Braking distance - a case for using the both brakes

I'm catching up on my backlog of moto mags and came across an interesting article in the May 2009 issue (yeah, I'm that far behind) of Cycle World on Honda's latest motorcycle anti-lock brake system. I won't debate the good and bad of ABS on a motorcycle here, but just say that there's a compelling case for ABS for street riders and especially for novice riders.

More interesting to me was the difference in stopping distances with standard brakes when comparing using front & rear brakes versus rear alone. In general, over 2x the distance is needed when using just the rear brake at 30-mph and over 3x the distance at 60-mph, irrespective of road surface conditions or whether it was wet or dry. In fact, these data underscore another truism: good brakes & good tires allow you to stop in the wet almost as quickly as when it is dry.

Thinking about the number of riders I see using only the rear brake is scary. Those I've asked about it tell me they worry about flipping over the handlebars if they use the front brake. I'd be more worried about flipping over the car you might run into if you don't use the front brake.

Ride safe...

Speed	Surface	Front & Rear	Rear alone
30 mph	dry bumpy	38 ft	89 ft
60 mph	dry bumpy	146 ft	353 ft
30 mph	dry smooth	32 ft	73 ft
60 mph	dry smooth	140 ft	304 ft
30 mph	wet smooth	37 ft	82 ft
60 mph	wet smooth	155 ft	335 ft

IBA Run playback part 5 - Final thoughts

The previous post was my last description of the IBA run itself. This post is a collection of my final thoughts about the ride. After this posting, I'm putting the IBA subject to rest.

Future posts, hopefully put up a bit more frequently, will focus on rides taken so far this summer. I've got some video to put up, maintenance woes, and I want to share experiences from an upcoming ride in mid August. Stay tuned please.

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The Expectation:

Especially before the IBA run, a typical dialog of a conversation about my participation would go like this:

Other person: "Why would you want to ride 1000-miles in 24 hours?"

Me: "To see if I can."

Other person: "What if you don't make it?"

Me: "Then I'll know I can't."

Other person: "What do you get if you do make it?"

Me: "The knowledge of knowing I overcame physical and mental exhaustion."
Me: "Oh yeah, I also get a certificate suitable for framing."

Other person: "I think you might be crazy."

Maybe I am crazy.

I expected the ride to be a physical grueling experience with fatigue being a huge factor towards the end of the 1000-miles. I also expected to be mentally spent possibly unable to coherently decide to turn left or right or whether I was even on the route.

Further, my experience to date suggested I'd be utterly whipped before 1000-miles. My longest 1-day ride was about 600-miles, and I've done numerous 500-mile days. In every case, I couldn't even imagine continuing on to 1000-miles.

And so, my curiosity of how I would react and function under these circumstances drove me to give it a try. I believe a similar mental calculus takes place when I decided to take a ride when the outside temperature is below freezing.

Yeah. Maybe I am crazy.


The Reality:

Here's what happened:

• I over achieved in route planning. I focused on route details down to predetermining when and where to stop for fuel. Almost the entire route was along interstates. These data were loaded into my GPS unit. A monkey could make this ride.
  
• I anticipated nutrition needs; I stayed hydrated. Snacks, sandwiches, energy bars, and water. No hamburgers, french fries, or sodas. No stress to the upper or lower GI tract.
  
• The weather was generally cooperative. Cloudy, overcast days are actually the best days for riding because they minimize the energy-sucking effects of the sun. Reasonably moderate temperatures and, for the most part, low humidity also helped greatly. No sweating like a pig.
  
• Again, because most of the route was along the interstate, time estimates were grossly conservative and getting ahead schedule by several hours removed any sense of urgency. Mental faculties are less likely to be stressed where there is no need to rush. Flying low is good.
  
• Strictly keeping to rest stops on a regular basis ensured staying fresh and alert. Even my butt didn't get sore.

And finally, the rain at the end of the ride forced me to stay hyper-alert. I think even subconsciously, I knew that I couldn't let my guard down for a moment while riding at night in the rain on the interstate highway.

