Iron Butt Idiot (Me!)

[Turbo Ghost]

If all goes as planned

I'll be attempting an SS1000 tomorrow the 5th. I'm going to leave Kingsport, TN. and head North on I-81 to Barnesville, PA. then head back. I don't have the money to do my original plan of heading West to Oklahoma City for the full 1,000 miles so, this is the best, most likely to succeed plan right now. Obviously, everyone in this thread is pretty much supportive of these rides. However, I'm doing it a bit differently. I have a habit of using the wrong tool for the job. This case is no different. I will be making the trip on a 2015 Vmax with a stock tank, modified engine and very poor range. Roughly 100-120 miles on the far side of its range. So, I'll have to stop at least 10 times or more which really will eat into my time but, as far as I can tell, no one has ever done it on a Vmax. I like the idea of being the first idiot to do it! The weather doesn't look good but I've decided to go rain or shine as this is probably my best shot in time to make it happen. I'll be running an Inreach tracker so you can follow my progress here. https://inreach.garmin.com The password is followme Wish me luck! Don't know if I can pull it off but it will be an adventure either way!!

 

[Fire-medic]

Have a safe ride, and don't hesitate to stop if you become fatigued, or the weather becomes really pissy.

 

[Vaughn]

My wife and I did one on a raider. They get the same mileage per tank. We did 1100 miles in 21 hours. There were four others with us and they appreciated the break every 110 miles. We laugh about it because we said we drove 550 mi to get lunch at a gas station and come home.

 

[Pighuntingpuppy]

As an IronButt rider, 1500 in 36 hours, the one you are attempting to do is very easy. Save your fuel receipts for turn in to the association. As for fuel mileage....I did mine on a 1982 Virago with a 3.3 gallon fuel tank. I was stopping every 90-110 miles.

At the time I did mine, they had 2 Bunburners. The regular one and the gold. I missed the gold by 4 hours. I made it from Albuquerque NM to Medina Ohio in 29 hours. 1538(ish) miles.

Lastly....ride safe. Watch for those idiot cagers while doing this.

 

[Turbo Ghost]

As an IronButt rider, 1500 in 36 hours, the one you are attempting to do is very easy. Save your fuel receipts for turn in to the association. As for fuel mileage....I did mine on a 1982 Virago with a 3.3 gallon fuel tank. I was stopping every 90-110 miles.

At the time I did mine, they had 2 Bunburners. The regular one and the gold. I missed the gold by 4 hours. I made it from Albuquerque NM to Medina Ohio in 29 hours. 1538(ish) miles.

Lastly....ride safe. Watch for those idiot cagers while doing this.

Did you have the 750 or the 920? I have 2 920's currently. I bought my first back in 1990. I usually got around 150 miles per tank. It's definitely the better choice for the ride but that's just how I am. Oh, I learned the hard way about the fuel capacity of the Virago on a trip when I calculated on the total fuel capacity of the tank vs mpg to get me to the next gas stop. I ran out 8 miles short of my destination in July at noon and 98*F in full leather with a fully loaded bike. I pushed for probably a half mile then put it on the center stand and laid back to rest. The bike tilted back and I heard a splash! There was still a little fuel left! So, I put the petcock on prime and rocked back and forth for a couple of minutes. I put it in gear, pulled the clutch, fired it up and hit the throttle wide open and went probably a 1/4 mile or so. I repeated this process until I finally ran dry at the almost but not quite top of the ramp and had to paddle my feet to get to the top and then coast into the gas station! This was immediately followed by a visit to the McDonald's next door! 4 fish sandwiches, 2 large fries and a large Coke! I never made that mistake again! (the fuel, not the food! I've made that mistake many times!)

 

[Turbo Ghost]

My wife and I did one on a raider. They get the same mileage per tank. We did 1100 miles in 21 hours. There were four others with us and they appreciated the break every 110 miles. We laugh about it because we said we drove 550 mi to get lunch at a gas station and come home.

