KRATZMC

Most folks cringe at the thought of being on a motorcycle for 24 hrs and consider riding 1,000 miles in one day lunacy. On the surface I guess it is but there are so many dimensions to rally riding that people are unaware of. If you ride and have ever had a 500 mile ride day, you will have some idea what a 1,000 mile day may entail. I hope to give you a little taste of the experience in my 4^th endurance rally and my eighth Iron Butt Ride.

I just had two days for my body clock to adjust from one month on European time, before I left for New Mexico and the Land Of Enchantment 1000 Motorcycle Rally.

My tool of choice this rally was the Honda ST1300. I had ridden by BMW GS in the last two. A quick oil change was in order and I had enough tire tread for another 3 to 4,000 miles, so I was “Good to go”. Besides my personal gear, I checked the rally rules to make sure I had the required equipment; 1^st aid kit, and water, tire repair kit, etc. This year they required each rider to carry an Emergency Medical Notification Card and a link was provided to print one on line.

I left around 1500 hrs on Thursday Oct 1^st, needing to cover 688 miles and arrive at the Western Skies Motel in Los Lunas between 1300 and 1700 hrs the next day, for registration and the Tech Inspection.

The route to Los Lunas, 688 Miles

As usual, I avoided the Interstates taking the Texas back roads. Just getting out of Texas is an all day event, due to its sheer size. I chose a route riding 450 miles to Clovis, NM where I would spend the night. The weather was perfect and I hoped the good weather would last for the rally but the weather gods had other plans.

There was no traffic along my route and with 70 mph speed limits, the ride was uneventful. I had an unexpected supper along the way at when I saw a sign at a Gas N’ Go in Muleshoe, Texas. The sign said “Monstrous Chicken Legs, 2 for $1.79”. The sign wasn’t lying and I quickly wolfed down the two Pterodactyl legs in the parking lot. Back on the bike I made it to Clovis around 2350 hrs and bedded down for the night at the local Best Western.

Muleshoe, Tx..home of the Monstrous Chicken Leg feast

I had a light breakfast in the morning; just enough to get me down the highway and opting to have a heartier meal down the road. I hit the asphalt around 0900 hrs, trying to time my arrival at the tech inspection around 1500 hrs.

I found my heartier meal on Hwy 60 in Vaughn, New Mexico, when I spotted a shiny diner car in this very small town, called “Penny’s Diner”. I tried their basic burger and was not disappointed, so I made a note to self for future reference. The blonde waitress there was a sight to behold and I tried to find reasons to extend my stay but I had a destiny, so I left my heart in Vaughn. Before I left, I noted they had some fresh homemade Cinnamon rolls, so I got one to go and put it in my trunk for later. Emergency rally rations.

Penny’s Diner, Vaughn NM

I arrived at the Western Skies Motel, Los Lunas at exactly 1500 hrs, I quickly saw some familiar faces. I saw Jeff and Milinda Bakker from Colorado. I had met Jeff a few years earlier at my first rally. Jeff pulled a spare $7 Sylvania bulb out of his bag of tricks, when one of my $36 PIAA bulbs burnt out. He is one heck of a guy and his wife Milinda got involved in riding two up in rallies last year. Milinda is still hanging on and is now a Veteran of LD riding. Riding a BMW 1200GT, I figured them one of the favorites.

Arriving at the Western Skies Motel for registration

I registered my arrival and got my rally shirt & rally placard/towel. I would be known as rider number #29. After a quick inspection of my bike and contents by one of the official, I set out on the 35 mile speedometer check ride.

The speedometer course was to ride to the 15 mile milepost marker on Hwy 6 from the motel and back. The actual mileage is 35.7 miles from the parking lot and my odometer registered 36.0 miles. This information was recorded to determine the speedometer error factor and later, actual miles ridden.