I never got to experience the fatigue and exhaustion I thought I might until after the ride was done. I don't know if I was riding on adrenaline, especially at the end in the rain, or if it was all good planning and execution. I can say without hesitation that regimented stopping at set intervals for 15- to 20-minutes is a key to making long distance rides.

So, was it worth it? Yes.
Will I do it again? No. I've got it all out of my system. I'll stick to 300 or so miles per day for a while.

Thanks for staying with me on this. Post any comments you might have.

Ride safe...

IBA Run Playback Part 4 - or the final post

I've got to finish this up. Anyone that cares about these posts has probably passed away by now. It's been two months since the IBA run and 1 month since my last post. I am ashamed.

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Turn around and go home
My last posting was at Waypoint 6 less than 100-miles from the turn around point on I-81 at exit 5 in Bristol. The requirement was to purchase something in Bristol (to have a date/time stamped receipt) and then begin the trek north on I-81 and then east on I-66 back to the start point. I've ridden this route scores of times making the 300+ miles of northbound I-81 a mind numbing experience, notwithstanding the picturesque mountains and grand scenes of the Shenandoah Valley.

So, I pulled into Bristol stopping at Black Wolf Harley Davidson for a soda. I passed on the food--though it sure looked good. Black Wolf and Redwing19 had done a great job of ensuring IBA riders had a nice place to refresh for the return run. Since I was a few hours ahead of schedule, I took more than my 20-min to stretch, look at bikes, talk to a couple of folks, and buy a bandanna for my "Bristol receipt."

A little after 5pm I mounted up to start north, but the sun was out and the humidity was rising noticeably. It was going to rain.

Rain + Dark = Can't be seen
And rain it did. Shortly after the sun set, the bottom fell out. Somewhere just south of Roanoke I entered a wall of water. My visibility went from not-so-great to zero immediately. My first thought was if I can't see, then I probably can't be seen. This was confirmed when a tractor trailer zipped around me because he saw me flashing my brake light at the last minute. Commonsense dictated I get off of the highway.

The next exit was nearing, I got off and pulled into the first gas station I came to. About 6 other riders were already stopped and a few more came in after me. The store front about 50 yards from the gas pumps had an overhanging roofed porch covering rocking chairs ala Cracker Barrel. The riders acquainted themselves with each other and we sat and discussed riding, the rain, the time, where we were from, how often we did crazy things like 1000 miles in 24 hours, and other niceties. Employing my famously known people interaction skills, I was done talking after about 3 minutes. That said, I found I had an affinity with a robust fellow I'll call Sherk because the plugs he wore stuck out a good 2" from his ears. (I never did get his name.)

After a bit, a couple in a car pulled up to the porch. The porch was about 3- to 4-steps high, so it was easy to see down into the car and notice the driver, immediately after stopping, reclined her seat to lay flat back. The movement was so sudden and so fluid that it must have been well practiced. Trading glances with Sherk, it was clear this was something worth discussing. However, before we could open our mouths, the passenger opened his door, got out, and quickly slammed it shut, after all, it was still raining pretty hard. As it turns out, he got the back of his T-shirt caught in the door. Rather than open the door to free it, he gave a couple of tugs and it apparently came loose so he scaled the porch steps to enter the store.

When he passed us, we saw his shirt had not come loose but was unraveling from the back trailing a string of thread back to the car door. Trading glances again, Shrek and I waited until the store door closed and decided we'd talk about him instead. We guessed he would soon be topless and mused over the meaning of his apparent nonchalance of losing his shirt.

I peered inside the store after a bit wondering how Shirtless was doing. But I got sidetracked when I discovered I was peering into a McDonald's--!!--I was expecting a convenience store.

