FJRForum Official 2017 Iron Butt Rally Tracking/Analysis Thread

[Bounce]

Sorry for all the back-to-back posts. I was VERY behind on reading the thread. Mom's in the hospital and getting out tomorrow. I won't make CP1 but maybe CP2.

 

[Ignacio]

maybe Ignacio can explain this. So what's the gnarlyist off road goat trail you've gone on Iggy? I couldn't take a dirt bike places that he's taken his FJR.

The top three are not the IBR.

SPANK 2006. Only one or two miles from pavement, but after a rainstorm went through New Mexico and the road was a clay mess. Literally couldn't go up a 1% grade and did the dead cockroach below. 2 inches of mud wrapped the tire before I got it back upright and pointed back downhill. I hadn't seen another car for 2 hours...so I was nervous about this ride.

Or 2013 Into the Unknown. While it technically was a state highway in Montana....the 60 miles of intermittent bladed dirt road with ruts, blow dirt, crown, washboard, early a.m. running, and fatigue made me literally get off the bike and kiss tarmac near Big Sandy. I don't think its a coincidence Google Maps still hasn't driven it. I think in this case an off-road bike would have handled it better.

And the #1 gnarliest off-road is Utah 1088 in 2007. Grosvenor Arch. In fact, Jim Owen binned it as he took the even gnarlier version of it (via Page, AZ) and bent his bike. The RM queried how many people rode it and about 8 hands went up. Then he asked who didn't fall over and only two I remember raised their hands. Myself and Greg Marbach......riding FJRs. In fact, as Greg and I rode out through big patches of blow dirt in near tank-slapper situations KTM dirt bike riders went by in motorcross helmets, looked at us bug-eyed, and shook their heads in pity/disbelief.

 

[Niehart]

Matt, just a couple of thoughts:

You are crazy man.

Sun was getting to be a pain by the end of that road.

Makes me smile when I can't see the speedo.

Just glad there were no sheep on the road.

Carry on.

db

 

[Shemp]

They're here!

https://flic.kr/p/WcYU5M

 

[PapaUtah]

Iggy,

Cottonwood Canyon Rd on an FJR is not the wisest endeavor. You were lucky the washes weren't running a little bit of water in them. I think it would be impassable on a bike. A "high clearance four-wheel drive" vehicle would be required per the BLM. If Jim Owen took the "road" up from Big Water, well, nuff said....it's not a road...its a Jeep trail...

 

[mz33]

Columbus, Ohio
"Deer on a bridge". ?

Ah. That's it!

Dang, I didn't even know that was there, and I'm in Clintonville. All I could think of was the giant gavel.

 

[Ndv21]

Saw this posted on facebook:

For the next ten days, ibr.wvi.com
will serve up the 2017 IBR Daily Reports.

 

[Ndv21]

Looks like theres something interesting out by the Big Bend NP... I've been there at least 3 times and can't recall anything related to the current theme....hmmm

 

[PapaUtah]

I hope the two riders in western Nebraska have cover...they have the first weather I have seen swooping in on them...I am seeing a little bit of a bow echo on radar...bow echo=not so good....

 

[FJR Flyer]

Wasn't too far off. There's a rider at the Tail of the Dragon right now. Not sure I'd want to be riding the Dragon at night, but it's only the 2nd day.

 

[JohnF]

The rider near LA has less than 24 hours to cover the near 1400 miles to CP1, twenty-two hours if they do not want to incur penalty points. Not the position most riders want to put themselves into on Leg 1.

JEF

Cincinnati, OH

 

[Ndv21]

Just got off the phone with one of the riders (I won't say who or where they are, but I will say that the bike is an FJR

)

This rider has been at it since the start of the rally with very little rest other than gas stops and McDonalds meals. Aside from that, the rider sounded in good spirits and appreciated our 30 minute conversation in order to pass the miles.

 

[dougc]

Off road options have been normal for many IBRs.

As they have been in many other rallies over the years. I totalled my '03 in '04 with 48k on the clock off pavement in a well known rally. I considered the FJR to be the best handling road bike I'd ever ridden in the dirt.

 

[DaJuice]

We're about to start seeing a bunch of green dots on the Spot map as riders hit the OK button as they start the rest bonus that has to start before midnight local time. Thats gonna make covering 1400 miles tough! I believe the rest bonus is a minimum of 4 hours and a max of 8. If I remember my conversation with a rider correctly it is 4 points per minute. It is hard to out run the rest bonus so most riders will be taking 8 I'd think, especially on the 1st leg. The bikes that went to NY and CA probably didn't stop for much if anything last night so they'll need some sleep. Of course if they are the big dogs, they are the ones that might be trying to out run the rest bonus.

 

[danalipps]

Wasn't too far off. There's a rider at the Tail of the Dragon right now. Not sure I'd want to be riding the Dragon at night, but it's only the 2nd day.

Yikes! How long does it usually take to get over it?

 

[DaJuice]

11 miles long with a 30 mph speed limit... It's a good 20 minutes. I once had to do an out and back on it during BL7! What a waste of time... not too often a motorcyclist will complain about HAVING to ride the dragon but we're trying to cover ground! I see that spot is south of Robbinsville now so he's doing fine!

 

[discochris]

Talking about going off-pavement, I think one of the most notable dirt/gravel roads to LD riders over the years is the Jungo Road to Gerlach, Nevada (home of Brunos and the IBR memorial). It cuts off significant miles to Gerlach when coming from the east, but it can be very sketchy. Alan LeDuc had to be airlifted out of there after dumping his Goldwing on an IBR (2003 I think?).

When I rode the Butt Lite IV, Gerlach was a bonus, and we did not take Jungo, but I believe John Coons (on the same RS1100 he is on in the IBR right now) did, but Coons is a different breed of animal. He did inspire me to ride through a rocky ditch in Iowa though on that same rally, because, well, "What would Coons do?"

 

[danalipps]

At first it looked like there might be a couple crazy enough to go in the dark. Looks like only one ended up doing it. I worry about all the riders out there, but add in an extra difficulty and it freaks me out.

 

[Hello Kitty]

Looks like a good number of riders are still about 1000 miles out. I hope I'm doing time zones right, but I think it's 13 hours to scoring open, 16 hours to penalties? The outliers are always interesting to watch as the dots converge.

Looking forward to yesterday's Daily Report! I was hoping it'd be up for my "quiet time" in the morning. I'm sure it'll be out there soon enough!

 

[Biquer]

At this stage the Tuesday report might become the Tuesday/Wednesday report.