After saying a few more hellos and telling some lies in the parking lot, I headed across the highway to check into my hotel. Since I booked late and with the Balloon festival in full swing in Albuquerque, I could only get a room at the Day’s Inn for the three consecutive days. The room was fine but I was unable to get an internet connection. I organized my tank bag and rally gear and prepared for the rider briefing at 2000 hrs.

Rallies are usually scored with an accumulation of bonus points and miles ridden, with the highest score determining the winner,. Others are efficiency rallies, where total bonus points are collated with miles ridden. The rider with more points per mile ridden wins. This time, Rally Master Ira Agins decided to make it more challenging. This time, the rider with the “Lowest Score” would be declared the winner. Damn you Ira!

After the hour plus briefing and questions, we were allowed to open the Bonus pack. With packet in hand, I went back to my Motel and started to develop my rally plan and route. The basic rules were to ride a minimum of 1,000 miles during the next 24 hours and visit at least 9 bonus locations to be declared a finisher.

Bonus locations included photo bonuses, take a picture of an object or sign. Question bonuses required you to go to a location and find the answer to a question, answered usually by information posted at a location. Some bonuses required you to obtain a receipt. Of course all this needs to be meticulously recorded with odometer, date and time, along with the address/location. Fuel logs are also required to be completed, documenting every fuel stop with the same information.

Then there were the Combo bonuses. Basically, you could combine two individual bonuses to form a Combo bonus and using the combo bonus scoring to reduce the total of the two individual bonuses.

Example of a Photo Bonus, showing the object and rider placard

Bonus locations near the rally start point had higher values and of course, the lower bonuses were further away. Anyway it sounds confusing and it can be. So winning the rally is not shear brute force, it’s a combination of endurance, ingenuity and personal fortitude.

Back at the motel and after two hours of planning, I had a “Plan A”. I laid out my riding gear and got to bed by midnight, setting the alarm for a 0530 wake up. Line up began at 0600 where the odometer readings were recorded. Once recorded, the rider is not allowed to move the machine. I was the third rider back in the line up but since it is not a race, where you end up doesn’t really matter. The Riders relaxed for the 0700 start time, making last minute route changes and talking with the other riders.

There were 55 entrants for this year’s rally, with one rider coming from Tasmania, Australia. By the start date 7 riders withdrew, leaving 48 riders in the field.

My mind set for a rally is to enjoy myself, to just be declared a finisher and to arrive home safe. I don’t have the desire to actually win a rally, which makes it much more relaxing for me. I enjoy being around the other Long Distance riders and pushing my personal limits. Formulating a successful plan and having it succeed is very rewarding. There is no shame finishing last, or DNF’ing (Did Not Finish). The mere fact that one would partake in such madness deserves a level of respect in my mind.

My route plan involved riding as close to 1,000 miles as possible and to hit only 9 bonus sites. Most riders assume a safer plan, hitting more bonuses as a back up, deciding which 9 they would claim later. My planned route would give me around 1059 miles and 500 bonus points. I figured this would put me in the middle of the pack after scoring.

At 0700 hrs sharp, Ira gave the thumbs up and the gaggle of riders left the parking lot. Like a starburst, riders began peeling off in all directions of the compass, facing the destinies of their route plans.

My bonuses were to be the following. Obtain a receipt in Crownpoint NM, get a gas receipt in Shiprock NM for a really low bonus score, take a picture of the entrance sign of the Aztec Cliff Dwellings Park, Aztec NM, the one hour sleep bonus back at the rally point, take a picture of the Lincoln County Courthouse in Lincoln NM, take a picture of a Yucca plant, take a picture of the Norman Petty recording studio sign in Clovis NM, Billy the Kids grave in Fort Sumner NM and the Combo Bonus for the Kids grave and Lincoln Co Courthouse. That would met the minimum 9 bonuses and leave me a few hour to finish early. So I thought!

This was my route, 1108 miles corrected.