I considered a Raider but just like every other cruiser now, they have that feet-forward control design and I hate it! I don't want to feel like I'm getting a pap smear every time I get on the bike! That's one of my favorite things about the Vmax. Mid-controls!

 

[Turbo Ghost]

Have a safe ride, and don't hesitate to stop if you become fatigued, or the weather becomes really pissy.

I definitely know my limits! I have no problems not completing this ride if it isn't safe. As for weather, I'm not sure what it would take to stop me. I've ridden through every weather phenomenon known. Despite riding through both hurricanes and tornadoes, the worst wind I've ever encountered was in Colorado!My friend and I were coming down a looooong, straight mountain road and there was a gap to our left in the mountain wall. We saw massive amounts of debris go flying across the road ahead of us. The road took a right turn that was large enough you could have easily done 100mph without any issues. We went around that right-hand turn, leaned waaay to the left!! Then it started to rain and I was concerned we would get blown across the road on the slick surface. We had to stop to call our destination and had to brace against the bikes to keep them from blowing over! We had strong winds that entire trip! At one point I saw two large birds in the distance about 10 yards from a powerline just hovering. When I got close enough, I could see they were flapping with everything they had trying to get to the powerlines! They still hadn't gotten there as we passed!

 

[Fire-medic]

I made it from Albuquerque NM to Medina Ohio in 29 hours. 1538(ish) miles.

That's a bit more than going from Miami FL to MI. Never done it on a motorcycle. Nor do I want to! Good for you to make that effort, and to have done it.

U.S. 27 starts in Miami, a few blocks from Biscayne Bay/Atlantic Ocean, and goes to up by the Sault Ste. Marie area in the lowerrmost part of the MI Upper Peninsula. The roadway U.S. 27 has been decommissioned in MI, though if you're traveling upon I-94 from Detroit to Chicago, (or vice versa) around Marshall MI not far from the halfway point (around Battle Creek, maybe 20 mi west of Marshall) between Chicago and Detroit, you can get onto "old U.S. 27" which runs north from I-94 up to Sault Ste Marie, lake Michigan on one side, Lake Superior on the other. It's now U.S. 127.

https://www.cqql.net/us-27.htm

 

[Pighuntingpuppy]

Did you have the 750 or the 920? I have 2 920's currently. I bought my first back in 1990. I usually got around 150 miles per tank. It's definitely the better choice for the ride but that's just how I am. Oh, I learned the hard way about the fuel capacity of the Virago on a trip when I calculated on the total fuel capacity of the tank vs mpg to get me to the next gas stop. I ran out 8 miles short of my destination in July at noon and 98*F in full leather with a fully loaded bike. I pushed for probably a half mile then put it on the center stand and laid back to rest. The bike tilted back and I heard a splash! There was still a little fuel left! So, I put the petcock on prime and rocked back and forth for a couple of minutes. I put it in gear, pulled the clutch, fired it up and hit the throttle wide open and went probably a 1/4 mile or so. I repeated this process until I finally ran dry at the almost but not quite top of the ramp and had to paddle my feet to get to the top and then coast into the gas station! This was immediately followed by a visit to the McDonald's next door! 4 fish sandwiches, 2 large fries and a large Coke! I never made that mistake again! (the fuel, not the food! I've made that mistake many times!)

Well....my Virago has a different history. To save that story, I will give you the short, short version. The bike originally is a base 1982 Virago XV750. When the ride was done, it had a transplant 920 midnight engine.

From what I recall, the fuel mileage was very similar between the 750 and 920. Riding habits dictated fuel economy more than displacement.

This is how it looked when I did that ride.

 

[Pighuntingpuppy]

Well....my Virago has a different history. To save that story, I will give you the short, short version. The bike originally is a base 1982 Virago XV750. When the ride was done, it had a transplant 920 midnight engine.

From what I recall, the fuel mileage was very similar between the 750 and 920. Riding habits dictated fuel economy more than displacement.

