Viable route for an Iron Butt BBG? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Viable route for an Iron Butt BBG?

PrivatePilot

PrivatePilot

Ironus Butticus
Site Supporter
I was planning for an Iron Butt Association Bun Burner Gold this spring. That's 1500 miles (2414KM) in 24 hours.

However, Covid has thrown a wrench in the original route plan that would have taken me on a loop including the USA.

I've been poking around on Google Maps trying to find a route that actually works from an average speed standpoint but really can't come up with much inside the province. Yeah, I could do Home>Windsor>ON/QC Border>Windsor>Home and that would work mileage wise almost perfectly (and speed wise too of course) but it's a bit of a bleh route for all the reasons I don't need to explain.

Any other suggestions on what might work? I plotted out Home>Nipigon>Cochrane>Home but it's too far. Home>Wawa>Temagami>North Bay>Ottawa>Home works with a little tweaking to pass the magic mileage number, but it's very tight when it comes to average speed...and quite a bit of northern 2 lane in the dark which carries it's own risks.

Screen Shot 2020-05-15 at 10.29.43 AM.png

Any other thoughts on a route that would work that doesn't involve the USA or even interprovincial right now?
 
PrivatePilot said:
I was planning for an Iron Butt Association Bun Burner Gold this spring. That's 1500 miles (2414KM) in 24 hours.

However, Covid has thrown a wrench in the original route plan that would have taken me on a loop including the USA.

I've been poking around on Google Maps trying to find a route that actually works from an average speed standpoint but really can't come up with much inside the province. Yeah, I could do Home>Windsor>ON/QC Border>Windsor>Home and that would work mileage wise almost perfectly (and speed wise too of course) but it's a bit of a bleh route for all the reasons I don't need to explain.

Any other suggestions on what might work? I plotted out Home>Nipigon>Cochrane>Home but it's too far. Home>Wawa>Temagami>North Bay>Ottawa>Home works with a little tweaking to pass the magic mileage number, but it's very tight when it comes to average speed...and quite a bit of northern 2 lane in the dark which carries it's own risks.

View attachment 43118

Any other thoughts on a route that would work that doesn't involve the USA or even interprovincial right now?
Click to expand...

Averaging over 100 on secondary roads including stops is not an easy task. If I was doing that loop, I would start in North Bay heading north very very early in the morning. That puts the remote wilderness portion of the trip when you are fresh and in the light and when it is dark and you are tired, you can nap on the super slab (with almost no traffic). If you want, you can either stop in for a few hour nap at your hotel in north bay (you already had the key, you just need to pay for another day) or head south on 11 to add some more distance if you have time. If you're really feeling fresh (and the sun coming up helps a lot for this), you may even make it home without stopping.
 
Hmmm...yes, starting in the north helps from the "crappy roads in the dark" situation I guess, but that would end up with 2 nights in a hotel/motel. It's not the money that's the concern, I'm just trying to be responsible and really avoid frequenting anything except gas stations for pretty much the entire trip, basically.

I could camp I guess....but starting a 24 hour ride after what could end up being a crappy nights sleep for some reason wouldn't be a good start.

hmmm.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Hmmm...yes, starting in the north helps from the "crappy roads in the dark" situation I guess, but that would end up with 2 nights in a hotel/motel. It's not the money that's the concern, I'm just trying to be responsible and really avoid frequenting anything except gas stations for pretty much the entire trip, basically.

I could camp I guess....but starting a 24 hour ride after what could end up being a crappy nights sleep for some reason wouldn't be a good start.

hmmm.
Click to expand...
What about starting at home and heading north (12/11), then loop CCW to past ottawa, then 60/11/12 home?
 
I think your Loop Run is pretty dead on...I don't think you could tweak it much better.
Its not what I would do...I'd want to be somewhere at the end and not just loop home.
I mean with that distance you could be in Brandon Manitoba with a short 1000km ride the next day and you could be in Calgary riding the Ice Fields :p
But ya I think your route could work.
Its those glow in the dark eyeballs in the ditches at night that would freak me out :)
 
kiley said:
I'd want to be somewhere at the end and not just loop home.
I mean with that distance you could be in Brandon Manitoba with a short 1000km ride the next day and you could be in Calgary riding the Ice Fields
Click to expand...

