Lower Great Lakes 1000?

[MZBuckeye]

Anyone in the Midwest area interested in trying a IBC ride? I've been wanting to try the Lower Great Lakes 1000 for some time now, around Lake Erie and Ontario in 24 hrs or less. I don't want to try it solo though. Anyone interested?

http://www.ironbutt.com/ridecerts/getdocument.cfm?DocID=28

[MZBuckeye]

Tap tap tap, is this thing on?

[handyhiker]

Let me check this out when I get some time. I might be in to it!!

[handyhiker]

MZ, lets talk about this at Big B's tech day. I would like to see the route and find out about the border crossing. My passport is expired and I can't remember what it takes to go into the Great White North(and back out of).

[MZBuckeye]

Sure! The downside of any IBC ride I think is that in order to stay within the time constraints, we probably have to stick to the slab most of the way. I really want that patch though :)

[handyhiker]

We should sit down with a map and figure out some way points and times. This would help me/us get a feel for the speed needed to do this. I have to agree that most will have to be on the slab.

[BobbySands]

well, like i posted in the ohio tech-day thread, i can't make May 5th due to a hockey tournament in Hamilton, Ontario that weekend.

and i can say with certainty this: you won't need anything other than a copy of your birth certificate to re-enter the USA. and you don't even need that to enter canada-simply a drivers license. let me also mention that the last time i crossed i wasn't asked for anything other than what i was doing in canada and how the tournament went. the time before that the US customs wanted to see my B-cert. but the time before THAT i was also waved through with just a driver's license. and sort of cleaned up now but that year i was working some serious O.T. and had a bit of a Ted Kaczynski look to me.

when is this ride? i'm looking forward to getting an Iron Butt out of my way (since i've had the bike three whole weeks now) and, although there's one in Michigan, i'd consider hopping down to the Ohio to get it done, depending on when it is.

[MZBuckeye]

Heh, I'm with you BobbySands, I've only got 500 miles on mine, and I'm already thinking of 1000 miles in 24 hours!

I was thinking that the whole passport thing is only for air travel, and based on what you're saying that must be correct. Hamilton Ontairo eh? I'm an air traffic controller at Cleveland Center, and Hamilton is just outside the airspace that I work. I work airplanes in and out of Hamilton all the time. Anyway, no date set at all, in fact we've got plenty of planning yet to do before we try this. We'll keep discussing it, I've planned out a tentative route on Microsoft Streets & Trips, so that's a start.

[BobbySands]

ahhh.... i thought you were talking about a IBA sanctioned ride. the one i was referring to up here is run by them, the route is set, there is registration, verified distances, etc etc. seems to be a bit easier to get every thing verified if they sanction it.

but i wouldn't mind doing it with you fellows either. sounds like fun and a bit more interesting than criss-crossing the state of michigan back and forth. other people from this area have ridden straight down I-75 to knoxville and back (about 1012 miles) to get their's. SNOOOZE.

[S83]

You only have to average 41.666666666 mph to make it in 24 hrs. You don't need to stay on super slabs. When I did my SS1000 completed it in about 18.5 hrs. The difficult rides are there extreme rides. The BBG1500 (1500 miles in 24hrs) is there easiest extreme ride. You have to average 62.5 mph. Fuel stops and backed up traffic can kill ya on that one.

[handyhiker]

I did a quick route and came up with 1039 miles and 17 hours & 32 minutes. I will play around and try to make more back road less slab. We can compair notes at breakfast on Saturday then again at Big B's. This will be a cool deal!

[MZBuckeye]

Yeah, I'm all about it. Although I'll probably have to pony up for the Kaoko throttle lock or something beforehand.

[Tige]

I'd like to do something like this and make it not a boring ride as well.

I'll chat with some of you guys at Big B's get together and we can figure out something I'm sure.

Tige

[GrayStrom]

When is this happening? I might be in too. Something I've always wanted to try. The longest I've done so far was a 12 hour trip from Youngstown Ohio to Southern Indiana and back. I hope the seat on the 650 is better than the stocker on the ST1100. The last 3 hours were nothing but pure pain.

[MZBuckeye]

We've set no date. I'm just gathering interest. We still have more to discuss I think before we try something like this.

[handyhiker]

We've set no date. I'm just gathering interest. We still have more to discuss I think before we try something like this.

