Share your IronButt story.

My big one was back in 2002 or so.

I was a helicopter engine mechanic (Honeywell LTS) and field service rep. We had a bad bunch of bearings go out the door and any single engine hoppyclopters (AS350D) needed them all changed in the field.

Every pissant town in Quebec had one of these, and it would take too much time and money to pull the engines, ship them to Greer, SC, fix them and send them back. I had to go out on a long trip to replace these bearings one by one.

My boss owed me a favor and I fed him a long line of horseshit about the time and expense of airlines. He agreed to let me make the trip on my bike.

I had a 2001 BMW F650GS Dakar loaded with a bunch of Wünderlicht
shit. I loaded up tools and parts in my saddlebags and headed out.

I burned ass up the seaboard, slept once maybe in New Jersey? I showed up at the first job just north of Quebec City in Trois-Riviéres The crew in every hangar I came to was gobsmacked by this fat, Aerostitch-wrapped hooligan the showed up to fix their sick birds.

The work had to be done on wing (sometimes by hanging the power section from a rotor blade by a strap, but you didn't hear that from me. What happens in The Field, stays in The Field).

There was one place where they had only a seaplane hangar and the ship had to hover down into it turning all manner of widdershins to get the tail around powerlines, trees and deer stands.

After the first 3 or 4 jobs, I called home and said I was finished, but my CRS said the there was one more a few km farther north. I was along the north bank of the St. Lawrence river. Sure I was up for it! I had to take a ferry across a tributary and got to see whales saying hi to the ferry.

Then there were a couple more jobs that came up after that, so I kept on. I hit a few logging foads for fun along the way and encountered a bear. She was cool AF.

Eventually I wound up in Baie Comeau, basically the end of the line except the road the goes on up to Labrador. I did my final bearing change, had a wonderful frutti di mare dinner and got absolutely tore back with some loggers at a strip club.

Now to the Iron Butt:

The next morning, I tried to explain the IB to the lovely francophone at the motel's reception and eventually got her signature and contact info for the record. I set out at maybe 5 a.m.? Got somewhere into Pennsylvania at 1006 miles on my clock. I got a room, took some Aleve, ate a pizza, slept for maybe 5 hours and headed out again, saving gas receipts, photos and whatever else for the Bun Burner Gold.

The following day I rode home to Pelzer, SC. I think it was 850 miles or so?

This on a 650cc luxe dirtbike.

And the real kicker was: I never even sent the paperwork in to the IB people. I know I did it. My teeth are still misaligned and my right shoulder reminds my of this whenever the humidity gets above 76%.

What you got?

 

That one will most others seem like boogers.

 

Each job took about a day.
The trip up took several days

 

Awesome story Motoboy, doubt that will be bested.

2000, I had a brand new Honda VFR in the garage, recently divorced, boring Friday night. My brother calls and asked if I was busy, nope, I asked aren't you in Atlanta for an IndyCar race? He said they are a couple people short on their team (Kelly Racing) So I left around 6am Saturday, rode 600 miles to Atlanta, got a room where they are staying, then rode to the track because they were already there. I carried some gas cans, hauled some tires, even handed tires over the wall during the pitstops. Kelly Racing was notorious for not bringing enough crew for the races. He flew to the races and picked up the crew in his personal jet.

After the race, rode back to the hotel and crashed, they all went out drinking. I had to be home Sunday for work Monday, so I left early Sunday morning and rode the 600 miles back home. I averaged about 40 miles per hour the whole time I was gone.

 

My Iron Butt seems pretty tame compared to you guys.....except I rode it two up with my wife on the back of my ST1300. We, and eight others left Knoxville, TN at about 5AM and it was the first week of November....either 2011 or 2012. Going through the mountains headed towards Asheville, NC I had my heated gear cranked way up and it was cold. By mid afternoon, we were passing through Birmingham, AL and the temps had risen up to right at 85 degrees. Three of the guys on the trip were riding sportbikes and honestly, I don't know how anyone could do an Iron butt on something like an R1, but he did. We got back into Knoxville about 12:30AM with 1035 miles under our belts.....then Peggy and I had another 40 mile ride back to our house. I was 57 years old at the time and she was 59 years old. It was my first and only Iron Butt, and I really have no desire to do another. Been there, done that, got the paperwork....I'm good with that.

