2013 Iron Butt Rally - The Inside View

[Warchild]

Steve McCaa update: (I scored Steve at the end of Leg Two; I am not happy to learn the following news):

A huge thank you to Erik Lipps and Jerry White for getting my bike prepped and ready for leg 3. Sadly I hit a deer just West of Fredicksburg TX. All the gear did its job and I'm fine. Doc and nurses were amazed at how little damage was done to me. I slid down the highway a good 200 feet. Probably did most of the damage to myself when I tired to get up before stopping. Dislocated pinky and some light road rash on one arm was the extent of it. So I count my self well prepared and a little lucky. Deer was cut in two. front of the bike was trashed, but didn't look like the forks were bent. MedJet appears to be taking care of getting the bike home. Now just got to find a bus terminal to get somewhere with an airport... and a Walmart or target to buy some clothes at that don't smell like I've been riding for 8 days... Thanks again, Steven McCaa PS whoever loaned me their 478 antenna... not to worry I've got it with me.

 

[Go Far]

There will be no more Hard Miles DVD's. I talked to Dean Tanji in Sacramento. He said it was a lot of work, and major expense and there was just not enough return.

Bummer. Makes sense though - niche markets don't get much smaller than this one.

Fleas on ticks!

 

[Geezer]

There is an EAA (Experimental Aviation Association) museum on the keys.

 

[eldouble]

I'm with the rest of ya. Where is FL going? Unless he's got one working GPS on "Shortest Route" I can't figure out that route.

 

[heynowref]

Yes,scoring opens at 5 am friday morning at the Pittsburgh Marriott in Cranberry Twp.

Loving the coverage - thank you to everyone for the inside persepctive.

I am wondering about the early morning arrival on the last day though. Doesn't that make it more likely for folks to be riding all night on the last night of the rally?

 

[gixxerjasen]

Interesting stuff. So I watched the rider stop off at the train museum at Fair Park. Looks like he was there to grab Big Boy #4018. The IBR folks got lucky with this one. The train museum is being relocated across town and the move for BB4018 got rescheduled a few weeks ago for July 14th! Whew, that was close!

https://www.museumoftheamericanrailroad.org/News/tabid/61/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/52/UP-Big-Boy-4018--Move-Rescheduled.aspx

 

[Warchild]

More Insider updates on our FJR peeps as of ~ 8am, PDT, 10 July:

- Iggy: West Canada still, about to start blazing east

- Howard Entman: Also in Canada, somewhere east of Iggy

- Wendy: Cleaning up bonii down in the Houston region

- eeksnake: Still chasing bonii in the southwest

- TriggerT: West Texas, appears to be in that group streaming to the Houston area.

- Rusty: is also in Texas. I have no idea WTF he is doing.

- Paul Peloquin: Is pretty far north, but not in Canada

- stryg8r: is currently side-by-side with TriggerT

- Colin24: Surprise, Colin is still in Canada... but moving east.

- Eric V: currently in New Mexico

 

[LowAndSilent]

More Insider updates on our FJR peeps as of ~ 8am, PDT, 10 July:
- Iggy: West Canada still, about to start blazing east

- Howard Entman: Also in Canada, somewhere east of Iggy

- Wendy: Cleaning up bonii down in the Houston region

- eeksnake: Still chasing bonii in the southwest

- TriggerT: West Texas, appears to be in that group streaming to the Houston area.

- Rusty: is also in Texas. I have no idea WTF he is doing.

- Paul Peloquin: Is pretty far north, but not in Canada

- stryg8r: is currently side-by-side with TriggerT

- Colin24: Surprise, Colin is still in Canada... but moving east.

- Eric V: currently in New Mexico

Still nothing on Perry?

 

[Warchild]

Another rider in need.... this is a BMW shaft drive issue:

Rony Baenziger, riding a GSA, appears to have a broken drive shaft.  He ison US 84 about 20 miles SE of Lubbock, TX.  His cell is 508-317-0687.  Hehas called a wrecker, but he says the closest BMW dealer is in Plano, nearDallas.If you have a GS and can swap a drive shaft, or if you have any influencewith the dealer in Plano, please help if you can.  Call Rony.

