Most of us will never road race at the top levels of competition, it just isn’t in the cards, the young guns seem to have almost supernatural skills on the track, but all of us can ride and sometimes we cover a lot of ground in the course of a day and if we hear about a rally where long distance is involved, we might think, “Hey, maybe I could do that.” Well, … maybe.
Dean Tanji just completed Hard Miles 2, the story of the 2009 Iron butt Rally, an every other year event that tests a rider’s skills over an extremely long distance. It’s a whole lot more than just riding long distances, though, the rally is a sort of scavenger hunt, on steroids, it takes brains not just endurance, plus mechanical and repair skills for the inevitable issues that crop up in the course of a marathon like this. Last year the rally consisted of 3 legs, the first throughout the eastern U.S. and Canada, the second leg the middle and the third went out west, although the boundaries overlap a lot. When the legs are unveiled to the competitors, they get to see the huge numbers of potential locations where they must arrive, take a photo, perhaps buy a small souvenir or arrive in a small window of time in order to get the allotted points. There are far more locations available that cover huge distances making it impossible to reach them all, so you have to choose among them and plan your route carefully. Not only must you arrive at the end of the leg within a certain time, you must have enough points to be considered a finisher, hopefully, accumulating enough to keep you ahead of the others, as well. Hmm, should you start out going north to Martha’s Vineyard or south to Key West? Riders averaged about 2500 miles on the 3 day leg one, a nice warm up to the following 2 legs, of 4 days each.
Competitors ride all sorts of motorcycles, the usual BMWs and Gold Wings of course, Moto Guzzis, Kawasakis and a Suzuki RE5? Yep.
The Hard Miles 2 DVD is very well done and a follow up to Hard Miles which told the story of the 2007 Rally. If you saw the first Hard Miles DVD, you have an idea of what you’ll see on this one but they’ve made many improvements and it is much like you would see watching coverage of an event like the Iron Man Triathlon, only a lot more interesting for riders.
The Iron Butt is an amateur event attracting riders from all over the world from all walks of life, there are no big sponsors, no prize money, no umbrella girls, no crew or chase vehicles; the original concept was one rider, one motorcycle and one task, however, couples can compete now in their own separate category. As noted in the comments below, couples compete along with everyone else.
Right from the start where you see some of the rider preparations and the high spirits of the competitors to the gradually changing look on each of their faces as the rally goes on, you’ll see what an incredible challenge the Iron Butt is. Stringing together 16+ hour days, averaging 60 mph, managing sleep and rest bonuses while trying to keep your edge. Because strategy is the key, riders are all over the country on any given leg, at one point on leg two, at the same time, competitors were as much as 2000 miles apart going for bonuses in what they hoped would be a winning course.
Without going into all of the details or giving away some of the twists and turns of the competition, I’ll tell you straight out, I enjoyed this video a lot and I highly recommend it.
Link: Hard Miles 2
Related: Hard Miles – The Iron Butt Rally
Eaton says
I just talked to a guy the other day that does these Iron Butt things on a Ninja 250 with nothing more than a sheepskin under his butt. That is hard core.
iliveforcurves says
Ninja 250s rule!
Hawk says
….. and a small voice from the back of the room, “Is it all paved?”
dcm says
hardcore kind of seems like and understatement once you look at the map. and i have second thoughts when i need to cross a couple or three states, im a wuss
JTG says
I read a story a while back about one participant who fell asleep at a stoplight in Vegas during one of the last legs. The bike fell over, he hit the ground, and lay there motionless. Passerby’s thought he had a stroke and died, but no… he was just REALLY tired and took a nap right in the middle of the street!
Riding is dangerous enough when you’re fully rested and alert, I just can’t begin to imagine competing in this kind of event.
kneeslider says
You can call this hardcore or extreme or whatever you like, but I prefer to call it a real thinking motorcyclist’s event. This isn’t a poker run or Saturday night cruise, this is serious competition that takes real strategy.
The riders get a list of the locations and bonus points the night before they leave, then they have to quickly plan a route covering thousands of miles, taking into consideration time between destinations, how many points are available at each, when those points are available and what their potential total point tally will be on any particular route while still getting to the finish on time. What to include, what to pass up, dealing with changing weather, fixing any technical issues, it’s a complex set of calculations. A bad decision at the start can really cause a problem. The ability to adapt quickly when something changes is imperative. This is far more than lots of saddle time, this is quite a competitive game. I think it’s really neat.
Hawk, whether it’s paved or not depends on the chosen route and choice of bonus points. There are some short sections on dirt roads, for sure. With 100 competitors, almost all of them take different routes, all hoping to come up with a plan the others didn’t think of.
joe says
Don’t long distance interstate truck drivers do this sort of milage all the time ? I’ve ridden some vast distances but always checked out the towns and landscape etc along the way.To ride huge distances without taking in any sights or stopping for any decent rest breaks seems insane,but heh,differant strokes for differant blokes.Good luck to them,these guy’s are certainly a breed on thier own.
OMMAG says
500 miles a day is about all I could ever manage … with a good rest in between… 1000 a day …. for 11 days?
