets over 90F, you will be better off installing that rain liner, wetting down an LDComfort base layer and zipping up, leaving only a small amount of cuff and collar open to regulate the air flow into the jacket. Get hot, put the sleeve cuff out into the air flow and feel the cooling effect immediately. Get too cool, (yes, it can happen, even at over 100F temps with this method), pull the sleeve back in or zip up a bit more. The trick to it lasting a hour or two is to not have too much airflow into and out of the jacket. Once you dry out, a quick wet down again, either with your own water or a gas station sink and you're back in business and avoiding heat stroke and dehydration.

LDComfort is unique in that it doesn't allow moisture to stay on your skin, even when you've wet it down. Because of that, no rash or other skin issues. It's not a wicking fabric, it's much more involved than that. You can wash it on your body during a shower, take it off and rinse it out, squeeze out the excess water, then roll it up in a towel and put it back on. In 30 seconds or so, you won't feel wet against your skin.

 

[kwthom]

A little more detail, @c10 on weather conditions in AZ (and NM, but a bit less in CA...)

The climate preparations needed for our rainy, monsoon season begin ramping up later this week. In order for that ramp up to be successful, we get the peak summer heating the last part of June and the early part of July.

So far, we've had a pretty nominal June, with temps only reaching 105F a couple of times thus far.

Our intent (@EricV @Shawn K ) is to help you be successful by providing you with the information you need to make a prudent decision. Feel free to ride out there, but without the added stress of a timed run.

EDIT: For years, I've geeked out to weather by reading the local Forecast Discussion about current & future weather conditions. in doing so, when I go to another region, reading the same type of info for where I'm going, I get to look at the forecast (6 hours, 24 hours 48 hours...whatever) and can better understand how that will effect my ride.

If you click on this link, you'll get the latest discussion for my region. There are only three forecast offices in the state, and the Phoenix office will cover from Casa Grande to the California desert area:

ktus: https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?afos=afdtwc&wfo=twc&new

kphx: https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?afos=afdpsr&wfo=psr&new

 

[Dogpoope]

Not meant to hijack this but same question for cold weather? We have nice weather in Sweden atm but nights are still cold as {whatever word you wanna put in} in comparison to daytime. Planning to do my first BBG1500 in appr 2 weeks so getting my gear together.

 

[Greg Rice]

You have received a lot of good information about planning and preparing for a BBG ride. I saw you mentioned that you will not use a GPS which it is not needed for any ride really but I have found that having a GPS onboard reduces my stress on long IBA rides. Knowing when and where I am turning and being able to find gas and other locations along my route eases my mind and gives me more time to focus on riding. Even $50 Garmin auto GPS will do.

Making yourself as comfortable as you can on your motorcycle will make it easier to ride farther it also increases the enjoyment factor. This including your riding gear and ergonomics on the motorcycle. Things like handlebar risers and custom seats go a long way in making you more comfortable. Good riding gear also makes you more comfortable. This all leads to more miles and smiles.

I just completed my 67th BBG this past weekend and that is not possible without following these suggestions.

Of course if you only plan to ride BBG one time then brute force can work. Just sweat it out and get it done.

 

[Marc11]

You have received a lot of good information about planning and preparing for a BBG ride. I saw you mentioned that you will not use a GPS which it is not needed for any ride really but I have found that having a GPS onboard reduces my stress on long IBA rides. Knowing when and where I am turning and being able to find gas and other locations along my route eases my mind and gives me more time to focus on riding. Even $50 Garmin auto GPS will do.

Making yourself as comfortable as you can on your motorcycle will make it easier to ride farther it also increases the enjoyment factor. This including your riding gear and ergonomics on the motorcycle. Things like handlebar risers and custom seats go a long way in making you more comfortable. Good riding gear also makes you more comfortable. This all leads to more miles and smiles.

I just completed my 67th BBG this past weekend and that is not possible without following these suggestions.

Of course if you only plan to ride BBG one time then brute force can work. Just sweat it out and get it done.

Listen to this man's advice...

 

[kwthom]

Listen to this man's advice...

Many, many of us have!

