Random Thoughts

Iron Butt Check List

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I woke up at 3 AM this mornign to get used to it, I felt pretty good.   I went out to the dealership today to get some oil to top myself off for the trip and I’m ready.   Side note- the dealership has a barbecue every saturday and Robyn and I have gone for the last 2 weeks.     Pretty cool.   It’s a nice outing and a good chance to get a few miles with my wife.   we have fun.

So I’m ready.

  • No coffee (don’t need a full bladder), so I’ll slam a red bull in the morning.
  • Got my gas stations all mapped out, nothing further than 150 miles.   I should be good there.
  • Got my paperwork and my clipboard, ready to save my reciepts to verify my ride to get the certificate.  If you have no idea what I’m talking about, http://www.ironbutt.com should give you details.
  • Tour pak has my helmet, my .38 (don’t leave home without it), 6 bottles of water, sunscreen, rain gear (chance of rain in the afternoons, but I bet I miss it all), and some snack food like beef jerky and granola bars to keep me on the road, and not in the burger king drive through.
  • 3 different credit cards, Just in case the CC company puts a hold on one because they see 1000 miles worth of charges and put a hold on my card.   Have cash backup.
  • Maps and summaries go in my pocket.   I have the route memorized, but just in case I miss something I’ll have a cheat sheet so I don’t have to pull over and spend time figuring it all out.
  • Music – Ipod is updated, and even burned a couple of CD’s with the music that’s been sounding good to me the last few weeks.
  • Bike is all checked out.   I think I’ve got it all planned.

Question is, this is 400 miles more than my furthest ride ever.   Can I do this?  I’m positive I can.   I know some people get uncomfortable, their back hurts, their attention wanes and they get bored with long rides.    I love every second of it.   There’s honestly no other activity in life that I was born to do like Touring.   Even if it takes me 24.9 hours, I’ll do this, weather and traffic permitting of course.   I’m slightly concerned about memorial day weekend traffic, but I’ll figure it out as I go.   It’s not like i’m going to New York city.   I’ll be riding through freaking tonopah and Bishop California.   This should be fun.

I cannot friggin’ wait.    If this goes off without a hitch and my monday morning is normal, then the western US is all of a sudden a much smaller place.   the map on my garage wall will have alot more  highlited roads of places I’ve been.

Wish me luck.

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HR Puffnstuff

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I took the wife for a ride up through zion National Park yesterday. Stopped at the dealership for a free hamburger, and came home.  It was a good day actually,  pretty simple.   We stopped on the way home and went to star trek again.   Cost of gas and a Matinee, and good company.   The best.

So today my mind is wandering.

Remember this?[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-yLYz6ejqw&hl=en&fs=1]

HR, PUFFIN STUFF?   Yeah, is it any wonder we all did drugs in the 80s?   Proof that hippies shouldn’t do kids movies.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3U9BuOMkmM&hl=en&fs=1]

Another Gem:[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFMuNkseruo&hl=en&fs=1][youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3T-ZaDiZvE&hl=en&fs=1]

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The Family Von Zip.

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I have no idea where I’m at with the Iron Butt now.     It’s nothing but time and money, but both for me are up in the air.   I need money, and I don’t have much time.    If I can get the former, I’ll figure out the latter.

On a side note, I thought I’d post a picture of my family finally.   To hell with identity theft and hiding behind my moniker.

Zip Family
Left to right: Skipper, Zip, "big MO", Mom, Dad, Skeezix. Seated Are Suzy Q, and my other sister Suzy Q, who we're separted conjoined twins.

I’m the one in front with the bowl haircut and the missing Tooth.  I was mom’s favorite.  My older brother Skeezix, is the serious one with the engineer boots. He listened to alot of Alice Cooper and put me in the chest Freezer once till my tears froze.   Luckily, we found a carpeted spot in the forest to take the picture.

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Iron Butt changes…

1 Comment / Random Thoughts, Route 66 / /

My riding buddy can’t find his green card, so theres a good chance I might not head to Canada.   I’d really like to make that run, but if not, I’ll head to either Oklahoma City by myself, or Amarillo with my brother Pat.    We may end up getting our Iron Butt 1500, which is 1500 miles in 36 hours.      Hell, we may do it in 24.     More details forthcoming.
Either way I’m going to do it.  I’m ready.   I’d love to do it with Clint to Canada, but if I can’t my goal is to hit new parts of route 66 with my good friend and brother Pat, who is an Iron butt and hardcore rider in every sense of the word.     He’s #1 on my list of people to ride with.   We both do alot of miles, both love the road, and both will do whatever it takes.   At the end of the long days, we both love a good glass or two of scotch and a fine cigar, and this route will warrant all of those.

To see things I’ve never seen on the mother road will make it a perfect trip I’ll think about for a lifetime.

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Iron Butt Route

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I haven’t had a good ride in a couple of weeks now.   I really want one.   I ride everday to work and back, and went to caliente for a few hundred miles but it’s not the same as a really, REALLY long and good ride.   The iron butt ride to calgary will be that.

I planned out my route.   I leave May 22nd.   [googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=st+George+Utah&daddr=High+River+AB+CAnada&hl=en&geocode=&mra=ls&sll=37.074208,-113.584615&sspn=0.254199,0.617981&ie=UTF8&ll=43.827645,-112.608035&spn=13.50687,2.53085&output=embed&w=425&h=350]

1152 miles.  I’ll leave at 3 AM, and hopefully get to High River by 9 or 10 that night.   God, I can’t wait.

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Gift for the Street Glide

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My good friend Erik and I do alot of horse trading.   He’s a harley freak himself, and a while ago he hooked me up with a boot for my bike.   I think its a boot.  It could be a dock.   Hell, I have no freaking idea what it is.   I’m not even sure if the street glide likes it, or If I like it.   I do know it makes it nice to work on the bike for some things.

I have no idea what the hell this thing is called.
I have no idea what the hell this thing is called.
But it's like an uber cool kickstand
But it's like an uber cool kickstand
I think my bike likes it. It hasn't complained.
I think my bike likes it. It hasn't complained.

I’ve had this thing all winter, but every time I tried to use it, I just pushed it across the garage so I hammer drilled it into my garage floor and lag bolted it in right.

I need to do a long ride.   I’m posting pictures of my bike in that boot thing.   Dammit, I need to ride.    Someone tell me a good story.

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2 Riders injured on Oatman Road

1 Comment / Random Thoughts, Route 66 / /

Sad Deal….Authorites say two motorcyclists were injured in a head-on collision in western Arizona Thursday.

According to Mohave County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Patricia Carter, the accident happened on Highway 66 about 12 miles east of Oatman.

She said that at about 12:45 p.m. Anthony Clark, 42, of Las Vegas was traveling eastbound on a Harley Davidson motorcycle and crossed left of the center line.

He struck another motorcyclist, Justin Goodman, 37, of Las Vegas, who was also riding a Harley Davidson traveling westbound.

Both men were thrown from their motorcycles, Carter said.

Clark was transported to Kingman Regional Medical Center and Goodman was airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas by Careflight.

Both motorcycles were towed from the scene and the accident is under investigation.Both motorcycles were towed from the scene and the accident is under investigation.

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