 

Great story. Awesome topography up that way.

Coming home from Deals gap, nc to Newcastle, On. It was about 960 miles. Just shy of an iron butt. I saved all my gas receipts thinking I'd send them in, but tossed them when the trip fell short of mileage requirements. Can't remember how long it took around 17/18 hours, but I do remember the wear pattern on the rear pilot power had 3 very distinct facets on it lol. At around 2-3am on I90 just outside of Cleveland some whackjob tried to run me off the road, swerving at me, and just completely coming unglued in his car at me for some reason. I didn't feel like getting shot, so I twisted the throttle to the stops for what felt like 10 minutes to disappear. He chased me for a bit, but lost him after a very short while. That provided enough adrenaline to get me through the night and back into Canada lol.

The trip down took about 26 hours, because our "convoy" kept stopping along the way to pick up people. That was a long ass ride. I remember riding on I81 down through Virginia in the middle of the night seeing all these deer in the shoulders of the road, while I'm sleepy AF laying on my tank bag just thinking "please just stay there in the ditch". There were hundreds of them. That one was over 1000 miles, but I didn't document it, and it took over 24 hours. I had a shotgun pulled on me in Tennessee (could have been NC, I have no idea where we were at that point) when I stopped to take a piss at the side of an old run down gas station. Old boy thought I was trying to steal shit out of the garage, and came off the porch yelling about trespassing. I would have bet all I had that the entire place was abandoned......As a small town Canadian kid that was an eye opener......

Fun trip.

I did lots of other high milers, but not that much. Did a few day trips around Lake Ontario down into NY, and a few more into Northern ON. I miss those days. 5-800miles some of them I don't have that kind of free time anymore. Never did get the official Ironbutt saddlesore 1000.

 

In 1978, my San Diego iron man was to meet a new nephew in Cadillac Michigan on my 1975 XS650
My second overnight was near Tulsa, OK. Within an hour of rolling out, I got a flat near Afton OK. A military guy stopped and said he would pick up a patch kit and a tire pump (just in case I was still there when he came back from St Louis); I was… !
He refused to let me give him money, so I repaired the flat while he watched, and thanked him again, as it got dark. He told me to keep the pump and the patch kit. Thanks again.
The headlight low beam went out within a few minutes, the high beam lasted another few, and I slept (hungry) under a tree. Total mileage for the day was about 60 miles.
I was ready to roll at first light. I picked up spare tubes, spare headlight bulbs, and a tail light bulb. Decided a “sandwich to go” was a good idea.
The new bulb went in at a gas stop near Gary Indiana.
From Afton, Cadillac was ~15 hours and ~860 miles.
The family said I looked a little tired, so I ate, got showered, met a new nephew, and lasted just long enough to say good night.

 

This year on a '23 RoadGlide to Sturgis from Los Angeles with 2 girls, mine on a Softail, and the other on a new Sportster Nightster, 1.5" of suspension, no windshield, no bags, just an open V&H and a little backpack. She's 'core. First day 20 hours to Casper WY. 988 miles, all the receipts, and they called it The way back we made 880 miles in a rainstorm and called it off again.

Oh well.
I'll never go back to Sturgis, so maybe never get an Iron Butt. It's hard!

 

Longest rides I have ever done was just 250miles. But that was to a buddies wedding at a resort in cottage country Ontario. Rained all the way there. Sunny for the day of the wedding. Then rain all the way home.
This was the 1st year I had a street bike.

 

No iron butt stories myself, as far as 2 wheel. But did a non-stop from Annapolis MD to El Salvador in an old squeaky bright orange ford maverick

 

Memorial weekend 1981, I had a date with a girl that turned into a torrid summer romance. I lived in the Keys and she was in Miami, so classic long distance love (not that long). Every weekend off I hopped on my trusty new Honda 750F and headed to Miami to be with her. Now this girl was very driven, she was in college at the time and had big plans for her future. I was just a dumb Coastie in love. Come late August, she informs me that she's moving to Charleston, SC because there is more opportunities for her there. I was devastated. Did everything I could to convince her to stay and move in with me. Her comment was basically how the fuck am I going to achieve my goals in the Florida Keys.

