It is less than 10 days to the start of the Iron Butt Rally 2023 and I haven’t posted a thing in months. This is not to surprise people, it is just a case of extreme procrastination. I know for more than one year that I was selected to ride in this year’s rally, but I kept quiet for a long time. In 2013, I posted a lot during month, documenting the transformation of my XBR into a rally bike. In 2017, I was less chatty, but informed about my upcoming trip. In 2023…things were super relaxed. I had to kick myself to start the preparations not so long ago, I was/am in a very relaxed state of mind.

Of course I’m not a rookie anymore. I know how the process works at the IBR. I know how rallies in America are different from Europe and and I have done my share of multi-day rallies to know my body and mind under these conditions. But there is always the possibility to overlook a tiny thing that is essential. In 2017, I lost my proof of medical repatriation insurance before the rally registration. With out this mandatory document, you cannot start the rally. I managed to get another insurance online, but incidents like this result in unnecessary stress before the real stress even begins.

The Iron Butt Rally is a competitive motorcycle road rally held in the United States. It was first held in 1984, and beginning in 1991, now takes place in odd numbered years, usually in August. The rally lasts 11 days, and riders often travel over 11,000 miles (18,000 km) in that time. During the rally, entrants earn points by riding their motorcycles to various “bonus” locations in the U.S. and Canada. A bonus is a task or destination with a point value. To earn the points for a bonus, a rider must provide evidence by photographing an object or scene, purchasing a particular item, or by various other means specified by the organizers.
The rally consists of one or more checkpoints, which may be located anywhere the United States, and one or more lists of bonuses with locations, times of availability (if limited), and varying point values. Each leg of the rally has its own bonus list, and only the bonuses for the leg currently being ridden are known to riders and can be earned. A bonus list typically contains far more bonuses than can be earned in the time allotted during a leg. This introduces a significant strategic element to the rally, since each rider must determine for him/herself which bonuses to attempt, and what route to use to reach them, while still reaching the next checkpoint before it closes.^[6]
Entry into the Iron Butt Rally is by lottery only and every lottery entry must be an Iron Butt Member first.^[7]
To be considered a finisher of the event, a rider must be present at each of the checkpoints within a specific time window, and must earn a minimum number of bonus points during the rally. Additional achievement levels (gold, silver, bronze) can be reached by earning more than the minimum required points.
Themes are often employed, with 2011 being about visiting U.S. states and their capitals; 2009 were crime scenes; 2007 was about gateway and arches (i.e. Perce Rock on the Atlantic, St. Louis Arch, and Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific); and 2005 was about lighthouses.
First-time finishers are assigned a 3-digit number membership to replace their previously assigned number…that often are five digits in length and over 1,000. As of 2019, slightly more than 600 people have officially finished the Iron Butt Rally.

Wikipedia

I had planned to ride the rally with my old XBR500 with 402.000 km on the clock. However, it was not possible to obtain insurance for the US and Canada, as the only provider for tourist insurances does not insure motorbikes older than 30 years anymore. So no start in the ‘Hopeless Class’ for me. First, I was disappointed. I had already put aside a more powerful motor with 600cc und had made plans to improve the XBR. The only alternative was the mighty K1600GT, the ST1100 that barely made it to the finish in 2017 is considered retired and is only used occasionally anymore.

Bit by bit I was convinced that choosing the K1600 was the better idea. It’s a comfy ride and 10.000 miles or more is a long distance to get tired. Everything is optimized for rallying, everything in place. Well, small changes I needed to make. I finally managed to get my tablet running, using a plug for the socket in the fairing and using direct charging with a watertight USB-C cable.

Some weeks ago, I bought a original top case for the BMW: I want to use it to keep the rally flag, list and computer and a bag with daily needed gear in there, without having to touch any stuff in the panniers during the different legs, except when needed. An expensive, but very useful addition. I had planned to do some test rides, the first was to the Ride to Eat in Barcelona in April. However, the riding comfort of the BMW got worse and worse and in a common investigation in the garage we discovered that the rear Wilbers shock was leaking! This was a major disaster! As it was not an original part, the shock would have to be returned to Wunderlich and then to the original manufacturer Wilbers. A few weeks before the take-off over the Great Pond, this was an impossible undertaking. After all the issues last year, I simply had enough. It took me one hour of discussion with my dealer and after I had traded my red 2017 K1600GT with 62.000 km for a 2020 white metallic K1600GT with 7.500 km.

Think Big.

Ignore the pain in the area where the wallet is, that’s for later. Or as Douglas Adams has put it:

This planet has – or rather had – a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much of the time. Many solutions were suggested for this problem, but most of these were largely concerned with the movement of small green pieces of paper, which was odd because on the whole it wasn’t the small green pieces of paper that were unhappy.

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

We agreed that the farkles of the old bike would be transferred to the new bike by the garage, this softened a bit the pain of the low vending price. After all the administrative procedure (insurance, registration), I swapped the bikes and enjoyed the new bike that was not really different. But it had a working suspension.

I had to go on a business trip to the Lago Maggiore and use the new BMW for. it. Riding in the snow in Switzerland, in the torrential rain in Italy and over the Swiss passes back north showed me that a working K1600 is a mighty fortress and big fun on long distances.

I rode on the ST1100 to Barcelona and was reminded again what a good bike it still is. Smooth.

I visited some of my favorite places in Barcelona and the Costa Brava (I had lived here in the 90s) and did the best coastal road that I know north of Tossa Del Mar. My new tyre was immediately run in 😳.

In May I went to do the only rally this spring, the 12 hour M12 Rally in Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania. I carved out a cunning plan with an excellent adaptation during the rally (I was ahead of my plan). It was a fun ride with no issues. And for the first time in two years, a rally win. The spell is broken.

When all the farkles had been installed, I did my last test ride with the BMW: the Benelux Four Corners ride. Visit all most Western, Northern , Easter and Southern points of the Netherlands and Belgium; And the most southernmost point of Luxemburg. And all geographical centre points of all three countries. And the northernmost point in Holland. In less than 24 hours. After my failed attempt in October this time in perfect sunny conditions.

About 2000 km in 20 hours, right on the planned time. A perfect shakedown run.

Slowly I made my check lists. No hurry. A few purchases. Another advantages of the BMW is that there is little to optimize. I was deeply relaxed. The finalization of the insurance and the bike transport was more nerve-wrecking. Finally everything was settled. Next Tuesday I will ride to Paris, drop off the BMW and fly to Toronto the next day.

At the moment, I am packing my stuff, about half of it is already in the panniers. I think I can call it a day now. There will be more time to mention other preparations…