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My first 1000 mile day |
Posted by: rwjohns on Tuesday, August 09, 2005 - 10:47 PM
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I wrote this story for the original 900 message board in 2000
Honda CB900/1000 Custom Message Board
1000 mile in 24 hour ride
Sunday, 27-Aug-2000 01:53:42
HI EVERYBODY,
WELL LAST SATURDAY I WENT ON THE GLACIAL LAKES MOTORCYCLE RALLY RUN, THE BONZAI 1000.
IT IS LIKE A SCAVENGER HUNT, YOU GET POINTS FOR VISITING PLACES LIKE HOTELS, CASINO'S AND JAVA SHOPS,ZOO'S. ANY WAY GOT OUR PAPERS AT 8:30 AM AT THE MOTORCYCLE SHOP, (SUZUKI AND MOTO GUZZI).
IT LISTS THE PLACES TO VISIT FOR THE POINTS. I MADE IT MY PERSONAL GOAL TO RIDE 1000 MILES AND HOPEFULLY QUALIFY FOR THE SADDLE SORE 1000, AN IRON BUTT ASSOCIATION AWARD.
THE FLAG WAS DROPPED AT 9 AM, AND WE WERE OFF, I HEADED TO MINNESOTA, HOPING TO PICK UP A LOT OF POINTS BY HITTING CASINO'S AND SOME OTHER BONUS STOPS. RAN INTO LIGHT RAIN ABOUT 22 MILES OUT, BUT THE RAIN WAS SHORT LIVED. HIT MY FIRST CASINO ABOUT 80 MILES DOWN THE ROAD, AND JUST KEPT WINDING MY WAY THROUGH MINNESOTA, TO THE WISCONSIN BORDER. AT ONE POINT I MISSED MY TURN AND GOT ON THE WRONG ROAD, WAS ABOUT 15-20 MILES OF BACK TRACK ACCORDING TO THE MAP I WAS STUDYING, WHEN AN OLDER GENT PULLED UP ON A HONDA SILVER WING, HE SAID HE HAD BEEN BEHIND ME FOR 120 MILES.AND OFFERED TO HELP GET ME BACK TO THE RIGHT ROAD WITHOUT LOSING ANY MORE MILES.
I WAS THINKING, OH OH 52 MPH , BUT TOOK HIM UP ON HIS OFFER. HE CAME OUT OF THE GAS STATION AND SAID " YOU READY FOR SOME MIGHTY POWERFUL KICK ASS RIDING?", WELL I WAS, SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM KEEPING UP WITH THAT 650 SILVER WING. WE RODE LIKE THE WIND, HE KNEW THE BACK ROADS LIKE THE BACK OF HIS HAND, AFTER TRAVELING DOWN SOME BEAUTIFUL TWISTY ROADS FOR 20 SOME MILES I WAS BACK ON MINN. NO 19 AND WE PARTED WAYS AT NEW PRAGUE, MN. OFF TO RED WING, THEN HUDSON WISCONSIN, UP I 35 TO DULUTH, AND FINALLY THE ZOO AT 7:30 PM. THE ZOO WAS CLOSED, SO I TOOK A PICTURE, GRABBED A BROCHURE THAT WAS BLOWING ACCROSS THE PARKING LOT AND TOOK OFF.
