IronButt doable ON A "T"?

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dayguy	IronButt doable ON A "T"?		Lead	[-]
HSATF Tail Gunner Posts: 258 11/19/05 6:57 PM	Tags : None Hello all, I've been a fan of the IronButt ever since I became aware of its existence. I just love reading the riding accounts on the IronButt website. Right now, I'm in the "Gee, I wonder if I could do this?" stage. My question here is: could I accomplish a 1,000 mile ride on my Shadow ACE Tourer? Right now I'm thinking about tackling their New England 1000. I typically get 125-140 miles on a tank of gas. Do you know if there is a larger tank I could bolt on without having to modify either the tank or the bike? What do you know about auxiliary fuel tanks that would easily go on the "T"? I know a few of you have earned IronButt license plate frames, but how many of them are on your "T"? Greg
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gr8scott51	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#1	[url]	[-]
HSATF 1st Officer Posts: 807 11/19/05 7:14 PM	I need to learn more about the Ironbutt before I say too much, but the first thing I did after putting 800 miles on my T was change the seat. That seemed more important than the gas tank. It has been my experience that good enough, isn't.
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CleRider	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1908 11/20/05 5:54 PM	Greg, A few have completed a IB1000 with a T. From my neck of the woods, Pat (PWD67) did a few before selling his T for a Roadking. If I recall, some of the key points to keep in mind: 1) Don't speed. The higher speed and wind will beat you up quicker than the endurance of a long ride. 2) Plan to spend about 16-18 hours on your T. 1000 miles divided by an average of 60 mph is still 16.67 hours. Plus fuel, food and pit stops. 3) Avoid midday heat. Ride in the Spring or Fall. 4) Start at 4am in the morning. The first couple of hours will be in the dark then the rest of the ride should be in daylight. 5) Plan your routes to avoid major cities durring rush hour. 6) Drink plenty of fluids. As far as extra fuel. There are three options: - Bigtanks.com will expand your tank but is really expensive. - A few have mounted metal aux tanks with a pump. - Avoid the temptation to carry 2.5 gallons in a plastic tank, but is has been done. As for only having a 120 mile range. That's about two hours and when it's time for some fuel you could also take on some fluids, (let some go too) and eat. A 10 minute break every couple of hours will give you a much needed break to ride 18 hours. And finally, work up to it. All though my personal best is about 800 miles per day, it wasn't my first trip. Started by going 200-300 miles per day. Andy
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dayguy	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#3	[url]	[-]
HSATF Tail Gunner Posts: 258 11/26/05 9:17 PM	You guys have brought up a few things that I didn't think of, such as the need to get off the bike after two hours in the saddle. All of this is great advice and will be saved. I have a Mustang seat that seems to be quite comfortable, at least for the 100-200 mile trips I have done thus far. I think I just need to do more of them, and work my way up to the 1,000 mile mark. Thanks guys. I'll keep all this info in mind and let you know if/when I try this in the spring. Greg
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West Tn Dawg	I have been thinking of doing one too.........	#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1608 11/27/05 7:23 AM	One thing I have decided that will be considered is to plan my route with the setting sun behind me. I made a 50 mile ride into the sun one day and it wore my eyes out fast and gave me a splitting headache! I also planned several routes and decided on a loop that would keep me within 4 hrs of home at the furtherest point. Most of the loop was only 2 or 3 hrs away from home. If I had trouble of any kind, bike or physical, it would not take to long for help to arrive. Goodluck! Rick We Have Plenty Of Youth, What We Need Is A Fountain Of Smart!
