Author Topic: Iron Butt Guzzi Winner (Read 10247 times)

wirespokes · « **on:** January 21, 2020, 02:33:05 PM »

Matteo just informed me someone won the Iron Butt on a LM3. Searching the web didn't find anything, at least not what I wanted. Do any of you have the story? Who was this and when did it happen?

Daleroso · « **Reply #1 on:** January 21, 2020, 02:55:27 PM »

I forget the year but many years ago a young English fella, 1st time in the US won it on a LM running on 1cyl with minutes to spare.

Guzzistajohn · « **Reply #2 on:** January 21, 2020, 03:00:24 PM »

I remember reading about that on the MGNOC before Al invented the interneck. And yes, he did finish on one lung. At the time, I remember being amazed that he'd done it on a stock LeMans saddle. That's one TOUGH limey! That thing is like an old growth oak 2x6.

ITSec · « **Reply #3 on:** January 21, 2020, 03:04:33 PM »

That would be Steve Attwood (sp?) in 1993, on an '83 LMIII. He DNF'd in 1997.

See https://www.ironbutt.org/ibrfacts.htm and search for 'Guzzi'.

Loop Tonti EV · « **Reply #4 on:** January 21, 2020, 04:25:02 PM »

Quote from: ITSec on January 21, 2020, 03:04:33 PM

That would be Steve Attwood (sp?) in 1993, on an '83 LMIII. He DNF'd in 1997.

See https://www.ironbutt.org/ibrfacts.htm and search for 'Guzzi'.

I'm pretty sure that he is the one that showed up at the Maryland Rally at Thurmont afterwards on his bike. Quite impressive. John Herring could verify this.

Travlr · « **Reply #5 on:** January 21, 2020, 04:40:30 PM »

Did he win? Or just finish? Hard to believe and LM3 won the event.

Mke

Shorty · « **Reply #6 on:** January 21, 2020, 05:25:26 PM »

http://www.five-minute-fiction.com/nonfiction/wheels/wheels.html

wirespokes · « **Reply #7 on:** January 21, 2020, 06:58:46 PM »

Thanks guys! Now I'll try to find some pictures and something about him.

A stock LM3??? Unbelievable!!!

Blaufeld66 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 22, 2020, 08:43:29 AM »

"The Iron Butt Association (IBA) organises the IBR every two years, but also sponsor a number of rather less demanding events and challenges. The easiest of them all, the entry level challenge as it were, is the Saddlesore 1000 (SS1K). This comprises riding 1000 miles in 24 hours or less."

I've done the SS1K in July 2008 in 22 hours, on a V11 Rosso Mandello with stock seat... Afterward, my b#tt was numb for about two days... :D

rocker59 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 22, 2020, 08:51:13 AM »

Quote from: wirespokes on January 21, 2020, 02:33:05 PM

Matteo just informed me someone won the Iron Butt on a LM3. Searching the web didn't find anything, at least not what I wanted. Do any of you have the story? Who was this and when did it happen?

Welcome to 1993 !!!

Shorty · « **Reply #10 on:** January 22, 2020, 11:26:42 AM »

From a website called UK GSer.com: https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/282425-2012-Royal-British-Legion-Iron-Butt-1000-Are-you-tough-enough-June-22-24/page5

"British Invasion!

Steve Attwood, a management consultant from Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England, shipped his 1983 Moto Guzzi MK III LeMans to the United States to compete in the Iron Butt. While the rest of the field of 41 riders came equipped with radar detectors and laptop computers (for navigation), Steve showed up with a set of simple AAA maps and an iron will to finish.

Eleven days and 12,458 miles later, Attwood won the Iron Butt Rally by a decisive 1,751 points (only 6 points separated the top three in 1991)! Steve overcame enormous odds to win the rally. Besides the handicap of locating remote bonuses (imagine finding places like Lee's Ferry, Arizona or Kelso, California in Europe on a rally of this type), Attwood had to deal with flat tires (the '83 Guzzi uses tube- type tires which require time-consuming wheel removal to repair) and had to replace wheel bearings in Florida. On the last day of the rally, with just 150 miles to go, the LeMans refused to start. Attwood traced the problem to a broken ignition coil and with just three hours remaining before being time-barred and eliminated from the rally, Attwood pulled out a spark plug and rode the final leg on one cylinder. With just 29 minutes remaining, he limped into the final checkpoint in Mansfield, Texas with the Moto Guzzi sounding like a large air-compressor rolling down the road.

