Iron Butt routes

[PrivatePilot]

Downside to an IB this time of year is 7 hours of riding in the dark

Not really. I left this morning in the dark of course but the sun was peeking out a short while before I got to Windsor, so about 3.5 hours in the dark there, and about 1ish hours in full dark on the way back...so 1640km on October 21'st with under 5 hours riding in the dark.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Might be fun having a little Summer Solstice competition. I usually head north for a long ride the week after solstice, sun is up 16 hours so no night riding required. Ride noon till 10 sleep 7 hours, then ride 5 till noon.

There is a special IBA Summer Solstice certifiable ride if you ride it on such.

I have a buddy who is thinking he's like to try an IBA ride but isn't a fan of riding in the dark, so I am going to suggest it next year for the 2 of us, probably as part of some silly adventure somewhere west so we can superslab it the entire day.

 

[mimico_polak]

I’d say it’s probably ‘we’d be done this ride already if it wasn’t for the 250’…

 

[shanekingsley]

Camelbak is something I don't think I would need. After a couple of hours I have to really get off the bike and stretch. That's usually when I hydrate. Although I recognize the whole game changes when you're talking 16h vs 8h.

Staying hydrated before you start to dehydrate is key. If you don’t have a modular or an open face helmet, then get a camelback or something equivalent. My rule is I take a sip of water every 25km and don’t eat any heavy meals.

Here’s a 1630km route you can do to avoid the slab, which I did on Canada Day this year

Ride details as well if it helps in any way:

Canada Day Ride - Sunrise to Sunset

I was with you in spirit today. I couldn't commit to leaving by 5:15, but I did wake up at 6 to get everything ready, and left by 8:45 for Bancroft via 401, 35/115, 28, Northey's Bay, 6, 44, 47, 46, 504, and Lower Faraday. Had an amazing lunch at Cafe BC (highly recommend their Yeager style...

www.gtamotorcycle.com

IBA# 420 - go twisty or stay home.

 

[ReSTored]

My last week on the road was a string of 10-hour superslab days.

Both of our bikes had to go in for their $ervice when we got back and Neda wore down a whole rear tire for the entire trip.

I never want to waste tire and engine life on mind-(and butt) numbing slab again. Empty calories.

Give me twisties from now on. Asphalt or dirt. Doesn't matter. No more slab.

That is what trailers are for. We've started to bypass the 2 - 3 day ride down south ( and then 2 - 3 days back) to much better roads by doing the trip down in one long day in an SUV pulling 2 bikes on a trailer, slab all the way. Rent a place for a week. Drive down Sunday, ride 6 days on great roads, leave Sunday AM for the drive home.

Bring down as much gear as you can stuff in an SUV and vs. hauling what your bike can carry. If you get rained out on one of the days then use the SUV to go for meals or to do indoor touristy stuff in the area.

 

[PrivatePilot]

Am I the only one who *likes* slab sometimes?

I find it allows me to really Zen out and the miles fly by. I went >300km at one point today and it felt like 45 minutes. It was the low fuel light coming on that snapped me out of it and made me realize I’d actually be riding for 3h nonstop.

 

[shanekingsley]

Am I the only one who *likes* slab sometimes?

I find it allows me to really Zen out and the miles fly by. I went >300km at one point today and it felt like 45 minutes. It was the low fuel light coming on that snapped me out of it and made me realize I’d actually be riding for 3h nonstop.

I actually don’t mind the slab, but I get really sleepy within about an hour, so it’s just dangerous for me. For some reason I didn’t get tired when I rode out to BC though, but maybe because it was my first time doing that ride.

I need to be moving around and shifting my weight… and likely problem solving the corners too to stay alert.

 

[MacDoc]

Am I the only one who *likes* slab sometimes?

I do as well when I need to get to interesting roads...the Burgman 650 was wonderful for zoning out, listening to an audiobook...not as comfortable as your new beast but the Daylong made it very tolerable.