The mind reels.
IBR Finisher says
Speaking as someone who just completed his first Iron Butt Rally, I can say that this is an extreme test of one’s physical and mental endurance, riding skill, and critical thinking ability (especially on Day 8 or Day 9 or Day 10 . . . ), and also an extreme test of one’s equipment. This Rally has been ridden on practically every type of motorized two-wheeled conveyance out there, but it is really the rider that makes or breaks it.
And it isn’t for every rider, either. Just as you wouldn’t suddenly get off the couch and run 26 miles, you don’t just wake up one day and ride for 11 days straight. Just like running a marathon (or even several consecutive marathons), it takes dedication and perseverance and training well beyond the norm.
These riders are true athletes, with thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of miles of saddle time, and in many cases thousands of dollars worth of modifications to the bikes to make them safe, comfortable, and reliable.
In a world where we’re increasingly coddled and protected and handed everything we want 24-hours-a-day (if you can afford it, that is), the Iron Butt Rally offers an opportunity to challenge yourself on a grand level and prove your own mettle amongst a group of your peers.
And even while chasing bonuses “on the clock”, it still gives you a glimpse of the whole of America in a way that few people ever really see it.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first Hard Miles video about the 2007 IBR, and I can’t wait to see Hard Miles 2 and relive the drama and intense competition of the 2009 IBR.
Andrew says
Congratulations IBR Finisher! I take part in an event similar to the IBA’s Saddle Sore 1,000 here in New Zealand and that is more than enough for me. Over here it is called The Grand Challenge and that is what it is. I totally agree with you that it is a test of mental and physical endurance and it’s not for everyone – but for some reason I like it…
Respect!
Jim says
Having known several IBR finishers and at least one winner, it is an event that requires significant preparation, physically, mentally and mechanically, plus a large amount of planning in route. I’m not sure, but the organizers may have addressed this, but in recent years the pursuit of miles and bonus points, has resulted in too high speeds and outright recklessness by a few participants.
Ninja 250 ha, someone did the IB on a Honda Reflex several running’s ago.
jp says
As a truck driver, I’m gonna hand it to these guys. We’ll pull 1000 miles in a 24hr period (more if running illegally) but we’re sitting in A/C and out of the wind. I’ve done 500-mile day trips on a bike and its physically exhausting if you aren’t conditioned for it
Rosie Sperry says
I have been a pillion for the last three Iron Butt Rallies. I would like to correct the comment that couples compete in their own category–they compete against the entire field; and in 2005, Jim and Donna Phillips came in 11th place in the entire field! While many long distance rallies we do have a couples category, probably an equal number do not.
kneeslider says
Rosie, thanks for the correction. I thought I remembered that bit of info from the original Hard Miles DVD but, as can easily be the case, I must have “misremembered.”
Dean Tanji says
The World Premiere of Hard Miles 2 takes place this Saturday in Santa Ana, CA. In conjunction with this event, we are producing a live webcast of the “Hard Miles 2 Red Carpet Walk and Interviews”. This will take place at 7:00 PM PST at this web address:
http://www.apgvideo.com/ironbuttrally/hm2-premiere/
We will be interviewing all 2009 IBR riders who attend the Premiere. These include: Jim Owen (1), Greg Marbach (5), Mike Hutsel (6), Wendy Crockett (27), the Sperry’s (32), Dave Biasotti (42), Terry Neale (45), Jerry White (48), Winston Oxley (56), Doug Webb (63) and Tom Loftus (68). Eric Jewell (3) and Bob Lilley (8) are maybe’s.
We will also talk with Lisa Landry, Iron Butt Rally Master who will talk about the Iron Butt National Meeting and the up coming IBR5000.
Please pass this info of the live webcast info to all interested people. We want as many watching as possible.
IBR Finisher says
The #1 priority for the staff and riders is safety. This includes managing mental and physical fatigue, hydration, nutrition, and the mechanics of a sound, comfortable, reliable bike. In fact, many Long Distance Rallies offer bonus points for extended sleep periods and regular call-in bonuses so the staff has a pretty good idea of the location and condition of most riders most of the time.
Please remember that this is _not_ a race, as there is simply no advantage to getting to the finish “first”. The goal is to ride a smart, efficient route while collecting lots of bonus points. In fact, most of the top riders will stay out collecting bonuses right up until the actual check-in deadline, using up every last available minute to increase their points total. An efficient, well-run route can save you many valuable hours and move you up a significant number of finisher places much easier and much safer than a reckless throttle hand.
My suggestion is to order the Hard Miles 2 DVD and see what this is all about for yourself.
todd says
The organizers should install GPS transponders on each of the participant’s bikes. This way they can track (and map) in real-time the location of each rider. They could then use this to subtract points for breaking speed limits and compare routes after it’s done.
