The very First IRONBUTT(ers)

[KAdriver]

In honor of this years Ironbutt rally, I thought some of you might
be interested in some pictures from the start of the original and 1st event.
I used to work at the dealer that started this event. Todays long distance
riders used GPS, satellite tracking, Xm radio etc... . These guys had only
the maps from the local esso or some large unwieldy road atlas of the day.
It took a lot of planning enroute to figure out the best way to get that
important bonus point and still make your check-in.

So with out any further ado:

Meet the Pharoh


Here's his ride

How do you like his luggage rack?


Honda's "unoffical" entry


This next pic I'll ask you to guess the make and model


Still not sure?


Would you believe...

a Suzuki Rotary RE-5!!!

This guy's packing for a day trip. But he finished.


The next couple are the ceremonial crossing the finishing line.





Want to buy a used V65?


The Suzuki RE5 finished too!!






This is the award for the toughest rider!!


I have some more but this will have to do for now. If anyone here
was there then let me know. I've got some more pic's on slides
and some more to scan in.
So good luck to this years riders and remember how it used to be..

[nomiles]

Outstanding pics of a historic day in IBR history! ~ Thanks for taking the time to scan them.

[Skitch]

Neat pics! Thanks for the history lesson.

[Mango Man]

Nice, was it the same, 1100miles/11days?

[TomN]

Wow is that of Montgomeryville Cycle Center when ut was up on 309 by the mall? Place looks so different, don't remember there being a fence around it.

[KAdriver]

Nice, was it the same, 1100miles/11days?

Yep & then some. I remember bonus points for all the NYC tunnels, bridges,
Empire State building gift shop, lobster claw & reciept from a long
forgoten place in Bar Harbor. Stuff like that.
I also recall how a couple guys got a bonus after hours at a place.
It was the Indy speedway museum, seems they called ahead and bought stuff over the phone with a CC and had the clerk leave it by the dumpster as they wouldn't get to Indy till way past closing time!!

All the check points where at motorcycle dealerships that had been set up
before hand. The guy who rode the RE-5 help set the thing up. He pre-rode
the route from check point to check point to see if it could be done.
Then my boss & another guy (Mike Rose) added in the bonus stops.
If anyone wore Roadman boots in the 80's they came from Mike.

[deerslayR]

1984?
I remember meeting some of those guys at Montgomeryville Cycle Center
near Philadelphia, Pa.
Not sure of the year.

deerslayR

[Geek]

That explain's Mr. Kneebones fondness of Suzuki radials :)

For the 2001 IBR I emailed Mike asking if I could get an "in" to the iron butt if I rode it on my Suzuki GSXR1000. He said it wasn't interesting enough but he could likely find a spot for someone on a Suzuki Radial - lol

[ghostdog]

Considering back then riders had only maps and no GPS, satellite radio or iPods, I wonder if there are any riders today who do the rally 'old school' sans technology? Maybe that should be worth some bonus points.

[Makalu]

Good timing. Very interesting and thanks for sharing. I didn't know it was possible to ride to the store without a GPS

[jshuck]

Ah yes.... George Egloff and the rotary... I rode in 85 (dnf) and 86 and was the first guy to do it on a Brit bike. I held the record for the oldest bike too for a few years...1971 Triumph Trident triple. Built the bike especially for the event. I had a team mate in 86 who ride a 78 Triumph Tiger. We had matching leathers helmets and fairings, etc...way cool. Everyone ride on stock tanks, so 9-10 fills a day were the norm. We did 4 1,000 mile days in a row in the middle of the rally. We were the only bikes to finish with chains. The speed limit was 55 then and all we had was CB radios and radar detectors. The event was 11 days 11,000 miles with 7 check points and you had a 2 hr window. Erv Seaver was a stop in Calif. Another guy from a shop called Unauthorized HD rode the year I rode..he rode with open pipes, etc...idiot. I came up behind him one night could see him for miles. Susie Mann rode in 85 on a Beemer...she was fast. Fran Crane rode in 86 but was later killed by a faulty blood transfusion in the hospital after a minor highway shunt on the way home. Sad... susie later died of cancer. A few weeks before she died she was arrested for speeding on her beemer...told the cop to pound sand.. Tell us more about the days at Montgomeryville...

[deerslayR]

A link to the current Iron Butt

From the Dead Horse list with a sat link for the bikes so equipped.

Thanks to "Gourmet" Jon Gorman.


The Iron Butt Rally is going on as we speak. For daily reports from Bob Higdon, go here:

http://www.ironbuttrally.com/IBR/2005.cfm

Now the neat part. 13 bikes started with satellite tracking systems installed. Click on the link below and see where the bikes are at this time. Click on each individual bike and you can see the path taken since the beginning of the rally.


http://rally.star-traxx.com/rallyview.asp?Rally=30


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


_______________________________________________
dhmcBULL mailing list
dhmcBULL@deadhorse.com
http://deadhorse.com/mailman/listinf..._deadhorse.com

[KAdriver]

I rode in 85 (dnf) and 86 and was the first guy to do it on a Brit bike. I held the record for the oldest bike too for a few years...

I still have a button that you handed out saying "Team Triumph IronButt 86"!!
Sit's in my tool box.

I'm glad there's some folks around who were there to and can add some
insite to my fadding memory!!
I turned wrenches there for almost 10+ years. I did the tech inspections
on the bikes entered. Basicly good tires, lights in working order, minimum
of parts falling off !!,etc..
I'm trying to remember the guy from PEI, worked for Air Canada & rode a BMW
in the 1st 2 years.

[jshuck]

was it Ross, the big guy who rode a K100 as I recall? There were several interesting entries the years I rode. We had a K100turbo, KZ 750 that the guy took the fairing off to go faster??, the Enola Gay, a Harley that self destructed, my good friend Rob with his Stealth early Wing, several R100's, and a R80GS. George was the rally master as I recall and I think we had 25 starters in 86. I'm looking at my bike right now and see the tech inspection you must have put on it. Were you the guy in the shop with the Norton?
We just rode the event point to point to finish, but as it turned out many went for the bonus points and fell asleep. The phrase Ironbutt Motel was coined during the 86 event because someone cam up on a ride sho was lying on his bike asleep, head against the top box. Everyone got a free Shoei helmet and I even got a free set of Dunlops... I have more buttons if you need any... I think the winner got $800.. I was just lucky to survive.. Thanks alot for all your help. You had a great dealership and all the gang were real professionals. How they pulled that rally off without a bunch of lawyers knocking down the doors was beyound me. John Shuck Team Triumph IronButt 86 Ironbutt #31

[* SHAG *]

Cool pics! I had one of those 1100 Sabres! Brings back a lot of memories!