Iron Butt Texas World Capitals 1000 this Friday

I will be attempting my first Iron Butt Saddle Sore 1000 ride Friday morning. I've only had "Black Betty" about 2 months and have taken a couple of long training rides. I going to trust the history of these bikes to get me back without any mechanical troubles. I hope to see a bunch of FJR's there. Here is a link they set up for the ride.

https://hardtxrider.blogspot.com/2016/09/iba-big-as-texas-party.html

Best of luck to you. Our bikes seem to thrive on chewing up the miles and spitting them back out. I won't push my fuel stops to 220 miles when doing 85 mph again though. I pulled into Sweetwater on my challenge and took 6.2 gallons to fill up.

That looks like a great event and the weather just broke so its cooler.

sure the bike will not be a problem. good chance to see what a wonderful bike you have and find out what

items you may need to improve your comfort/happy face level.

Be on the lookout for IBA riders too since there's a National Meet in Dallas this weekend.

The only issue with FJRs and long distance for most is the SEAT. I hope you have a good ride.

Enjoy your 1st ride - you will never be a virgin again. Addiction follows next.

I think doing your first cert. ride in an organized ride is the best way to start. Have fun.

Bounce said:

Be on the lookout for IBA riders too since there's a National Meet in Dallas this weekend.

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Yes this is the ride I'm doing. We have almost the whole hotel to ourselves.

Wirehead said:

I will be attempting my first Iron Butt Saddle Sore 1000 ride Friday morning. I've only had "Black Betty" about 2 months and have taken a couple of long training rides. I going to trust the history of these bikes to get me back without any mechanical troubles. I hope to see a bunch of FJR's there. Here is a link they set up for the ride.
https://hardtxrider.blogspot.com/2016/09/iba-big-as-texas-party.html

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I signed up for this, but life got in the way. I did the original Republic of Texas 1000 back in 2013 and it was a blast. It looks like the weather will be ideal. Say hi as you pass Houston.

Hi, I did this ride last year and lots of fun, enjoy yourself, I agree, this is a very good way to get a cert. I signed up for this year, but had a change of plans. Next year!

Tread with caution my friend. The warnings above about addictions are true.

And enjoy your first SS!

How did it go?

Well I survived my first SS 1000. Really tough. Before this ride I had NEVER ridden in a big city (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio) and I had NEVER ridden at night. So this deal was crazy for me. The portion from Junction over to Georgetown was "dead man alley" because of all the deer. We had one rider hit one and his bike was a wright off! He will live to ride again but was taken to a local hospital on the whirly bird I think? I gained a lot of confidence in my skills and my bike.

My biggest concern was the motor started making more noise than usual. Having read a bunch on my year model I think it might be the cam chain tensioner issue. I heard it at the next to last stop and then decided to ride her a little easier on I35 coming back up to Dallas. I took it easy also driving home today. I don't know what it's supposed to sound like but I do know it sounds different now. Probably hours running 80 didn't help. I'm sure I was almost last in but still finished and got my certificate. There were 2 or 3 more FJR's there.

Need another seat, new rear tire and maybe a trip to the engine doctor. Any help with the engine noise would be appreciated. Other than that "Black Betty" was AWESOME! She got me home in one piece.

I'd post a photo but don't know how?

Congrats !

Russell Day Long is the answer to your seat issue. Hours running 80? That should be no problem for the FJR.

I hope your engine sounding different is nothing also. The '08 came with the improved CCT. On a long ride I always thought

I could hear an inconsistency with the engine noise. I used to imagine a slightly bent shaft or something. Maybe just too many

hours on the bike (?) Could it be just a change in idle speed?

And you probably already were issued your certificate right? You did it right!

Congrats Wirehead!

Congratulations! Who cares if you were in last place, you finished and met the SS1K criteria -- and are here to tell about it. That's what matters.

1) Yeah, your butt will feel better in a week or so.

2) My engine always starts sounding funny after 6 or 8 hours in the saddle, too. A few other worrisome things always appear to start happening ... but they seem to be my overactive imagination fueled by anxiety. Check again after your butt starts feeling better.

3) Riding at night takes experience and the realization that you need to slow down, even on familiar roads. Can't see the deer or the gravel as well. Every IBA cert ride requires nighttime riding, however.


Posting photos isn't easy. First, find a "photo hosting website". The consensus here is Photobucket. Upload your photos there, then use the link (URL address) for the photo to post it here. You do that with the little green box -- I think it's a picture and picture frame -- in the edit menu. (It says "Image" if you hover over it.) Copy the link to your photo/host site, and paste it into the space that appears when you clik the "Image" button.

NOTE that the URL/link MUST end in jpg. Make sure Photobucket (or wherever) is saving them that way!

I really, really wanted to make that trip and try my first BBG but work is killing me lately and I'm having to bail on things left and right. It sucks!

Anyway, congratulations on making your cert! I only got my first ones this year and it's something to take pride in. If it was easy it wouldn't be worth getting!

RJAMT said:

I really, really wanted to make that trip and try my first BBG but work is killing me lately and I'm having to bail on things left and right. It sucks!
Anyway, congratulations on making your cert! I only got my first ones this year and it's something to take pride in. If it was easy it wouldn't be worth getting!

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This was a really tough BBG route according to the riders and the guys who put it together. They told us in the rider's meeting that they predicted no one would finish it. Of the 25 who tried only 5 did. So it must have been tough. I saw the GPS of one of the finishers and it showed 109 as a max speed. He said he was passed at one point by "some dude ridin' gangster on an FJR". He was riding a BMW R1200GSA. I'll pass on that high speed stuff. I don't need to get an attorney involved with my riding!!!

Then maybe it's just as well I didn't get to try it.

That max speed doesn't mean much. Mine often shows around 100 even on a short trip if I "jump on it" to make a quick pass. It's real easy to go from 65 to 95 (or higher). The GPS doesn't care how long you were at that speed.

Did he say he was doing 109 when the gangsta passed him of was he stopped at the time to add erl to his final drive?