KRATZMC

Friday Oct 1st, 2010

The day started off great with a shower and fresh underwear. I got a good nights sleep and woke up around 0800 hrs. With only 54 miles to reach Los Lunas and a Rally Check In time at 1300 hrs, I had time to relax and mentally go through my check list of gear, strategy, etc.  Heavy on my mind is the weather, with Isolated Thunderstorms expected to hit Northern New Mexico tonight and thru Sunday, clearing Monday. That’s every friggin day of the Rally. Nice of it to clear when its over. If so, I will plan to ride the Southern Half of the State, depending on the locations of Bonuses. The last two times I ran this Rally it stormed and I was hoping to escape Mother Natures wrath this time around but it ain’t happening.

If you’ve ever ridden a motorcycle in the rain you will appreciate the difficulties, especially with no windshield wipers and two pieces of plastic to look through. Now add Thunder and Lightning, real heavy rain and 12 hours of darkness onto a continuous 24 hour ride. Throw in some deer, elk, oncoming headlights and remote, desolate roads. I think you get the picture. If not, strap yourself to the hood of your car wearing a helmet and have a friend drive you around for a few hours during the rain. With all these factors, I don’t know why I do it. I think it is the challenge of defying the Gods and that fact that normal sane people don’t do such things.

Anyway, I moseyed my way to Los Lunas after playing on the lap top and opted for a brunch. Denny’s was near the Motel and Home Depot. I need to get some spare keys made for my saddle bag, as my existing key was ready to break. I also got some chemical lights, sticks, extra batteries and 3m reflective tape to put on my helmet. This would be valuable for others to see me if the weather gets really bad.

With all that done, I went over to Starbucks, new since my last visit and got a “Cup of Joe”. A girl rode up and a 2005 Honda ST-1300, same year as mine but the non ABS model. Long distance riders are like dogs out in public, you easily recognize one another and will tend to gravitate towards each other since its a small fraction of the riding community. The girl “Jess”, I learned is from Denver, Co and that this was her first 24 hour rally. Jess said she would be happy to place in the top 15, I just told her I am happy to make it. Statistically, about 10% don’t finish. With 63 entrants, already 3 have dropped out either due to mechanical difficulties or personal issues.

Jess and I swapped lies until it was time to head to the Rally Check In and I could see other riders arriving from all points of the compass. You can easily recognize Long Distance Riders by their gear and all the bells and whistles on their machines. Jess was running 2 GPS systems, XM radio, etc, etc, etc. On this ride, I am going Commando, no music, no GPS, just a paper map, my laptop with MS Streets and Trips and my Aerostich (Stitch) Suit. Jess looked at me as I was from Mars, for doing this Rally with an actual map. She said she would have to try using a paper map sometime…Kids!

Jessica Breckingridge from Denver, Co.

I arrived at the Western Skies, the host hotel for our event. Event staffers were busy in the parking lot doing Tech inspections on the machines. You are required to have First Aid Kits, Tire repair kits, water, Emergency contact cards, registration, valid drivers licenses with motorcycle endorsements, protective riding gear and proof of insurance. If you check the links to the Rally I posted earlier, you can see what is required and the rules.

Karl Zuercher on his Acura ST1300 as he calls it and another rider heading off on their speedometer check ride. Karl tooks 1st when I ran it in 2008.

Upon arriving at the Hotel, I went to register and sign a waiver. I was given a lanyard to wear on my person during the rally, which had the Rally Masters contact information and my rider number #56 on it. I was given a Rally shirt and my Rally towel with my number on it. The Rally Towel is gold and you best not loose it. The Towel and your number must appear in the foreground of any photograph you take of a Bonus, in order for you to collect the allotted points for that bonus. Many a Rally has been lost or done for nothing when a fatigued rider has left his towel a few hundred miles back, with no hopes to recover it in time.

My shirt and Rally Towel.

After signing in, I got me and my machine inspected. After passing with flying colors, I went on the Speedometer check ride. My trip odometer was reset and my vehicle information was collected on a form, which I was to bring back when I returned. I was instructed to ride south on I-25 to exit 191 and return to the exact same sp0t. I did the 23.8 mile loop and my odometer read 24.9 miles. This gives the Rally Judges and error factor, which I must account for. In my case, I need to show over 1047 miles on my odometer upon  my return, to prove I rode over 1,000 miles during the 24 hour rally. I usually try to go 60 miles over the minimum just for insurance, otherwise the whole ride can be done for nothing.  A Rally Official collected my Speedometer paperwork and I was done.

