Started my IB, and completed it! yeehaa

[5_19]

Left Dublin at 15 after midnight and made it Alexandria, La. Beside the rain it has been all good.

[f-Stop]

  Safe Winds! 

[Westsider]

...stay warm / dry / let the horses run..

[RainMaker]

Go, TJ , Go!!!

[Sparky51]

Be safe. Watch out for the crazies!  Keep us posted on your progress.

Steve

[godfire]

Safe winds TJ

[Hoghead]

Have a safe ride TJ. Hope the weather cooperates. Matt

[HayHauler]

Be safe Brother.  I wish for you good weather.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Disco]

Go, TJ , Go!!!

+2 (Janet)     

So, if you went from Dublin to Alexandria the way MapQuest suggests, that's 415 miles.  I'm guessing 2nd fill-up???   

Be safe, have fun, and be safe.   

[SideCar]

Safe riding to you.

[Gear Jammer]

Here's to a great ride 

[john]

BURRR .....       

[Old Geezer Richard]

 Hey TJ , ride safe , watch out for the Cell Phone Crazys and a lot of good weather  for you brother to and from  hope to see ya again at the GOTF'S in Hotglue Country ... Thanks the Geezer

[YODA MASTER]

Ride on Amigo .... with a 415 mile range on my beast we may need to do the next one together. We can take turns towing Disco. (I've been known to tow a Valkyrie before ... huh "Dave formerly of Corinth and now from Allentown"?

Via con Dios mi Amigo.

[Serk]

Uh... BURRRRR! I did mine in late spring and was still cold during the night time hours out in the wilderness...

Enjoy, and keep us updated!

[5_19]

Just made it into Missisippi
Weather is nice done here. Woohoo

[Valkpilot]

You should be on the downhill now.   Wish I was with you.

[chauffeur]

get er done !!!

[5_19]

Just made it to exit 5 in Fl on I10. Refueled bike and body. Shed some clothtes and now let see if I can meet up with ChrisCMA!

[f-Stop]

Wow!  You're making great time. 
Should be able to turn the after burners off and glide the rest of the way!

[Chrisj CMA]

I just sent TJ east from Crestview a few minutes before 4:00 CST he said he only had a hunnerd and sumpthin to get the Iron Butt.........

gimme a shout on the way back if you are stoppin anywhere near here again.

[Disco]

Thanks for the update, Chrisj! 

[Disco]

I just spoke with our brother, TJ.  He'd pulled over at a rest stop to send a mass text to everyone who's been beeping in.  He's 20 miles from the Florida Turnpike, 60 miles from his destination, and has already logged 1,200 miles.  Great job! 

[chauffeur]

great job !!!!

[GreenLantern57]

Way to go!

[Hoghead]

You da Man TJ! Congratulations to you and your "Buns of Steel".
I would drink a six pack of Dublins to celebrate.

[5_19]

Arrived at 11pm local time at the Crown Plaza in Orlando with 1256.5 miles. I understand why its called an IB. More tomorrow I am taking a hot bath and a long sleep!  Oh and I will read all the post tomorrow. TJ

[Valkpilot]

Arrived at 11pm local time at the Crown Plaza in Orlando with 1256.5 miles.

Very impressive, TJ.  Do another 250 miles before noon tomorrow and you'll have a BB1500 too.

We're not worthy.

[Six Guns]

TJ, glad you made it to Orlando safe and sound. I hope your trip was a good one. Get some rest and talk to us later. Thanks for keeping us updated on your journey.       

Victor

[HayHauler]

I agree with VP, We're not worthy...  Glad you made it safe and are finally getting some rest.
Talk later,

Hay 
Jimmyt

[RainMaker]

TJ  - in your honor, my butt is hurting just thinking about your ride.

Congrats!

Mark

[f-Stop]

Awesome!   Glad you made it safe and sound!

[laserpat]

Wow!!! way to go!!! T J.

