Author Topic: Would you run the IBA... On a Sporty (Read 7442 times)

Kev m · « **on:** November 10, 2016, 06:23:24 AM »

How about one that already has 150,000 miles on it? Or 200,000?

http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/would-you-ride-the-iron-butt-rally-on-a-sportster

BillinPA · « **Reply #1 on:** November 10, 2016, 06:36:12 AM »

Heard about this, very cool. There is a Iron butt Sportster at wheels through time. It is very purposely built. I can see some true advantages. Good fuel economy, light weight and evidently....reliab ility. I think the sportster is very underrated and a great blank canvas.
What I don't like about sportsters is the recent trend of little to no suspension.. put some boingers on there and it can be a great bike.

I would Iron Butt a Sportster.......pro bably with much less miles.

Adk.IBO · « **Reply #2 on:** November 10, 2016, 06:58:41 AM »

Thanks for posting this. Comfort is an evolution for me. No stock motorcycle fits me. My #1 was my R1100RSLA, #2 my current ride- '09 Norge. I did an over 1000 mile ride on my RS, undocumented. Time and money are a big factor in high mileage seasons. Also special spousal relationships or lack of. Balance, balance, balance. As the t-shirt says 'Ride More Drive Less'

Back on topic: no doubt the Sportster is a viable platform to start with. Just like others, not stock...(for me).

Cam3512 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 10, 2016, 07:04:03 AM »

Nice job Kev!

charlie b · « **Reply #4 on:** November 10, 2016, 07:51:45 AM »

I like to follow the IBR every other year. I love the hopeless class people or others on not so likely bikes.

My favorite was the Honda scooter run several years ago. Got to 'chat' with the guy a bit since he ended up buying a Honda NT700 a few years ago. He moved on to a Strom last year so he could do the TAT with his son this year (haven't heard if they have yet).

And that Beemer scooter rider mentioned in the article was part of a husband wife team. He was on a GS and she was on the scooter. And this year the oldest person to start/finish was recorded, 79 yrs old.

The write ups are kinda cool to read.

http://www.ironbuttrally.com/IBR/2015.cfm

GearheadGrrrl · « **Reply #5 on:** November 10, 2016, 07:58:04 AM »

The only Harley ever to win the Iron Butt was a Sportster. The rider was part owner of a Harley dealer in Minnesota who did an excellent job of prepping the Sportster with windshield and bags, even had a spare belt right by the right side of the rear wheel all ready to go. He was an excellent strategist too, went south into the heat and rain for more points while everyone else went north.

Kev m · « **Reply #6 on:** November 10, 2016, 08:29:10 AM »

To be fair this was Chris' first participation in an Rally of this magnitude and he freely admits there was a learning curve. He hopes to do better next year with his points strategy.

Lannis · « **Reply #7 on:** November 10, 2016, 08:38:36 AM »

Just can't imagine putting myself through that for "fun"!

I CAN see the benefit of riding a proven, well-worn bike where all the sharp edges have been worn off, all the discomfortable things gotten rid of, and a bike you know and understand from start to finish so that you can fix anything short of a major structural fracture on the side of the road ....

Good writeup!

Lannis

Antietam Classic Cycle · « **Reply #8 on:** November 10, 2016, 08:46:59 AM »

Englishman Steve Attwood won it on a stock Le Mans III back in the '80s.

ohiorider · « **Reply #9 on:** November 10, 2016, 08:55:22 AM »

Nice job on the article, Kev!

fotoguzzi · « **Reply #10 on:** November 10, 2016, 09:45:51 AM »

Great story Kev!

LowRyter · « **Reply #11 on:** November 10, 2016, 09:53:42 AM »

so what did they do to prep the bike so it wouldn't shake the bike or rider into pieces?

Or was it a rubber mount?

rboe · « **Reply #12 on:** November 10, 2016, 10:25:16 AM »

Good job. I worked at a shop where our salesman rode a Harley and he did long distances with it. His game was high mileage games and could get 100mpg on some rides.

Articles like this tempt me to get a Sportster (along with the history from the guy mentioned above), if only tell some Harley stories from my rocking chair. :D

Two Checks · « **Reply #13 on:** November 10, 2016, 10:26:20 AM »

I worked the IBR back in 07. There was a guy on a new rubber Sporty who did quite well. Thereb was also a pre production Victory Vision.

Kev m · « **Reply #14 on:** November 10, 2016, 10:31:04 AM »

Quote from: LowRyter on November 10, 2016, 09:53:42 AM

so what did they do to prep the bike so it wouldn't shake the bike or rider into pieces?

Or was it a rubber mount?

2006 carb rubbermount

oldbike54 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 10, 2016, 10:57:47 AM »

We have a local fella that rode an early '70's Sportster from Muskogee to Daytona , a distance of 1200 miles non-stop . Partied for a couple of days , rode back non-stop . Hmm , wonder why his friends all call him "Crazy Charlie" ?

Dusty

ITSec · « **Reply #16 on:** November 10, 2016, 11:05:11 AM »

Would I? No.

Do I know people who've ridden all sorts of odd machines (at least for that purpose) in the big dance? Yes.