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fedspaz	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#5	[url]	[-]
Posts: 666 11/28/05 7:04 PM	The only problem I had with wanting to do the SS1K on the "T" was the distance before a gas stop. So, I chose to do it on a bike that got more distance between stops. On my "T", I struggle to get more than 120 miles before I hit reserve and need to look for a station. I could never figure out why on a bike that was designed (or so I've always assumed) to be a bike to ride "down the road" it was equipped with a smaller gas tank. Keep your knees in the breeze! -Kirk
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jerky1280	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 20 12/07/05 7:42 AM Tail Gunner	I did 500 miles on my T the other day, in 9 hours. I stopped every 80-100 miles to get gas, hit the bathroom, and pop some tylenol. Several comments on my experience: The stock seat, while comfortable for short trips, hurt my butt after a few hours. New seat needed. The riding position stretches me out, and hurts my back after a while. Bar risers/extenders would be a necessity. I'm 5'8". The Pro-tec backrest was a great idea, but the above seating position makes it pretty much useless for me. The constant buffeting drove me crazy. Rifle lowers helped, but it's still there sometimes. Ear plugs helped some. Need to install my throttle lock that's sitting in my garage. D'oh! I've done several 200-300 mile rides on the T, and this one longer one. This has lead me to believe that the "Tourer" is more of a cruiser with hard bags and a windshield. I was planning on doing a 850-mile day to california, but decided to fly instead after this trip. I am actually more comfortable doing long trips on my '94 VFR750 than I am on the T. Don't get me wrong, I love the T as a commuter, grocery getter, and weekend cruiser. It does those things extremely well, but a tourer? Not for me.
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Fredrider	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#7	[url]	[-]
Posts: 6285 12/07/05 1:44 PM	The most I have done on my T in a day is 617 miles. With a Corbin seat & backrest, the right-height Rifle windshield, Cobra safety pegs and floorboards as well as highway pegs it was not the lack of comfort from the seat, buffeting or wind noise that kept me from going farther. All those factors were fine the way my T is set-up. I just did not want to push it and get myself into any kind of fatigue trouble. I have done many 400 mile and 500 mile days with my T configured like this and know that the seat and buffeting/wind noise do not have to be fatiguing factor if your T is tweaked to your needs. Just my ... Fred
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pwd67	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#8	[url]	[-]
Posts: 490 12/12/05 2:53 AM	*Quote:* could I accomplish a 1,000 mile ride on my Shadow ACE Tourer? Absolutely. And don't worry about how often you need to stop for gas. 24 hours is plenty of time for 1000 miles. You'll do it in much less, even stopping every 120 miles or so. Besides, after a while, you'll welcome the frequent stretch break.
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dayguy	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#9	[url]	[-]
HSATF Tail Gunner Posts: 258 12/15/05 4:40 AM	Great advice, gang. All of it. *Quote:* The stock seat, while comfortable for short trips, hurt my butt after a few hours. New seat needed. Jerky, you're right about the stock seat. That was the second accessory I got for my "T", right after the backrest for the wife. As far as the smallish (?) gas tank goes, after 125 miles, I'll want to get off the bike for a few minutes. *Quote:* Need to install my throttle lock that's sitting in my garage. D'oh! The VistaCruise throttle lock is already on my Christmas list. DID YOU HEAR THAT, SANTA CLAUS? So, if you folks think of anything else between now and mid-April, be sure to post it. And, Thanks! Greg
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texcritter	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#10	[url]	[-]
HSATF Tail Gunner Posts: 86 01/04/06 10:15 PM Tail Gunner	It's very doable. To date I have only one SS1000 on the T...but even with a 3 hour rain delay I still finished it in 21 hours. Just pace yourself and stop when you need to. there is an alternative to the IBA. The Wild Pelicans are a class act and you can read about them at www.wildpelicans.net. The WP's certify 3 rides: Silver = 1000 in 24 hrs, Gold = 1500 in 24 hrs, and Platinum = 2000 in 48 hrs. If I remember right it is $20.00 for your certificate and pin. Critter
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goodec	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#11	[url]	[-]
HSATF Tail Gunner Posts: 180 01/04/06 11:19 PM Second Officer	Greg: I don't think 1000 miles in 24 hours on a "T" is a problem if you don't run into bad weather and a major trafic delay. Last summer I covered 703 miles in a shade under 13 hours. Most, but not all, was interstate. I was tired but with 11 hours left in 24 I could have taken a nap and still made the remaining 297 miles on time. Wish I had just so I could say I did. I have a stock shield, Mustang seat and back rest and a VistaCruse. Go for it. Charlie G.