My odometer reading 24.9 miles.

The Speedometer Check Course.

I took this picture of a brand new 1200cc Moto Guzzi because it looks cool and I like it!

Finished with the administrative stuff, I checked into my Motel, the Day’s Inn across the highway from the host Hotel. When your in a 24 hour Rally, you pretty much are just paying for a locker for two days to hold your stuff and go to the bathroom. For on Rally night your out riding and not sleeping.

In my room I began laying out my gear and arranging things in an orderly fashion. I bought water and food, so I will be self sufficient for 24 hours. For insurance, I bought a Red Bull and 5 hour energy boost, in case I hit a wall. I avoid eating a sit down meal during a Rally as they tend to make me nod off an hour after eating. This normally occurs in my case between 1000 and noon. I normally don’t get sleepy from midnight to 0700 hrs, because I am too busy looking for large animals along the sides of the highway.

My gear laid out for inspection. My Aerostich Suit called a “Stich” will be my shelter and home during my ride. At $700 people think they are pricey but they can handle all conditions and are rated for a 70 MPH fall on asphalt. So in my mind, they are well worth it. The company will also repair them if you are compelled to actually test their claims of durability.

Well its 1811 hrs with the Rider Briefing in an hour and 50 mins away. I got all my gear in order the last thing I have to do is top off my fuel tank in the morning.  I just have to make sure I wake up in time. The bikes begin lining up in order of arrival at 0600 hrs. Once you line up, you cannot move your bike to avoid effecting the odometer reading. Your mileage is logged and you sit around and kick tires until 0700 hrs, when the Rally Officially begins.

I will cover what happens at the Rider Briefing, as I will be busy figuring out my strategy and mapping my route afterward. This can take several hours with a lap top and MS Streets and Trips. You can upload this into your GPS if you want. If you don’t have a lap top, it is an arduous task.

At the briefing you are given a sealed envelope.  You are not allowed to open it until after the meeting which can last as long as two hours. This depends on how many stupid questions are asked by the riders. Inside are pages of Bonuses in no particular order…that’s your job to figure out where they are. Bonuses are usually tasks which require you take a photograph of an object or place, to prove you were there. That’s where the towel comes in. You must records the Bonus on a log sheet which must be legible upon your return. You must have the date, location, bonus number and local time on the log. If using a digital camera, you must submit the media card along with your log sheet. You must document each fuel stop and provide a receipt that has the location, address, amount of fuel and cost. Sometimes a bonus may require you to buy something at a particular store, then you must bring that item in with the receipt. Sometimes there is a rest bonus. This requires riders to stop and rest for one hour at the host hotel and you receive points.

Your Drivers license is then sealed in an envelope and returned to you. If you return with the seal broken, it means a Law Enforcement Official has asked to see it. That can mean disqualification or a heavy penalty.

The Rally Master then will explain the scoring procedures. Rallies can be scored for efficiency, most points per miles ridden, or total points for mileage and bonuses. Sometimes the lowest score wins, so you have to pick bonuses with low point values and must do a minimum number of bonuses. Anyway, I think you get the point and maybe you are getting a head ache just thinking about it. But you must ensure you have covered the minimum 1,000 miles during the whole thing.

Well I am signing off and headed to grab dinner before the briefing. Unless you follow FB or my SPOT Tracker, you won’t hear from me until late Sunday night. After the close of the Rally on Saturday, scoring will start and you must wait for a scoring official to go over your paperwork. Then there is a lunch/awards banquet at noon. If you lucky you have time for an hour nap if not, you usually have time to shower and change clothes.

At the Banquet, finishers are usually given a commemorative glass. The winner gets a glass that says winner, sorry no cash. And the folks that DNF (Did Not Finish) get to tell their tales of woe. After the Banquet, everyone heads home the way they came and you won’t see them until next year, or until you enter another Rally or event.

My Rally shirt and the theme of the Rally.

Wish me luck and fair weather!

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