-todd
woolyhead says
I had no idea this as still going on……it does take a different mindset to even compete…..much less do well . Would make a great movie starring some unknowns…….but you know the Hollywood mentality !
jim says
I rode two-up on a Yamaha XS650 from Morris, Illinois to Roswell, New Mexico and back during the course of a two-week vacation. Even taking plenty of rest stops along the way, that was a real test of endurance — and I was just 29 at the time. I can’t even imagine riding 1,000 miles a day for 11 days! It might be craziness the part of the Iron Butt riders, but my helmet’s off to all of them.
scritch says
Even at 70 mph 1000 miles takes 14+ hours. There is no way that any of these participants can travel solely on fast roads and minimize time in the saddle. While I am impressed that a select few can achieve this goal, I don’t think it’s safe for the participants or the people that they might run into because they are too tired to be safe. I don’t believe this kind of event provides good public relations for the motorcycling community any more than races like the Cannonball Run promote sport driving.
Azzy says
Here’s another thought to plan out. Most of these crappy (and thats pretty much all if you compare to cars) bike tires dont seem to have a life past 8K. So, thats at least a few stops for tires and maybe an oil change?
Ric says
Not in the same league as the iron but but still a great ride ,weekend before last local BMW club here in Melbourne ran the icicle ride. Started at midnite with temp at -1 C (mid winter here in OZ) and got as low as -4 in some spots over the nite with some fog and black ice as well as sundry stray animals and finished at dawn 360 km later
125+ did the ride and it was the 30th
Ric
Triumpd Legend 900
Phoebe says
The most I’m currently able to manage per day is about 500 miles…though I would LOVE to try something like this. Someday, and not on either of my current bikes, that’s for sure!
Menormeh says
I can attest to the stamina that is required to do one of these long distance in short time runs. I recently did a little over 2000 miles in 48 hours, two provinces and three states. There is no glory in this other than stretching yourself to the limit and a degree of bragging rights. It’s not the first time I have pushed this hard nor will it be the last. I think the hardest part is breaking through “the wall”. You ride until you don’t think you can go any further and then almost magically you get a second wind and just keep going. Your butt stops hurting, your eyes open wide, and a kind of peace of mind comes into play. Maybe it’s the thoughts of what’s just over the next rise or maybe it’s just the idea of beating the only one worth beating, yourself, that drives some to do these things. I really don’t know. What I do know is that once you have done it you will want to do it again………besides, you will have some great war stories. (On this last run I got clocked in the head by a small owl at about 2 AM in the rockies just out of Field BC.)
DM says
Hard Miles 2 is a great documentary. Hats off to everyone involved in making this unique bi-annual event. I am not a film critic, but old enough to have seen a whole bunch and in my opinion this is a four star film.
Thanks for the passion – laughs – love – competition – all of it.
DM
TonyE says
@Ric – I’ve done the 1000+ miles in 24 hours bit and was more comfortable afterwards than after some of the BMW Club Icicle rides. Especially this year when I collected one of the stray animals you mentioned (Score BMW R65LS 1, Kangaroo 0). I was lucky – both the bike and I survived but the ‘roo didn’t.
A friend of mine rode down from Brisbane to Melbourne for the Icicle ride and did a non-stop trip home afterwards – 1766 kilometres in 19 hours. (not a bad effort for anyone but he’s 65 years old)
Sadly and relevant to this article, we were minus one of our regular Icicle ride participants and well known distance rider, David Jones (Davo), who he was killed taking part in the 2009 Iron Butt Rally after he hit a deer on the last day.
Tony
Dann Diego says
I think that guys like “Todd” should install a GPS transponder in his car and electronically send the local highway patrol guys his data every evening. You know, that way they can track (and map) in real-time the location of “Todd” and his family.
Also, this would allow police officers to quickly and conveniently mail “Todd” tickets for speeding and failure to use turn signals.
Hmm, I wonder what other idiot ideas I can come up with if I really put my dim witted mind to it…
CharlieBoy says
1000+ is feasible under 14 hours, but requires you to know your body, what your limits are. I’ve done back to back 800 to 1100 mile rides (Ontario Canada to Los Angeles, CA in 3 days). I didn’t need to prove anything to anyone but to myself (yeah bragging rights too). I \trained\ by taking 200+ rides each weekend, getting 9+ hours of sleep, working out and eating right. Stamina is critical. Moab, UT to Los Angeles, CA in one day via the Escalante Step was another adventure, never had to race, just paced myself and no issues riding from 7:30AM to 11:00PM, it was an epic ride. Ride Smart.
V-star says
I ran the numbers and if you take the winners milage: About 12700miles at 75mph average it’s 15.hours and 24 minutes per day just to do the milage, add to this at least 3 refuel per day if you have an 11.5 gallons tank(bike tank+auxilary tank) estimate 45minutes a day. About 2 hours for all the points stop because you have to take pictures and complete your paperwork. Total of 18 hours and 9 minutes which leaves you with 5 hours and 51 to sleep, eat, stop to take a leek and I’m really reasonable with those number because a 75mph average is impossible to keep because there is no way you’re always on as intertate highway, don’t forget that to rake up all those point you have to get in town so slow down. Conclusion, it’s a great rally and I’m attracted to do it like a giant magnet but running the numbers makes me realise that it is unsafe. Just think about it if truck driver cannot drive so many hours in one day because it’s illegal and unsafe why would that be ok for a motorcyclist.