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VT11MAC	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#12	[url]	[-]
HSATF Member Posts: 22 12/31/06 7:35 AM	Since Greg started this discussion over a year ago, he's probably already done the iron butt. For me, the iron butt is easily doable on a T. I've ridden from Sacramento to Phoenix (800 miles) a couple times. Takes 14 to 16 hours taking it easy. The key is the seat. I happened to find that an 04 Spirit seat is superior to the T stock seat for me. And they're easily adapted and available through Honda for only $125. Also, if you'll check out my entry "Gear for the Tourer" on page 2 of General Discussions, you'll find you can pile a lot of stuff on the bike and still look somewhat organized going down the highway. The advice on the long distance riding was great Andy; some things there I had to learn from hard knocks. My biggest complaint with the tee is the short range on a tank. I'll check out the larger one mentioned above, but the only one I've found was ridiculous in price and added less than a gallon. A cross country motorcyclist should be able to travel a couple hundred miles on a tank. Incidentally, does anyone know the horse power of the 1100cc Shadow engine? I can never find it in the specs on the internet. Rick
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mktobob	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#13	[url]	[-]
Posts: 2320 12/31/06 7:34 PM	I believe our Tourers are 57 hp. I don't have my manual here right now so I am relying on my memory and that could be off a bit. Bob
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Fredrider	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#14	[url]	[-]
Posts: 6285 01/02/07 12:03 AM	Rick, in the Aug., 1997 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News the T's rear wheel HP was given as 53.4 at just over 5000 rpm. I don't think Honda ever published what the engine HP is, but given that most drivetrains including drive shafts lose 18% to 25% the engine HP must be in the 65 to 71 range. Fred
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VT11MAC	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#15	[url]	[-]
HSATF Member Posts: 22 01/02/07 11:45 PM	Thanks Bob and Fred. I gave up and called the dealer, who believe it or not, couldn't tell me and referred me to Honda (1-866-784-1870). Their representative spoke to a Honda engineer, who stated the HP is 60. Rick
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fedspaz	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#16	[url]	[-]
Posts: 666 01/03/07 1:19 AM	Is it doable... yes it is... I did a ride around IBA Ride around Lake Michigan (still subject to verification) last year. They onlyl problem I really had was the seat. My ass did finally go numb. Took a few months before I had feeling in a few spots. Other than that... not a problem Keep your knees in the breeze! -Kirk
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Chicago	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#17	[url]	[-]
HSATF 1st Officer Posts: 1150 01/05/07 5:51 PM First Officer	The first day of our trip to Sturgis from my house to Clear Lake, Ia is right around 600 miles, 90% US highways 10% slab. The comfort mods I made to my T include the Mustang 2-piece wide touring seat (the 2-piece is 3" wider and trust me, you'll need it), sheepskin seat cover, Cobra boards, crash bar with Hiway pegs, Honda Spirit handlebars, throttle rocker and ear plugs. We make in about 12 - 14 hours with gas (potty) and picnic stops. Even pulling a trailer, I make it no problem.
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hombldr	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#18	[url]	[-]
Posts: 1898 01/05/07 6:55 PM First Officer	I can't believe that everyone seems to overlook Fedspaz (Kirk's) achievement of 6000 miles more or less in only a week just this past late summer. Outside of million mile rider I can'tthink of anyone capable of giving more good advice about how to indulge in those masochistic marathons than Kirk. I still stand in awe of his achievement while under my breath repeating, "So glad it was he and not me." Take another bow Kirk it was special then and remains so today. Lou
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alepel	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#19	[url]	[-]
Posts: 8217 01/05/07 7:26 PM	Lou....I can recognize the fact that some individuals have achieved significant accomplishment doing an IBA or coast to coast or border to border. What I do not comprehend is the why. I can't help but believe that at some point the pleasure fades and the pain is the obstacle not the mileage. I'm not being critical of anyone. I just don't "get it". A trip of any kind to me is one of pleasure and leisure. I've enjoyed short trips (300-400 miles) on my motorcycle but never wanted to do more because my physical limitations would say 'enough' and that is when the pleasure stops for me. My opinions are in no way critical of others who enjoy the long distances or the challenges of a long distance marathon run. As I said before I just don't get it, and consequently would never do it myself. I think that there is an old adage that says that it is not the destination that is important. It is the journey. And I like the journey to be as comfortable and pleasureable as I get have it. Please....no one take offense in my comments. None are intended and this is not a criticism of anyone. Perhaps it is better thought of as an ex-pression of my limitations. Sad as they are, but true. alepel
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fedspaz	Re: IronButt doable ON A "T"?	#20	[url]	[-]
Posts: 666 01/05/07 7:40 PM	no offense Alain... it's a known fact I have a screw loose... lol Keep your knees in the breeze! -Kirk
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