Anyway, I made my way to Crownpoint with no problem with a higher than anticipated average speed. My goal is to maintain a 60 to 65 MPH average through out the rally if possible. After Crownpoint it was off to Shiprock.

As I neared Shiprock, traffic on Hwy 64 came to a halt. The Annual Navajo Shiprock Parade was in full swing and both directions of the highway were closed. I found myself almost in the parade and noted a gas station ahead. All I needed was a gas receipt from Shiprock. I rode the hard should ¼ mile to the station, which was a zoo with parade onlookers. At this point I was delayed about 30 minutes. I got my gas and receipt and headed off to my third bonus. I thought I was doing great and shrugged off the 30 minute delay.

I followed “Plan A” arriving at the rally point before the 1700 to 2100 hr Sleep/Rest Bonus window. I had over 500 miles under my belt and only 9 hrs into the rally. At this pace, I could be done around 0400 hrs and even get a nap before check in.

In the parking lot, I ran into rider #21 Doug Burleson from Montana. Doug was riding a Triumph Scrambler and he was caught up in the mess at Shiprock, slightly behind me. Doug fueled up at the same station as me and noted the receipt stated “1/4 miles east of Shiprock”. I had over looked this minor detail. Doug did not and phoned the rally masters. Per the rules, the receipt had to be from Shiprock….Oh Ship! That means my I screwed the Pooch and could not claim that bonus. Knowing about the parade, Ira Agins had a chuckled to himself as he had a fish on. He hooked me with a sucker bonus and I was now wiser.

With the above information, Doug salvaged the Shiprock bonus. Since he had topped off his fuel tank, he offered to put five bucks in gas in a stranger’s gas tank to get his receipt. After a few minutes of trying to convince the wary driver he was not nuts, Doug got the receipt he needed. I would later cross paths with Doug at the other bonus sites and we briefly rode together later on a stretch of Hwy 60.

I ended up spending my one hour sleep time, figuring out “Plan B”. I had to come up with another bonus location with minimal points. The best I could do along my original plan was to ride to the UFO museum in Roswell. Now with no chance of finishing in the top ten, I was now worried if I would be considered a finisher.

With “Plan B” in effect, I hit the road again. As I was riding the beginning of my second half I became discouraged. I started thinking of excuses to call it quits. I had another 11 hours to ride, cover 500 more miles and get my bonuses. To top it off, a major storm moved in which would later hit Texas. This storm was to hinder me later cutting visibility and my average speed down. Of course it had to rain late in the rally when I was the most tired and dark. Anyway, me being me I quickly talked myself back into the rally, put my head down, rolled on the throttle and carried on.

See the big green Doppler image over Central NM and my route!

The rest of “Plan B” went well, except for the rain. The rain was relentless during my last six hours and it can cause depth perception issues. Imagine riding on the hood of your car for that long, looking through a windshield without windshield wipers. With the lights hitting the falling drops of rain as you move through them, it’s like starring at the intro to a Star Trek episode for six hours straight.

After securing my last bonus in Ft Sumner, I only had to make it back to the rally point before 0700. I celebrated by taking the cinnamon roll out of my trunk and enjoying it and washing it down with my Camel back water supply. I would have my minimum miles with time to spare. I decided to take my time heading back, especially since my speed was reduced to 55 because of visibility.

I did not get sleepy during the rally but my throttle hand was feeling cramped the last four hours. My buttocks were also feeling the ride and I was looking forward to hopping into bed. I took some Advil for the pain and pressed on, arriving at the rally point with 15 minutes to spare.

Checking in with Kitty Wolfe at the finish

Tired and wet, I was signed in my Kitty Woife, one of the volunteers. I gathered my receipts, digital media and my logs forms and made sure all my bonus paperwork was properly filled out. I waited my turn to face the scoring judges and sat down with Jeff Foster, the Co-Rally Master. After reviewing my pictures and documents, it appeared I had successfully completed the rally. Hoo-rah!

