U.S. Biker Sets 'Iron-Butt' Record Across Continent

Reuters ^ | 6-23-2004

[Cagey]

MIAMI (Reuters) - A U.S. motorcyclist made the 5,632-mile trek from the northernmost road in Alaska to the southernmost tip of Florida in 100 hours and set a transcontinental record certified by the "Iron Butt Association" of bike enthusiasts.

"I'm a little tired ... a little bit bruised," biker Gary Eagan said by phone from Key West, Florida, on Tuesday, a day after finishing the journey on his Ducati Multistrada.

He bested the old transcontinental "Iron Butt" record of 114 hours and 49 minutes, set last year by a BMW rider from Maryland.

A few hours after starting his solo journey on a gravel road in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, a truck forced Eagan off the road and his motorcycle flipped over into the tundra, breaking his windshield, one rearview mirror, auxiliary fuel tank and shearing off the saddlebag containing his spare clothes.

"I think I broke my big toe and dislocated my finger and elbow a little bit," said Eagan, 56, of Salt Lake City, Utah.

He patched the bike together with zip ties and drove on through Alaska, Canada and the continental United States, making a pit stop in Kansas City to change tires, and stopping occasionally to nap or refuel.

Eagan said he endured suspicious border patrol agents, traffic snarls and torrential thunderstorms but completed the trek without any speeding tickets.

"You don't have to really ride that fast to do a record like that. You just have to stay on the bike and be efficient," he said.

[blackdog]

I loathe the Wisconsin Harley crowd every summer. Obnoxious, loud bikes, with poor handling. Harley riders have become middle aged, middle class, jack-offs who want to experience something before they die.

Now a Big Bore BMW or Ducatti, that's a classy ride.

[TheBattman]

Such a sweet looking bike.....

I guess they thought the tire tracks would hide the puddle???

Hehehehehehehe.....

[river rat]

BMW? There is a reason..

My modest R60/5 gave me 130,000 TROUBLE FREE MILES..

I replaced ONLY oil, plugs, points, tires/tubes, headlight and signal light bulbs, and drum brake pads... Everything else remained original, including the spoked wheels which never required to be tightened or straightened!

The heads were never removed, and the carburetors never overhauled...

My wife finally decided I was "too old" to ride the "long hauls" alone any longer -- and donated MY BIKE to charity!!!!!!!!!!

I cried for a full week....alone, in my room, with my head under the pillow...

Semper Fi

[martin_fierro]

	FReeper Motorcycle Hooligan
Send FReepmail if you want on/off FMH list

[JoeSixPack1]

I guess they thought the tire tracks would hide the puddle???SMACK!!!!

ROFLMAO!!! Good one!! <|:-)~~

[TheBattman]

I have long admired BMW bikes.

I particularly like this one!

[tacticalogic]

Then again, I"m surprised there was not a Honda or other "rice burner" used - as they generally are quite comfortable and reliable....

Goldwings, ST1100's, and Kaw Concours have been popular bikes at the Iron Butt, from what I read on the Concours Owner's Group list.

[JoeSixPack1]

The Iron Butt Association is dedicated to safe, long-distance, endurance motorcycle riding. Although based in the United States, we have over 13,000+ members world-wide. One of our more popular slogans is, "The World Is Our Playground."

We host several rides, the most notable being the 11-day, 11,000+ mile Iron Butt Rally[tm]. Additionally, the Iron Butt Association hosts the Saddle Sore 1000[tm] (a 24 hour 1,000 mile ride), the Bun Burner 1500[tm] (1,500 miles in 36 hours), the Bun Burner Gold[tm] (1,500 miles in 24 hours), the 50cc Quest[tm] (Cross Country in 50 hours or Less), the National Parks Tour Master Traveler Award[tm] (visit 50 parks in at least 25 states), the coveted 10/10ths Challenge[tm] (10 consecutive 1,000 mile days) and the almost-impossible to get into 100K Club[tm] (100,000 miles or more in one year).

The Iron Butt Association (IBA) does not have membership in the traditional sense. We do not have yearly dues, formal meetings or a monthly newsletter. The IBA is a little more loose knit organization than most clubs. Generally speaking there are several ways to earn membership. The most notable is to be a finisher of the Iron Butt Rally or a successful finisher of one of the other rides we sponsor, such as the Saddle Sore 1000. Rally workers and supporters are also granted membership status.

The Iron Butt Association publishes several documents about the Iron Butt Rally and Long-Distance Endurance Riding, including our hottest title, the "Archive of Wisdom", which contains a list of Long Distance Riding tips from our most seasoned, veteran riders.

We also maintain an e-mail list that will deliver Iron Butt information as it becomes available. Please note that this is not a high-volume mail list. Mailings are typically made once a month. To get on the list, e-mail your request to ironbutt@ironbutt.com. Anywhere in the body of your message, enter the following:

subscribe ironbuttnews

and on the next line, place your First Name, Last Name and e-mail address for example:

Mike Jones mkjones@cyclerider.com

For additional information, contact Iron Butt Association President, Michael Kneebone.

[StarCMC]

LOL!! We saw this story going across the ticker on FoxNews last night. We knew he was an Iron Butt-er even before they said so! :o) Wonder if he tried the Anti Monkey Butt powder????

[StarCMC]

Um, 70 mph on a bike is SLOW- especially on long straight flat roads where you can see for miles. And there are plenty of places where the speed limit is 80 if you're on interstate.

[taxed2death]

.....He, He, he....the bike I sold (I wish I hadn't!)
91 Ducati 900ss
980 big bore kit
Pankle titanium rods
1 41mm downdraft, 1 41 mm side draft kehien carbs
hand made intakes
Akropovic titanium Spagetti exhaust.
mucho headwork by BCM in Laconia NH.
Marchesini rims
Fox rear shock
Gold valve kitted front forks
Custom paint.
.....bwwwwaaaaa....I'm startin' to get teary eyed..... :(


Would spank 916's all day long.



now the bad part.....152 mph speeding ticket in Ny state (Rt 22).

[killjoy]

I have long admired BMW bikes.

I have a blue/white zebra K1200RS. Love it. Will probably trade up to a K1200S when they start hitting dealers.

[killjoy]

I don't have a picture of mine online, but it is very similar to this one. This is the earlier zebra paintjob. The later version has striping along the rear plastics.

[Glenn]

I particularly like this one!

That's not a bike. It's a freaking land yacht.

[StarCMC]

If I did that to my hubby he'd get a new bike AND a new wife! LOL!!

[killjoy]

I loathe the Wisconsin Harley crowd every summer. Obnoxious, loud bikes, with poor handling. Harley riders have become middle aged, middle class, jack-offs who want to experience something before they die.

Get ready to spend hours and hours at this site: http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/main.htm

[killjoy]

A friend has an FJR. Loves it. I was thinking of getting one when I got my K1200RS but unfortunately the FJR was almost impossible to get ahold of. I will just have to suffer on the K12...

[StarCMC]

We love this one! But we have ordered a new one in blue and will trade this in when that one arrives. Hubby has a new red R-1 that he rides when he's alone. We also do dirt bikes and 4-wheelers on the weekends. We are a moto family I guess. (See my profile page!)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I used to see a guy in full rain gear buzz by my shop in Iowa City on a black BMW R-60. He always wore a BMW helmet and had a pipe in his mouth but upside down to keep out the rain. I always wondered what he had in that pipe...

[alpha-8-25-02]

old leathernecks need to drive f-150's.
much safer.
semper fi!