In case the music is a little much at the bottom left is a control to stop the background music otherwise turn it up!

Click here to read my 2013 Iron Butt Rally ride report.

I am preparing to ride in the 2013 Iron Butt Rally which is an event held every two years. The Iron Butt Association ( IBA ) selects 100 of the top riders from around the world to participate in one of the toughest events of any kind in the world. The Iron Butt Rally ( IBR ) is an extreme eleven day long distance motorcycle rally something like a scavenger hunt but in a much larger scale. Being selected for the IBR is a big commitment that requires extreme preparation for over a year.  It takes much more than physical endurance to be able to compete and finish the IBR as it requires you to perform under extreme conditions for long periods of time.

I rode in the 2009 IBR and finished 35 out of 101 starters which was not bad but not what I was shooting for. I had a couple issues ( mechanical and routing ) in 2009 that cost me large amounts of time. I was selected for the 2011 IBR but life got in the way and I had to drop out. Over the last 4 years I have participated in 5 other rally's that I hope have improved my routing skills and my I think the mechanical issues will haunt me this time.

Competing in the IBR is a large scale commitment that requires a large investment in money and time. You need both to be successful. It's 2 weeks from the time you leave headed for the start to when you are headed home after the finish where I will probably ride over 15,000 miles in that 2 weeks. It cost more than I can say here but some have said to compete in the IBR it is a $1000 for every 1000 miles.

To ride in the IBR there are minimum requirements you have to meet and there are nice things to have that make competing easier.

Minimum Requirements	Getting The Wing Ready
Selected By The IBA
$1850 Entry Fee
Medevac Medical Transportation Insurance
Location Tracking Device
500,000 CSL Insurance
Protective Gear
Rally Camera
Nice To Have
Multiple GPS
Radar Detector
Hydration System
Auxiliary Fuel Tank
Auxiliary Lighting
CB Radio
Bluetooth System
Weather Radar
Traffic Monitoring
Gore-Tex Riding Gear
Moisture Wicking Undergarments
XM Radio
MP3 Player
Laptop

 The motorcycle I am riding in the 2013 IBR. I have been modifying and adding farkles for over a year getting it ready for the rally. I have added many farkles to add convenience, comfort, range, audio integration, rally riding and enforcement  monitoring. The motorcycle is a 2012 Honda Gold Wing with ABS and Navigation with over 75,000 miles on it. It also includes TPMS, XM Radio, XM Weather, XM Traffic, iPod / MP3 hookup, Heated Seats and Heated Grips.

I have made some modifications to the Gold Wing one of them being a change to the built in navigation system that allows me to use the menus while riding. The modification was to put a switch in the middle of the speed sensor that goes to the navigation system. This allows me to make the navigation system think the wing is not moving which then allows me to use the navigation menus.

Scroll down to look at some photos that show many of the farkles I have added to the wing.

In case the music is a little much at the bottom left is a control to stop the background music.