This is how it looked when I did that ride.
View attachment 89969

Edit: Me and my Virago had many long walks together when I first moved to New Mexico. Not many gas stations off the beaten path. Furthest walk was just under 9 miles on a dirt road. Shoulders were screaming at that point. DIdnt learn my lesson there. Several more times before I found a 3.8 gallon 920 fuel tank. Currently on it but I do have the original tank as well. Always wanted to find a 920R fuel tank as those were rumored to be 5 gallons.

 

[Fire-medic]

One of my FL acquaintances had an enclosed chain-drive 920 Virago, a bike sold in European markets but rare in the USA. He was working at a Yamaha dealer when he bought it, and he owned it until he died, decades later. He also owned one of these, you're a true Yamaha enthusiast if you can name this one.





A good story behind this one, his wife bought it for him as a wedding present when these were the current bike, back in the 1960's, which Yamaha was selling for racing. He raced it at Daytona all those years ago, and he also campaigned it decades later in AHMRA at Daytona. It was probably the oldest bike continually-owned on the starting grid. He ran it as more of an exhibition bike than trying to win. Another bike he owned/ran until he died. RIP Steve.

 

[Vaughn]

I considered a Raider but just like every other cruiser now, they have that feet-forward control design and I hate it! I don't want to feel like I'm getting a pap smear every time I get on the bike! That's one of my favorite things about the Vmax. Mid-controls!

Took a few rides to get use to it. My hip likes it a lot better then mids or farther back. My FJR if I go non-stop until light comes on my hip yells at me.

 

[Pighuntingpuppy]

One of my FL acquaintances had an enclosed chain-drive 920 Virago, a bike sold in European markets but rare in the USA. He was working at a Yamaha dealer when he bought it, and he owned it until he died, decades later. He also owned one of these, you're a true Yamaha enthusiast if you can name this one.

View attachment 89970
View attachment 89971
View attachment 89972

A good story behind this one, his wife bought it for him as a wedding present when these were the current bike, back in the 1960's, which Yamaha was selling for racing. He raced it at Daytona all those years ago, and he also campaigned it decades later in AHMRA at Daytona. It was probably the oldest bike continually-owned on the starting grid. He ran it as more of an exhibition bike than trying to win. Another bike he owned/ran until he died. RIP Steve.

I am sure I have seen this bike in an old magazine. I cant begin to tell you the year.....70s obviously would be my guess....but is it a TT?

 

[Fire-medic]

No, not a TT. If you go to the Yamaha Corp. website and look for a facebook link, there are many of their bikes posted, including the race-only ones. It's what Click and Clack would call 'a great time-waster,' on 'Car Talk.'

 

[D Larson]

I definitely know my limits! I have no problems not completing this ride if it isn't safe. As for weather, I'm not sure what it would take to stop me. I've ridden through every weather phenomenon known. Despite riding through both hurricanes and tornadoes, the worst wind I've ever encountered was in Colorado!My friend and I were coming down a looooong, straight mountain road and there was a gap to our left in the mountain wall. We saw massive amounts of debris go flying across the road ahead of us. The road took a right turn that was large enough you could have easily done 100mph without any issues. We went around that right-hand turn, leaned waaay to the left!! Then it started to rain and I was concerned we would get blown across the road on the slick surface. We had to stop to call our destination and had to brace against the bikes to keep them from blowing over! We had strong winds that entire trip! At one point I saw two large birds in the distance about 10 yards from a powerline just hovering. When I got close enough, I could see they were flapping with everything they had trying to get to the powerlines! They still hadn't gotten there as we passed!

What is the latest on the 1000 miles ride?

 

[Turbo Ghost]

One of my FL acquaintances had an enclosed chain-drive 920 Virago, a bike sold in European markets but rare in the USA. He was working at a Yamaha dealer when he bought it, and he owned it until he died, decades later. He also owned one of these, you're a true Yamaha enthusiast if you can name this one.