I think we will need several "meetings" to iron out the specifics. Just me, but I for 1 would really like to have a solid plan before starting something like this. I would even like to do a few long days to "train" for the event. Just make sure the seat is ok, windshield, tweek the suspention, you know, the little stuff that will make this really cool or a total pain in the a$$.

[MZBuckeye]

I couldn't agree more. I think the key to making it a success is plan it out just right, with every stop accounted for, etc. My thoughts are if you can do 100 miles every two hours, including breaks, you'd be done in 20 hrs. Sounds like a place to start anyway. But a couple training missions are in order. Maybe like up to Niagara Falls and back would be a good start.

[Q-dog]

Anyone in the Midwest area interested in trying a IBC ride? I've been wanting to try the Lower Great Lakes 1000 for some time now, around Lake Erie and Ontario in 24 hrs or less. I don't want to try it solo though. Anyone interested?

http://www.ironbutt.com/ridecerts/getdocument.cfm?DocID=28

Good Luck. Completed the 1000 last September from Central WI, north through the UP, south along western part of Lake Michigan, and finished in Milwaukee. Don't expect a speedy certification as it has been six months since I submitted all the documentatioin. With nearly 70% of the trip being non-interstate travel of 35-55mph, we completed the ride in 22 hours and change.

[MZBuckeye]

How was it? Good time, or a literal pain in the arse?

[DBuck12]

I've been all over the Great Lakes area because I'm a fan of Canadian and Michigan fishing.

The scenery East and North of the Georgian Bay is spectacular, as is the route around Lake Superior. It's the geology that makes it so. Parry Sound on the Georgian Bay also seems to be a hot spot for bikes in the summer.

Around the lower Great lakes it is kind of.......not as spectacular. 401 is a boring straight slab and is just about the only East-West route on Lake Ontario's North shore. Lake Ontario's fishing is spectacular, but the scenery, not as much. I can't go anyway, just sayin'................

[handyhiker]

I've been all over the Great Lakes area because I'm a fan of Canadian and Michigan fishing.

The scenery East and North of the Georgian Bay is spectacular, as is the route around Lake Superior. It's the geology that makes it so. Parry Sound on the Georgian Bay also seems to be a hot spot for bikes in the summer.

Around the lower Great lakes it is kind of.......not as spectacular. 401 is a boring straight slab and is just about the only East-West route on Lake Ontario's North shore. Lake Ontario's fishing is spectacular, but the scenery, not as much. I can't go anyway, just sayin'................

Thanks for the input!! :mrgreen:

[FireDog45]

Anyone in the Midwest area interested in trying a IBC ride? I've been wanting to try the Lower Great Lakes 1000 for some time now, around Lake Erie and Ontario in 24 hrs or less. I don't want to try it solo though. Anyone interested?



I'd be interested in hearing more about it. I'll be at B's for the tech day, barbeque and pole dance exhibition :rolleyes: and we can talk about it in more detail there.

[Q-dog]

How was it? Good time, or a literal pain in the arse?


It was enjoyable, but it is challenging especially if your route includes alot of non-interstate roads. Our longest stop was 15 minutes for lunch, otherwise you gas up and just keep moving. Did mine on a stock 650 seat, but I wore gel biker shorts. The gel shorts helped, but the ride does kill your ass by the 22nd hour or so. Two suggestions: 1. don't fall asleep 2. buy an alsakan sheepskin buttpad. http://www.alaskaleather.com/

[Q-dog]

Yeah, I'm all about it. Although I'll probably have to pony up for the Kaoko throttle lock or something beforehand.

+1 on some form of throttle lock. I had modified a BMW throttle lock to work and doubt I could have completed without it. Even a cheaper paddle rest would work. I can't recall the name of the product, but it attaches with a valcro strap so you can take pressure of your throttle hand.

[MZBuckeye]

Called a throttle rocker, I have one of those, it is nice.

[BobbySands]

crampbuster makes one too, no velcro those. i have two: one short and wide, one longer and skinnier.

i've also heard that the paperwork certification takes FORE-EVER. i read on the IBA site that they will call your witnesses, so if witness is some random fellow at the gas station you might never get your papers. riders say moto shops, police stations, fire stations, etc are the way to go.

good luck finding one of those open in Escanaba at 2:53 A.M.

i'm up for any of it. i got my centerstand mounted and my Givi trunk on, and my choice of crampbuster....