2013 Iron Butt Rally - The Inside View

[RayW]

I think I should take a minute here to offer a big apology to Iggy.
He was doing AMAZING......until I opened my big mouth and asked if there had ever been any FJR mechanical failures during the Iron Butt.

I am REALLY sorry for jinxing your shock, guy.

Next time I'll just stick to lurking and keep my mouth shut.

I don't think you jinxed me.

I'm sure my little journey down Hess Road didn't do my suspension any favors.

Truth is that I also blew the shock just shortly before my very last bonus. It *may* have been possible to snag the last bonus if my shock wasn't blown (although I was totally pushing daylight even if it was in pristine condition) and *could* have snagged a few extra 200 point bonuses in the end. Even if...I *might* have finished 4th instead of 5th. No way I was moving any higher.

If anything I'm elated that in the face of adversity I gutted out the last 533 miles on a blown shock squatting on its rear haunches, was able to adjust the headlights to not blind people, doing a permanent pull up like I was Paul Jr. on a bad rigid chopper, and negotating one-lane traffic on I-80 in the wee hours of the morning infested with semi traffic and screwed up steering geometry. Rolling into the parking lot with a wounded FJR and STILL snagging 5th place was the single biggest physical feat of my life!

LOL OK...I'm glad it wasn't my fault. These guys can be BRUTAL on here!

I guess I can stop lurking. In fact, I've got my first real ride report I'll be posting up soon.

Anyway, GREAT ride! I would have been done about 1/4 way into the first leg!

 

[101stpathfinder]

Who's this?
https://inda-photos.com/2013IBR-Banq/content/SLA_1946_Medium__large.html

If I am not mistaken that is Shuey Wolfe. He had a mishap, but still made the dinner.

Quote from the reports:

"Just before 3:00 p.m. MDT today near Deming, New Mexico, Shuey Wolfe and his motorcycle left the pavement of I-10 for the dirt of not I-10, creating a spectacular splatter of debris. Lisa Landry refers to these sorts of crashes as “yard sales.” I wouldn’t repeat that joke if Shuey had been badly dented. First on the scene to help clean up the mess and retrieve some of the more valuable items from what is now a crumpled ST1300 was Brian Walters, one of our riders. Big props to you, Brian, for coming to the aid of a fellow in distress. We owe you one"

 

[dcarver]

Ouch.

 

[Hello Kitty]

Yeah that's Shuey. I guess his visor was up or got ripped off in the tumble. His face, as you can see, was a mess. The arms and hands were good and beat up, but he was in pretty good spirits

 

[Bounce]

Clearly glad that it wasn't worse. Thanks for the info.

 

[karstenp]

Yeah that's Shuey. I guess his visor was up or got ripped off in the tumble. His face, as you can see, was a mess. The arms and hands were good and beat up, but he was in pretty good spirits

I came up to the accident scene just before the ambulance arrived. Brian Walter's had already stopped I was shocked at the level of bike carnage and I immediately recognized it as Shuey's bike. At that point I was not sure what to expect when I ran over to Shuey. Even though he was banged up and bloodied, he was apologizing to everyone for making such a scene. He even looked up at me and smiled and said, "Hi Perry" and apologized once again. Typical Shuey....always in great spirits even if the conditions do not warrant it. Shuey was also the person who hit not one but two deer in two different incidents in the same night during the 2011 Minuteman Rally. His ST1300 was totalled after the second deer hit but he was able to purchase a replacement ST1300 and prepare it for the 2011 IBR only a few weeks later. I joked with Shuey at the 2013 finish that we was personally responsible for a shortage of ST1300s on the used bike market.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Yeah that's Shuey. I guess his visor was up or got ripped off in the tumble. His face, as you can see, was a mess. The arms and hands were good and beat up, but he was in pretty good spirits

Gads! The first time I looked at the photo I thought he had mud or something on him! Ouch!

 

[Dan S]

Many of us STowners sure enjoyed this tread so I might as well return the favor for those of you that want to hear Shuey's tale. see post #438 https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?126740-Iron-Butt-Rally-2013-Schedule-Discussion/page44

 

[jwhite518]

Yeah that's Shuey. I guess his visor was up or got ripped off in the tumble. His face, as you can see, was a mess. The arms and hands were good and beat up, but he was in pretty good spirits

Gads! The first time I looked at the photo I thought he had mud or something on him! Ouch!

