Iron Butt Rides....what's The Point??

[Rogue]

I've done a few 1000+ mile long days on non-touring bikes, I was fine 800-900 miles and did over 1000 because I was too close to my destanation to stop for the night. When I get the chance I'll do a SS, It should be much easyer on an FJR.

 

[EastTNFJR]

Have done 685 in a day and could have gone alot further if my buddy on his VMax would not call his wife every freakin' time we stopped fpr gas adn talked for 10 minutes. Could NEVER get gas in less than 30 minutes with this guy and we had to stop every 95 miles with him on the Max becasue fo his limited fuel range. I do admire his stamina though, he never quit going on that boardlike seat...

 

[county]

For me, the IB ride was about the plate. But the riding is another thing. I like long-distance riding. I like covering the miles, running at speed. Last Thanksgiving I rode to Phoenix where my family gathered. 1500 miles thru all that rain in Texas we had last year. Coming outta Van Horn, Texas on the way home, early in the AM, still dark, cold as a witch's tit, and the eyes are watering and it's running down my face and mixing with the stuff running outta my nose and soaking the top of my baclava and I had to ask myself, are you having fun yet? And I thought about it for a while and decided yeah, I was having a pretty good time.

For distance riding you gotta really like being in the seat. For hours at a time. It isn't about stopping for long lunches and pulling into scenic overlooks.

I will say that when the sun did come up I had a better time

 

[Groo]

Having just today gotten my certificate, pins, stickers, and license plate backer from my SS1000 a few months back, I can say that those are all very nice to have... but I really just enjoy being on the bike. I'm probably going to try for a longer ride on the way to or from Reno next year, and may do a B2B one of these days too. Need to get my order in for a Russell seat first though.

 

[protondecay123]

Got some good bites on that one.

 

[igoforit]

Long distance riding is not all about speed, it's more about the love of riding, endurance, intelligence, perserverance, testing ones self, etc.

I don't understand why the question of speed is the issue everyone brings up everytime there is a LD mention.

Long distance riding isn't for everyone, racing isn't for everyone, track days aren't for everyone, but two wheel appreciation is what it shouild be all about for everyone.

igopforit.

 

[DrEvil777]

For me it was proving that I could. 1130 miles in 19 hours solo.

Medschool, residency and fellowship were tough and the SS1000 was even harder.

Some people get it, some people don't. I have ridden for speed, I have ridden for the view and now I have made it the distance.

I am very proud of the IBA certificate, which I hung on the wall in my office between my diplomas!

 

[dcarver]

Now THAT I understand. 3 for 3.

Never done it, never will.

800+ on a dual sport Xr600 and I was done.

Unerstand it.. YES

Do it... probably not.

I like to stop and fish..

talk to the locals...

but I DO get it..

it's all about the challenge.

For me, it's about choosing the challenges...

 

[SkooterG]

Don't count yourself out yet dcarver. Quite simply, the fjr inspires. Inspires you to do things you never thought you would do, enjoy things you never thought you would enjoy so much.

I never rode long distances........until I my fjr.

Buy it.......and you will ride...........

 

[beeroux]

Gun MD.

Bragging rights are a funny thing. It ain't bragging if the audience don't know what the **** you'z talkin' bout'.

Making the miles becomes a private and very personal experience. The gratification is largely private, like the experience. Both of Warchild's posts on this subject are right on.

To expand, I'll touch on the experiences of a certain famous rock-climber. Peter Croft.

He often climbs incredible amounts of vertical feet in one day, just for the fun of it. Sometimes it's on easy routes ( interstates ), and sometimes on technical routes of great difficulty ( 2 lane twist-fests ). He climbs long and far for the joy, and because he can. He often tells no one of his incredible exploits. Two climbers who climbed on tuesday, 23 miles apart on rugged terrain above 11,000 feet will report having seen him climb past them. Thats the level of endurance and skill he possess's.

https://www.rockandice.com/training/training.119.html

It's a worthwhile link to read, and for those aspiring to longer days, a few simple substitutions of words gets you a pretty good training guide for big days on a bike.

It's not for everybody. Be careful finding out. Ya dig? Sho nuff.

GZ

 

[GunMD]

Point taken about the braggin' rights being depentent on your audience. Normally I just get dumb looks and that "dog in the fan" look.

This goes back to what someone else said about "getting it". Those folks just don't.