View attachment 89970
View attachment 89971
View attachment 89972

A good story behind this one, his wife bought it for him as a wedding present when these were the current bike, back in the 1960's, which Yamaha was selling for racing. He raced it at Daytona all those years ago, and he also campaigned it decades later in AHMRA at Daytona. It was probably the oldest bike continually-owned on the starting grid. He ran it as more of an exhibition bike than trying to win. Another bike he owned/ran until he died. RIP Steve.

Looks kinda like an RD400 Daytona Special with possibly a modified head.

 

[Turbo Ghost]

Here’s the breakdown of my SS1000 (1,000 miles in 24 hours) attempt on my 2015 Yamaha Vmax. (The absolute wrong bike for the job!)

For the TL/DR crowd, I did it but, may not be able to get certification.



On 7/5/2023 at 6:32pm, I left from Kingsport, TN. and headed North on I-81. However, right at the start I had problems. Documentation is key to getting certified by the Iron Butt Association. You have to take a picture of your time-stamped receipt next to your bike odometer and by your GPS odometer. You also have to document where you are at that point which my GPS does make easy with the “Where am I” feature thankfully.

When I tried to take a picture of my bike’s odo, the refresh rate on the screen was really out of sync with my phone’s camera and all I was getting was a diagonal line slowly sliding up the screen! I finally managed to get a decent pic but, this would prove to be a problem anytime the screen got hot. When it was cool, it worked fine. Hot, not so much!

Somewhere between my start point and my first stop, I realized I hadn’t properly reset my GPS unit. This is the new Garmin ZumoXT and it works a bit differently than my 595. So, at my first stop point I reset it and made note of the extra 92 miles. I had a mostly uneventful ride North. My first stop had a pump that wouldn’t print my receipt so, I had to go inside to get it but, no big hassle.

Somewhere near Christiansburg, VA., I called my Sister to get an update on the weather as I was seeing darkness and rain ahead of me. She told me all the radar was showing storms to the East of me and it looked like clear sailing for my whole trip……LIES!! Within five minutes of hanging-up, I ran through a massive downpour! The mesh jacket didn’t do much for keeping me dry obviously but it did cut down on the pain of 70mph raindrops against flesh! The storm only lasted about 10 minutes or so and then I had no more rain until near the very end of my trip.

The rest of my journey Northward was uneventful although, I did see an incredibly high number of new cars. I couldn’t even begin to count how many temp tags I saw flapping on brand new cars along the way. Apparently, many people are doing much better than I am financially.

My original plan was to turn around at a gas station in Morea, PA. However, I didn’t think about it being a mom and pop station and it was closed when I arrived around 4am. So, I had to head further North to find another station. The next station was over 30 miles away! It was at this point my problems began.

I have severe sleep apnea and so far, nothing has helped. CPAP, mouthpieces, etc. I do not sleep well and it has caused me to have what essentially amounts to Narcolepsy occasionally. I will be perfectly fine and then it’s just like I’ve been hit with a tranquilizer dart! It is violently sudden and irresistible! It hit me at the turnaround and I thought I would nap on the bike. No matter how I tried, I could not get fully asleep and just when I did fall asleep, my Brother called me to check on me and woke me up.

So, I headed back down the road towards my end stop which was to be the same station I started from. I’m not sure how many times I had to pull over and stop to try to sleep but, it was a lot and it really cut into my time!

As I mentioned at the beginning, I’m riding a Vmax. It’s a great, powerful bike but, its range is limited. I think my range from shortest to furthest between fuel stops was 92-118 miles. I’ve never run it empty so, I don’t know how much further I could have gone but, I did not want to run out! I had two fuel bottles with me just in case I got stuck between stops with no fuel options but I never had to use them luckily!

Oh, I should mention it was stupid hot and humid! On the way North, I drank 3 bottles of Gatorade and didn’t have to pee until I reached my turnaround point roughly 10 hours later! I was sweating it all out!

I stopped in Chambersburg, PA. at a McDonald’s to get some breakfast and try to take another nap. It was gloriously air-conditioned and felt great! I got a big breakfast and a large water and after eating, I laid my head down on the table and passed-out. I’m not sure how long I slept but it did refresh me and I hit the road again much more awake than before.

