FJRForum Official 2015 Iron Butt Rally Tracking/Analysis thread

[st4sal]

Tick Tick tick............

 

[dudeckp]

And, they're off!

 

[tnjallen]

The first post of this discussion listed a 10am PDT start time, not 9. Am I missing something?

 

[SouthernCruizer]

10 mdt

 

[Ignacio]

The first post of this discussion listed a 10am PDT start time, not 9. Am I missing something?

The very first post was actually at 10:49 a.m. PDT on July 22....a week ago. It wasn't intended to start exactly at 10 a.m. MDT or anything.

 

[st4sal]

BEST of EVERYTHING to all the riders..

 

[SouthernCruizer]

The first post of this discussion listed a 10am PDT start time, not 9. Am I missing something?

You can't believe everything you read on the internet...

...for instance...the Iron Butt Rally website has this ...

Eric Jewell 2007 Yamaha ST1300 51 Y

Eric will be confused when he tries to take his bike into the shop..hmmm...should I go to the Yamaha shop, or the Honda Shop?? LOL

 

[jwhite518]

The first post of this discussion listed a 10am PDT start time, not 9. Am I missing something?

ABQ is in Mountain time.

 

[gixxerjasen]

Just wondering if anyone knows why the Spotwalla map https://spotwalla.com/locationViewer.php?id=283 for the rally folks still shows them scattered all over ABQ intead of all in the parking lot at the Sheraton?

Also seen where folks pull in and switch off spot without sending a final tracking. Last year I think I had a rider I was following...was easy to find as not many from the UK, and his spot stopped bout 5 miles out from the checkpoint. It isn't unheard of for folks to break down or crash so close to the checkpoint so we were a little worried about him. Turns out, he pulled in and switched off spot and ran to check in with the officials. So his spot sat there five miles out till he switched it back on when he left after the checkpoint period.

 

[Jaugie]

Some are headed north but most are headed west towards presumably toward Grand canyon and Yosemite and other locations

 

[jwhite518]

Petroglyph NM was a freebie. Right in town.

 

[Shuey]

If the Rally Masters require Park Stamps then that limits the riders to about an 8 hour window each day for most parks, which is kind of head explody when you think about it.

There were some Nat. Park boni in the 2011 and/or 2013 IBR and the requirement then was to snap a pic with rally flag and maybe bike with the Park entrance sign. No requirement to enter or pay any fees. Then again, maybe your route takes you through a park and out the other side . . . pay up and ride then.

Shuey

 

[Ignacio]

Another detail to the National Parks theme before the rider communication black-out began I gleened from multiple sources....the baseline requirement for the rally is 50 national parks & 25 states in 11 days.

If Petroglyph was included (and I think jwhite518 is right) it would at least mean National Parks and the next tier of National Monuments are included in the possible bonus list. Whether other tiers like National Historic Parks or Sites would be included I'm not sure, but am sure that the west is littered with possible sites and a big loop from ABQ west and north is probably likely. Two main tracks seem to be developing with the Northern folks--possibly headed to Bandelier NM.

California has a ton of them by simple counting, but we'll see what point values they're worth after Leg 1 has been completed.

 

[BritRider]

I see that the spot numbers have already changed.

 

[Timmer]

While the West is littered with NP's and possibly other qualifying sites, the bigger issue would appear to be getting the 25 states which will involve riding in the eastern part of the US and some miles from Rally central. With a checkpoint in Tennessee that certainly opens the possibilities.

 

[hppants]

I will have to research it more, but I don't understand how the riders will find 50 national parks without going to Alaska and/or Hawaii?

Also, can someone tell me what a L/D rider does with FLIR?

 

[Squirley]

Holy Cow Batman! Took forever after the bikes were launched for Phil's tracker to show up, so, tracking him and the group.....ha ha ha....WHAT FUN!!!

I love that team Terry & Lynda are running as well as Paul, I met them on the Ferry Run during the BMR that Matt was nice enough to host, I'm familiar w some of the other names as well (from BMR) and wish EVERYONE participating SAFE MILES

 

[BkerChuck]

FLIR is Forward Looking Infra Red. It's a camera and display that will allow a rider to "see in the dark". I learned some about them when I worked for a defense contractor. Basically a form of night vision that displays body heat. Useful for detecting wildlife on the road out beyond what their lighting will illuminate and also to show road shoulders where you may not be as attentive.

A mention was made earlier referencing 300 National Parks. I think it will depend on whether or not they just count the big ones we're all familiar with or if they allow for National Historic Sites and National Historic Battlefields such as Gettysburg, PA in my neck of the woods.

 

[lddave]

Looks like several are going to El Morro national monument which was used in 2001 rally.

 

[Ignacio]

I will have to research it more, but I don't understand how the riders will find 50 national parks without going to Alaska and/or Hawaii?

As mentioned here, it may not be just "parks", but at least also include "monuments" as well. It could also include others--we don't know. And since we don't have the bonus book riders have--it may not include certain parks as well.

National Parks = 59 (my quick count)

National Monuments = 114

National Historic Parks = 49

National Historic Sites = 90

Total for these 4 designations: 312