Jerry's 2009 Iron Butt
Rally - A Ride Report
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My first Iron Butt Rally was the ride of a lifetime. Every day was a
new adventure with different challenges. Every day was LONG. You can
expect this report to be LONG too. There were highs and lows throughout
the rally, but my overall mantras remained the same. Be A Finisher, and
Don't Screw Up.
In the end I accomplished what I set out to do, by
finishing the rally and earning a coveted three-digit IBA membership
number.
It also needs to be said at the top of this report that we lost a
friend in this rally. David "Davo" Jones from Queensland, Australia,
was a good friend to me over the past year or two. We met online and
formed a bond. We both encouraged each other to apply for the IBR. When
we were accepted we continued to share thoughts, strategies, etc. I
helped him buy a GPS that wasn't available in Australia. He helped me
gain the confidence that I could finish well. We exchanged
"intelligence" on the other competitors, and I tried to give him some
tips about the USA that he might not have known. Such as, we ride on
the right side of the road. Some people, including me at the time,
were angry with Davo for crashing the way he did. Ultimately the manner
of his death is unimportant. Davo was
a great man with a big heart who was a friend and mentor to
many motorcyclists. That's
all that matters. This report is dedicated to him.
Rest In
Peace Davo.
The Road to Spartanburg
My ride to Spartanburg was more eventful than I would have liked. It
started with a ride to Des Moines, where I would have a short
vacation with my family. On the ride there, I pulled into Cheyenne, WY,
for the night and experienced low electrical power. I pushed the bike
next to a Home Depot building, so I could get shelter from the freezing
Wyoming winds while troubleshooting the bike.
After thinking the problem through, I realized it was my aftermarket
Electrosport stator showing signs of exhaustion. Fortunately I was
prepared for this event, and was carrying a used Yamaha stator and new
gasket. The next day I limped toward Des Moines with the
headlights off
to conserve power. I exited the highway in Gothenburg, NE, intending to
visit the Pony Express museum there. Then I saw this building and did a double-take. The Sod House is the traditional starting
location of the Winter Armchair Rally. I'm quite familiar with it from
the internet, and it was a kick to be there in real life. I had to stop for a visit.
Here's the actual Sod House out behind the museum.
I
made it to Des Moines safely with the weak stator. The next day I took
my
bike to the Yamaha shop there. They did a good job on the
stator, tires, and oil change. In all, I was quite fortunate
to
have this happen
when it did, and not during the rally. Here is the crispy
stator.
I had a few days of family time in Iowa. We maintained our tradition of
attending the Iowa State Fair. Highlights were
the food on a stick,
Cast Your Kernel voting booth,
milking a cow,
4-H crafts,
the Butter Cow,
and of course, the Bill Riley Talent Competition (no good photo but it
must be mentioned.) We are State Fair people!
Another part of my pre-rally conditioning was to get a pedicure with
custom Yamaha symbology.
Soon
enough it was time to say goodbye. This picture was taken in Sally's
parents'
back yard, moments before I headed out for Spartanburg.
The
ride was pleasant. I stopped in Metropolis, IL to visit this
fellow. This turned out to be a bonus on
Leg Two of the rally. Too bad I didn't have my rally flag yet.
I
also detoured to
Deals Gap along the Tennessee/Kentucky border. This famous motorcycle
road was a lot of fun. There's a pretty good picture of me riding the
Dragon online, but I'm too cheap to buy it for this ride
report. You can see it here.
Then I got to Spartanburg..
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Photo
Gallery
Appendix