My next stop was Winchester, VA. This would be the last stop I was able to get all my documentation. When I stopped in Staunton, VA., I discovered my phone was dead. At the last stop, I had enough battery to last the rest of trip but, it was completely dead and wouldn’t turn on. I had noticed the screen being on sometimes when I would get it out of my tankbag and I suspect that along with the heat drained it very rapidly.

I’m not a complete fool so, I had two powerpacks with me and I had been using my newest one to charge my phone and my Sena unit on my helmet. It was too low in charge now to charge my phone so I was going to use my other one. Unfortunately, it did not have a USB-C connector. So, I had to buy one to fit at the station. Something was wrong with the connection. It looked like the USB female port on the charger was bent and loose and wasn’t making connection so, my phone was dead for the rest of the trip. I now had no way to verify my mileages in relation to my receipts. My GPS was saying I would arrive at my destination at 5:15 and I still had at least 2 if not 3 more fuel stops to go. Things were very tight!

I drank a quart Gatorade and headed down the road. I only got a few miles when there was a back-up. Dead-stopped in the heat with no cover. Apparently, a car had rear-ended a tractor trailer and locked-up his rear tandem as when I got to the scene of the wreck, the rear bumper of the trailer was jammed into the wheel area and all four rearmost tires were ground flat with holes all the way through! This means, the driver didn’t stop very quickly and drug his rear tires until they blew out and beyond!

No idea how long I was in that jam but it took its toll on my and I had to pull off at an overpass. It had good barriers and a concrete slope I laid down on and fell asleep soundly. Again, I have no idea how long I slept but, I was awakened violently by a voice asking if I was ok! It scared the crap out of me and I jerked up with startled gibberish coming out of my mouth! It was a motorcycle cop! I told him I had gotten stuck in the jam and got overheated and had to stop to rest. I told him what I was doing and he was familiar with the Iron Butt Association. We had a really nice chat for about 20 minutes and he recommended an Exxon in Christiansburg that had a porch with rocking chairs in the shade. Really nice guy!

I was feeling much better after the first really good sleep the whole trip and I hit the road again. However, at this point I realized I was not going to make it to the end in time. Plus, my documentation was nearly non-existent. I felt I had failed at my goal. So, I no longer was concerned with making it in time. I stopped in Christiansburg, VA. to fuel and hit the road again.

I got fuel in Abingdon, VA. and found I had just enough charge on my phone to call my Sister and have her meet me at the house with food as once I got home I was no longer planning on going anywhere else!

We arrived at my house at the same time and she asked me if I had succeeded. I told her no. She asked how many miles I had covered and I looked at my GPS and added the 92 miles I missed at the beginning. It was 1,061 miles. It was around 7pm at this point. She then said “You probably did it!”. I realized she was probably right but I wasn’t going to even think about it until the next day after food and sleep!

I got up and ate breakfast then I started going through my receipts. Remember, I started at 6:32pm. My last fuel stop was at 6:33pm! At that point I had covered approximately 1,024 miles at 24 hours and one minute. So, that meant I had actually met my goal 24 miles ago! So, that part is great. Unfortunately, I fear my documentation is not good enough to get certified by the IBA. They are very particular about documentation and mine is definitely not great. I’m going to submit everything I have anyway and hope for the best. If I don’t get certified, I’ll just try again later in the year when it’s much cooler. It’s one of those bucket-list items I’ve wanted to do for decades now and one way or another, I intend to succeed! Also, as far as I can tell, no one has ever done it on a Vmax before so, I hope to be the first!

 

[Turbo Ghost]

I have been informed I somehow missed 7 rides done on Vmaxes. This annoys me!

 

[Turbo Ghost]

Fun fact! Today I learned how to search a webpage for keywords! There are 14 IBA finishers on Vmaxes! 4 of them were Fins riding together on 4 Vmaxes! Again, this annoys me.

 

[lizzywhite45]

Have a safe and enjoy your ride. This time is really best for the riders.