FJRForum Official 2015 Iron Butt Rally Tracking/Analysis thread

[HotRodZilla]

What is this picture you speak of??

Dude...Think tire change, garage, black yoga pants...I know you can do it...

 

[Bounce]

IBR community et al -
Once you have recovered enough to face a kybrd, I would be interested (& hopefully others) in your comments about the gear you wore.

What worked well, what was an epic fail? Did anyones 'waterproof' gloves prove that claim?

Thank you and much respect for your efforts. All back safe - no better outcome than that.

-Steve

From looking at the pics it seems like the KLIM jackets are very popular. Are they worth the big $$$? I saw a lot of long sleeve shirts and jackets in the start and stage 1 Albuquerque pics and would be curious if they rode in the heat with all of that on. Short of the on board AC unit what worked well in the high heat. I can hardly make the 20 mile commute home in the 98 degree heat and 95% humidity with a Joe Rocket Mesh jacket and full face helmet!

https://www.ironbutt.com/ibmagazine/IronButt_1002_62-66_Hot.pdf

A mesh jacket would have you dehydrated much sooner.

 

[Niehart]

Just have to say you guys impress the heck out me.

Phil, did you sneak in some computer courses between the the tech day and the rally.

 

[2bikebart]

Thanks everyone for posting up about riding in hot weather. Living in Charleston, SC above 93 is pretty much all summer long. Great article Bounce. Other than riding with a camel back it looks like my gear selection was a little off. Well at least I was not riding in shorts and flip flops!!!

 

[Phil Tarman]

The "charging system failure" on Jerome Byrd's NT700V was a fifty-cent connector. He had the # of parks and states he needed to finish and that connector was the only thing that let him down on the "light-weight" Honda.

Dang, it hurts when stuff like that happens!

 

[101stpathfinder]

Stranded in Louisianna- flying home without the bike. I will return when I have the time to take care of the problem(s). I am just glad this didn't happen during the rally!

 

[Twigg]

Stranded in Louisianna- flying home without the bike. I will return when I have the time to take care of the problem(s). I am just glad this didn't happen during the rally!

Sorry to hear that, the bike has done you proud.

What happened to it?

 

[irish phil]

Just have to say you guys impress the heck out me.

Phil, did you sneak in some computer courses between the the tech day and the rally.

LOL! No! It wouldn't have done any good anyway.

Besides, a map, piece of string and a compass is all you really

need! Right?

 

[Steve in ATL]

There is currently a feedack thread on gear going on on the LD Rider email list.

KLIM gear has become very popular, but it is extremely expensive. It hasn't really let anyone down so far, but some have experienced some water ingress in the worst weather. Hard to tell if it is user error or design.

Aerostitch ... Roadcrafter leaks at the crotch. It always has, they have never been able to fix it. The zips get the blame and that sounds reasonable. The Darien Jacket does not leak. Some query its comfort, but it keeps out the weather. Aerostitch do not use CE rated armor, and that $587 jacket does not have a back-protector as standard.

Some feedback coming in about Motoport gear ... it may end up being better than either of the two brands above.

Down the price scale, Olympia Motorsports AST, and presumably its Ranger replacement gets good reviews ... it is different from the others. It is a full jacket system, including liners whereas the others are three layer Gore-Tex shells.

As for undergarments .... Overwhelmingly favorite is LD Comfort, shirts and pants. Normally nothing else is needed. If it gets cold use a heated jacket under the shell, and if it is warm open the vents and wet-down the shirt. If it is over 95F, close the vents, wet the shirt and open the cuffs and maybe the collar or rear vent. You can add ice too.

I only have the motoport kevlar mesh pants. Don't know how well they'd do in 90+ due to convective heat add, but there is significant air flow into them, though less than a full mesh pant. I can say this definitively: After a deer strike at 55+, and sliding on them, I'm not interested in wearing anything else. The only thing wrong with them was it tore a zipper pull off.

They do take a loooooong time to break in though.