Turning around intending to mention this latest revelation to Shrek, I was distracted by another rider coasting in on a 1970's vintage BMW R bike. What caught my attention was the rider's goggles: they were so utterly fogged that it must have been impossible to for him to see through lenses. He was busily wiping them clear and I realized they must have been prescription goggles as his eye balls were inordinately This guy worried me a bit. magnified and the lenses were very thick--but I only got a glance before the lenses fogged over again. If these goggles were correcting his sight, he clearly couldn't take them off. But they were fogging so badly that he couldn't see with them on either. I glanced over at Shrek and he was slowly shaking his head back and forth. I decided, rain or no, it was time to hit the road.

Wet wet wet all the way home...
The rain eased considerably but never stopped. I got back out on northbound I-81 heading for I-66. The rain and late hour pumped up my adrenaline and after a short time on the road I realized I had been gripping the handlebars as if hanging over a precipice. As much as I tried not to, I remained hypersensitive and alert for the remainder of the ride.

When I got to I-66, the more east I traveled the heavier the rain became. By the time I got back to the finish point, the rain was coming down hard. I rolled into the finish at about 1am. Even with the long wait in the twilight zone, I had about 5 hours to spare.

All done...and glad of it
I turned in my paperwork, got my certificate--suitable for framing by the way--and headed for home. The adrenaline high had passed and fatigue began to roll over me as I approached home. I pulled up in the drive way and actually had some difficulty getting off of the bike I was so tired. I pulled out of my completely rain soaked suit, took a shower, and hit the sack.

I'm really glad I participated in this run. I appreciate all of the work the Redwing19 volunteers did to make this a smooth operation. But I can honestly say I got it all out of my system and I doubt I'll do another. Look me up on the official finishers list: click here.


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IBA Run Playback Part 3 - Interstate riding is fast

The Haulin' Phase.

As mentioned in the previous post, once on I-64, I was pretty much away from many of the IBA riders. With no worries about close encounters, and because strictly obeying speed limits on the interstate roads will get you run over--especially when on two wheels--I began to notice I was ahead of my admittedly conservatively estimated time table. By the time I had reached my 4th way point, I-64 on the west side of Richmond heading west to I-81, I was an hour ahead of my schedule. When I got to my 6th stop, heading south on I-81 down near Wytheville, I was two hours ahead. This included strict observance of my 20-min rest-and-relax at each gas stop.

It was about 3:30pm when I got to waypoint 6 having traveled approximately 600 of the 1000-miles. I was pleasantly surprised how pert I felt at this point given that around 600-miles is the maximum distance I had ridden on any one bike trip previously. This feeling continued to "haunt" me throughout the remainder of the ride...more to come.

The weather to this point included everything: fog, rain, sunshine, rain, clouds, and more rain. By the time I got to waypoint 6, the rain had stopped, the sun came out, and the humidity began to rise. To the south, the dark sky portended more rain to come before the ride ended. And it did.


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Note:
It's been over a month since the ride. You may be wondering if I've got a photographic memory or if I'm making all of this up. Neither: I left voice messages to myself at each rest-and-relax stop capturing thoughts, experiences, etc. Technology to the rescue.

IBA Run Playback Part 2 - I've got to get away

Arbitrarily breaking up the ride into phases, I'll call this the 'Escape Phase'.

I intended to get this posted earlier--much earlier--but life and making summer riding plans has been sucking up a lot of time. Here's the next installment of the saga of 1000 miles in 24 hours.

Dawn
Just as dawn was breaking, 450+ motorcycles were unleashed under local police control to Rte 28 south and then on alone to I-66 east to the I-495 Capitol Beltway to I-95 south, around Richmond on I-295 to I-64 east towards Tidewater. My starting position had maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of the riders in front of me when I left Chantilly and getting out to I-66 reminded me why I'm not a fan of riding in large motorcycle groups. Those of you who know me personally and those of you who have read some of my early blog posts know I'm not a motorcyclist for the comrade of riding in large groups. I don't mean to sound anti-social and I enjoy shooting the breeze with motorcyclists of all stripes. But most motorcyclists are weekend riders--not that there's anything wrong with that--and are not experienced in the knowledge of group riding. Even though it's part of the VA motorcycle license test, not riding in a staggered formation for some motorcyclists seems to be akin to driving in the left lane for some motorists. This coupled with the "urge to keep up" and the "sudden slow down" afflicting many newbie riders can make large group rides a hair-raising experience.

