2019 Iron Butt Rides

[101stpathfinder]

Very respectful of you to say that, but don't worry about me my friend, I'd honestly be your biggest supporter on completing the Deca hands-down regardless of when you do it.
The current ride plan for me through 2019 / 2020 is this:

1) Australia for a month again in early 2019 (might be back in time for JAX, might not).

2) IBR in June of '19

3) 30-day BBG attempt in late '19 or early '20

Depending on your timing I might slip out to I-90 and do BBG #10 with you during your Deca as long as it doesn't mess up your rhythm, etc.

Dan

1) I hope you make it back for Jax., I will most likely do the sponsored BBG ride there.

2) IBR… You have my contact if I can help you.

3) I should have some time to drop in on you.

Would be cool to ride with you IF I make it to #10 !

Best wishes on your rides!

 

[fljab]

Tony, when was I-90 scheduled? Need to dust off the old FJR; I like that plan.

I am looking at a roaming run next yr out west, but not sure when it would be exactly. I had wanted a return to Alaska, but that would probably be on the VStrom.

 

[101stpathfinder]

Tony, when was I-90 scheduled? Need to dust off the old FJR; I like that plan.
I am looking at a roaming run next yr out west, but not sure when it would be exactly. I had wanted a return to Alaska, but that would probably be on the VStrom.

I am thinking before Sturgis (August 2-11?) So I would probably be thinking of starting the middle of July.

I am waiting on my son's plans to return to Iowa, then plan my ride so I could meet him there. The Balloon Classic

is July 26th through Aug. 3rd. I think he wants to be up there then. You remember my sisters ranch? The balloons are

over-flying the place all the time. I got to ride crew with one in competition just for helping recover one.

Be a great chance to really dust your bike off with a 10/10ths !

 

[fljab]

Yeah, I like the 10/10ths plan on I-90; be just the place for a lightweight like me. Maybe I could precede that with some roaming in the west, and meet you there. Mama gave me a kitchen pass to do some riding next yr, but a week is a good as 3 or 4 once I'm gone!

I dragged home a new project last month - CB750 cafe bike - so need to get the FJR updated with some minor fixes and time consuming major maintenance, finish the VStrom mods, and start on the CB. Didn't you need some work too before heavy LD season?

 

[101stpathfinder]

Yeah, I like the 10/10ths plan on I-90; be just the place for a lightweight like me. Maybe I could precede that with some roaming in the west, and meet you there. Mama gave me a kitchen pass to do some riding next yr, but a week is a good as 3 or 4 once I'm gone!

I dragged home a new project last month - CB750 cafe bike - so need to get the FJR updated with some minor fixes and time consuming major maintenance, finish the VStrom mods, and start on the CB. Didn't you need some work too before heavy LD season?

Oh yes… some work is needed. Valve check on the FJR & I want to take the harness off the BMW and see what is needed.

Darn … my tires have about 14k on them. I need to check them close and see if they have a BBG left on them.

 

[travel_man]

Tony,

You are a very ambitious person.

I hope you at least get a chance to attempt the Deca as that is a damn hard ride. I have the Deca in my list of rides I want to attempt but I have some ADV rides planned along with the IBR for next year.

I hope to build on my 53 BBG's also maybe riding a couple more right after Christmas.

 

[101stpathfinder]

Tony,
You are a very ambitious person.

I hope you at least get a chance to attempt the Deca as that is a damn hard ride. I have the Deca in my list of rides I want to attempt but I have some ADV rides planned along with the IBR for next year.

I hope to build on my 53 BBG's also maybe riding a couple more right after Christmas.

Greg, When are you headed out for your ride? Suppose you are starting on the turnpike?

I am thinking of running an out & back BBG in December.

 

[travel_man]

Tony,
You are a very ambitious person.

I hope you at least get a chance to attempt the Deca as that is a damn hard ride. I have the Deca in my list of rides I want to attempt but I have some ADV rides planned along with the IBR for next year.

I hope to build on my 53 BBG's also maybe riding a couple more right after Christmas.

Greg, When are you headed out for your ride? Suppose you are starting on the turnpike?

I am thinking of running an out & back BBG in December.

Tony,

We have made some more changes and we are riding to Mexico City for a couple days and then riding back.

We are leaving south Florida around midnight on December 25 and attempting a BBG to Laredo. We are staying at a hotel in Laredo and crossing the border into Mexico on the morning of December 27. It is 700 mile ride to Mexico City and we should arrive before dark. We are staying 2 nights n Mexico City and then heading back to Laredo in the AM on December 29. We will spend 1 night in Laredo and then attempt another BBG back to south Florida because Dan needs to be back.

