SkooterG
Purveyor of Crooked Facts
Disclaimer: Sorry, I am writing this after a few beers and it has turned out MUCH longer than I thought.
Well, SkooterG finally did a BBG - Bun Burner GOLD - 1500+ miles in less than 24 hours. Manly-man kind of stuff. Have been trying to get it in for a while now, but always a roadblock here or there. No longer. I've got chesthair now, baby.
As many of you may know, due to an el stupido mishap during the Cal24 rally in June, most of my copious amount of two-wheeled adventures planned for this summer, did not materialize. However, I was able to save the planned trip from my home in Arizona to Chicago, where I grew up, and was looking forward to a week of visiting with my Dad and some old friends. Yippee! On the trip to Chicago, I was finally able to get the Bun Burner GOLD 1500 done, as I had been wanting to do for quite some time.
The first thing I learned: Not wise to try and plan a BBG, especially your first, with a week long vacation. Each on its own requires intensive planning and efficient packing, and combing the two just complicates things to the freaking Nth degree.
So, after changing the planned departure date several times, I was finally off at 7pm local time from my home in Casa Grande, AZ, on August 28th. I work nights and am naturally a "night" person, so this worked well. Also, very importantly, I would be riding the stifling hot desert during the night. As it was, it was about 103 degrees when I left at sunset, and I have learned in the past that high temps are much more fatiguing to me than cool to moderately cold temps.
From all my anal-retentive planning for weeks preceding the ride, I had come with the following highly detailed and specific plan: To ride as far as I could in the allotted 24 hours. Pretty fancy, huh?
Well, actually I did plan out some distances. From my starting point, I calculated the following distances to a few destinations:
St. Louis, MO - 1553 miles
Springfield, IL - 1650 miles
Bloomington/Normal, IL - 1720 miles
I decided to get a little cocky and my goal was Springfield, and if all went really well, then perhaps Normal, IL.
Well, things went extremely well. It was moist ass-cheese hot for the first couple hours, but once clear of Tucson, I was able to make good time as I headed east on I-10 for Deming, NM. Great thing about most of the western US. Not too much traffic, and very little LEO presence in the wee hours of the night. I'll just say I made damn good time for the first 1/3 of the ride. From Deming, a short jaunt on a state highway, then north on I-25 to Albuquerque. Then east on I-40 through Amarillo, TX, to Okalahoma City, OK.
Now the sun was starting to rise, and I was encountering the occasional LEO. Also, traffic was getting a little thicker near some of the urban areas, though never bad. And for some ridiculous reason, speed limits were getting lower, though the interstates were flat, straight, and out in the middle of nowhere. I was really disappointed in Texas. For crying out loud, the People's Republik of Kalifornia has higher speed limits on their interstates, and they are a hell of a lot more crowded. WTF?
Significantly, I was getting a bit more tired. You see, I have one of those waaaay cool bling-bling Dean Tanji fuel cells and can really stretch the gas stops. BBG rules state you have to stop for fuel at least every 350 miles, though with the fuel cell I cold go farther. So I had planned all my fuel stops, and they were all between 308 - 344 miles. Well, the first two stops were lickity-split quick in fine IBA fashion, but you know, after about 1000 miles in the same damn position, I started getting a bit stiff. So eventually the fuel stops started getting a bit longer as I relaxed, walked around, and unwinded the knots in my body. Being able to go 350 miles without touching feet to the ground is an impressive endeavor, but I learned you can not do it over and over again indefinitely. At least this wuss can't.
So all this was starting to slow me down. Then of course was the thing I should have remembered from my days growing up in the midwest. Namely, the "two" seasons of the midwest: Winter and Under Construction. Shit. All those freaking constructions zones have a way of sapping the average speed.
Do not avail however, your hero SkooterG was still charging full steam ahead and doing well. Did I mention I was able to make really good time for the first 1/3 of the trip in the middle of the night in Arizona and New Mexico?
From Oklahoma City it was east on I-44 through Tulsa. I-44 in Okie is a "toll" road. I guess I have been spoiled for the last 15 years as there aint no freaking toll roads in the west! I mean, that's frigging communist for crying out loud. Ok, deep breath, and....I feel much better now. I can't remember if I have ever been in Oklahoma before, but I envisioned a dust bowl. Well, it was quite green and very nice.
Next came Missouri, and some nice scenery. Lots of green I don't see very often living in the desert, and some nice hills here and there.
St. Louis came in no time and I hit it during rush hour. Never stop-n-go, but crowded for quite a few miles. I was doing well, so I continued on to Springfield, and encountered about 30 miles of moderate rain, perhaps due to that bitch Katrina? Still, not too bad. In Springfield the Illinois State Nazis were in full force. Holy crap. I saw 5 troopers in about 10 miles, all busy with customers. More "protection" than the entire trip proceeding that. Boy, was I ever feeling "safe".