Great Britain has thrown done the gauntlet to the American Long Distance Endurance Riding Community. Is the U.S. up to returning the Iron Butt crown to the States in 1995? Only time will tell!

Fast forward to 1995 and bad luck reared its ugly head. Steve hit a deer on day 3 and was uninjured but did not finish the rally."

pehayes · « **Reply #11 on:** January 22, 2020, 12:07:46 PM »

Some years ago I attended a lecture from a professional long distance rider. Prudhoe Bay to Key West in 87 hours or something like that.
During the Q and A he was asked about which record of his would last the longest. One he could take to his grave. He reported 1,400 miles in 24 hours. Huh? I've done 1,000. That distance doesn't seem too much more. He replied "Yes, but I never left the confines of the City of San Francisco." He had planned out a circuit route with the fewest number of traffic lights and then just went round and round for 24 hours. Men in white coats and big nets arriving soon.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

Lannis · « **Reply #12 on:** January 22, 2020, 12:09:33 PM »

Quote from: wirespokes on January 21, 2020, 06:58:46 PM

Thanks guys! Now I'll try to find some pictures and something about him.

A stock LM3??? Unbelievable!!!

You bet, especially considering how "hilariously slow" Guzzis are compared to other bikes!

wirespokes · « **Reply #13 on:** January 22, 2020, 01:10:10 PM »

Guzzis, hilariously slow??? Where'd that come from? Is that a common perception?

I guess from a Japanese sport bike perspective, maybe. A friend, when asked about racing his airhead, said "sure! I'll race you to the end of the next state!". They're not drag racers, more like endurance machines in it for the long haul.

Sounds like Attwood is quite a guy! Hard to believe he had all those troubles and still won. That's really impressive.

Huzo · « **Reply #14 on:** January 22, 2020, 03:17:31 PM »

I dunno how his arse stood the punishment, he must be from Sydney or San Francisco..?

Lannis · « **Reply #15 on:** January 22, 2020, 06:23:58 PM »

Quote from: wirespokes on January 22, 2020, 01:10:10 PM

Guzzis, hilariously slow??? Where'd that come from? Is that a common perception?

I read it on the Internet. It must be true!!

https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=104170.0 Reply #10. I'm sure I got it right .....

Lannis

radguzzi · « **Reply #16 on:** January 22, 2020, 07:21:19 PM »

Steve's story was an incredible tale.

During the Iron Butt Rally he would do extra miles every day and the last night he limped in on the Guzzi running on one cylinder, IIRC.

Just an inspiration. I did read recently, within the past few years that he actually sold that LeMans...!

Go Guzzi.

rad__

theoneandonlymin · « **Reply #17 on:** January 23, 2020, 03:53:39 AM »

theoneandonlymin · « **Reply #18 on:** January 23, 2020, 03:55:28 AM »

theoneandonlymin · « **Reply #19 on:** January 23, 2020, 03:57:01 AM »

Cheers
Min

Lannis · « **Reply #20 on:** January 23, 2020, 08:42:53 AM »

Thanks for taking the trouble to photograph and post that!! Answers all the questions ...

Lannis

lazlokovacs · « **Reply #21 on:** January 23, 2020, 09:21:45 AM »

awesome thanks min!

Lannis · « **Reply #22 on:** January 23, 2020, 12:05:28 PM »

I do like the way that Attwood won that year with NO electronic aids, NO radar detectors, none of the stuff that people think is essential for even a ride to the corner these days ... AND did it on tubed tires, patching one quickly and still making the checkpoint ....

Lannis

wirespokes · « **Reply #23 on:** January 23, 2020, 12:54:22 PM »

Thank you Min - great read!

