Greg Rice - Travel_Man
Motorcycle Endurance and Rally Rider
My IBA Rides
I started riding long distance back in the 1970's on a Kawasaki KZ 650 that I had added some accessories to make it a better long distance riding motorcycle. I rode a lot of LD rides back then long before I knew about the Iron Butt Association. I can remember many rides that where over well over a 1000 miles in a day.
During the late 1970's
I was in the Navy and stationed at Great Lakes Naval Base in North
Chicago, IL. I bought a Kawasaki KZ 650 in 1977 and fitted it with a
National Cycle windscreen, Sissy bar to bungee cord by duffel bag to
and a tank bag with CB radio installed. From there I made trips out to the Grand Canyon, Miami,
FL, and Bike Week in Daytona Beach over the years. The rides to Bike Week
were in early March and it was still very cold outside in northern
Illinois. I would
have to use canned sterno under the oil pan to loosen up the
oil so the motorcycle would start.
I learned about the Iron Butt Association in 2002 from a couple friends, Jack Dodds and Bill Boklan, as they were getting ready to ride the Motorcycle Tourer's Forum ( MTF ) 50CC / 100CCC ride in April of 2003. I wanted to do the ride also but I needed to complete an certified IBA ride first to be eligible. I always plan big so my first ride was a SaddleSore 2000 in June 2003. Man was that a hard ride as it rained like hell on the northern part of the route and the Interstates were flooded in some areas. I pushed on and finished the ride in 40 hours.
I previously was the Associate Director of the MTF Long Distance Committee and helped plan and organize all of the LD rides from 2008 to 2012. In 2012 we have 2 big rides planned, a 48 plus and the UCC. The 48 plus is a ride that you must get a receipt in all 48 lower states and Alaska in 10 days or less. The UCC ( Ultimate Coast to Coast ) is a ride that starts in Key West, FL and finishes in Deadhorse, AK. Deadhorse is on the north slopes in the oil fields.
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I have completed 24 IBA rides and have plans for 5 more in the next year. I have also completed over 18 BBG's since my first BBG in 2004. I have been fortunate that I have always been successful when attempting a certified IBA ride. I think one of the reasons is that I do a lot of up front planning and approach each of the rides with the same level of effort. I try and learn everything I can about my planned route including the possible weather and traffic conditions along the route. I review all of the states DOT highway websites for large scale construction and I plot those in my GPS with an audible alert that starts about 2 miles out so I know why if traffic slows down.
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In
October 2011 I completed my second Iron Butt Association BBG
Trifecta. A BBG Trifecta is three BBG's ( a BBG is 1500+ miles in
less than 24 hours ) back to back to back. I rode 4559 miles in a
little over 70 hours. I started the ride in Jacksonville, FL and I
rode all the way to Ocotillo, CA were I turned around and rode back
to Jacksonville, FL. It was a hell of a ride with many obstacles
along the way including accidents, heavy traffic, heat, cold, wind
and heavy rain. The temperatures ranged from 98 to 26 degrees. The wind
and rain on the final BBG across Texas was relentless. I had an 18
wheeler go into the medium right in front of me and it threw a lot
of mud on the road way which caused the wing to slide sideways for a
few feet. It took me a few minutes to catch my breath and keep
going.Check out some of my ride reports below and it will give you an idea how I approach a long distance endurance ride and why I am successful t completing the rides. If you have any questions send me an email.
I have a long pre-ride check list that I go over for all of my rides. This helps me be sure I do not forget anything. Having the items from the checklist on the motorcycle or I remembered to take care of tasks that needed to be done before the ride helps keep the stress level down. Lower stress levels reduce fatigue which helps when you are on a long ride. Here is a link to the check list.
Here is a list of the 24 IBA certified rides I have completed. Click on the Ride Report links.
| Ride | When | Miles | Ride Report |
| SaddleSore 2000 | 06/26/2003 | 2094 | |
| 50CC Quest | 04/19/2004 | JAX>SDO | |
| BBG | 12/16/2004 | 1505 | Ride Report |
| 100CCC | 04/2005 | JAX>SDO>JAX | |
| 100CCC | 03/2006 | JAX>SDO>JAX | |
| BBG 3000 | 03/07/2007 | 3012 | Ride Report |
| 50CC Quest GOLD THW | 09/13/2007 | NYC>SFO | Ride Report |
| BBG | 11/23/2007 | 1519 | Ride Report |
| 100CCC | 03/2008 | JAX>SDO>JAX | |
| BBG ( FL-BBG ) | 05/16/2008 | 1520 | Ride Report |
| BBG ( IBA National ) | 08/13/2008 | 1521 | |
| BBG ( IBA National ) | 08/17/2008 | 1520 | |
| BBG ( To MTF B2B ) | 08/28/2008 | 1520 | |
| Border to Border Gold | 08/29/2008 | 1650 | Ride Report |
| BBG | 1/24/2009 | 1525 | |
| BBG Trifecta ( 3 BBG's ) | 03/05/2009 | 4559 | Ride Report |
| 10 / 10th ( 2009 IBR ) | 08/2009 | 10,079 | |
| BBG | 06/16/2010 | 1531 | |
| SaddleSore 5000 | 08/2010 | 5327 | |
| BBG ( FL-BBG ) | 1/29/2011 | 1530 | Ride Report |
| BBG | 5/28/2011 | 1520 | Ride Report |
| BBG Trifecta ( 3 BBG's ) | 10/07/2011 | 4558 | Coming Soon |
| SS 1000 ( Florida Keys 1000 ) | 1/27/2012 | 1058 | Coming Soon |
| SS 1000 ( MLR SS1000 ) | 4/12/2012 | 1050 | |
| BBG | 9/20/2012 | 1532 | |
| * Click the "Ride Report" link for a ride report. | |||
Next Ride
I am riding in the 2013 Iron Butt Rally in July.
Just Completed
I rode in the 2013 Cape Fear Rally in April and finished 5th place.
I completed my 20th BBG September 20, 2012 on my ride to the MTF founders feast.
I just returned from a ride to Alaska. I rode from Key West, FL to Fairbanks, AK and back. See my photos on my photos webpage.
I competed in the 2012 Cape Fear 1000 Rally and took first place for the Arcadia starters.