2009 Iron Butt Rally... on a 33 year old rotary Suzuki

[doug5551]

Alex,

Here are some links I sent Robert and Ken before they did their 50CC.  Bear in mind that if you do your 50CC from San Diego to Jacksonville, you will not go through Flagstaff.  Highest elevation is around 4,000', if I remember correctly.  Hope this helps:

Here are some links I mentioned:

This has the weather for all of the cities set up:

http://www.teamconsulting.com/MTF100CCCweather.htm

Coast to Coast Gas stop planner:

http://roadtrip.apehangers.org/maps/c2c.php


Extreme Marine's ride report.  Please read this, it will really help you out and give you a great idea about what you are in for:

http://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?showtopic=28505

Validated Gas Stops:

http://www.mctourer.com/rides/2008/RideIn/gasstops.html

The preferred end point:

Obtain an ending receipt. The preferred gas station is:


Shell #112
1539 South 3rd Street
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
904-249-1512

Jacksonville, Fla Details-
scroll down for info about beach access, police and fire dept location and details:

http://www.mctourer.com/rides/2008/RideIn/jacksonville.html

50CC forms:

http://www.ironbutt.com/ridecerts/getdocument.cfm?DocID=4

[Slonishku]

I'm home on R&R. I head back to Afghanistan on Saturday the 5th, and the time has flown by.

My RE5 isn't in as good of shape as I had hoped, but it's not horrible. I've ridden it around town a few times, and it seems to run just fine. Just to be safe, I'm getting one more, this one from near Savanna, GA. I'll need to find another willing STNer near there to take a peek at it if I can.

I'm borrowing a '75 model from a friend until after the rally. He bought it from eBay, and I picked it up a few days ago. In great shape, but having some starter problems.

Time has been short, so I'm not spending all too much time on the bikes- lots of people to see and things to do.

More soon- this home time is wonderful, and I can post here back in Afghanistan!!!

[Black Ice]

Welcome home... ...even briefly.

(And watch your ass for the rest of the tour! )  

[ibppjr]

George Egloff tied for the win back in the 1st Iron Butt on an RE-5.  Good luck!

[Bounce]

I told the IBA folks from go that I'd ride an RE5. It turns out they were hoping to find someone to do just that. Apparently there are two other riders doing the same thing- and here I thought I'd be unique

Hopeless Class, eh?

Best of luck. Be sure to get a group RE5 photo before the start.

[Rocket_Cowboy]

When I saw an RE5 parked in Tulsa last weekend, I was hoping you had managed to get time back from Afghanistan and made it out to the event. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember your name, and so didn't know who to ask Lisa about.

I did get a few pictures of the RE5 that was present in Tulsa. Looked to be pretty stock, nothing really done to it externally to indicate that it was IBR prepped.

Still looking forward to meeting you at the starting line! Get back from Afghanistan safe, and let me know if there's anything I can do to help from here.

[OrangeSVS]

Congrats on the new ride and best of luck getting her prepped.

Though you didn't buy "mine", I'm proud to have played a little part in it.  

Break a leg!    

[UFO]

Hmmmm, I missed this.  Congrats on the IBR selection.  I imagine you'll be prepping and training your ass off once you get home for good.

Look forward to reading updates as your prep.

Oh, and if you need an ST.N sticker for the RE5 give a shout.  Need to represent!

[Cal24Master]

I will be flying my STN stickers once again in the IBR in 2009.  I have to say that riding a RE5 is a challenge that I doubt I would be up for.  Keep in mind that there are some pretty strict limitations on outside help and support.  It is particularily tough this time because the finish is going to be on the other side of the country from the start.

Back in the days when you only had to get to the checkpoints in time to be a finisher, this would have been easier.  In the modern IBR's though you have to invest alot more time and energy in route planning.  There were riders last year who rode more than 2000 miles further than the old checkpoint to checkpoint route and didn't have enough points to be finishers.

The funny thing about it is that in Tulsa last weekend, after the dismal showing by BMW's in the 07 IBR, and the SPANK rally, I was joking with Lisa that anyone on a BMW next year should be in the Hopeless Class.  She agreed, but said that the RE5's would not be in the Hopeless class because it would be unfair to the BMW riders...    

[Slonishku]

I was joking with Lisa that anyone on a BMW next year should be in the Hopeless Class.  She agreed, but said that the RE5's would not be in the Hopeless class because it would be unfair to the BMW riders...    

That's pretty funny. Especially considering the fact that when I saw Lisa in SoCal while I was home, she told me she flat out that she was opposed to Mike letting me ride it in the IBR at all!   Lucky for me, the IBR is slated to end on my half of the country.

I've been told by a number of folks familiar with the RE5s that, once up and running well, the MOTORS are rock solid reliable. I don't know about the rest, though. Now I'm starting to stuggle with a few things- spend the $$$ on an aftermarket seat? Stock rims with tubes, or attempt to find (and spend $$$ on) a tubeless alternative? I've got a lot to learn and not a lot of time to do it. Of course, it's all about reliability first.

I hope to run the RE5 in the Cal24 next year if it's still on. Last big test ride before "the big'un".

Skip- DesertRider sent me a coupla stickas, so I should be in great shape. I have a pic of one on my humvee over here... keep meaning to shrink and post it. In any case, I plan on putting the STN sticker right on the topcase for the IBR.

For those who don't know, OrangeSVS and Mac both visited RE5 sellers on my behalf and assesed two candidates. I ended up going with the one Mac looked at in Montgomery, AL even though the one Orange looked at in the Chicago area was in better shape. Many thanks are due to both of them from me!