Shane you reminded my of a group ride to the east ...the daughter of one of the riders who was on pillion was clearly asleep and we pulled him over.....he had no idea.
Way back in the late 60s my first wife fell asleep on the Superhawk while on the QEW...

 

[Mad Mike]

Staying hydrated before you start to dehydrate is key. If you don’t have a modular or an open face helmet, then get a camelback or something equivalent. My rule is I take a sip of water every 25km and don’t eat any heavy meals.

Here’s a 1630km route you can do to avoid the slab, which I did on Canada Day this year

Ride details as well if it helps in any way:

Canada Day Ride - Sunrise to Sunset

I was with you in spirit today. I couldn't commit to leaving by 5:15, but I did wake up at 6 to get everything ready, and left by 8:45 for Bancroft via 401, 35/115, 28, Northey's Bay, 6, 44, 47, 46, 504, and Lower Faraday. Had an amazing lunch at Cafe BC (highly recommend their Yeager style...

www.gtamotorcycle.com

View attachment 70561

IBA# 420 - go twisty or stay home.

I think I did a similar route with you a few years back, IIRC I clocked about 1200km, as I headed home at Burks Falls.

That was a tough ride for me. Not the seat time, not hydration, running just under HTA limits on twisty highways for 350km stints is mentally and physically demanding.

Now I train a little before a spirited day long ride!
That was my first day ride on the Vee, which turns out to be a lot more work to ride hard than an FJR. (I can see why you’re enjoying the FZ1).

My advice is to train. You need to be able to work hard for 16 hours without losing mental sharpness.

 

[Mad Mike]

Am I the only one who *likes* slab sometimes?

I find it allows me to really Zen out and the miles fly by. I went >300km at one point today and it felt like 45 minutes. It was the low fuel light coming on that snapped me out of it and made me realize I’d actually be riding for 3h nonstop.

I like them, but in a mix. I do a northern trip several times a year. I chill on slab to Huntsville, romp the twisties over to Parry sound , slab it to Sudbury then trusties again to Timmins.

Lately I’ve been doing a fair amount of gravel travel. You need more time, but I find the slower pace to be less stress, zen to be similar to slab.

 

[Lightcycle]

That is what trailers are for. We've started to bypass the 2 - 3 day ride down south ( and then 2 - 3 days back) to much better roads by doing the trip down in one long day in an SUV pulling 2 bikes on a trailer, slab all the way. Rent a place for a week. Drive down Sunday, ride 6 days on great roads, leave Sunday AM for the drive home.

Bring down as much gear as you can stuff in an SUV and vs. hauling what your bike can carry. If you get rained out on one of the days then use the SUV to go for meals or to do indoor touristy stuff in the area.

Yeah, we've done the bikes in the back of the pickup if we're staying in an area and doing cloverleafs from a homebase. Moab is a great HQ. So is Ouray. Also, in the frozen months, trucking the bikes south of the snow-line is a great way to steal a riding vacay away from Ole Man Winter.

Lots of advantages of trailering the bikes, but the biggest drawback is that you always have to come back to the truck. My first love is travel and exploration. I just like poking around, not having a plan and just figure out where we're going to head day-to-day. When you trailer, you have to double-back. Kinda takes the spontaneity out of things.

It's like a leash attached to a stake. Can't stray too far, and when you're done, you gotta go back to the stake, pick it up and take the whole stake and leash to another area...

 

[Lightcycle]

IBA# 420

 

[Lightcycle]

Am I the only one who *likes* slab sometimes?

My bliss is leaning the bike and feeling the G-forces as I accelerate out of a corner, or steering the bike by twisting the throttle and having the rear end come around, kicking up a cloud of dust and dirt behind me.

Slab is a necessary evil if I'm short on time. And it pisses me off, because the money I'm spending on tires and oil changes is not going towards chasing my bliss. It's wasted mileage, IMO.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

Staying hydrated before you start to dehydrate is key. If you don’t have a modular or an open face helmet, then get a camelback or something equivalent. My rule is I take a sip of water every 25km and don’t eat any heavy meals.