Guzzistajohn · « **Reply #24 on:** January 23, 2020, 02:21:14 PM »

Yep, good read! THANKS for posting!

I did a saddle sore and a bun burner in one loop in 2007 on the Tiger, I have no need to try that again. Those guys are ANIMALS!

Murray · « **Reply #25 on:** January 23, 2020, 05:52:26 PM »

Quote from: wirespokes on January 22, 2020, 01:10:10 PM

Guzzis, hilariously slow??? Where'd that come from? Is that a common perception?

When compared to a modern bike and we are not just talking sports bikes, yes they are, someone won something almost 30 years ago on a 7 year old bike so they must be fast? is this the logic we are hanging on to?

wirespokes · « **Reply #26 on:** January 23, 2020, 07:27:30 PM »

Murray - a bike that can do 130 or 140 is plenty fast. Others may get there a few seconds faster, but as attested by Steve's accomplishment, there's more to winning a long distance race than top speed or quarter mile sprints.

Murray · « **Reply #27 on:** January 24, 2020, 10:22:11 AM »

Quote from: wirespokes on January 23, 2020, 07:27:30 PM

Murray - a bike that can do 130 or 140 is plenty fast. Others may get there a few seconds faster, but as attested by Steve's accomplishment, there's more to winning a long distance race than top speed or quarter mile sprints.

130mph guzzi even on the most sporting versions you need a lot of room a lot of paitence and you are kicking the snot out of the thing and probablly not stock unless you have a Daytona RS or Racing, it might be possible on a 4 valve griso however you'd be doing you best impression fo a human windsock, however you missed the point. Back in 1993 (27 years ago) the bench mark of a modern sport bike was around a 100hp Guzzis 80ish wasn't miles away from that. Currently the benchmark for a modern sports bike is 180-200hp, not to mention the massive advances in geometry suspension brakes that has happened over that time.

Suggesting Guzzi's are fast is a bit like a HD fan claiming the sporster is a sport bike it's hanging onto the past and ignoring the present. The difference is a lot more than a few secounds. I.m not trying to discount Steve's achievemnt I am saying its is of its time and that should be reconized as that. Not a poster child for the current reality.

wirespokes · « **Reply #28 on:** January 24, 2020, 12:00:00 PM »

Murray - There's a point at which there are diminishing returns. Sure - a bike from the '80s doesn't have as much HP, the suspension or the brakes, as newer stuff. I've ridden newer bikes so I'm not unfamiliar with the game. What I'm saying is that when it comes to the real world, conditions on public highways, anything over 90 or 100mph doesn't count, except for passing. And the newer bikes, as we've seen, with their complexity, aren't necessarily more durable than the simpler machines from a bygone era.

How much do you really gain with a bike that will do 200mph when speed limits are 80?

Roebling3 · « **Reply #29 on:** January 24, 2020, 03:40:01 PM »

All competitive long distance rides are won by excellent planning of complex routing, plus the stamina and will power to stay alive 'til the finish. IOW care and consideration of what the bonuses may do or undo for you. Include making all arrivals at designated spots, on time. Easy to imagine? Did you include that ferry schedule, surprise need for repairs, highway construction? Tire, oil changes? sleep? Your health. The constant record keeping alone requires more attention than many people can give.
Patrick Hayes referred to John Charles Ryan. John, a type 1 diabetic, set many long distance records on motorcycles (early on a K75. Many more riding an FJR - including Prudhoe Bay to Key West, FL.
'The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing' Melissa Holbrook Pierson.

Steve Attwood, Mike Kneebone & Robert Higdon have taken on many long complex rides through places many of us haven't heard of including challenges to their survival skills. Look for 'The Higdon Chronicles'. Higdon is/was 'scribe' for the Iron Butt Assoc.

It's not about speed? My best is 1600 in 24 hrs. I used to do them as needed and only West of the Mississippi; typically starting in Seattle, San Fransisco, Salt Lake City, etc. Do the math. My favorite Grosjean number. R3~

News:

Author Topic: Iron Butt Guzzi Winner (Read 10247 times)

Loop Tonti EV