FJRForum Official 2017 Iron Butt Rally Tracking/Analysis Thread

[robeth]

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.

We're only 4.5 hours out this morning, and I'm jittery.........all I have to do is get some breakfast in 3 kids and drive a few hours.

Can't imagine what the outlier ralliers are feeling, Kitty! We hope to raise spirits at the checkpoint, though. That is our mission, and we gladly accept it!! ;-) ;-)

Ride safely all.

PS. Day 2 Report just posted.....very short and sweet due to travel of the staff.

 

[Warchild]

Sidebar post:

As everyone knows by now, our ISP at ironbutt.com simply can't handle the load of 75,000 concurrent users, so it has been a Error 503 Services Unavailable nightmare since last Saturday.

But, thanks to none other than our own FJRForum member, Doug Chapman (DougC), he brought out the Heavy Guns for this battle - we have a massively huge pipe with bandwidth galore, and that's why the new temporary housing for all future Daily Reports belongs to this blazing fast URL:

https://ibr.wvi.com/

EVERYONE GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO DOUGC!!!!!!!!

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Posted the request for the S10 on the https://www.yamahasupertenere.com/ forums.

 

[robeth]

Sidebar post:
As everyone knows by now, our ISP at ironbutt.com simply can't handle the load of 75,000 concurrent users, so it has been a Error 503 Services Unavailable nightmare since last Saturday.

But, thanks to none other than our own FJRForum member, Doug Chapman (DougC), he brought out the Heavy Guns for this battle - we have a massively huge pipe with bandwidth galore, and that's why the new temporary housing for all future Daily Reports belongs to this blazing fast URL:

https://ibr.wvi.com

EVERYONE GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO DOUGC!!!!!!!!

Ditto and amen!

Thanks big time to Doug C........you da man!!!

 

[Warchild]

Posted the request for the S10 on the https://www.yamahasupertenere.com/ forums.

The specific call for help:

From the day 2 report (https://ibr.wvi.com/ibr/_2017/2017IBR-Tuesday-June27-Day02.pdf):
Felipe Salman needs a windscreen for a 2014 Yamaha Super Tenere.

If anyone has these items, is willing to loan them to an IBR rider, and can get them to the Checkpoint in Allen, Texas, it would be most appreciated.

Anyone near Dallas that is willing to help out?

 

[JackBurns40]

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....

I live in the middle of that mess from last night. Branches down all over the place last night, bit of hail, really heavy winds and rain. Hope anyone out in there was under cover! Glad my bike was in the garage...

 

[hppants]

First, as a non-LD rider but long time FJR forum member, let me welcome our "every other year IBR" friends back to our sandbox. Your insights and contributions are interesting and enjoyable. I liken this to cliff diving or bungie jumping. I'd never try this myself, but I sure like watching others do it.

Second (and if you insist, go ahead and flame away - I can definitely take it), could anyone point me in the direction of a link where, IN LESS THAN 1 HOUR, I can read the cliff notes version of the 2017 IBR rules, points system, etc. and somehow try to figure out WTF is going on?

I'm following the spot map (when it's available).

I know that everyone is looking for animal roadside art.

I know where everyone has to be for the checkpoints

That's about it. I'm realizing that in order for me to get the real spectator experience, I've got to know more about what's important.

Stay thirsty, my friends...

 

[JackBurns40]

First, as a non-LD rider but long time FJR forum member, let me welcome our "every other year IBR" friends back to our sandbox. Your insights and contributions are interesting and enjoyable. I liken this to cliff diving or bungie jumping. I'd never try this myself, but I sure like watching others do it.
Second (and if you insist, go ahead and flame away - I can definitely take it), could anyone point me in the direction of a link where, IN LESS THAN 1 HOUR, I can read the cliff notes version of the 2017 IBR rules, points system, etc. and somehow try to figure out WTF is going on?

I'm following the spot map (when it's available).

I know that everyone is looking for animal roadside art.