[Slonishku]

When I saw an RE5 parked in Tulsa last weekend, I was hoping you had managed to get time back from Afghanistan and made it out to the event. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember your name, and so didn't know who to ask Lisa about.

I did get a few pictures of the RE5 that was present in Tulsa. Looked to be pretty stock, nothing really done to it externally to indicate that it was IBR prepped.

Still looking forward to meeting you at the starting line! Get back from Afghanistan safe, and let me know if there's anything I can do to help from here.

I wish it had been me! Do you know who it belonged to? I'd love to see the photos. Mine will be pretty much stock, which is scary. It's black with gold stripes and a big ass factory fairing that's sorta windjammer-ish.

[Rocket_Cowboy]

I wish it had been me! Do you know who it belonged to? I'd love to see the photos. Mine will be pretty much stock, which is scary. It's black with gold stripes and a big ass factory fairing that's sorta windjammer-ish.

Not sure who's it was, but ...







Looks pretty similar to yours, just without the fairing/windscreen.

[Slonishku]

Hopeless Class, eh?

Best of luck. Be sure to get a group RE5 photo before the start.

 

[Slonishku]

Holy smokes... that one looks really nice. Did it look as clean in person? Oh man, I have so much work to do.

Robert, I think I'm going to end up taking you up on the HIDs and, Ken willing, borrowing the Escort. My budget is getting extremely restrictive because of this deployment, so I'm going to be clipping coupons and eating cat food for a while. Thank the rally gods that Stephanie is 100% behind me on this one!

I was trying to figure out ways to gen up sponsorship, but wouldn't know where to begin, and don't think there's a lot of potential anyway. Still gotta find Jay Leno's contact info...  

[Rocket_Cowboy]

The bike was real clean in person, but then again, there were a few people who washed their bikes in the parking lot at the hotel ... so some were cleaner than others. Now mine ... it would never be called "clean" ... but I digress.

I would make a comment about making sure the bike is mechanically sound first, and worry about polish and chrome later ... but given that I'm riding BMW at the big show, I'm not in much of a position to talk about mechanical reliability.  

[Slonishku]

Believe me, aesthetics are going to take a serious back seat to mechanical performance.

[Cal24Master]

That's pretty funny. Especially considering the fact that when I saw Lisa in SoCal while I was home, she told me she flat out that she was opposed to Mike letting me ride it in the IBR at all!   Lucky for me, the IBR is slated to end on my half of the country.

I've been told by a number of folks familiar with the RE5s that, once up and running well, the MOTORS are rock solid reliable. I don't know about the rest, though. Now I'm starting to stuggle with a few things- spend the $$$ on an aftermarket seat? Stock rims with tubes, or attempt to find (and spend $$$ on) a tubeless alternative? I've got a lot to learn and not a lot of time to do it. Of course, it's all about reliability first.

I hope to run the RE5 in the Cal24 next year if it's still on. Last big test ride before "the big'un".

Skip- DesertRider sent me a coupla stickas, so I should be in great shape. I have a pic of one on my humvee over here... keep meaning to shrink and post it. In any case, I plan on putting the STN sticker right on the topcase for the IBR.

For those who don't know, OrangeSVS and Mac both visited RE5 sellers on my behalf and assesed two candidates. I ended up going with the one Mac looked at in Montgomery, AL even though the one Orange looked at in the Chicago area was in better shape. Many thanks are due to both of them from me!

Finding or making tubeless rims for your RE5 would be very, very expensive.  You can talk to the guys at Kosman Engineering in Novato, CA.  They may be able to help.  If it were me, I would carry a couple of extra tubes and practice spooning the tires on for the next year.

I think one of your biggest challenges is that RE5's have always been known as absolute gas hogs.  Getting 30mpg is probably going to be the impossible dream.  You can put a 5 gallon fuel cell on it, (If you need one, let me know and I will donate my old one to the cause.)  you will likely only get about 250 miles to a tank.  That means lots of stops, and lots of money for gas.

I would also look for a modern solid state rectifier/regulator.  The early Suzuki's were known for regulator failures, which more than likely will melt the entire main wiring harness.  This would definately end your rally.  Replacing that would definately be a step in the right direction.

Also, you might want to get hold of Paul Meredith.  He tried unsuccessfully to do the IBR on a 750 Waterbuffalo a few years ago.  He might give you some insight into what to look for.

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

[Mac]

Hey Slon, hope the bike works well for you in the rally. Sorry it wasn't so pretty, but she ran well.

[Slonishku]

Tom,

All very good ideas, and I'll look into all of them. do you happen to know if Paul Meredeth active over on the IBA forum? He sounds like a potentially great source of info.

I'll only bother with tubeless rims if I can easilly fit some old alloy rims. I have a rim off an lod GS450L that fits the front. I'm trying to figure out of any problems would arise from running an alloy rim/ tubeless tire up front, and a spoked wheel/ inner tube on the rear. At least it's one less tube to deal with. Either way, I do indeed see a whole lot of spooning practice in my future.

Fuel will be an issue. I'm used to runing my Bandit sans aux fuel, with a sub-200 range. But not in the IBR, obviously. what sort of fuel cell do you have? I really appreciate the offer- that's quite generous. Someone from MTF is sending an aluminum one to me a 5 gallon unit... maybe a Summit?), but I might like to have a look at yours too... always good to have options. Either way, I can return whichever one I don't use with a very sincere "thank you".

That's a really good idea as to the reg/rec. I hadn't thought of it. I should have, as I used to have an old GS450E that had that problem repeatedly.

I really appreciate the pointers!

[Slonishku]

Mac-

You're right. My RE5 is a lot like Chelsea with braces. Ugly as sin, but a strong runner.