 

[EricV]

Not meant to hijack this but same question for cold weather? We have nice weather in Sweden atm but nights are still cold as {whatever word you wanna put in} in comparison to daytime. Planning to do my first BBG1500 in appr 2 weeks so getting my gear together.

Many use electric clothing of some kind to offset the cold. Powered by the bike, it can be very effective. For electric clothing, the trick is to adjust it so you are "not cold" rather than "warm". If you feel warm, you often will start to sweat, then when you enter a cold spot, you will feel a sudden chill, often causing you to turn up the heat more, which only worsens the effect and you can end up with the heat up full and getting chills and discomfort or even burns on your skin.

With it adjusted to "not cold", you are comfortable, but won't get the sudden chills and can better manage your temperature. The least amount of heat you can use and still be comfortable is best. Also, being "warm" can lead to dozing, which is bad on a motorcycle!

Heated gear works best with only a thin layer between your skin and the heated gear. Wearing a snug windbreaker or sweater over the heated gear also helps keep it close to your skin where it works best.

For those not ready to spend the money on heated gear, a good thin base layer and merino wool on top of that works well. Then your riding gear over that. A good trick is to put your rain liner or rain gear on too, as it often blocks wind better and can help prevent heat loss.

 

[kwthom]

Riders are unique... (duh!) ...and what works for some - works for others once you think about it.

Heated gear - get the jacket first. Most of the time, keeping your core warm keeps your extremities functional (as long as you have some protection for feet and hands...winter gloves, thick socks, et. al.)

The worst part about heated gear - having it & not using it. Try to have it on your body, but maybe not activated, before you think you need it. I've done a lot of miles with the temperature around 40°F/4°C with it on my body but not plugged in and on.

 

[EricV]

My mantra for heated gear is "Always Plug In". You may not need the heat, but when you do all you have to do is turn the knob and you can do that while riding instead of having to stop. I love, love, love mounted Heat-Trollers. With it always on the bike, all I have to do is plug my jacket cord into the bike when I get on, and it will safely pull out on it's own w/o damage if I forget when dismounting the bike. No wearing the controller on my body. Note: I also always carry a portable Heat-Troller too, just in case. Haven't needed the back up in a decade, but I've loaned it to other riders using a different brand controller more than a few times, including a couple of IBRs.

 

[c10]

I own heated gear , and its always on the bike if needed . Best investment for cool / cold / wet riding one can have .
A few more notes for you members with my run attempt . 48 years , 5' 1" @ 146 pounds in very good condition . Service / construction skilled labor by trade . Spent the day on a 14 story roof 8 hours , 1 gallon of fluids in the Houston sun . Today made me think more about this ride . Noticed today on news report much of Arizona is having wild fires . I can tough out alot of things , but thinking if I go ill being far from home could cause a issue . However have many friends in Phoenix area . Last July I hiked South Mountain with a 45 pound pack it was 117 degrees . I was pretty done the last half mile back down to the parking lot . I was shocked at the rest room in the park . as soon as I hit shade , and rinsed off it was like air-conditioning. In Texas you do not get this effect due to high humidity .

The Tiger is very comfortable ergo wise , and wind protection for my small frame is great . Added are hwy pegs to stretch the legs , bar risers to get me in the good spot of seat . I added gel insert to saddle , and a air cover to flow air in the humid climate . Factory cruise control is nice to have .
I do own a GPS just the darn thing starts acting up after a bit and becomes frustrating for the $ spent . bought a car model garmin to try , and same issues . I know the route very well so that is the reason to drop the GPS , and its caused frustration .

Greg Rice my hats off to you sir impressive !!! I'll need to tell my friends who call me hard core about you I shared Wendy's win a few years ago of the IBR , and they were just baffled by the millage / time frame .

I want to thank all of you for the pointers , and information .

God Bless you all

 

[kwthom]

AZ desert weather:

 

[WY88]

Like EricV, I have a mounted, remote troller AND always carry an extra unit with me. I can plug the secondary troller in on a separately installed plug just in case a fuse blows or "whatever" while on the road, being cold can (and most often does) completely ruin a long ride.

 

[c10]

I'm glad I did not go / attempt this as it has allowed me to follow the IBR step by step . Have to admit im pulling for mike on The Hayabusa , but a fan of Wendy !