We was persuaded to not do any night riding in Mexico right now by many people in Mexico so that is why we changed our plans and we will not be riding at night on this ride but I am using it as a learning opportunity and plan to attempt my original ride some time next year if things improve in Nicaragua and Mexico.

If any one wants to join us at Laredo to ride to Mexico City around 5:00 AM on December 27 come on. It will be a fun interesting ride that should be as safe as riding in Chicago.

 

[101stpathfinder]

I received some Certs in the mail today which made me current. My total leaves me only 11 individual rides from titanium.

I want to attempt a few things this year new for me. So I will attempt some cold weather certs to get the year off in rolling form.

Planning on riding a few miles this year.

Perhaps its that I am itching for a Gen 3 in 2020. I currently have only 125k on my '08,

so that would mean riding 125k more in the next 2 years. We shall see how things go…

 

[dcarver]

Yawn. Tony, you the man.

Me, I'm gonna Candy Butt all of 2019~

JSNS and

Hugs n' Kisses

 

[101stpathfinder]

Yawn. Tony, you the man.
Me, I'm gonna Candy Butt all of 2019~

JSNS and

Hugs n' Kisses

Don,

I will be out to California in mid July, maybe you can lead me out to Cape Mendocino!

 

[dcarver]

I see Lost Coast roads... but are there roads to CM?

JSNS and

Hugs n' Kisses

 

[101stpathfinder]

I see Lost Coast roads... but are there roads to CM?

I have to go to the actual cape. I believe there is a rock off shore that I need a photo of.

I hear the roads are really crappy going to the start at the cape. The ride is "Cape To Cape Gold"

riding from there to Cape Hatteras, NC.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Tony,

If you're passing through ATL and want some company, give me a few days notice.

Hud

 

[101stpathfinder]

I see Lost Coast roads... but are there roads to CM?

Has anyone ever ridden "Mattole Road" south from Ferndale?

…or the access rd to the cape?

 

[FJRay]

The roads in the Lost Coast area are suitable for dual sport at best.

 

[tcfjr]

The roads in the Lost Coast area are suitable for dual sport at best.

I rode Mattole Road on my FJR about 4-5 years ago - as Ray says, the road conditions are crap. Doable for experienced riders, but it'll be like riding on gravel - total concentration needed the entire way.

 

[101stpathfinder]

I will be attempting this ride following a DECA (10 BBGs) attempt. The plus side will be that I will have new rubber front and back, and a motel stay before the start.

A dual sport rider riding Mattole would be really nice. I think picking up the bike on rock would be tough by myself. Do the conditions include any deep sand? I pulled off a crap road in the 15 IBR with 20+ miles of gravel with deep sand. That really sucked, as I needed to keep speed to prevent getting stuck. I will have to do the Mattole to get there and to do the ride.... thinking....

 

[FJRay]

To make the ride work you need to do the Mattole road and although it's not great,I'll bet you have seen worse in your adventures. I assume it will be daylight and you will be rested so at least you can see the surface and dodge the worst of it. If you start at the cape and go back to Ferndale you can haul ass from there.

 

[russperry]

I rode the Lost Coast 2 years ago and can give you some skinny on what's there, all the way from Ferndale, down Mattole Road, to Shelter Cove, then exiting south onto 101 near Rockport using Usal Road in the south. Usal road was a fun ride on my KTM690 but would be pretty much impossible I think on an FJR - its not maintained anymore and has HUGE ruts for miles and miles, some of them 4-5 feet deep! A GS/GSA or big KTM twin with a competent rider would be OK as well.

There are two locations of note for Cape Mendocino - the Light House itself was moved from its operational location to a site near Shelter Cove so much easier to get to if interested. If the current location counts, then its really no problem to get from there out to 101. The road between Shelter Cove and 101 is the best maintained road in the entire area and generally OK at any time of the year.

The other location for the lighthouse would be its former operational site which is off of Mattole Road, south of Ferndale and north of Petrolia. That stretch of Mattole between Ferndale and Cape Mendocino is the worst part of Mattole and was in pretty bad shape for a paved road, maybe the worst I've ever been on, but it is/was certainly manageable on an FJR. If you're talking about getting Sugarloaf Island into your camera shot you should be able to see it from Mattole Road south of the sharp bend (pictures on Google show it visible from the road). That bend in the road when coming from the north is where the road finishes dropping down to the ocean, before it turns south and runs along the rocky beach for several miles. I did not try that access road that's shown on Google Maps, but my guess is that it may be blocked off or locked - about 90% of the roads in the Lost Coast are barricaded off, mainly to keep the tweakers from dumping their cars near the ocean and setting them on fire (at least that's what the park rangers told us).

If you wanted someone to do a current recce run, FarWestFastEddie lives near Eureka but I don't see him on the forum too much anymore.