 

[Niehart]

Stranded in Louisianna- flying home without the bike. I will return when I have the time to take care of the problem(s). I am just glad this didn't happen during the rally!

Dislike

 

[karstenp]

I am finally catching up on this thread after getting home late yesterday. This was my third and final IBR. I want to congratulate all the other riders who participated. Each rider must endure their own personal demons and physical ailments. It is truly an accomplishment to finish this rally. It takes superhuman effort to finish well. I can only imagine the disappointment of a DNF. I have a great quote by B.E. Mays on my bike that reads "The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach."

As far as a summary of my gear and bike during the rally.....

• This was my first rally that I ran with a CT on the bike. I started the rally with a new PR2 which performed as expected. I experienced a lot of pain and discomfort during the rally between my shoulder blades. I am not sure if this was due to the use of the CT or some other physical issue. I did not experience this pain during the 2011 and 2013 IBRs. However, it was fantastic to not have any concerns about the back tire going the distance.
• I wear an older one piece Aerostich which has been upgraded with the newer style zippers. I love my one piece for the rally. I experienced a lot of rain. I did get a little damp but nothing that caused me discomfort. I like the comfort of the one piece and it performs excellent in the heat and cold. I also like how quickly I can remove and get into the suit during/after rest stops. I also have KLIM gear that is my preferred daily riding gear. The one piece Stich is a personal preference for me during the IBR.
• I wear LD Comfort undergarments (both long style). These garments cannot be beat for keeping you cooler in the heat and warmer in the cold. I saw a high of 110F and a low of 46F during the rally.
• I wear Lee parks deerskin gloves for most of the riding. I also have a pair of BMW Pro Summer Gloves that perform admirably in the rain keeping my hands dry for extended periods of rain. They do eventually get wet but never feel uncomfortable.
• My boots were another story.....These were my second pair of TCX Infinity boots. The first pair lasted about 6 years before leaking. Unfortunately, my left boot started leaking terribly during the rally. The boots are only a couple of months old. This cause me a lot of discomfort during the rally due to the amount of rain I experienced. My foot never had a chance to dry out..... after 11 days, my foot started to severly wrinkle.....
• The FJR performed well. The only issue I experienced was during the last day of the rally. I noticed that the neutral light would come on intermittently while in gear. The bike would occasionally die when I would first place it into gear. Fortunately, the issue did not get worse and was only an inconvenience. I will do some additional research on this site for possible causes over the coming days.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone for the level of support offered by everyone in the LD and FJR community. It is amazing to know that so many are watching your back during the rally.

 

[marcusorelius]

More Comments made by Chris Comly (sportster rider) on the XL forum:

"Regarding riding the rally after the get off, I will say that it was a huge challenge. My wrist hurt so bad it took an hour to get dressed each morning, plus twisting the throttle was painful. I had a throttle rocker for most of the rally and that was a god send, but it got lost at some point in leg 3. Fortunately by that point my wrist had recovered sufficiently that I could get away without it.

However, there are some who say things happen for a reason. Perhaps that was a signal saying not to push it too hard. Who knows ... I will say that I want this one back but my request to have the staff hang around for another 11 days was denied so I guess I will need to apply for the 2017 rally

"

Wow, what a trooper!

 

[Niehart]

This was my third and final IBR. I have a great quote by B.E. Mays on my bike that reads "The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach."
Lastly, I want to thank everyone for the level of support offered by everyone in the LD and FJR community. It is amazing to know that so many are watching your back during the rally.

Perry, congrats on 30th and 3rd IBR.

Sorry you won't be back. Lots of fun following you all 3 years.

What's the mileage on that slightly used FJR now?

 

[eflyguy]

Someone asked about the heat and full-coverage gear. There was an article published somewhere that explained how you need to prevent too much airflow once you get above a certain air temp, because it will actually heat you like a convection oven and draw more water from your body. It was an interesting read.