I know where everyone has to be for the checkpoints

That's about it. I'm realizing that in order for me to get the real spectator experience, I've got to know more about what's important.

Stay thirsty, my friends...

Here you go:

https://ibr.wvi.com/ibr/_2017/IBR2017Rules.pdf

 

[GearHeadGrrrl]

I noted from the daily update that the 3 person sidecar team missed the photo bonus at the Rothsay prairie chicken by a few minutes due to being delayed by a train. It's about 200 miles from the start to Rothsay and all interstate with nary a track crossing... Wonder if they were chasing a bonus and got off the freeway?

 

[Hello Kitty]

Sidebar post:
As everyone knows by now, our ISP at ironbutt.com simply can't handle the load of 75,000 concurrent users, so it has been a Error 503 Services Unavailable nightmare since last Saturday.

But, no thanks to none other than our own FJRForum member, Doug Chapman (DougC), he brought out the Heavy Guns for this battle - wew have a massively huge pipe with bandwidth galore, and that's why the new temporary housing for all future Daily Reports belongs to this blazing fast URL:

EVERYONE GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO DOUGC!!!!!!!!

DOUG ROCKS!!

 

[Hello Kitty]

I noted from the daily update that the 3 person sidecar team missed the photo bonus at the Rothsay prairie chicken by a few minutes due to being delayed by a train. It's about 200 miles from the start to Rothsay and all interstate with nary a track crossing... Wonder if they were chasing a bonus and got off the freeway?

I would say that's a certainty. I have no inside info on the relative points, but the report made mention that making that the 3rd in a string was a desirable thing, so I think it was possible and a smart move. Again, no inside info, just reading between the lines. And I know that lovely family, they're competitors! Laura (the daughter) is something else! She competed with the big boys in the cop cones competition at the Denver meet. 1st on her razor scooter or whatever those things were called and 2 years later on a little dirt bike. She kicked many a boy's ass.

 

[Bounce]

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 ***** (on the same RS1100 he is on in the IBR right now) did, but ***** 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 ***** do?"

I seem to remember hearing about that road. Hmmm...

Never did it on an FJR but have done 25 miles of deep gravel to get a bonus during the Roadkill Safari Rally (Draco, TX).

 

[BkerChuck]

Ah, the pain of missing out on a combo bonus. That sucks in a massive way.

Big props to DougC for coming to the rescue!

 

[ChrisW]

Ah, the pain of missing out on a combo bonus. That sucks in a massive way.
Big props to DougC for coming to the rescue!

I'm looking forward to seeing the bonus pack for leg one. I'm thinking there is more to these "strings" than just combo's. Do they need to be taken in order? Can you work on multiple strings at a time? Are they always in 3's?

 

[eflyguy]

I've attended many rallies in the Deals Gap area, many riders choose to make night runs for the fun of it.

Not me.. I see enough wildlife during daylight hours, been almost taken off the bike on more than one occasion..

 

[Shemp]

Excuse me if this has been asked but, during the 2015IBR I was at a location for points and by my calculations comparing spot and actual physical location of riders in front of me seemed to be about 20 minutes off. Is this the same this year?

Excuse me if this has been asked but, during the 2015IBR I was at a location for points and by my calculations comparing spot and actual physical location of riders in front of me seemed to be about 20 minutes off. Is this the same this year?

 

[Uncle Hud]

hppants posted: < snip, snip> could anyone point me in the direction of a link where, IN LESS THAN 1 HOUR, I can read the cliff notes version of the 2017 IBR rules, points system, etc. and somehow try to figure out WTF is going on?

You were provided with a link to the full-blown rules, which put me to sleep twice last night, and I've read them before several times.

The Cliff Notes is this, and I'm not being sarcastic. If I'm missing something, please assist, y'all.