After a long gas stop to try and work out all the kinks, I was still doing well, so it was on to Bloomington/Normal, IL. Enroute, that now not so sharp processor between my abundant ears was telling me I could actually push farther than my planned ultimate goal, though I did not see any major towns after that.
WTF? Though tired, I was feeling good, and of course IBA "tough". Well, to finally end this little story, I ended up riding on quite a bit further than Bloomington/Normal. I stopped in Shorewood, IL, right next to Joliet, kind of the start of the far southwestern Chi-town burbs. When selecting a starting gas station in Casa Grande, almost all printed times on the receipts of the stations I tried were significantly off. In fact, the normal Chevron station I use would have cheated me out of 43 minutes! So fearing the worst at the final stop, I ended my ride with about 25 minutes to go before the allowed 24 hours was up. Turns out the worry was for nothing, as the ride ending gas station's clock was right on. And so it was, I ended with 23 hours and 40 minutes on the road.
So what was the distance I covered? Well, I must admit I am most proud to say that I freaking rode WELL OVER 1500 miles in less than 24 hours according to mapping software. We shall see if the IBA agrees.
So to my mentor Warchild and all you other candy-ass wannabes, stand the farkle by cause there's a new big dog on the block! Iron Butt Rally here I come!
Hey, its my moment, and my story. Allow me some delusions of granduer!
Really, though not easy, things went very well. Not one stop for a nap or rest needed. Just some long gas stops the last 1/3 of the ride. No stops for meals, just snacks at gas stops. The IBA's "Archive of Wisdom" and riding tips really do prove to be quite useful. After doing a couple SaddleSore 1000s and rallys, one of my goals was to significantly improve my efficiency on stops, and I think I accomplished that except for those at the end.
Only negative thing to report was that I was pretty darn stiff at the end of the ride. Primarily the knees and right wrist, but all over too. This is not normal for me, but I will attribute it to not being in riding shape after not riding for two and a half months prior to this trip due to my June crash. And thankfully, my fractured wrist from that crash, though still sore, weak, and limited in range of motion, did not prove to be a problem on the ride.
After a really, really, good night's sleep, I had a wonderful week visiting family and friends in Chicagoland. I even had the distinct pleasure of meeting forum member wheatonfjr in.......you guessed it, Wheaton, IL, where I grew up.
All in all, a great trip, and a most successful ride.
Bun Burner GOLD? No problemo, easy-peasy, been there, done that.
Yeah, right.
Well, SkooterG finally did a BBG - Bun Burner GOLD - 1500+ miles in less than 24 hours. Manly-man kind of stuff. Have been trying to get it in for a while now, but always a roadblock here or there. No longer. I've got chesthair now, baby.
As many of you may know, due to an el stupido mishap during the Cal24 rally in June, most of my copious amount of two-wheeled adventures planned for this summer, did not materialize. However, I was able to save the planned trip from my home in Arizona to Chicago, where I grew up, and was looking forward to a week of visiting with my Dad and some old friends. Yippee! On the trip to Chicago, I was finally able to get the Bun Burner GOLD 1500 done, as I had been wanting to do for quite some time.
The first thing I learned: Not wise to try and plan a BBG, especially your first, with a week long vacation. Each on its own requires intensive planning and efficient packing, and combing the two just complicates things to the freaking Nth degree.
So, after changing the planned departure date several times, I was finally off at 7pm local time from my home in Casa Grande, AZ, on August 28th. I work nights and am naturally a "night" person, so this worked well. Also, very importantly, I would be riding the stifling hot desert during the night. As it was, it was about 103 degrees when I left at sunset, and I have learned in the past that high temps are much more fatiguing to me than cool to moderately cold temps.
From all my anal-retentive planning for weeks preceding the ride, I had come with the following highly detailed and specific plan: To ride as far as I could in the allotted 24 hours. Pretty fancy, huh?
Well, actually I did plan out some distances. From my starting point, I calculated the following distances to a few destinations:
St. Louis, MO - 1553 miles
Springfield, IL - 1650 miles
Bloomington/Normal, IL - 1720 miles
I decided to get a little cocky and my goal was Springfield, and if all went really well, then perhaps Normal, IL.
Well, things went extremely well. It was moist ass-cheese hot for the first couple hours, but once clear of Tucson, I was able to make good time as I headed east on I-10 for Deming, NM. Great thing about most of the western US. Not too much traffic, and very little LEO presence in the wee hours of the night. I'll just say I made damn good time for the first 1/3 of the ride. From Deming, a short jaunt on a state highway, then north on I-25 to Albuquerque. Then east on I-40 through Amarillo, TX, to Okalahoma City, OK.
