Iron Butt Ride

yoursailor05 · Oct 1, 2010

Well I got that itch again. The last one I did was over a year ago. If you don't know what an Iron Butt Ride is I suggest checking it out at IronButt.com. I had an urge to do the 2,000 mile in 48 hour ride and I was hoping I could fit it into my busy schedule before I got married this November. But I wasn’t able to fit a two day ride in anywhere. I wanted to do something more than my 1,000 mile ride so I decided on a 1,500 mile ride. There is 2 different classes. A 36 hour ride & a 24 hour ride. Well… I’m all for making it a shorter ride. In the rules you have to stop every 350 miles to get gas & to find out where you are. At the gas station you keep your receipt b/c it shows where & when you are along your ride. So it tracks you that way. I would like to add a fuel cell so I would be around that mark. The thing is that my bike doesn’t get great milage anymore. With me running around on the interstates here in town I’ll be lucky if I can get 44 mpg. That’s a long way down from what I was getting. I’m over 21,000 miles so I’m sure it’s something that I could fix. I thought about putting my stock exhaust back on but it’s quite a bit of work to do that and re-jet it to stock again. So I thought I’d just ride it and suck-up the gas and the stops. I calculated I would have to stop every 150 miles to be safe and I would have to make 10 stops on the trip. And 1500 miles / 24 hours is 62 ½ mph non-stop to make the ride. & with just doing the speed limit I would have an hour for all stops. 6 mins for each to wait at 2 or so lights, fill up, eat, and ride back to the road… But if I just do 70 the whole way I’ll have 2 ½ hours for stops… a little bit more realistic. I’ll just have to stick the speedometer at 80 the whole way. At that speed the bike feels better. The motor seams to have more power against the wind.

My fiancé works at AAA so she’s putting together a ride for me. Just need ten stops in there. & I’m excited to see where I’m going. I’m sure it will consist of LA, Vegas, Flagstaff, or something like that. IDK if I want to do LA tho. It always seams like there is traffic. 6 lanes wide and it never fails. And if I got held up in traffic it would ruin my run at the 1500/24 run.

I would like to add the aux fuel tank but I don’t think that’s going to be an option before this ride. Maybe for the next one. The plan is doing starting the ride on October 9th at 5 pm or so i can be back sunday by then hopefully

spooph · Oct 1, 2010

awesome! Post pics, eh?

Delta107 · Oct 2, 2010

Cool! Take lots of pics

Racer X · Oct 2, 2010

That sounds like fun

hi-tech · Oct 2, 2010

21,000 miles already? wow hey spooph,x any pointers to give him? thats a lot of lost on mpg on the 250.
and yes pics please.

spooph · Oct 2, 2010

I'd say start by checking all the regular things - spark plugs, air filter, carbs (air-fuel mixture screw - they can probably do with a proper cleaning as well), a thorough cleaning to free everything up, valves, etc. Then start checking compression and clutch, maybe?

yoursailor05 · Oct 3, 2010

I think it might be plugs. I've never touched them. The filter is just cleaned & I haven't touched the carbs sense i did my dynojet install around 4,000. I should work on that tomorrow.

yoursailor05 · Oct 3, 2010

How extensive is it to change plugs? i don't remember. Its been a long while sense i've had the gastank off.

spooph · Oct 3, 2010

you have to remove the coils also, and then you should be able to get to them...

yoursailor05 · Oct 4, 2010

It was easier than i thought. Gas tank doesn't need to come off. Only the left side needs to come off to get to both of them. The spark plug wrench is perfect fit to get underneath the gas tank. 6 Days till D-Day! Oh i found a route... I'm going up to Salt Lake City, UT.

spooph · Oct 4, 2010

What did the plugs look like?

Better pack some warm clothes for the early morn and eve....

yoursailor05 · Oct 7, 2010

They weren't too bad... I probably should have checked the gap but i just gaped the new ones and put them in.

I'm getting a little nervous about the ride. My XO just got acepted to The Iron Butt Ride (11,000 miles in 11 days, done every other year) and he gave me some advice. Thorugh UT it's going to get cold at night. I just had thermals, sweatshirts and my all weather jacket for my outerware... with my jacket underneith of course. Riding at night should be somethin. I should have stopped being stoborn and bought the Zero Gravity touring windshield for 90 bucks.

hi-tech · Oct 7, 2010

yes u should

yoursailor05 · Oct 9, 2010

We will see tomorrow night when i take off. It will be fine. This is second long long one.

zartan · Oct 9, 2010

Have a great time

metbandit1 · Oct 9, 2010

Have fun

obviously we cant some pics when you get back

(i know im late to this thread)

yoursailor05 · Oct 11, 2010

Ride didn't happen. It's a long big ride and since i didn't have everything going right i didn't want to waste a shot at it. I'm either going to do it right or not do it at all. I wasn't able to get enough rest and when time came to go i hadn't gotten any sleep. Plan was for the fiance to come over & nap/sleep till i was rested. Well i couldn't get any sleep. 11... 12 rolled around and i wasn't going to hit it with no sleep.

With my ship being out so much i'm sure she would have had a bad weekend if i was just going to leave again. We got some good time in... good trade off. There will always be motorcycles to ride... only so much time home with the loved ones.

yoursailor05 · Oct 11, 2010

... i think she did it on purpose.

spooph · Oct 11, 2010

lol, next time...

yoursailor05 · Jul 31, 2012

Long time no see. What a busy year. I've gotten married and had a little daughter that is almost 7 months old now. Sense last post I have installed that touring windshild and have installed the 5 gal fuel cell. Last year my father in-law and I (mostly him) welded up a bracket that is strapped under the rear seat. The fuel cell works and adds fuel to the main tank. I T-ed it into the fuel line to the carb and kept the petcock in the PRI position. As soon as I seen it tick up I jumped for joy!

The fuel cell will take me out to the 300 mile limit. I have planned my stops for the trip. Starting out in San Diego my first gas stop will be Primm, NV. Primm is the first exit in Nevada with Buffalo Bill's cosino. After that it is off to Utah where my next stop will be in Beaver. After Beaver it's on up to Salt Lake City for my turn around and then I'll make the same stops on the way back. The longest leg of the ride is from San Diego to Primm at 285 miles.

I'm going for the bun burnner GOLD which is 1500 miles under 24 hours. As long as I only stop for gas I'll make it. This week my wife is making me a 1" foam seat cussion. I have a Chatterbox with a head phone output to my ear buds. This way I'll be able to call or be called while I'm on the road.

If I feel up to it I can still do the 2000 @ 48 hours by going east on I-8 for 250 miles and return. That way i'll get the saddle sore 2000 and the bun burnner GOLD. The SS2000 will just be icing on the cake.