Yeah, me too. I thought he had been working on his bike and wiped his nose with a greasy hand. That's a scab. Wow!! You gotta give credit to a guy who can grin like that.

 

[dcarver]

"And Rocky said, doc it's only a scratch"

 

[Shuey]

Yeah that's Shuey. I guess his visor was up or got ripped off in the tumble. His face, as you can see, was a mess. The arms and hands were good and beat up, but he was in pretty good spirits

My Shoei NeoTec did it's job superbly and nothing from the road got through to rough up my face. I attribute that damage to the roll-down sun visor. Helmet rocked forward and the sunglasses raked a layer of skin off my nose and tops of my cheeks. It looked scary at the finishers banquet, but those scabs were gone within 6 days.

I really enjoyed reliving the rally, specially the last few days that I missed, through all your comments. Great job all! Thanks.

Shuey

 

[101stpathfinder]

Nice meeting you Shuey, and good job making the finisher dinner ... Showed your class ... (And scabs)

 

[chivvalry]

Yeah that's Shuey. I guess his visor was up or got ripped off in the tumble. His face, as you can see, was a mess. The arms and hands were good and beat up, but he was in pretty good spirits unk:

My Shoei NeoTec did it's job superbly and nothing from the road got through to rough up my face. I attribute that damage to the roll-down sun visor. Helmet rocked forward and the sunglasses raked a layer of skin off my nose and tops of my cheeks. It looked scary at the finishers banquet, but those scabs were gone within 6 days.

I really enjoyed reliving the rally, specially the last few days that I missed, through all your comments. Great job all! Thanks.

Shuey

So, you were wearing sunglasses and had the sun visor down? Or you haf the sun visor down and it was what did the damage?

 

[Shuey]

Sun visor down . . . no extra sun glasses.

Shuey

 

[chivvalry]

Sun visor down . . . no extra sun glasses.
Shuey

I am now re-thinking how cool the integrated sun visor is... I was/am considering a neotec but my ardor is cooled by the pic of your schnoz's condition after encountering that visor... mine is a fine Greek schnoz and would likely fair even worse in the event of a get off/yard sale.

 

[101stpathfinder]

Some sun visors have a pressure release instead of rigid lock features.

Besides MAYHEM... IIRC- the yard sales usually occur with the cycles FOLLOWING you.:.)

 

[dcarver]

Welcome to the forum Shuey!

Any chance we can get you on an FJR for the next big dance?

 

[chivvalry]

Some sun visors have a pressure release instead of rigid lock features.Besides MAYHEM... IIRC- the yard sales usually occur with the cycles FOLLOWING you.:.)

LOL, I dunno about that... I almost ended up in a ditch trying to follow Roadrunner during the Ramble. That dude is fast. I blame it on my stock suspension though... he had upgrades.

 

[Auburn]

Sun visor down . . . no extra sun glasses.
Shuey

I am now re-thinking how cool the integrated sun visor is... I was/am considering a neotec but my ardor is cooled by the pic of your schnoz's condition after encountering that visor... mine is a fine Greek schnoz and would likely fair even worse in the event of a get off/yard sale.

I have seen similar cuts and scrapes after crashes on road racers that wore sunglasses in their helmets. Most do that because carrying a dark and clear face shield for their helmet.

 

[chivvalry]

Sun visor down . . . no extra sun glasses.
Shuey

I am now re-thinking how cool the integrated sun visor is... I was/am considering a neotec but my ardor is cooled by the pic of your schnoz's condition after encountering that visor... mine is a fine Greek schnoz and would likely fair even worse in the event of a get off/yard sale.

I have seen similar cuts and scrapes after crashes on road racers that wore sunglasses in their helmets. Most do that because carrying a dark and clear face shield for their helmet.

Yeah that makes sense, I wear a pair of birdz sunglasses under my helmet and use a clear shield. I like cruising with the shield up a lot so I need the eye protection and I also don't want to carry two shields (clear/dark) like you said. I will have to do some aggressive yanking and pulling (ON MY HELMET) to try and ensure that the sunglasses won't tear up my face in a get off. I did deliberately select sunglasses with smooth edges, padded around the eyes, all plastic, none of those little adjustable noise pieces, etc.