Now the sun was starting to rise, and I was encountering the occasional LEO. Also, traffic was getting a little thicker near some of the urban areas, though never bad. And for some ridiculous reason, speed limits were getting lower, though the interstates were flat, straight, and out in the middle of nowhere. I was really disappointed in Texas. For crying out loud, the People's Republik of Kalifornia has higher speed limits on their interstates, and they are a hell of a lot more crowded. WTF?
Significantly, I was getting a bit more tired. You see, I have one of those waaaay cool bling-bling Dean Tanji fuel cells and can really stretch the gas stops. BBG rules state you have to stop for fuel at least every 350 miles, though with the fuel cell I cold go farther. So I had planned all my fuel stops, and they were all between 308 - 344 miles. Well, the first two stops were lickity-split quick in fine IBA fashion, but you know, after about 1000 miles in the same damn position, I started getting a bit stiff. So eventually the fuel stops started getting a bit longer as I relaxed, walked around, and unwinded the knots in my body. Being able to go 350 miles without touching feet to the ground is an impressive endeavor, but I learned you can not do it over and over again indefinitely. At least this wuss can't.
So all this was starting to slow me down. Then of course was the thing I should have remembered from my days growing up in the midwest. Namely, the "two" seasons of the midwest: Winter and Under Construction. Shit. All those freaking constructions zones have a way of sapping the average speed.
Do not avail however, your hero SkooterG was still charging full steam ahead and doing well. Did I mention I was able to make really good time for the first 1/3 of the trip in the middle of the night in Arizona and New Mexico?
From Oklahoma City it was east on I-44 through Tulsa. I-44 in Okie is a "toll" road. I guess I have been spoiled for the last 15 years as there aint no freaking toll roads in the west! I mean, that's frigging communist for crying out loud. Ok, deep breath, and....I feel much better now. I can't remember if I have ever been in Oklahoma before, but I envisioned a dust bowl. Well, it was quite green and very nice.
Next came Missouri, and some nice scenery. Lots of green I don't see very often living in the desert, and some nice hills here and there.
St. Louis came in no time and I hit it during rush hour. Never stop-n-go, but crowded for quite a few miles. I was doing well, so I continued on to Springfield, and encountered about 30 miles of moderate rain, perhaps due to that bitch Katrina? Still, not too bad. In Springfield the Illinois State Nazis were in full force. Holy crap. I saw 5 troopers in about 10 miles, all busy with customers. More "protection" than the entire trip proceeding that. Boy, was I ever feeling "safe".
After a long gas stop to try and work out all the kinks, I was still doing well, so it was on to Bloomington/Normal, IL. Enroute, that now not so sharp processor between my abundant ears was telling me I could actually push farther than my planned ultimate goal, though I did not see any major towns after that.
WTF? Though tired, I was feeling good, and of course IBA "tough". Well, to finally end this little story, I ended up riding on quite a bit further than Bloomington/Normal. I stopped in Shorewood, IL, right next to Joliet, kind of the start of the far southwestern Chi-town burbs. When selecting a starting gas station in Casa Grande, almost all printed times on the receipts of the stations I tried were significantly off. In fact, the normal Chevron station I use would have cheated me out of 43 minutes! So fearing the worst at the final stop, I ended my ride with about 25 minutes to go before the allowed 24 hours was up. Turns out the worry was for nothing, as the ride ending gas station's clock was right on. And so it was, I ended with 23 hours and 40 minutes on the road.
So what was the distance I covered? Well, I must admit I am most proud to say that I freaking rode WELL OVER 1500 miles in less than 24 hours according to mapping software. We shall see if the IBA agrees.
So to my mentor Warchild and all you other candy-ass wannabes, stand the farkle by cause there's a new big dog on the block! Iron Butt Rally here I come!
Hey, its my moment, and my story. Allow me some delusions of granduer!
Really, though not easy, things went very well. Not one stop for a nap or rest needed. Just some long gas stops the last 1/3 of the ride. No stops for meals, just snacks at gas stops. The IBA's "Archive of Wisdom" and riding tips really do prove to be quite useful. After doing a couple SaddleSore 1000s and rallys, one of my goals was to significantly improve my efficiency on stops, and I think I accomplished that except for those at the end.
Only negative thing to report was that I was pretty darn stiff at the end of the ride. Primarily the knees and right wrist, but all over too. This is not normal for me, but I will attribute it to not being in riding shape after not riding for two and a half months prior to this trip due to my June crash. And thankfully, my fractured wrist from that crash, though still sore, weak, and limited in range of motion, did not prove to be a problem on the ride.
After a really, really, good night's sleep, I had a wonderful week visiting family and friends in Chicagoland. I even had the distinct pleasure of meeting forum member wheatonfjr in.......you guessed it, Wheaton, IL, where I grew up.
All in all, a great trip, and a most successful ride.
Bun Burner GOLD? No problemo, easy-peasy, been there, done that.
Yeah, right.
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