Hello, everyone, and thank you for the kind words and encouragement found here.
This ride is not my accomplishment, it is one that belongs to the many people who made it possible. I had the easy part. All I had to do is sit on the bike, and we all love to do that. The amazing part of this ride is that so many showed incredible faith in me to get it done, contributing everything from money to time, effort, patience, and hospitality. This record belongs to all of us, so please bear with me as I thank some of them.
Yamaha Motor Company makes the world's best motorcycle, and saw to it that all of the parts I've damaged and destroyed doing things that the bike was not designed for were promptly in place before the ride, on very short notice. The bike started the ride with 140,173 miles, finished with 145,818 miles, and still has nearly a year left on the YES extended warranty.
Bart Peterson and Action Yamaha of Metuchen, NJ have taken great care of me for longer than I can remember, before I started long distance riding. Their generosity and patience have been nothing short of amazing, and they do their best to treat all of their customers that way.
I've ridden on Metzeler tires for about 25 years, and they provided sets of their new ME Z6 Roadtec/Interact. It is a superb sport touring tire, excellent in the rain, while giving the great feedback essential for control in the reduced traction of dirt, mud, snow, and ice. That's a lot to expect from a tire meant to be used on pavement, and the ME Z6 Roadtec/Interact always exceeded my expectations.
EPM Performance Imports provided HyperPro fork springs and a fully adjustable shock, both with custom progressive spring rates, giving great handling and comfort on the slab, as well as the Dalton and Alcan - frost heaves, potholes, and dirt notwithstanding.
Motolights has supported me for years, but I bought my first set because I wanted lighting that made me conspicuous in traffic. They provided it with top quality, beautifully made, durable pieces that look like a factory accessory.
Gerbing factory rep Craig Bennett and Sarah Bennett's Everyone's Journey will always keep me warm. My friendship with Craig had a rather auspicious start, when I asked him to make a custom heated glove to wear on my cast-wrapped broken hand in February of 2001. Yes, he was willing and able.
Twisted Throttle sells great adventure touring accessories, mostly for dualsport bikes, but set me up with frame sliders, a heavy duty Givi topcase mount, and a Pelican case. This is a company founded by a rider and staffed by riders, and they deserve your consideration. They have certainly given me plenty of theirs.
Russell Day Long Saddles has done great things for me at the peak of the season, turning my seat around in record time on short notice. There is no better place to sit, and they're good for much more than "Day Long".
A BeadRider seat cover will let air circulate beneath you in hot weather, keeping you cooler, and keep you drier when it rains because you won't be sitting in a puddle. BeadRiders are made by one of our LDR brethren, Chris Sakala, who will be riding the IBR in August.
There were probably 100 people who contributed to this ride in one form or another, including FJR forum members Brian Roberts and Dick Peek. My profound gratitude is theirs, as well as this record.
Jack Gustafson, and Kevin and Annie Huddy took care of me in Alaska. If you ever want to ride into a blizzard on Atigun Pass, do it with Jack, who retains common sense when all, including that sense, is lost. Kevin and Annie made their home mine, tracked down a receipt and expressed it to me in NJ when a stubborn gas pump refused to yield, and shared their vast local knowledge and resources.
Minot, North Dakota was a bright spot on a rainy, forty degree night. Gary, Dave, and Levi Wunderlich, Steve Smith, Dan Campbell (willing to use his pristine '05 FJR as a "parts" bike!), Bob Richter, Dan O'Connell, Tim and Nick Schmitz, thank you. Tim commutes between Minot and Prudhoe Bay, I saw him in both places, and he signed my starting witness form. Pull into the garage to find these guys eagerly awaiting your arrival, with wrenches in hand, and it provides plenty of fuel for the next few thousand miles.
I now sit in a quiet, comfortable beach house on Key West provided by Clark Luster, cornerstone of the BMWMOA Foundation. Greg and Colleen Needham provided emergency Gatorade when I got dehydrated and hyperthermic while ignoring my body when the ride was over, and provided a magnificent dinner at the A&B Lobster House with their family and friends. After talking mostly to myself for 3.6 days, I am grateful for the wonderful company. They had me ready for another 1500 mile day in no time, as I type this from Greg's borrowed laptop.
I started my IBA career with incredible luck, stumbling into and becoming great friends with some of long distance riding's greatest minds and riders. Jim Shaw, Bob Higdon, Mike Kneebone, Dave McQueeney, Paul Taylor, and Shane Smith, thank you.
Last, and foremost, I could not have done this without my family. I come from a big one that is held together by unconditional love, a great rarity in this day and age. That they have come to accept my endeavors is truly miraculous.
There have been some questions posted here, and I welcome them. However, please be patient, as I type slowly, and try to spend as little time as possible on the internet.
Thanks, and best regards,
John Ryan