She moves. Younger guys won't understand this, but there was no easy communication back then. Phone calls costed a fortune so letter writing was the medium of choice. And I wrote some doozies (we'll come back to this). I was so in love with this woman that it hurt.

Labor Day weekend comes and I had 3 days off. Fuck it, I'm riding to Charleston...it's only 700 miles. I get up early Saturday morning, strap a duffel bag to my tank so I could lay on it when I got tired and headed up good old A1A. It's been so long ago that I can't remember how long it took but I was 20 years old so nothing phased me. I do remember arriving at her apartment. She had a tough persona but melted when she saw me. I could tell she missed me as much as I her, and we spent the entire weekend in bed. I stayed as long as I could on Labor Day, but I had to be back by a certain time or I'd be AWOL. When I departed, I gave her my signet ring that mom had given me which had never been off my hand until that moment. I knew I'd see her again. I rode back in the darkness, arriving at my station just as my duty commenced.

All I can say is, that 1400 mile journey changed my life. One month later she moved in with me, I've been stuck with her ever since. Last weekend while shaking out the Christmas decorations she found one of my letters from that period. She couldn't hide the laughter at my prose, but it must have worked back then. All it took to seal the deal was a 1400 mile ride. Oh, and I still have the 750F.

Young lovers in the Keys...

 

On the other side of long drives for love, I once made a 55km journey in 17 minutes when I got "the call" one night. More of an Iron dick ride

 

So you averaged 100mph. It was be small because you were able to get into a tuck for those speeds.

 

It was cold ok.

 

Did a few Abilene Tex to Bike week in the 80s.
On a RD 400 . Had lo bars, rearsets and fairing.
Packed a set of pistons and a hone in case.
Carried everything I took in a backpack. Fortunately had local family to stay with.
It had certainly changed.

 

Left central PA at about 3am on a Friday morning on the FJR. Headed west on the turnpike. On the other side of Indy, started getting bored/tired. Sunny and 90+. Saw a billboard that said something about covered bridges at the next exit (I think I wasn’t far from Putnam). Stopped at a covered bridge for a photo op, splashed my face with the cool creek water from under the bridge and headed back to I70. Wanted to get a picture by the arch in St Louis. Was nearing it around 4pm on a Friday and didn’t feel like dealing with the traffic in/out of downtown. Stopped at the parking lot of a casino in East St Louis that had a clear view of the arch. Got the obligatory photo and then started heading north. Saw a sign for Route 66 and took the exit. After a quick triple digit dash (just to get my kicks on Route 66), continued heading north. Pulled into Blackhawk after 1100+ miles at around 11pm. Watched/helped some friends at a track day on Saturday and took the direct route home (about 900 miles) on Sunday.

 

I’ve been sitting on my ass in my wheelchair for usually 18 hrs a day for almost 19 years….lol pretty sure that works as iron butt

I always wanted to do the Iron butt ride from Key West to Alaska

 

Oct 2018, bought a 2014 FJR on Ebay that was in Salt Lake City ~ 1,730 miles away. Going there had lots of flight delays = got there late.
Day 1 was only 280 miles from SLC to Grand Junction.
Day 2 across Rt 50 was ~ 550 miles to Dodge City with winter following. (84F on Wednesday in Pueblo and a high of 43F on Thursday).
Day 3 it rained with a lot of Kansas crosswinds. Rode from Dodge City to home = 972 miles.... on the torcher device that Yamaha calls a seat.

The longer ride was this year after the MOTO GP race in Austin. Left Austin and headed west to California for a few days on a VStrom 1000.
Left Havasu Lake at 4am and rode to El Paso. Got there early afternoon and thought I could/should ride more. Pushed on until I got to Memphis TN...1,700 miles with a couple of roadside naps. Not the smartest thing that I have done.

 

181 at night? On a bike? Oh hell naw!