 

[karstenp]

This was my third and final IBR. I have a great quote by B.E. Mays on my bike that reads "The tragedy of life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach."
Lastly, I want to thank everyone for the level of support offered by everyone in the LD and FJR community. It is amazing to know that so many are watching your back during the rally.

Perry, congrats on 30th and 3rd IBR.

Sorry you won't be back. Lots of fun following you all 3 years.

What's the mileage on that slightly used FJR now?

The 07 FJR is only at a little over 81,000 miles. My FJR is a dedicated rally bike and not my daily rider...therefore almost all the miles are from various rallies including the 2010 IB5000 and the 2011, 2013 and 2015 IBR. It has been an incredible platform to complete multi day rallies on!

 

[Tyler]

Someone asked about the heat and full-coverage gear. There was an article published somewhere that explained how you need to prevent too much airflow once you get above a certain air temp, because it will actually heat you like a convection oven and draw more water from your body. It was an interesting read.

Possibly post #1621 at the top of this page?

 

[Bounce]

• My boots were another story.....These were my second pair of TCX Infinity boots. The first pair lasted about 6 years before leaking. Unfortunately, my left boot started leaking terribly during the rally. The boots are only a couple of months old. This cause me a lot of discomfort during the rally due to the amount of rain I experienced. My foot never had a chance to dry out..... after 11 days, my foot started to severly wrinkle.....

Trench foot?

 

[eflyguy]

Someone asked about the heat and full-coverage gear. There was an article published somewhere that explained how you need to prevent too much airflow once you get above a certain air temp, because it will actually heat you like a convection oven and draw more water from your body. It was an interesting read.

Possibly post #1621 at the top of this page?

Sh!t.. yeah, that would be it..

 

[ParrotHead]

Regarding the comments concerning Klim gear and whether it is worth the money I thought I'd share my thoughts.

On my way to the IBR I was stupid and in a panic stop situation locked up my front wheel on I-79 in WV and hit the pavement at highway speeds. I was lucky and was wearing my Klim jacket. Once I stopped rolling I stood up and walked off the highway. Fortunately the damage to my bike was minimal and I was suffering from a sprained right wrist, forearm, and elbow. I was 1) Alive, 2) relatively uninjured, and 3) Able to ride to and complete the IBR thanks to my Klim jacket. Would other brands have protected me just as well? Probably. But I will be replacing the jacket with another Klim.

By the way, I was the fool who completed the IBR on my 2006 HD Sportster. I had a blast and had a revelation or two during leg 3 when I realized that mistakes made in leg 1 were threatening my chances of finishing. I am looking forward to 2017 where I can apply my lessons learned and hopefully finish higher than 62nd. (assuming they will have me of course)

Chris

IBA 534

 

[Tyler]

Regarding the comments concerning Klim gear and whether it is worth the money I thought I'd share my thoughts.
On my way to the IBR I was stupid and in a panic stop situation locked up my front wheel on I-79 in WV and hit the pavement at highway speeds. I was lucky and was wearing my Klim jacket. Once I stopped rolling I stood up and walked off the highway. Fortunately the damage to my bike was minimal and I was suffering from a sprained right wrist, forearm, and elbow. I was 1) Alive, 2) relatively uninjured, and 3) Able to ride to and complete the IBR thanks to my Klim jacket. Would other brands have protected me just as well? Probably. But I will be replacing the jacket with another Klim.

By the way, I was the fool who completed the IBR on my 2006 HD Sportster. I had a blast and had a revelation or two during leg 3 when I realized that mistakes made in leg 1 were threatening my chances of finishing. I am looking forward to 2017 where I can apply my lessons learned and hopefully finish higher than 62nd. (assuming they will have me of course)

Chris

IBA 534

You live and learn, Chris... glad you learned and lived!

As for gear, the cost of it is quite minimal compared to the cost of the helo ride and hospital co-pays that you missed out on. I know it seems like paying a lot at the time but when you really need it, I'm betting you are quite glad that you spent those few extra bucks.

Welcome home and we'll look forward to following you in 2017!