A. Don't be an ******, *******, or *******. You will be disqualified. (DSQ'd) Mostly, this covers behavior that would end up on a YouTube video posted to this Forum as an example of squid behavior, but also includes rudeness to IBR staff, spectators, and police officers. The IBR staff is insistent that excessive speed is not required -- from my own limited rallying experience, I also know speeding isn't required to be successful -- and they reserve the right to discipline you up to and including DSQ for consistent speeding violations. (Spotwalla is probably a tool they can use to monitor this aspect of the Rally.)

B. There are technical limits for your ride, but the important ones are:

i) No bigger gasoline capacity than 11.5 US gallons. (There is a current example than 11.49 US gallons is OK.)

ii) Your muffler better work (I don't know the techno-details, but they're in Appendix B.)

C. Ride your motorcycle to the bonus, take the bonus photo, and fill out the Claimed Bonus Form.

i) No one else can pilot your bike. No one else can move your bike.

ii) Photo must clearly show the bonus and your rally towel (see group photo for examples). If you have a pillion, one of you must be in the photo.

iii) You can ride with another rider as a "team". There are strict rules for claiming yourself as a team, and dissolving a team. You can lose a lot if you screw this up.

iv) Apparently, the Claimed Bonus Form has many items to be filled in (I've never seen one) and includes things like date/time you arrived, odometer reading, etc. An incomplete Claimed Bonus Form will incur a penalty up to and including zero points for that bonus.

D. DO NOT MISS ANY CHECKPOINTS.

i) There are two this year; both are in Allen, TX. The window opens for CP1 at 8 pm, and penalties begin accruing until 10 pm, when you will be time-barred and DSQ'd.

ii) Have your Claimed Bonus Forms and photos ready to go, since scoring occurs at each checkpoint and you have a limited time after arrival to show up at the scoring table.

iii) Additional bonus information is usually distributed at CPs. (new locations, point value adjustments, more perverted **** dreamed up by the Rallymaster, etc)

iv) The checkpoints are also a way to make sure everybody's OK mentally and physically; to provide rest opportunities; and allow some time off the clock for moto-maintenance.

E. I'm not sure they've made public the specific point values and "string" bonus points and all that. If they have, I've missed it, but know that it changes from Rally to Rally -- and sometimes from leg to leg. Rest assured, THAT aspect of each rally is the most interesting to me: How do I gather the most points while riding the fewest miles in the least amount of time?

 

[BkerChuck]

Haven't done the "big dance" but have participated in some rallies run by IBR finishers.

When filling out your score sheet it's typically just a page with a whole bunch of lines and blocks that you must complete listing; Bonus ID, time, odometer. Bonus ID will be EXACTLY as listed in the rally book. I've seen riders transpose 2 letters of a bonus location and watch their points disappear in front of their eyes. Imagine filling out your tax forms after 3 or 4 days of minimal sleep as an example of how this can happen. Time, this must be correct for the time zone you were in and generally must be within s small variance of the time stamp on your photo. Mileage, again this has to match up and flow in order of bonus locations visited. Staff will have mapping software that lets them make sense of your route.

Reading comprehension will make or break you in an event. Often the rally book will even include a reference photo. Study it and make sure your photo matches the reference one. I just lost 2k points Memorial Day weekend in the MD20/20 by not double checking a picture before I left the bonus location. The verbiage in the book lined up close enough with the picture of the HHM that I used but it turned out there was a second marker only about 15 feet away with a memorial plaque on the side I couldn't see from how I was parked. Almost half the field that was riding that combo path made the same error including one or 2 riders who are currently out riding the IBR.

 

[Ignacio]

Excuse me if this has been asked but, during the 2015IBR I was at a location for points and by my calculations comparing spot and actual physical location of riders in front of me seemed to be about 20 minutes off. Is this the same this year?

As a function of SPOT, SPOTWalla, and other variables (not that it is an IBR)....then yes...that's still approximately correct.

 

[RJAMT]

Hmm. I see 2 riders at a Yamaha/Suzuki/BMW dealer in Memphis. Going to go out on a limb and say that is probably not a good thing.