Here’s a 1630km route you can do to avoid the slab, which I did on Canada Day this year

Ride details as well if it helps in any way:

Canada Day Ride - Sunrise to Sunset

I was with you in spirit today. I couldn't commit to leaving by 5:15, but I did wake up at 6 to get everything ready, and left by 8:45 for Bancroft via 401, 35/115, 28, Northey's Bay, 6, 44, 47, 46, 504, and Lower Faraday. Had an amazing lunch at Cafe BC (highly recommend their Yeager style...

www.gtamotorcycle.com

View attachment 70561

IBA# 420 - go twisty or stay home.

Thanks @shanekingsley. You mention avoiding the slab, but you still go through the worst parts of the 401... from Oshawa to Mississauga. Also - did I miss mention of how long your ride took?

 

[mimico_polak]

Thanks @shanekingsley. You mention avoiding the slab, but you still go through the worst parts of the 401... from Oshawa to Mississauga. Also - did I miss mention of how long your ride took?

It’s a necessary evil because of where we are.

For me to the good stuff near Peterborough it’s 401 -> 115/35 -> Peterborough is all boring slab. But it’s 2hrs or so before the going gets good.

And @shanekingsley lives about 5min from my place.

 

[shanekingsley]

It’s a necessary evil because of where we are.

For me to the good stuff near Peterborough it’s 401 -> 115/35 -> Peterborough is all boring slab. But it’s 2hrs or so before the going gets good.

And @shanekingsley lives about 5min from my place.

what he said

 

[PrivatePilot]

Different strokes for different folks I guess, I love twisties and scenery and all that good stuff too, but every now and then I love me some good old zen slab time. Yesterday was good therapy - at times yesterday the most calm my mind has been in a long while.

I don’t let things like how much it’s costing me in oil changes or tires concern me really, the tire thing is 75% less a concern since going darkside on the back (one of the main reasons I did such as otherwise a trip like yesterday would have put noticeable chicken strip wear on a rear) and the front lasts a lot longer anyways and is comparatively cheap. Meh.

 

[mimico_polak]

Different strokes for different folks I guess, I love twisties and scenery and all that good stuff too, but every now and then I love me some good old zen slab time. Yesterday was good therapy - at times yesterday the most calm my mind has been in a long while.

Congrats on completing the run and being able to memorialize your friend. Glad you got it done, safely, and enjoyably.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

Lots of great comments here. Thank you everyone.

Just after renewing my Spotwalla membership, I decided to put this off until next year. Proximal reason is I dropped my bike 500 m from home being stupid after 6h of riding. Foot peg snapped, I think I can swap it with one of the pillion pegs, but the snap-rings for BOTH sets of pegs broke when they were unsnapped (they were clearly done for anyways), so off to the dealer.

Better reason though is that I recognize the drastically reduced amount of daylight and the increased risk of "critter" encounters (as @ReSTored put it), both of which I take seriously. I put in maybe 6 hours on the road today, near where I decided to head back home I saw a sign about deer for the next x miles. This isn't uncommon where I ride, but then maybe 200 m later I saw FOUR deer just munching away on some guy's lawn right off the road.

On one hand I love the idea of winging it and being spontaneous as I was trying to be, on the other hand I don't want to be posting another video on Reddit of a motorcycle eviscerating a deer.

I'm going to spend my days until June making sure I have my routes planned, and come at this with a concrete game plan. The plan may involve buying a modular helmet. I've been looking for an excuse to buy a C5. LOL.

In the meantime, please keep ideas and thoughts coming! As I work out my own game plan I will do the same.

 

[NuggyBuggy]

what he said

Fair enough. I just cannot imagine having to ride the 401.. even late at night it always seems to be a long, hot mess. I used to sometimes keep my bike in the city and ride to work. That's no fun and now it never sees the city. With a clock on me and the spectre of fatigue? That could be extra infuriating.

What times of day did your route take you through Toronto?