[5_19]

Ride report,
I went to bed at 7:30 pm on Friday and slept till 11. By midnight I was at the Dublin police station to have my witness form signed. The dispatcher Debbie was kind enough to sign the form. Next stop is the gas station for an official receipt with the start time and date. Official start time was 12:15 am Saturday.

The first hour was nice compared to the next 7. The temperature was around 35-41 and than it started raining and drizzeling all the way to Alexandria, LA. My first fill up after Dublin was in Marshall, TX. I just stopped for breakfast and a little warmth in Alexandria( No 2nd fill up yet Disco,  later in Erwinvl, LA)

THANK GOD for Canjun truckers and my CB. It's about 6:30 am, raining, dark, cold, 75mph and I am listening to music and channel 19. Apparently I am following about 3-4 trucks that are a few miles in front of me and they are warning each other to get out of the hammer lane because of debris in the road that will take their front axle out. Hammer lane??... O... left lane.. south bound... S***t thats me.There where 3-20ft 12" I-beams strung across the hammer-lane over a 300 feet stretch. That was a close call.

Messed up in New Orleans. I missed my I-12 exit around town and ended up going I-10 all the way. No big deal, besides I thought I wanna go thru town at least ones. Little did I know that on the weekend 4 lanes are reduced to ONE and all exit's are blocked and entrances are open. Must be public officials involved. That little stunt cost me a good 30 minutes according to Garmin.

I stopped at the Missisipi welcome station and I had to think of Rocketman because  next to it it had something to do with NASA and rockets test site. I sounded very interesting but I didn't have time to go check it out this time.


When I was planning for the trip I had noticed that Chrisj CMA lives in Crestview, FL which is on I-10. We met up briefly and thanks for meeting up with me Jeff. Even allthough I just stopped about a 100 miles earlier it was the nicest and most motivating break of the day   untill  you told me I had another 8 hours to go. .... The minute I got back  on I-10 I realized I FORGOT to take a picture of us. He rides a beautiful very well maintained red and white '97   . I don't think he believed me when I told him my bike is as clean as his most of the time. Mine looked like it's been on a road trip . That's him trying to catch up with me.


... So I pull into this rest area of I-75 because my phone is just been vibrating and making all kinds of ruckus for the last hour. By this time it's 9pm in Texas and I am 18 miles from the Florida turnpike and some 60+ miles from my final destination. I barely get my phone out and it rings. It's DISCO checking up on me. Thanks Dave for posting. By this time I am so ready to be finished only one hour to go.

The meeting that I am going to is at the Crown Plaza in Orland. The look on the faces of the valet parking attendant's  Carlos and Randy was priceless ???. ....Who is gonna park that thing??? ........I ended up parking it myself When I told my story they where more than willing to sign the final eyewitness form for the end of the ride at 11:03 local time.

That was 1256.5 miles in 21 hours and 48 minutes. My total time stopped was about 3 hrs. My garmin got confused when it rolled over 1000 miles I am glad it's over been there done that and VP I was thinking about that Bun Burner, not this time. That way I would do one of those would be to pick a point/place 750 miles away from home and do a round trip. Pack lite and do just that. Anybody?
Thanks everybody for the kind and encouraging words. Let's ride!!
     

[Chrisj CMA]

Congrats TJ...good job 

[98 T]

Congrats!!       I sure wish I could ride right now, let alone try for a IB badge. (In Wisconsin here, we have temps in the teens and a few inches of snow, some ice on some roads -lots of salt-typical Wisconsin winter conditions)

Thanks for posting -  I love following other VRCCer's rides!!  Especially with picture.

[godfire]

Great ride report!
 
You rock TJ

[HayHauler]

U da Man TJ!  Glad you made it safely.  Thanks Dave for posting a quick update. 

See ya on the way back.  Ifn you're coming through Houston.

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Hoghead]

That was really cool TJ. I wish I had intercepted you when you came through and rode a ways with you. I had just got back from Dallas Sat. night. I put right at 1000 miles on mine last week while you put 1200 in one day. No comparo. I hope to do one some day. When will you come back through? If you have time stop by. I'm impressed and proud of you. Matt

[Gear Jammer]

Way to go TJ