Klurejr goes for the Iron Butt Challange - Bun Burner 1500

Ever since I first heard about this I have wanted to do it. I have a few friends who love just hitting the road so it looks like there will be three of us on this trip the last weekend of June.

SaddleSore 1000/Bun Burner 1500 Rules

We are doing the Saddle Sore + Bun Burner, meaning 1000 miles in 24 hours and an additional 500 in the next 12 to be 1500 in 36 hours.

Once you have all your paperwork in order you submit it to them and for $46.00 you get a customer License plate frame, certificate and button. But really you are doing it for the bragging rights.

I do not have the exact route dialed in, but we will leave at 4am on Friday from a local Gas Station, get our time and date stamped receipts and lay down nearly 400 miles before breakfast in Bishop. To get some extra miles in we will head up the 15 to Barstow and then cut back west to the 395 or the 14 to head back north to Bishop.

After Breakfast we will climb into higher elevation and jump into the Sierra's, I really want to stop in Truckee to visit the 50/50 Brewery, and by late afternoon/evening we will be heading down towards redding, and finish the last few hours on the freeway, interstate 5, and take that north to Grants pass Oregon and crash at my moms house, she will be our final odometer witness for the stop. The plan is to be up early and start out to the coast and make our way south to get the 500 miles in before the 36 hour mark. Once that is done we can take a much longer break and get some rest before Sunday comes and we jet home, hopefully from somewhere south of San Francisco.

Has anyone else done this?

I will be riding my 2007 Vstar 1300 Touring. Just gave her a fresh oil change yesterday, and new front and rear rubber in the last two months. The bike came with some Dunlop something.. I forgot to take note (looked sorta like this from what I recall K555 | Dunlop Motorcycle), but they lasted nearly 20k miles, which is fantastic. I now am running Michelin Commander's front and rear, 130/90-16F, 180/65-16. I was told the Michelin's are better tires and should last as long if not longer.... But I heard that once before about the Bridgestone T30 vs BT-023... lol. Time will tell for sure.


Here is the Beginnings of a map of our route, i need to work in 30 more miles, but this is the gist of it.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/33....!1d-120.1832533!2d39.327962!1m0!1m0!3e0?hl=en
 
That's a very ambitious trip and I wish you good luck!

Regarding your route: You're going to be taking a lot of central valley and that place can be cripplingly hot in late June. The areas around Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are also very busy come summer so keep that in mind. I have had to wait at some lengthy construction zones in that area as well. Also, be aware that quite a lot of Highway 1 from Leggett (where you come in from Grants Pass) can be very slow, crowded and tricky to overtake on. The 101 would certainly be a lot faster.

Doug knows those parts very well and I'm sure he can chime in with some tips.

My initial thought is that you should get out of CA as quickly as possible and get to an empty state like Nevada. I wonder if this route is more efficient?

I hope you'll post some pictures after you've successfully completed your 1500 mile trek! :)
 
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That's some trip and I wish you all the best. I could only dream of doing that , a few hundred miles in a day cripples me !!
Good luck
 
You may want to check with the IBA as I think you need to complete a SS before you can apply for a BBG. This is from their website

" WARNING: Before you can apply for Bun Burner Gold certification (1,500+ miles in 24 hours), you must have at least completed one of the following; a SaddleSore 1000, a Bun Burner 1500 (1,500 miles in 36 hours), a SaddleSore 2000 (or other similiar IBA ride), the Alberta 2000, Minnesota 1000, TimberButt, Tarbutt Rally, Utah 1088, any Cognoscente Group event, any MERA event, or the Iron Butt Rally. IMPORTANT NOTE: Other 24 and 36 hour rallies qualify. Their omission here is not intentional, it is just not possible to list all qualifying rallies. If you are unsure if a rally you finished is acceptable, please contact [email protected]."

I would e mail them to be sure. Manage your stops well (quickly) as you can really get behind fast. Also pee/lunch stops will much harder to handle with three riders compared to doing it by yourself. Also I agree with Dustin and avoid Lake Tahoe in the summer, it is slow going around there. Allow for summer construction and congestion and after Bishop, Nevada is much easier to do the long miles and to ramp up the speedo than Ca. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and most of all make it a fun ride.
 
Did a SaddleSore 1000 last summer: Lake Huron SS1K 2015 Ride

It wasn't that bad actually, took myself and the three guys I rode with around 19 hours. Would have made it a little faster but one of the guys wanted to stop more often. Monkey butt powder before you leave....Earplugs....and Motrin. Other than that, just put the miles in.