Off to the motel, I got a few hours of shut eye before the awards banquet, where the final results would be announced. I arrived at the banquet around 1300 hrs and learned the fate of some of the other riders. 34 riders were declared finishers, the rest DNF’d. Two dropped out due to mechanical failures. One rider amazingly hit a deer and finished the ride in second place, after duct taping his bike back together. No riders were hurt.

One of the riders who DNF’d, was Jeff and Milinda. Jeff and Milinda ended up finishing on a tow truck and became part of the BMW legacy of mechanical breakdowns experienced by LD riders this past year. No worries though as the problem seems minor, so off to rent a car and trailer for their trip back to Colorado.

The team of Jeff and Milinda Bakker and their BMW : “The “Ultimate Walking Machine”

Banquet meal…Encrusted Pork Loin

What you get if you finish

The banquet was excellent as usual, as was the company I found myself in. The winner Karl Zuercher and his ST1300 put in a great performance and was a repeat winner of the LOE. Finishers got a special drink glass with the current LOE logo. After the banquet, the riders all began to disappear as mysteriously as they arrived. Heading home or continuing on another ride to places unknown.

The winners of these endurance rallies get no prize money or trophies. They only get the admiration of their peers and the personal satisfaction of their accomplishment. For this it is all they need, or seek. LD Riders are a unique breed and are indeed part of the Two Percent club. More people have been into outer space, than have completed the epitome of endurance rides, the 11 day “Iron Butt Rally”.

Point values from the winner varied from 426 to the last place finisher of 1,854. For my own performance I finished 25^th out of the original field of 48. I logged in 1108 miles and my point total was 782, despite my screw up (FUBAR). For myself I accomplished what I had set out to do, which is as good as 1^st place in my book. Plus, I got a pretty good cinnamon roll to celebrate with.

With another experience under my belt, I worked my way home. I left Los Lunas on Monday morning and headed to Socorro for breakfast. I decided to head home via a different route, so I routed through Roswell, a favorite stop for me.

The pass in the background is where Smokey the Bear was found

On my way to Roswell, I stopped to see Smokey the Bear country. There I crossed paths with Tom Loftus, one of the rally officials one his way back to Virginia. I had met Tom at the National Meet in Tulsa earlier in the year. Tom joined me on the way to Roswell where we shared a lunch and parted ways until next time.

I had a pleasant stay in Roswell, picking up a book in the store at the UFO museum. I caught up on some emails, 145 of them and got another good nights rest. The next morning I was up and away back to Texas, with only 450 miles to cover for the day. The weather was excellent in the mid-70s, indicating that summer is officially over.

The famous UFO Museum, Roswell NM

As I was working my way back through Texas, my mind wandered on US-87 near Big Spring. I noted a Texas State Trooper going the opposite direction and prepping to make a U-turn on the median. Since I was doing 90 MPH in a 70, I figured it was me so I immediately pulled over to the hard shoulder, so the Trooper would have it easy. I took off my helmet and sunglasses and waited for his approach.

Trooper Casares advised me of the stop and asked if I had an emergency that would warrant my speed. I just said “I was being stupid”. I asked if he would extend me some professional courtesy. He replied “For doing 90!?”. I guess I was the big fish of the day. After some fancy talking, many compliments about the Troopers professionalism, tidy uniform and unselfish service, I was let off with a written warning. I’m just glad he didn’t check the trip computer on my GPS.

Without further incident and with the exception of doing some bug collecting with my face shield, I stopped 60 miles from home for dinner at Storm’s in Lampassas. I did my last hour home in the dark, looking for deer along the way. Safe and sound at home, I reflected on another successful ride and experience to remember.

If you are considering riding in a rally, do it. You will have an experience to remember and learn your physical and mental limitations. Knowing your limitations as a rider is imperative to your safety and ability to enjoy such a great way to travel. Plus, you will meet some darn good folks.

Ride safe!