Iron Butt '07

[ive_been_hijacked]

No, the current paralever shaft drive started use in 2005 for the R12GS, R12ST, and the R12RT.  There were issues with the previous paralever used on the R11XX series bikes, but not as consistent or frequent and mostly were a few cases overly popularized online.  There is certainly a problem with the R12-bike FDs.  The K1200GT, and S bikes using the newer FD design have not exhibited many problems.

K1200GSA, huh?  Must be a new prototype.

[jwhite518]

 The K1200GT, and S bikes using the newer FD design have not exhibited many problems.

I've yet to hear of any new K1200's experiencing FD failure. There are five GT's still running on Day 11 of the IBR. The sixth entrant DNF'd but not due to mechanical issues. Does the GT have a different FD, or is it a disaster waiting to happen?

[plumber]

The K final drive is on the left side while the R final drive is on the right. I wonder if it's something that simple.

[greench440]

Reports for days 8,9,10, 11 are now up at http://www.ironbuttrally.com/IBR/2007.cfm

Given our discussion of BMW FD's, I liked this gem from day 9:

Sure enough, Rebecca called in this morning to report that she couldn't find a place to stay in Big Sur. She ended up going to Carmel, which is not exactly known for economical accommodations. She found a room for $400. But, hey, the rest bonus was 7,723 points. 19 points per dollar is a bargain on this rally, especially for the many riders visiting BMW service departments throughout North America.

[Warchild]

One of my favorites is from Day 11, where Tom Austin (a staunch beemer dude) writes:

For 2009 IBR, we may try to level the playing field with respect to each rider's
choice of motorcycle as well by adding the following bonus:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Any BMW Dealership in North America 1,000 points Available
Up To 3 Times

Pick up a copy of the repair order for the correction of a final drive
or transmission failure from any BMW dealership in North America. Your
motorcycle's vehicle identification number must appear on the repair
order. Have a glass of Kool-Aid while you are waiting. No
documentation is required for the Kool-Aid; we already know you drink
it.

1st Failure Time: ______ Odometer: _______ Code: BMW1
Approved:____________
2nd Failure Time: ______ Odometer: _______ Code: BMW2
Approved:____________
3rd Failure Time: ______ Odometer: _______ Code: BMW3
Approved:____________
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

There is a button you can pick up at your friendly, local BMW dealer
that has printed on it, above a BMW logo, "I'd Rather Be Riding." That
phrase has taken on a whole new meaning from the one intended by some
marketing genius at BMW. During the last eleven days, there were a
number of riders who would rather have been riding than sitting in BMW
dealerships waiting for repairs.

 

[UFO]

"Have a glass of Kool Aide."

[DNA]

In a few days we should get some pretty accurate failure rates for the FD's under tough - but not abusive circumstances.

I bet the rate will be much higher than 1%.  It is already.

10% probably.

25% possibly?  

We will know soon.

Looks like 25% might have been a good bet.  I'm going to Vegas baby (not).

[Lawn Dart]

LMFAO!

This is wrong - oh so wrong!  

Excerpt from Day 10:

At least five separate riders, Karol Patzer, Tony DeLorenzo, Michael Boge, Stephan Bolduc, and Richard Buber, had an interesting encounter with a Nevada state trooper on Interstate 80. They each were sweating bullets as the cruiser pulled up beside them and rolled down the window. The officer then held up a clipboard with a sign on it reading, "Tell Kneebone hi for me." He sometimes held up a second sign saying, "Good Luck!"

[Lawn Dart]

btw, the score as of day 11:  4 FD's failed - and an unknown yet possible 5th on a KLT with an "odd vibration".  Could be any number of things.

In other news:  Another Deer Strike:

Mike Hutsal, riding my (not so) old K1200GT, had been having a great ride until about 5:00 a.m. this morning. That's when a forest rodent crossed his path. At first it looked like it was K1200GT: 1, Bambi: 0. Mike kept the bike upright and was able to continue on. Unfortunately, there was more damage to the bike than he originally thought. The cooling system was obviously damaged in the collision; the engine overheated and quit.