 

[Warchild]

More Insider updates on our FJR peeps as of ~ 8am, PDT, 10 July:

- Iggy: West Canada still, about to start blazing east

- Howard Entman: Also in Canada, somewhere east of Iggy

- Wendy: Cleaning up bonii down in the Houston region

- eeksnake: Still chasing bonii in the southwest

- TriggerT: West Texas, appears to be in that group streaming to the Houston area.

- Rusty: is also in Texas. I have no idea WTF he is doing.

- Paul Peloquin: Is pretty far north, but not in Canada

- stryg8r: is currently side-by-side with TriggerT

- Colin24: Surprise, Colin is still in Canada... but moving east.

- Eric V: currently in New Mexico

Still nothing on Perry?

D'oh!! Perry just got passed by Wendy Crockett... both are streaming east.

 

[BwanaDik]

Maybe our FL rider is heading for this:

https://ride-the-wind.com/

About the only reason I can see to be on 27

 

[BkerChuck]

Glad to hear Steve McCaa is relatively unhurt. Sucks to hear he's out. Even though I've only met a couple of these folks one time, I still hate to hear bad news about any of them. This is an amazing group of people no matter what badge is on the gas tank. They've already covered more miles this month than most folks will ride in a whole year! Special thanks go out to the administrators on this forum also for keeping all of us armchair quarterbacks in the loop and keeping this whole show running. Hats off to all of you!

 

[RideToEat]

...Riders need to have their clock stopped at the check point by 8AM on Friday to avoid penalties. They may still arrive between 8AM and 10AM, but will be assessed a penalty of X points per minute that they are past 8AM

Here's a time zone map for daylight saving time which might help with some armchair computations as the deadlines approach.

 

[BkerChuck]

BTW, if I get fired for getting absolutely nothing done at work during this whole adventure is anyone willing to pitch in and help pay my mortgage for a few months?

 

[wfooshee]

Maybe our FL rider is heading for this:
https://ride-the-wind.com/

About the only reason I can see to be on 27

Nope. Down towards Homestead now. Musta been something along 27 to go that way. It's slightly shorter, but gobs slower! (Unless he's got "avoid toll roads" set on the GPS

)

And Key West bonii on 2 different legs of the rally????

A few hours and I-10 north of me is going to be busy with dirty, filthy, motorcycles. I wonder how many will pass through this evening, as opposed to stopping for the night first. Is it worth my time to go look for them, in other words? (No bra!!!! It'll be getting dark, anyway!!!)

 

[twistedcricket]

ldriders.com has a countdown timer to the check-in.

 

[El Toro Joe]

Maybe our FL rider is heading for this:
https://ride-the-wind.com/

About the only reason I can see to be on 27

Nope. Down towards Homestead now. Musta been something along 27 to go that way. It's slightly shorter, but gobs slower! (Unless he's got "avoid toll roads" set on the GPS

)

And Key West bonii on 2 different legs of the rally????

Definitely heading down to the Keys...hope it's worth the trip

 

[Sharif]

My goodness, Sacramento to Key West. Epic monster.

 

[LowAndSilent]

Yes,scoring opens at 5 am friday morning at the Pittsburgh Marriott in Cranberry Twp.

Loving the coverage - thank you to everyone for the inside persepctive.

I am wondering about the early morning arrival on the last day though. Doesn't that make it more likely for folks to be riding all night on the last night of the rally?

Is there something wrong with that?

The timing is perfect. It makes for their arrival in Pittsburgh occur during morning rush hour. You think the RM wants to make this easy for them?

 

[CraigRegs]

More Insider updates on our FJR peeps as of ~ 8am, PDT, 10 July:
- Iggy: West Canada still, about to start blazing east

- Howard Entman: Also in Canada, somewhere east of Iggy

- Wendy: Cleaning up bonii down in the Houston region

- eeksnake: Still chasing bonii in the southwest

- TriggerT: West Texas, appears to be in that group streaming to the Houston area.

- Rusty: is also in Texas. I have no idea WTF he is doing.

- Paul Peloquin: Is pretty far north, but not in Canada

- stryg8r: is currently side-by-side with TriggerT

- Colin24: Surprise, Colin is still in Canada... but moving east.

- Eric V: currently in New Mexico

Anything on Tony (101stpathfinder)? That's not him covering his home turf in FLA is it?