FOUND A LITTLE TWISTY RAOD THAT WAS ONE TURN AFTER ANOTHER FOR 7 MILES UPHILL. IT TOOK ME BACK TO I 35, AND THEN ON THE FINAL LEG TOWARDS HOME, SHOWED 501 MILES AT THIS POINT.IT WAS SUNDOWN. I HAD TO MAKE A STOP AT CROSBY MN BEFORE 10 PM. JUST MADE IT. WHEW, NOW I CAN RELAX A LITTLE. STOPPED AT ANOTHER CASINO, HAD SOMETHING TO EAT AT 11:30, LEFT AT MIDIGHT. BIG MISTAKE, THE FOOD IN MY BELLY MADE ME SLEEPY. STOPPED AT A LITTLE BAR IN A ONE HORSE TOWN FOR A MOUNTAIN DEW. HAD TO LEAVE IT WAS CLOSING TIME.MADE IT ANOTHER 25 MILES, FILLED WITH GAS, 1:30 AM. WALKED AROUND A BIT, ADDED SOME MORE CLOTHES, WAS GETTING CHILLY 58f. TOOK OFF AGAIN,ON A 24 MILE STRETCH WITH NO TOWNS, STRAIGHT ROAD, ROLLING HILLS. FOUND MY SELF DRIFTING TO THE CENTER LINE, STARTING TO SEE THINGS IN THE DITCHES, MADE IT TO LONG PRAIRIE.HEADED OUT OF TOWN. FATIGUE WAS SETTING IN. HAVING TROUBLE FOUSING ON THE ROAD, MET A CAR AND THE LIGHTS SEEMED TO CONFUSE ME. I KNEW I HAD BETTER STOP. I PULLED OVER TO A GRAVEL ROAD, THE DITCHES WERE FILLED WITH GRASS BUT IT WAS SO WET FROM DEW. IN THE 1/2 MOON I COULD SEE A WHEAT FIELD JUST A LITTLE WAYS AWAY. I DROVE INTO THE PARTIALLY HARVESTED FIELD. GOT OFF MY BIKE PUT THE STAND DOWN, AND WATCHED AS IT SLOWLY TIPPED TOWRDS ME IN SLOW MOTION, I GRABBED IT AND PUSHED A ROCK UNDER THE STAND. OK, I JUST SAT DOWN, AND THEN TIPPED BACK,LAID DOWN IN MY HELMET AND ALL.A LARGE BUG ON MY NOSE WOKE ME, I TRIED TO SWAT IT AWAY, BUT MY FACE SHIELD PREVENTED THAT. FINALLY DUG THAT CREATURE OUT OF MY HELMET, PROBABLY A CRICKET.
NOW I WAS A WAKE. MIGHT AS WELL RIDE.
TRAVELLED ON TO STARBUCK MN. GOT THE POST NUMBER OFF OF THE AMERICAN LEGION FOR ANOTHER 400 POINTS. HEADING FOR HOME, LESS THAN 2 HOURS TO MY HOUSE, 2 HOURS AND 45 MINUTES TO WATERTOWN AND THE CHECK IN. I COULD GET SOME SLEEP AT HOME AND STILL MAKE IT IN BY 9 AM. SOUNDED LIKE A GOOD PLAN UNTIL I LOOKED AT MY ODOMETER. IF I RODE HOME AND THEN IN I WOULD BE ABOUT 125 SHORT OF MY GOAL 1000 MILES.SO I SAW A SIGN POINTING TO HOFFMAN MINN. A BRAND NEW ROAD, FRESHLY PAINTED AND CURVY, I TOOK IT. WENT INTO NORTH DAKOTA, AND THEN SOUTH DAKOTA, WENT TO FORT SISSETON STATE PARK, PICKED OFF 3 MORE CASIONO'S FOR 200 POINTS EACH. WATCHED A SKUNK WANDER AROUND AT FT SISSETON WHILE I SAT AT A PICNIC TABLE STUDYING MY MAP. THE WIND WAS BLOWING OUT OF THE SOUTH NOW, HARD. WAS COOL 6 AM.I MOUNTED UP, HAD ENOUGH GAS TO MAKE IT TO WATERTOWN.DROVE INTO THE STONG WIND, TO WEBSTER, THEN WAUBAY, THEN TO WATERTOWN SD, ONE MORE CASINO. FILLED WITH GAS IN WATERTOWN AT 8:20, EXACTLY 1000 MILES SHOWING SINCE 9 AM YESTERDAY.
WENT TO MCDONALDS, HAD A BREAKFAST WITH COFFEE. REPORTED IN 20 MINUTES EARLY,, 1003 MILES SHOWING.ONLY THREE RIDERS REPORTED BACK IN, SOME DROPPED OUT. NEVER SHOWED.
THE SCORE KEEPERS TALLIED MY POINTS AT 9403, A COOL 3000 ABOVE THE NEXT FINISHER. PICTURES, A PLAQUE AND $50, I HEADED HOME FOR SOME NEEDED REST.MY 81 900C RAN LIKE A CHAMP,NEVER MISSED A BEAT, TURNED IN 45 MPG ON SOME FILLS, AND WAS DEFINITELY BEING LOOKED OVER BY SOME OF THE OTHER COMPETITORS. A FINE BIKE INDEED.AND MY BUTT WAS NOT SORE, MY RIGHT WRIST WAS WEAK THO
WELL NEXT IS 1500 IN 36 HOURS.
CHECK OUT IRON BUTT.COM FOR SOME GOOD RIDING STORIES
HAPPY RIDING TO YOU ALL
HOPE I DID NOT BORE YOU TO DEATH
BOB JOHNSON
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