I've watched people set off on bikes like a Ninja 250, a classic Suzuki RE5, a Harley sidecar rig (he got completely stuck in the caliche at Gerlach after some rain), and who knows what else. Most of them made it to the finish, a few doing quite well.

Since comfort is a matter of personal taste and adaptation, the real issues for a long distance bike (IMHO) are range, reliability, ease of service, and whether it tires out the rider.

Kev m · « **Reply #17 on:** November 10, 2016, 07:22:31 PM »

I like to think this piece is about a couple of different things.

* The type of guy who likes to swim upstream a bit. And that includes a lot of Guzzi owners.

* A type of bike that is capable of being a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and often underestimated. And that if also something to which I suspect a lot of Guzzi owners can relate.

Farmer Dan · « **Reply #18 on:** November 10, 2016, 08:26:22 PM »

When I was stationed at Ft. Devens I would make the 1013mile ride to my parents place in Michigan when we had long weekends. Bike was a 1981 Honda CB900Custom and had 165,000 miles on it when I retired in 1989. Sold it for $500 and bought a 1970 Triumph Daytona. That old Honda was the best running bike I've ever owned.

BillinPA · « **Reply #19 on:** November 10, 2016, 08:32:56 PM »

Kev, I just put it together that you wrote the article. Good job! It is a great story and I hope Chris can do the 2017 rally with that bike. Good stuff!!

pyoungbl · « **Reply #20 on:** November 10, 2016, 08:41:29 PM »

If maintained, the Sporty should be good for high mileage. I do not think the machine is the weak link. It's always the person in the saddle. I'd want the riding position to be perfect for me. Add in all the comfort features possible and go for it. Bottom line, even the best prepared rigs do not always finish. Anyone who makes it to the finish line is a hero, in my opinion. First or last, all great...and damn lucky.

Peter Y.

Adk.IBO · « **Reply #21 on:** November 10, 2016, 09:16:02 PM »

Quote from: BillinPA link=topic=86988.msg1371680# :1:msg1371680 date=1478831576

Kev, I just put it together that you wrote the article. Good job! It is a great story and I hope Chris can do the 2017 rally with that bike. Good stuff!!

:1:

Tom · « **Reply #22 on:** November 11, 2016, 01:38:12 AM »

I enjoyed reading it, Kev.

Zoom Zoom · « **Reply #23 on:** November 11, 2016, 05:22:38 AM »

Hats off to both of you and the bike!

Thanks for posting. Good read.

John Henry

steven c · « **Reply #24 on:** November 11, 2016, 06:52:06 AM »

I wouldn't do a IBA in my Subaru! Nice writing Kev.

stevet · « **Reply #25 on:** November 11, 2016, 07:42:41 AM »

Great job telling his underddog story, Kev.

Was this a one-off piece for you, or have you written other articles that are out their waiting for us to read?

Steve.

Roebling3 · « **Reply #26 on:** November 11, 2016, 09:26:33 AM »

Long distance riding and comfort are not mutually exclusive. It's an attitude thing. A personal best, perhaps. Or if you're West of the Mississippi a piece of cake. :)
Several years ago a group of Guzzi fanatics in MA chose to visit Billy Joel @ 20th Century Cycles, Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY. Wanting to show up looking fine I took the Daytona. it was my longest day (465), on that bike, with the biggest grins.
Even yesterday (45 degrees, sunshine, 112 miles, 82 years, lunch while parked next to a friends V7 Racer), was again big grins. (a few personal bests: 1163/17,5 hrs.-ST1100, 655/9.2hrs.-K12RS, 1563/23.2hrs.-SV650S. i stopped pushing my luck almost 3 years ago).
Some here, likely knew or know of, the late John Charles Ryan. For John his biggest challenge was type 1 diabetes. John reset many long distance records. His most notable feat (IBA sanctioned), was Prudhoe Bay to Key West, FL (FZR1300). R3~

PJPR01 · « **Reply #27 on:** November 11, 2016, 10:04:38 AM »

Very cool...I've enjoyed reading several of the IBA rides and watching the videos they have made about the IBA.

You have to admire the folks who have the stamina to do this...seems like the seat is absolutely THE most critical part of the setup.

kidsmoke · « **Reply #28 on:** November 11, 2016, 10:26:09 AM »

Well done Kev. Good on ya for raising this angle of things, particularly for Revzilla. Seems contrary to what most of their eyeballs are being drawn to, but I could be wrong. This is at least your second article that I'm aware of that you've done for them.

What's the weight of a stock 06' Sportster?

as a Sporty fan and a former Jackal owner...aren't they pretty similarly proportioned?

Kev m · « **Reply #29 on:** November 11, 2016, 10:27:44 AM »

Quote from: stevet on November 11, 2016, 07:42:41 AM

Great job telling his underddog story, Kev.

Was this a one-off piece for you, or have you written other articles that are out their waiting for us to read?

Steve.

I've posted some links before, but here is one to my ZLA articles so far:

http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/by/54-kevin-maher

News:

Author Topic: Would you run the IBA... On a Sporty (Read 7442 times)

oldbike54