Mike was intent on a top ten finish this year. With over 100,000 points on Leg 1, he demonstrated that he is a top ten-caliber rider. All that was missing was luck. If there are endurance keyboard riders out there who think a deer strike is avoidable by a prudent and competent rider, they don't have a clue. Try riding a few hundred thousand miles at night and you will learn that Lady Luck is a significant factor. Yes, you can reduce the risk by slowing way down when in deer infested areas, but most of North America is a deer infested area and traveling 10 mph under the speed limit is no guarantee that you won't eventually be run over by one of these incredibly stupid vermin.

[DNA]

Any news?  I'm eagerly awaiting any data.
Jim Owen this year?  

[greench440]

Any news?  I'm eagerly awaiting any data.
Jim Owen this year?  

Based on the reports, that's my bet.  Would be well deserved given the way he was put out of the last event.

[bpg]

...If there are endurance keyboard riders out there who think a deer strike is avoidable by a prudent and competent rider, they don't have a clue...

I agree 100%.  The only way to absolutely guarantee that you won't hit a deer on a bike is to not ride...

[jwhite518]

"Have a glass of Kool Aide."

Speaking of Kool Aid, this was posted on the MOA forum today.

my doctor thinks all people are sick. he is convinced the human race cannot survive. i asked him why, and he told me, "i sit in this office for ten hours a day and every person who comes through here has something wrong with them. humans are just not strong enough. they are all sick. i have data that shows that every person i see has a problem." i asked him if he considered that maybe there were a few million people outside his office with no health problems, and he told me, "not that i have seen, so i doubt it."

i asked him for some examples, and he pointed out that little boys' arm bones are too weak. "i get five of them a week that have broken arms. they fall off the monkey bars, and break them. obviously, all little boys' arms are too weak." i asked him how many little boys there were in the world. he didn't know. i asked him how many boys use the monkey bars each day. he didn't know. i asked him how many times the boys with broken arms had used the monkey bars previously without being harmed. he didn't know. he got angry with me. "look," he said. "they have playgrounds. they have these monkey bars on them. obviously if they have playgrounds and monkey bars, they are 100% safe. they wouldn't have monkey bars if they weren't safe, so OBVIOUSLY humans are too weak. we're doomed as a species."

i asked if maybe the kids were falling off at a funny angle, or being knocked off by other kids. some sort of unusual condition that wasn't documented. then he threw me out of his office for asking so many questions and complicating things. he remains convinced that humans are too weak and that god is an idiot for designing us so poorly.

i find that like my doctor, many people in the world make assumptions that lead to simplistic conclusions, and hate it when subtlety, complexity, and deep knowledge are required to understand and solve a problem.

[squeezer]

Any news?  I'm eagerly awaiting any data.
Jim Owen this year?  

That was my bet, too.  Saw on another forum, though, that Jim Frens made it back from Alaska in time, so hmm...

Can't wait for results.

[crazykz]

Naturally, since there are 14 FJR1300s entered in the 2007 Iron Butt Rally, I would like to see one on the Top Podium at the Finish on Aug 31.  

However, if a Beemer dude had to win the event... I would like to see this guy do it: Eric Jewell  He may be among the very best who has not won the event..... he is always in the Top 10, and a nicer guy you will never meet.  He was tardy making it to St Louis this past weekend, arriving late Saturday night. He was the vary LAST bike to go through Tech Inspection on Sunday.

Here I am taking Eric's odometer reading prior to him going out to complete the Odometer Calibration course, the final step in Tech Inspection:

I couldn't agree more on all counts.  I'm happy for all the winners but I would very much like to see Eric take first at some point in the future.  He happened to be the one to help me pick up my bike at Bristlecone when I made a slight miscalculation in where the smooth surface of the road was.  Oh that's right... there wasn't a smooth surface on that road.

Curt

[ben1364]

It's almost a must to trailer the bike if the IBR starts thousands of miles from the rider/owners home base because of tire wear if nothing else.  Fresh tires at the start can save lots of time enroute.