Road Glide banner

Did my first Iron Butt...

6K views 36 replies 25 participants last post by  Smarty 
#1 · (Edited)
I've been wanting to do a real one, and get the official documentation from the IBA for 10 years, at least. Last weekend, I ran across a guy I used to work with, and he mentioned he was doing one. He invited me to join in, and we ended up with three bikes. My 16 RGU, his 13 CVO EG and a Suzuki Boulevard M109R(!). The loop we took was Las Vegas> Kingman> Flagstaff> Phoenix> Tucson> Gila Bend> Kingman> Laughlin> Searchlight> Primm> Las Vegas.

Things I learned:

1) 1000 miles is a long, long way to ride non stop. We left at 0500 and made it home around midnight. When we stopped in Williams Arizona, we were 226 miles in, and it was around 10:00 AM. Friend on the Suzuki says, "Five hours, and we're not even ¼ of the way done. We need to pick up the pace". That was kind of a kick in the nuts. Yeah, it's further than you think...

2) You need more water than you think. I took a cooler with 6 bottles of water and two Gatoraid's. I had to restock in Tucson, I was out.

3) Take multiple credit cards. If your planned route isn't a straight line, you need to stop for gas frequently. Not because you are low on fuel, but the rules require you to obtain gas receipts to prove you were at a certain location, at a certain time. This shows you didn't take a shortcut and cheat on miles. I had two credit cards shut off by the issuer. One at about 500 miles, the second at my last gas stop. Apparently, buying $5.00 worth of gas every couple of hours, is suspicious. Both other riders had their cards declined as the day progressed as well.

4) Go on a full moon. This was a coincidence on our part, but it helped. It was nice to have some ambient moonlight after the sun went down. The desert southwest is a dark place when you've been in the saddle 16 hours.

5) Don't trust your planned route, nor odometer. Add some miles in to be sure you are have enough. Better to be 25 miles over, than 3 under.

6) Document everything. I don't want the folks at the IBA to have any questions, that could delay or deny our certification. Bring an envelope for your gas receipts. Bring a clipboard to keep you maps and log organized.

7) Eat something even if you're not hungry. At about mile 650 we stopped in Gila Bend, Arizona. I was hitting a wall, and not hungry at all. I choked down a sandwich, and it helped a lot. Gave me a second wind, and I was fine the rest of the ride.

8) Bring plenty of gear. Low temp was 53, high was 98. Swapping out layers made all the difference. Better to have and not need, than need and not have.


That's about all I can think of. The bike ran like a champion, never a hiccup. No construction delays, and never got stopped in traffic. It was heavy at times, but moved okay. I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson, and the 303 loop on the west side of Phoenix was the worst of it. Major props to my other buddy riding the Suzuki. He has balls doing it on a bar hopper with a 300 rear tire.

I'm going to get all my paperwork together, and send it off to the IBA on Monday. Just letting my ass recover with some beer and football today...
 
See less See more
#28 ·
Those are some neat shots. If you're coming to CO let me know. Heaven to Hell goes to Pikes Peak, but Mount Evans highway is ~100 feet higher, 4 miles shorter to the top, 1/4 the cost to enter ($3.00 for motorcycle), and is 60 miles closer to Death Valley overall. The only advantage to Pikes Peak is that there's a souvenir/donut shop at the peak. And maybe more parking? Just sayin.
 
#29 ·
We did Mt. Evans this past summer on the way to Shark Week. Great ride and we were all dizzy when we got to the top LOL. I've never done Pikes Peak but would like to. I did Mt. Evans because its higher and I'd assume a lot less crowded then PP. Theres no doughnuts at the top of Mt. Evans but a pretty good souvenir shop at the bottom.

I've never done a certified Iron Butt but ride some pretty good miles sometimes. I've been thinking of making a t-shirt run to Glenwood Springs and Doc Holiday Harley but I'm thinking it may havta wait till next spring!
 
#32 ·
PP highway used to be dirt/gravel with no guardrails. It has changed quite a bit since 71. Heck even since 2011. It's 100% paved up to the peak with some guard rails and stone walls. A woman still managed drove her Range Rover off the road through a rock wall and down into the Bottomless Pit this past July. Lived, from what I hear.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3444
#35 ·
Absolutely. I already have two routes in the planning stages... I'm not going to do another one until I get my certification from this one. I want to be absolutely sure I checked all the right boxes, and I don't need to modify anything...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top