Thus, my primary goal was to get away from the crowd of riders as fast as possible. This was easier said than done owing to the sheer number of riders. And, many riders were clearly riding with buddies as there were numerous "sub groups" within larger groups. So, even at super-legal speeds so easily achieved on the interstate roads of the Washington Metro area, I never got away from a group of riders until I exited for fuel for the first time.

The First Stop Wasn't the Planned First Stop
I intended my first gas stop to be at I-64 exit 214. That didn't happen. Instead, I had to get off at exit 31 on I-295 and even then I had been riding on Reserve for some time. My planning for this first stop missed a few important factors:

• I didn't account for the extra gas consumed at super-legal speeds trying to get away from the crowds. The Valkyrie isn't exactly what you'd call a fuel economy vehicle and with 6 carburetors sucking fuel at prodigious rates at high speed, it is even less so.
  
• I didn't account for the gas used to get to the start/stop from my home--I filled up the night before so I wouldn't have to worry about finding a gas station at 4am. But to get from my house to the start point used nearly a gallon of fuel. That's about 20% of the fuel I carry.
  
• And, I apparently planned the first stop too close to the ragged edge of how far I can travel on a tank of gas even under more ideal conditions.
  

All of this conspired to cause me to sweat a bit when I suddenly had to go on Reserve soon after getting on I-295 around Richmond. When I finally got off the interstate, the gas station was several miles away from the exit. Because I was determined to stick to my 20-min rest & stretch at each gas stop, I was off the highway long enough that when I got back on the interstate, I found myself in a "bubble" where most riders were either ahead of me or behind me. I only saw a couple of bikers when I got back to the interstate and no longer had to be hyper-ready for a bike to come into my personal space from the side or suddenly brake from the front or try to kiss my rear tire from the back. My poor planning for the first gas stop had the pleasant side effect of putting me in a place where most riders weren't. The ride started to be fun.



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An item of interest:
According to IBA, nearly 90% of the riders that started this run finished. I find that incredible. Especially considering one couple that passed me while I was zipping down I-95. They were riding a late model Harley, I believe a Dyna series. The small passenger seat was completely obscured by the robust young lady sitting on it. Thinking about her riding on that slightly padded postage stamp for a 1000-miles made me wince. I'm still wincing.

Furthermore, the Dyna owner had replaced the factory ape hanger bars for a set so high that when he turned his head side to side he could discreetly check his underarm body odor. How he could keep his arms in that position for the 20+ hour ride is beyond my comprehension.

This reinforced what I've known for sometime: Harley riders are a tough breed. I think it's reasonable to assume this couple were among the 90% of finishers. My hat's off to them.

IBA Run Playback Part I - The smell of exhaust in the morning

Prologue
While riding, I am able to mentally compose blog entries with such descriptive richness that a reader can experience the sights, sounds, tactility, smells, and even tastes of a motorcycle ride. Unfortunately, dismounting initiates a mental degaussing process that erases the elegant prose that moments before flowed like water. Some call this Adult ADD.

What follows in this post and a few subsequent posts will be a chronological description of my experiences and observances while on the 1K-mile trek. They will include comments about the weather, road conditions, other riders, and spurious thoughts that transpired throughout the 18-½ hours I was on the road. I hope you find these entertaining.

Dawn breaks with the smell of over 400 motorcycles
Having not gotten to sleep until after midnight--I kept wondering what I had forgotten to pack--I got up a 4am and peered outside. The sky was overcast with a hint of rain in the air. I decided a hearty breakfast was warranted and cooked eggs over hard with toast and juice. Conscious of gastric function, I carefully monitored the quantity of ingested food attempting to strike a balance between sufficiency and that which would require frequent stops. My goal was to synchronize nature calls with fuel stops.

The temperature was warm enough that I thought it prudent to open the zippered air flaps in my riding suit before heading off--they stayed open for all but the last 100 or so miles of the ride. I made some last minute adjustments to my packing by removing about half of the tools I squirreled away. I also decided to run back in and make some peanut butter sandwiches that I had previously decided not to take. I rolled out of the garage headed for the stop/start point in Chantilly at about 4:35am. It was dark. And as always when I happen to be out and about at such an early hour, I was surprised at the number of vehicles on the road--the Washington metro area never sleeps.

I arrived at the start/stop point just at 5am. Riders, probably at least a ¼ of the total, were already staged and anxious to get going. As I found a spot in line, one of my good motorcycle riding friends walked up and met me. Having no need to seek the hidden zen of 1000-miles in 24 hours, he was not riding but only there to see me off. A good friend indeed.

At about 5:15 the first set of "special riders" were sent off. The IBA crew then combed through the staged riders collecting rider identification sheets, making note of rider IDs, license numbers, and odometer readings. I was off at 5:35 just 14-min before the sun was due to rise. Despite the overcast morning, there was soon enough light for motorists stopped by Fairfax police to count the 423 riders snaking their way towards I-66 heading east for the Capitol Beltway and then south towards Richmond.

I love the smell of motorcycle exhaust in the morning!
(Not really, but I can't think of another way to end this on a dramatic note.)

IBA Run - Complete

Did it. Rain and all I got back at midnight--5 hours to spare. Details coming.

Posted with LifeCast

IBA Run - Packed Up

Snacks, water, tools, and gear. Route laid out on the GPS. Full tank of gas. I can't think of anything else to do...except get some sleep.

In about 7 hours, I'll be staged out and on my way.

Good luck to all the riders.

Posted with LifeCast

Redwing19 IBA -- mini shakedown for Valkyrie: all systems 'GO'

Despite the threat of rain yesterday, I rode the Valkyrie to work to see if any issues, primarily with the brakes, would arise. Granted, a 20-mile round trip isn't exactly a test ride, but it poured rain on the return leg so I got a chance to see things work in the wet.

Brakes:

Great! Stops right now. It's easy to forget how much different a new set of pads can make.

Front tire:

I've scuffed off the preservative that makes new motorcycle tires slick requiring extra caution. The rear tire is essentially new (~1K miles on it). Confidence level on wet roads just went up several notches.

Desmog with valve & carb adjust:

Wow! Backfire almost gone. I should have done this a long time ago. There's nothing like the sound of a slowing Valkyrie with 6-into-6 pipes at closed throttle.

New plugs & air filter:

Since the world has gone to unleaded gas, spark plugs seem to last forever. The old ones looked worn, but not worn out. I've yet to see a worn out plug in over 130K miles. The air filter was dirty, but not overly so. Replacing these two items was more for peace of mind than anything else.

Redwing19 IBA -- Check on route; check on waypoints

Redwing19 sent out the rider's package via email 2 days ago.

After reviewing it, I see they've changed the route slightly in the Tidewater area. Instead of heading east around I-64 to the south side via the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, we'll be going due south on I-664 through the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel onwards to Rte 58 W. It's hard to predict traffic in that area early in the beach season, but in general, it's a good move to avoid the Hampton Roads Tunnel. Adjustments are in order for the GPS route.

(Just to be sure, I sent a note to Redwing19 to confirm what I thought was a route change. Their prompt reply showed there are no changes to the original posted route. So, my GPS route is loaded and ready to go as is. )

Also, the rider's package makes it clearer that the turn around point is at Black Wolf Harley Davidson in Bristol Va at exit 5. And, there's a requirement to purchase something in Bristol and get a receipt. No problem.

Short of packing and sorting, I think I'm ready. I hope the weather is cooperative.

Stay tuned...