CADEF303-6126-4CFB-A95F-88C1B130DC92_zpsmca92dec.jpg
 
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That's a very ambitious trip and I wish you good luck!

Regarding your route: You're going to be taking a lot of central valley and that place can be cripplingly hot in late June. The areas around Yosemite and Lake Tahoe are also very busy come summer so keep that in mind. I have had to wait at some lengthy construction zones in that area as well. Also, be aware that quite a lot of Highway 1 from Leggett (where you come in from Grants Pass) can be very slow, crowded and tricky to overtake on. The 101 would certainly be a lot faster.

Doug knows those parts very well and I'm sure he can chime in with some tips.

My initial thought is that you should get out of CA as quickly as possible and get to an empty state like Nevada. I wonder if this route is more efficient?

I hope you'll post some pictures after you've successfully completed your 1500 mile trek! :)

Look at the route again, this is what my buddy is proposing, We spend very little time in the Central Valley, your route through death valley will be considerably hotter... lol

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/76,...125!2m2!1d-123.3245301!2d42.4438683!3e0?hl=en

You may want to check with the IBA as I think you need to complete a SS before you can apply for a BBG. This is from their website

" WARNING: Before you can apply for Bun Burner Gold certification (1,500+ miles in 24 hours), you must have at least completed one of the following; a SaddleSore 1000, a Bun Burner 1500 (1,500 miles in 36 hours), a SaddleSore 2000 (or other similiar IBA ride), the Alberta 2000, Minnesota 1000, TimberButt, Tarbutt Rally, Utah 1088, any Cognoscente Group event, any MERA event, or the Iron Butt Rally. IMPORTANT NOTE: Other 24 and 36 hour rallies qualify. Their omission here is not intentional, it is just not possible to list all qualifying rallies. If you are unsure if a rally you finished is acceptable, please contact [email protected]."

I would e mail them to be sure. Manage your stops well (quickly) as you can really get behind fast. Also pee/lunch stops will much harder to handle with three riders compared to doing it by yourself. Also I agree with Dustin and avoid Lake Tahoe in the summer, it is slow going around there. Allow for summer construction and congestion and after Bishop, Nevada is much easier to do the long miles and to ramp up the speedo than Ca. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and most of all make it a fun ride.

We are not doing the Bun Burner Gold, just the regular Bun Burner, 1500 miles in 36 hours. The GOLD is in 24 hours. We are actually doing both the Sore Saddle(1k in 24hrs) and Bun Burner(1.5k in 36hrs) in one shot.

I have no interest in doing 1500 in 24 hours...
 
Look at the route again, this is what my buddy is proposing, We spend very little time in the Central Valley, your route through death valley will be considerably hotter... lol

Sorry, I'm not so familiar with the names of places in California. What I was referring to was actually the valley Redding is in. My suggestion for Death Valley was based solely on the fact you guys were leaving at 4 AM. I'd imagine that early morning in DV is not at all hot and probably far less busy for you guys to make up some big miles.
 
Understood, you will love 120 from Benton to Lee Vining but again I must warn you Lake Tahoe (especially the east side) will be really slow going. Better off riding from Markleeville to Reno and over to Truckee then north on 89 .FYI Lots of chp from Truckee to Quincy, stay within 10 of posted. CHP has an office in Quincy.
 
It's quite easy, start early, stay hydrated, snack on the road, i recommend a tank bag. i've done multiple 1,000-1,500 mile days including a few back to back...to back. In regards to the IB association, personally, i'd never give em a penny, i dont need a license plate holder or pin to prove i ride. and the only people i gotta prove i got something swinging is whatever lady i'm talking to, not a buncha dudes at a bar or starbucks
 
Sorry, I'm not so familiar with the names of places in California. What I was referring to was actually the valley Redding is in. My suggestion for Death Valley was based solely on the fact you guys were leaving at 4 AM. I'd imagine that early morning in DV is not at all hot and probably far less busy for you guys to make up some big miles.

Yeah, Owens valley can be warm that time of year as well until you get up to Bishop, but it will be early miles. It will be warm when we drop down towards Redding, but it wont be unbearable, it was 103 last year when we rode across Bakersfield. When you are moving it is not too bad.

