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.

[pt17]

Such a sweet looking bike.....

It's a good looker and I had one for a very short period of time. Rode it around a couple of blocks and decided to get rid of it - too low, too slow, too junky. My son-in-law, who rides the big BMW, tried it and agreed it wasn't worth keeping. It sold immediately, though.

[blackdog]

135 for me on the Taconic, near Putnam.

[tet68]

152 mph speeding ticket in Ny state (Rt 22).

Wahahahaa!

I hope you have it FRAMED!

[Petronski]

Goodbye Prostate!

[Servant of the 9]

This guy is ready for the Cannonball Baker Sea To Shinning Sea Trophy Dash.

So9

[river rat]

The "rest of the story"....

In the few months before my sainted wife "took action".. a close friend was killed in a bike incident -- which could have been avoided if my friend has reacted to the situation QUICKER.

The older you get, and the more expensive your bike, the more reluctant you become in laying a bike down to avoid a collision... Trust me - it's true!

In the week of my wife's action -- another friend was killed in a situation he could NOT have avoided, and his son - on a bike behind him witnessed his dad being killed..

It was a rough Spring....losing two close friends in one season. We were then all in our late 50's to middle 60's...... !

Now, you know the rest of the story...
My wife of over 42 years, knows her "authorization parameters"...

Semper Fi

[blackdog]

He-he! Great site. Did you know Harley Davidson was just stoopid enough to sign a joint venture to build it's bikes in China? It was announced last week. Each year the Chinese will build and export Harley knock-off's worldwide by the tens of thousands and pay Harley Davidson for the "on the books" shipment of the twelve they shipped to Uraguay.

[taxed2death]

...let's just say...it was a VERY expensive ride, that day. :0

[StarCMC]

Well then I can certainly understand her inclination to get you offa da bike!! :o) We watched a cyclist freeze up doing 65+ mph in the center lane on the interstate (we were in our truck) and he just would NOT lean the bike. We were screaming "LEAN THE BIKE!" (of course he couldn't hear.) He was off in the gravel on the side of the road and there was traffic EVERYWHERE!! We all slowed WAY down and he finally got it back on the road. In the center between the two directions of traffic (sorry - don't know proper terminology) were those little metal posts that are about 3 feet tall with cable strung in between to help prevent cross over accidents. We thought we were about to see something REALLY nasty.

[Cboldt]

Iron Butt / FSSNOC *Bump*

[Jasper]

DUCK PING!

[RightWhale]

Ducati?

[theLuz]

the newer BMW's have ABS and it really helps during panic situations. Also, BMW riders are just safer. Still drive too fast, but, we're safer.

[R. Scott]

I never tried a coast to coast speed run but have made it from Los Angles to Virginia Beach via Florida and San Francisco to Newport News via New Hampshire on a Harley. I was usually good for about ten hours before discomfort set in. My usual days run was 50 - 500 miles, depending on what sites there were to see. I can not imagine 100 hours straight.

[StarCMC]

I believe the FJR does to (I could be wrong!) And from everything I've heard, research shows it's much better to stay on the boke and apply brakes than it is to lay it down if at all possible. The guy on the interstate was on a Goldwing -- wasn't the bike's fault - it was a very easy curve, he just froze up.

[arthurus]

I used to ride transcontinentally. Did it several times and did not stop to sleep and not much to eat. I believe I slept on the bike because I would reach a point where I was starting to nod and worrying about finding a place I could pull off and sleep when I would realize I was a lot farther down the road, maybe 90 or 130 miles and feeling alert again, sometimes going the wrong direction like I had passed a turn or rolled off on an exit ramp.

I carried food in a sack and water in a jug on a strap and ate while riding. I did it on a Victor 441 and on a Dream 305 and on a Virago 920 the last time. I made it to Alaska once, to Juneau but I cheated - took the ferry up though I went up and around to do the AlCan coming back down. That is the best ride on the continent, that loop with the ferry.

Only the Virago allowed me to make good time. The Victor would do the speed but the vibration was so bad I would lose track of just where my hands and feet were. The 305 was before CV carbs and was barely crawling on the Tehachapi pass but it coasted well coming down.

[arthurus]

That sounds like my Virago 920, the one with the hunky looking enclosed chain. I put the beefiest chain available in it and put 5 tubes of grease in the case and got 70,000 miles out of it. It was still fine when I had to give up twowheeling. The valves were opened up twice and only the first time at 30k or so was there any room for adjustment. I wore out a seat and several batteries and the starter gave out and I had no need to do anything else to it. That starter was a killer, though. Had to get one used out of a yard on the other side of the country for $325 in 1986. Ther is no excuse for that bike not having a kick start. It started so easily I ofter did not even hear the starter turn over, like the button was connected straight to the crankshaft.

[arthurus]

I always wanted a BMW but when I got so I could afford one I was through riding- broke the body one too many times.

[BraveMan]

My personal best was San Francisco to Milwaukee in 48 hours, 37 minutes. I slept for three days straight after that ride!

The bike shown is a commerative edition 1982 FXRS which I bought new in September of that year. It currently has 124,000 miles (give or take a few) on the clock. It was Harley's first new model introduced after the AMF buyout. After nearly 22 years, I can't bear to part with the old girl.

The neat thing is it's currently worth $2000 more than I paid for it. Don't believe everything the Harley Haters tell you . . .

[BraveMan]

This one was on display at Hal's during the 100th. I had a hard time walking away.
"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride . . ."