After the S.E. Rally I rode to South Florida (Delray Beach) for some company meetings. Like last year I was faced with a long ride that I needed to do quickly, which meant taking interstates rather than two-laners. So I decided to do the SS1000 paperwork, which requires witnesses at the start and end of the ride, gas receipts, and a log of stops, etc. I figured I’d see how the ride went and decide if I’d go for the 1000 miles or not. Well, to make a long story short, I left Delray Beach at 4:42 am Eastern Time and arrived at a Super 8 motel in Munfordville, Kentucky at 11:33 pm Central Time for a distance of 1012 miles in 19 hours and 51 minutes. This was done on my 1983 GS1100ED with no fairing. It was certainly tougher than my FJR ride but I actually did it in less time. It was definitely tough and I doubt I’ll ever do it again, but you never know. My total mileage home was over 1400 miles and I did it in about 38 hours including a good night’s sleep. It was certainly within the realm of possibility do complete the next level certification, the Bun Burner 1500 (1500 miles in 36 hours).
Anyway, it is a good feeling of accomplishment and something nobody can ever take away from me. I still have to send the paperwork in and get the official certification but I'm sure that's just a formality. Since I'm already an IBA member I could have bought a 'World's Toughest Riders' license plate frame and stuck it on the GS. But I would never put that frame on a bike I hadn't done the mileage on. Now I can proudly display the frame on the GS as well as the FJR. I don't think the KTM will ever get one!
So now that I have done the SS1000 TWICE, including once on my GS, I have decided to accept criticisms ONLY from IBA members……………………[-(
Thanks,
Joe
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