Understood, you will love 120 from Benton to Lee Vining but again I must warn you Lake Tahoe (especially the east side) will be really slow going. Better off riding from Markleeville to Reno and over to Truckee then north on 89 .FYI Lots of chp from Truckee to Quincy, stay within 10 of posted. CHP has an office in Quincy.

Yeah, we did that section of highway south last summer and hit a huge thunderstorm and got drenched. I had turned my go pro off and missed filming it. was epic. I took my wife down that way after a trip to Mammoth last summer as well, so pretty back there.

It's quite easy, start early, stay hydrated, snack on the road, i recommend a tank bag. i've done multiple 1,000-1,500 mile days including a few back to back...to back. In regards to the IB association, personally, i'd never give em a penny, i dont need a license plate holder or pin to prove i ride. and the only people i gotta prove i got something swinging is whatever lady i'm talking to, not a buncha dudes at a bar or starbucks

Yeah I have a tank bag, tail bag and two hardpack saddles, tons of room, more than I really need. As far as the IB Association, I want the cert and the plate.
 
Understood, you will love 120 from Benton to Lee Vining but again I must warn you Lake Tahoe (especially the east side) will be really slow going. Better off riding from Markleeville to Reno and over to Truckee then north on 89 .FYI Lots of chp from Truckee to Quincy, stay within 10 of posted. CHP has an office in Quincy.

Opps that's the WEST side (89) that is brutally slow in the summer however it does have some great views of Tahoe near Emerald Cove.
 
I'd love to attempt this as well and here in Texas, it should be relatively easy with miles of open highway.... I think?

Do you all have Camelbacks? My wife and I had those for our Michigan trip and they were a total life saver. Hydration is the biggest role in this. Low on water and you get too tired, too sore and make mistakes. I filled them with ice and then water. Every stop, we'd dump more water in from bottles in the packs or bought from a gas station along the way.

A small can of chain lube is also nice. Hit the hot chain quickly while fueling once in a while and you'll have no worries of that failing. Bring a tire plug kit and a small (Slime) DC compressor or CO2 cartridges. It would be a shame to come within 100 miles of this and not be able to fix a flat!

Good luck, ride safe and enjoy the trip! I wish you well!
 
I'd love to attempt this as well and here in Texas, it should be relatively easy with miles of open highway.... I think?

Do you all have Camelbacks? My wife and I had those for our Michigan trip and they were a total life saver. Hydration is the biggest role in this. Low on water and you get too tired, too sore and make mistakes. I filled them with ice and then water. Every stop, we'd dump more water in from bottles in the packs or bought from a gas station along the way.

A small can of chain lube is also nice. Hit the hot chain quickly while fueling once in a while and you'll have no worries of that failing. Bring a tire plug kit and a small (Slime) DC compressor or CO2 cartridges. It would be a shame to come within 100 miles of this and not be able to fix a flat!

Good luck, ride safe and enjoy the trip! I wish you well!

I do have a CamelBak, I will probably keep it in my Tank Bag.

Also I am taking my VStar so no chain lube needed.

I have done 650 miles in a day and felt great, so this is the next stage.

Once for work I did about 400 miles round trip and that was a bit more difficult because I had to cross LA twice in one day, work for most of the middle of the day and then deal with traffic on the way home. Lane Splitting is more tedious on the VStar (hence the reason I take my FZ to work everyday).
 
So,I got home Yesterday afternoon, we did 2284 in 4 days. Did the 1000 in less than 24, but opted to not do the 1500 in 36 due to some unexpected delays. Really, the 1500 can be combined with the 1000, but we all agreed that it would be safer to do 700 miles one day and then 700 and end at your own home so you can sleep it off in your own bed. We would of had to cram in 3 hours of sleep, get up and finish off the 500 and it would of been a bit much. Still, had a great time and no one got hurt.

Here is the video:
https://youtu.be/Ig26HG64bcg

Rough map of the ride up:
https://goo.gl/maps/U4xcfrNcm1k

We did a nice 250 mile route to the Oregon Coast on Saturday, I will post some video of that later. Came home via the Cascades, drove through Lassen National Park, Around part of Lake Tahoe and crashed Sunday night in Bishop. Made a small detour yesterday to do Angeles Crest Highway. Great Trip!
 
Good job, nice routing around the slow areas. Keep us posted on your cert and IBA #

Come back up in the fall and we can ride out to the Iron Butt Memorial near Gerlach, Nv.
 
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