Interprovincial travel is ill advised right now to begin with at best, and impossible at worst as some border crossings are patrolled and they're turning people back. Yes, I could pitch a fit and claim charter rights and all that against unimpeded travel, blah blah, but every minute lost on a ride like this is a minute you have to make up down the road....and if the police are in no mood to be negotiated with it could end up being a lost cause at best (get turned around), or I could end up arguing my case successfully, getting across, but never able to make up the hour or two spent stopped doing so.

And like I mentioned above, I'm trying to do the responsible thing so a YOLO run isn't really what I'm aiming for right now.

I really should just put it off until next year, but meh...if there's some way I can do it in a viable, safe, and enjoyable fashion entirely in the province...well...
 
I would add some "to hell with the law" headlights to your bike as well. Lots of the time you will be nowhere and the closer it is to daylight the safer. Even something like a pencil spot aimed off to light up the shoulder/ditch very far ahead to light up eyes is a good touch and you can leave it on most of the time without blinding oncoming traffic due to the really tight beam.
 
GreyGhost said:
What about starting at home and heading north (12/11), then loop CCW to past ottawa, then 60/11/12 home?
Click to expand...

Can't quit visualize what you're suggesting. Can you plot it out on Google?
 
PrivatePilot said:
Can't quit visualize what you're suggesting. Can you plot it out on Google?
Click to expand...
Times and distances are off as I just plugged in city names so it runs in to city centres which you obviously aren't going to do. This route is a concept only and requires refinement. It starts and ends at your house though so thats a plus.

www.google.com

Courtice to Courtice

www.google.com www.google.com

Or something like this for a few hours shorter. I'm not sure how much "hustle" you are planning on using for this ride. Both of my routes are quite long for 24 hours.

www.google.com

Courtice to Courtice

www.google.com www.google.com
 
Food for thought, thanks.
 
awe understood.
I didn't realize you were looking at doing it right away.
I guess I was thinking of doing it down the road in the future when everything is starting to open back up.
That way you could do interprovincial
 
Last edited:
kiley said:
awe understood.
I didn't realize you were looking at doing it right away.
I guess I was thinking of doing it down the road in the future when everything is starting to open back up.
That way you could do interprovincial
Click to expand...

I'm itching to do it in the next few weeks because I've got the time, but it's becoming evident that just waiting until interprovincial at minimum is open makes more sense.

danp said:
Don't ride at night in northern ontario, the chance of hitting wild life is very high.
Click to expand...

There's ways to help reduce the risk (following a large truck, obscene levels of lighting, etc) but yeah, it's something I'd like to avoid.
 
Thanks.

Thinking I may just do the regular Bun Burner now vs the Gold version. 12 hours more is a game changer so far as being viable without the US roads. It'll probably be too easy actually.
 
It’s hard to do this off slab. Do you need the pin? If so try the JBR.
 
Mad Mike said:
It’s hard to do this off slab. Do you need the pin? If so try the JBR.
Click to expand...

Already an accomplished IBA member.

This is purely ***** and giggles.... just because.

The regular bun burner is just 2400km in 36 hours. That averages out to a measly 60kph average. With some hard riding where it can be done that leaves more than enough time for an actual half decent sleep in the middle of the whole trip. It actually loses some of it's allure at that point honestly as like I touched on in my last post it actually seems too easy.
 
PrivatePilot said:
I was planning for an Iron Butt Association Bun Burner Gold this spring. That's 1500 miles (2414KM) in 24 hours.

However, Covid has thrown a wrench in the original route plan that would have taken me on a loop including the USA.

I've been poking around on Google Maps trying to find a route that actually works from an average speed standpoint but really can't come up with much inside the province. Yeah, I could do Home>Windsor>ON/QC Border>Windsor>Home and that would work mileage wise almost perfectly (and speed wise too of course) but it's a bit of a bleh route for all the reasons I don't need to explain.

Any other suggestions on what might work? I plotted out Home>Nipigon>Cochrane>Home but it's too far. Home>Wawa>Temagami>North Bay>Ottawa>Home works with a little tweaking to pass the magic mileage number, but it's very tight when it comes to average speed...and quite a bit of northern 2 lane in the dark which carries it's own risks.

View attachment 43118

Any other thoughts on a route that would work that doesn't involve the USA or even interprovincial right now?
Click to expand...

A waste of effort, tires and fuel. I would wait for Covid-19 to die off and travel that long distance somewhere interesting such as Miami,Florida or Texas and then head back home.
 
nterprovincial travel is ill advised right now to begin with at best, and impossible at worst as some border crossings are patrolled and they're turning people back
Click to expand...

Ontario to BC is open.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom