Ray's Iron Butt Ride #17
Bun Burner #8 (Gold)
1,511 miles, 23 hrs 22 min
Nov 14-15, 2024
Bun Burner Gold = 1,500 miles in 24 hours
"Ray, as I have said before, you are an inspiration to all of us!" -Michael Kneebone, President and Founder: Iron Butt Association - "World's Toughest Motorcycle Riders"
I'm back home, after a fantastic ride. 1,517 miles in 23 hrs 22 min.
The temperatures along my route looked best on Thursday the 14th, so that was my target start date. In retrospect, the weather was absolutely gorgeous. The skies were clear, the wind was still, and day was cool. However, the night was really frigid, along the I-8 and I-10.
My objective for this seventeenth Iron Butt ride was another Bun Burner Gold (1,500 miles in 24 hours). That's a long ways to cover in a day, so traveling at high-speed was necessary. But I didn't ride above the speed limit, very much, as didn't want any tickets. So I designed this route to follow high-speed freeways as much as possible. And that is what led me to a simple Out and Back (rather than a loop which I usually have done.
Also, my planned route was intended to avoid the freezing temperatures along I-40 and Flagstaff, and any ice along the highway in the black of night. So for the warmest ride, I stayed south.
I mounted a set of highway pegs to the bike, and they helped extend the riding comfort on those long hauls.
My planned route:
If the map doesn't work, try reloading the page
Google Map 1,511 miles
Actual ride, as recorded by the GPS. Log reads 1,515 miles.
Iron Butt Motto: "World's Toughest Riders"
"Ridiculously Tough." Jenny says. "I don't know anyone else who would try something like that."
Start Time: 8:59 am
An Iron Butt ride begins at the first gas station, with a Dated Business Receipt (DBR) showing the date, time and location. The rider photographs the DBR against the bike's odometer, as an indication of the running mileage.
Planed Itinerary
Arrive Quemado 9:00 am MST, 46 deg
Quemado to Socorro 105 mi, 1 hr 44 min
Arrive Socorro 10:55 am MST, 51 deg
Socorro to Las Cruces 148 mi, 2 hr 2 min
Arrive Las Cruces 1:20 pm MST, 69 deg
Las Cruces to Willcox 196 mi, 2 hr 50 min
Arrive Willcox 4:20 pm AST, 70 deg
Willcox to Eloy 141 mi, 1 hr 58 min
Arrive Eloy 6:31 pm AST, 72 deg
Eloy to Yuma 165 mi, 2 hr 15 min
Arrive Yuma 8:58 pm AST, 68 deg
Yuma to Eloy 165 mi, 2 hr 15 min
Arrive Eloy 11:25 pm AST, 60 deg
Eloy to Willcox 141 mi, 1 hr 58 min
Arrive Willcox 1:36 am AST, 50 deg
Willcox to Las Cruces 196 mi, 2 hr 50 min
Arrive Las Cruces 4:36 am MST, 46 deg
Las Cruces to Socorro 148 mi, 2 hr 6 min
Arrive Socorro 7:01 am MST, 40 deg
Las Cruces to Socorro 148 mi, 2 hr 2 min
Arrive Quemado 8:56 am MST, 49 deg
Socorro to Quemado 105 mi, 1 hr 44 min