When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Plenty of reading and planning in advance made for an enjoyable ride. I decided to throw-on the tour-pack for the extra storage and rear-lighting since I knew Friday would go late into the night. This also allowed my to carry an alternate jacket and a second helmet. Rain-suit, basic tools, a tire plug kit, water and snacks were all on my "must have" short list. I hit the road at 5:30AM in order to be in Nashville by 7PM.
Heading out... I opted for a full-face helmet with comms for the first half of my ride - plenty of time to chat and catch-up with friends along the way.
My first 2-hours or so were mostly on county-roads through countryside. Roads were wet from heavy over-night rain so it was a slow and steady-ride. I must've passed a dozen deer along the way before getting to the interstate - everything happens for a reason. Interstate was dry and it was easy cruising on through to Wythville, VA (Black Beard H-D), where I picked-up my buddy. Rain started about 10 mins before I arrived.
We tooled-around the dealership for about 15 mins (snack, bathroom break, t-shirt purchase) then got into our rain suits for what was looking like 2 hours or so of very wet weather...
Loved having the weather over-lay on my new Boom! GTS unit. Once we cleared the weather we stripped-off the rain gear and had a spectacular day the rest of the way. We rolled into East Nashville right around 7PM and were immediately reminded of the tornado that swept through in March...
Our first real stop was for dinner at The Treehouse. I had been looking forward to getting out to eat for months! Nice enough meal, then we headed on down to broadway to explore the strip. Lots going on but not nearly as crowded as I recall in the past. A fair number of buildings were boarded-up, thought most were open for business.
Most bars had very few people in them, though the bands were rocking. Streets were not crowded at all - the music was everywhere.
After wandering the strip for an hour or so it was on to Lexington to conclude the SS1000. Up to this point we rode fill-up to fill-up, about 200~225 miles at a clip. The final two hours were rough, given the length of the day and the night ride. It was a beautiful night - full moon and clear skies. We slowed down a bit and stopped a few extra times to keep our heads clear and our eyes open. We pulled into our Lexington hotel at 3:30AM. Mission accomplished.
Miles Travels: 1,082 miles (Google Maps) Hours on the Road: 22 hours
More on the rest of the weekend to come...
Last edited by Old Sport; Jun 8, 2020 at 08:29 AM.
From there, we headed over to Calumet Farm and Keeneland before heading over toward Versailles to ride through some great horse farms, rolling hills and huge estates. Stopped at the Kentucky / Martin Castle for a quick pic...
Weather was spectacular. Rode through downtown Lexington, grabbed a coffee, then on over for a quick visit with my Dad for a bit. Ran out for dinner (Pho) and on back for a bit of local spirits. Blanton's was the evening's bourbon of choice.
Wrapped-up the night about 1AM. Headed out on Sunday morning about 7:30AM. Made a quick stop at the Cracker Barrel, before the long ride home.
There were five police officers seated for breakfast just before us. We picked-up their tab anonymously - a little something I learned from my Dad over the years. My buddy and I rode together through to Charleston, WV, then split our separate ways.
Loved the ride back - I-64, I-79, I-68 and I-81 - all great interstates / beautiful scenery most of the way.
Thoughts, observations and learnings up next!
Last edited by Old Sport; Jun 8, 2020 at 06:48 PM.
I had two main reasons for this trip (in addition to simply looking for some adventure and an open restaurant!). First, I wanted to put my bike to the test given my past two years of on-again / off-again motor issues. And secondly, I wanted to get a serious feel for how long I could ride comfortably, BEFORE committing to a future long-distance ride opportunity. Mission accomplished on both fronts...
The bike ran phenomenally well. It ran strong the entire weekend and delivered everything I asked of it. The MY20 pump may or may not have done the trick, but either way I have complete confidence in this bike now. In terms of my endurance, I was truly a happy-camper right on through to Nashville (850 miles / 14 hours). All good.
Things I learned along the way...
Riding with a COMPATIBLE Buddy is Fantastic
I was originally prepared and planning to make this run solo. So glad my buddy joined me. Besides just having company, riding together kept things interesting and helped me to stay focused. We traded-off running lead and occasionally rode side-by-side when the conditions proved favorable. Compatibility between riders had been mentioned before as a key consideration for an Iron-butt run and I definitely agree. My riding buddy checked all the boxes: Our riding style and pacing is similar, the range on our bikes was near identical and our physical endurance was complimentary. Nobody slowed anybody down.
Interstate Waving? Apparently it's a Thing
I wave. I'll wave first. I'll wave back. I'm a waver. But in the NY / NJ it we have a "no-wave" rule when on an interstate or when there is any significant median or divider between opposing traffic flows. I subscribe to that rule. Makes sense to me. So you can imagine my surprise when on my ride home on Sunday from Lexington I consistently received waves from just about every biker I past. This continued right on through to Maryland. I waved back a few times, but to be honest, throwing my arm out like a sail at 85 miles an hour doesn't make much sense to me.
Turns out I Like Interstate Riding
I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to "enjoy" the ride as much as I did. Based on significant experience with northeast and east-coast interstate rides, I imagined being bored to death as I plowed through the 1,000 miles. I am pleased to report I wasn't bored at all, and on the contrary, found it interesting. Lots of beauty along the route. It was like my head was on a swivel as I took in all there was to see and experience along the way. Bike and I both felt great at speed - just a notch or two ahead of the average traffic flow for most of the ride.
The Last Few Hours Were Rough
We stopped much more frequently over the final 200 miles. Combination of nighttime riding and the length of the riding-day began to take its toll. We were pulling-over every 30 mins or so for the last 100 miles. Snacks and fluids helped. Spending the three hours in Nashville was definitely a factor - we got back on the bikes at 11:30PM for a 3˝ ride to Lexington.
Finally, Make it an Experience
I learned about the Iron-Butt challenges from a friend two years ago. Some folks ride the challenge in a loop, clocking the miles to victory. I chose to build a weekend-getaway around it, and thanks to my riding partner we have some great memories to share. Whatever you plan, be sure to plan well and enjoy. Life is all about those experiences. Go get some!
Fluids changed, brakes and general maintenance complete and Mother Nature looks like she'll go easy on me. I've been looking forward to this for a few months it's finally here!
I originally shared my plans with local friends early this year (pre-Springtime). Most thought it was crazy. One or two guys thought they might join me. One guy was hopeful right-up to this week, but bailed at the last minute. I am heading out alone. No worries, this is how I originally thought it would go and I'm totally cool with it.
So, the plan is be on the road about 5:30AM and run I-81 straight on through to Nashville for dinner. I've got a buddy outta North Carolina who will join me in Wytheville, VA, for the rest of the ride. After a few hours and a good meal we'll continue on to Lexington, KY. Just under 1,100 miles for my (very long) day.
I've been to Lexington a few dozen times over the past 30 years and have family there. It will be the first visit for my buddy and given the current environment we fully realize won't really have opportunities to properly experience the area. We'll explore what we can, support the newly-opened restaurant scene and enjoy a good amount of bourbon tasting courtesy of my Dad.
I'll share a few pics and experiences along the way... More to come!
The big miss in Lexington were the distillery tours (still closed), but otherwise yes, there was a sense of normal both in Nashville and Lexington that I had not seen in a while.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
2,000 Mile Weekend...
Interstate was dry and it was easy cruising on through to Wythville, VA (Black Beard H-D), where I picked-up my buddy. Rain started about 10 mins before I arrived.
Thoughts, observations and learnings...
