This is an introduction to the latest of my Long Distance Motorcycle Rallies.
For those not in the know, this is where the foolish throw their leg over a motorcycle, then embark upon a scavenger hunt type of trip that, in this case, will cover about 1100 miles through five States. Along the way I will collect about 40 Bonuses and hopefully get to the finish before 4.00 pm Central, on Saturday.
This is my fifth Rally of its type, and I have finished 1st, 3rd, Did Not Finish and 9th in the previous four.
The thing that is a little different about this one is that it is for "Hopeless" bikes. That is, motorcycles whose chances of finishing such an event are deemed "hopeless" before it even starts.
To give an example ... The Iron Butt Rally, generally considered to be the "Big Dance" among Rallies is an Eleven Day, Eleven Thousand Mile event. The winner of the last one rode 14000 miles or thereabouts. The rides tend to be newer model BMWs, Hondas and Yamahas, with a smattering of other makes thrown in.
One guy, also a brave and fearless Englishman ... or complete nut, depending on your view ... entered on a 1969 Triumph that he had shipped fro England for the event.
The cognoscenti were making bets as to whether or not he would get the bike further than the edge of Seattle, where the Rally started. Some even wondered if he would mak it out of the Hotel parking lot.
Well he did make it out of the parking lot. He rode through rain and wind, he encountered heat, and a duststorm and eleven days, and eight thousand miles later he arrived at the finish in San Francisco.
He had achieved something epic, and despite finishing well down the list, at the banquet that evening he received the longest and loudest standing ovation ever.
My hopeless bike is a 1977 Yamaha XS750. It has covered 1000 miles in 24 hours with me on-board, and I prepped it for this ride. On Monday I ran into an issue that I just didn't have time to fix, so I am competing on my "other" bike. That one is my 1986 Yamaha Venture Royale. This bike would be deemed hopeless (and it is) in just about every rally it enters. Yet with it I have managed the results above.
So tomorrow morning we head out and we will try again to drag our sorry butts (the bike's and mine), over the finish line to a respectable score.
You can come along for the ride by clicking the link below the picture. It will go active at about 8.00 am Central tomorrow, Friday.
The Route:
The Rally starts just slightly to the south east of Tulsa. I will be going due South to Texas, then northeast through Arkansas. Where the Route appears to cross, it does not. At that point I will head northeast and follow the top loop back to the start/finish.
Link to updating location map is here
Wish me luck as I extend the same good wishes to my fellow competitors.
Ride Safe :)