Modern Vespa

I was just wondering if there was a list somewhere that shows just how many riders have earned an Iron Butt award on a Vespa? Better yet has anyone here on Modern Vespa been able to do it? I am pretty sure I have heard a few members here do it so if you have please share...

I remember reading several years ago (maybe 8 or 9 years) the account of some guy who had done the Iron Butt on a scooter. Like a Honda Helix. There must be a list somewhere (like on an Iron Butt website) because I know they are all about good record-keeping.

As I recall, the guy had a hard time of it on the scooter. Very very marginal power for keeping up speed under all sorts of adverse conditions.

I thought we had a member here named Turk who has done it? If you averaged 62.5 mph for 16 hours you could do a 1000 mile day. That would include gas stops, bathroom breaks, food, any breakdowns/flats, rest, ect....

Wasn't it Menhir that did it on a GT200?

I did one, just not on a Vespa, last Summer. I have yet to send my stuff in to get the certificate, though.

I'm intreagued by the idea.

But since most of the miles would have to be highway miles at somewhat constant speed, I'd be worried about wearing a notch in the variator and other serious wear to the scoot?

Any thoughts on what a 1000 mile ride in 24 hours would do to a GTS 250?

Hmmm... I have a feeling I might have some trouble with their rules.

In order to do 1000 miles in my tiny country, I'd have to drive the following route:

Jerusalem to Eilat (center of the country to the southernmost point in Israel) - 191 Miles
Eilat to the Golan Heights (the northernmost point) - 350 Miles
Back to Eilat - 350 Miles
And then back to Jerusalem - 191 Miles

Could be worse. I could try to earn an Iron Butt on a Greek Island (looks across the Med towards Aviator's house).

Yep. Both Mesmer and Turkman have done the Iron Butt (technically the Saddle Sore 1000) on a Vespa:

1031.4 Miles in 18 hours and 40 minutes
Congratulations MV member "Ironbutt Turkman"

Nope...not Menhir. I don't even own a GT200.

And I'm pretty sure my ET4 wouldn't want to try it.

Thanks Jess! I am sure the wear items had to be pretty worn by the end of the ride but that is a true test of endurance for these machines.

You never know; a guy in Arizona did it on a Buddy last year.

http://inthedesertscootin.blogspot.com/2010/05/epic-post-for-epic-ride.html

For anyone considering a longer ride, riding on the freeway, or those venturing out of their city or town or just riding in general The Archive of Wisdom has some really good suggestions of what and how to.

The part about staying away from big rigs, is something I even do in my cars now. Plus, very close to home BEFORE I started riding, this has stuck in my head.

I'm planning to ride one on May 7th. It's a loop through all 6 New England states. I'll let you know how it goes.

There's a list on the Iron Butt website of everyone who's done it and what they rode. Not many scooters on there.

I did a 700 mile day from my house in Titusville Fla up to Banner Elk NC. It was pretty brutal near the end.

You probably mean "brutal right at the rear end."

Ahahahaaaaaaa, awesome...

I think I will give a Saddle Sore 1,000 a go after the break-in period on my wife's LX 150. Sounds like fun! But definitely not a full Iron Butt, I would not even do that in a car, LOL. Well, maybe an RV...

Enough to sit on a frozen bag of peas.

I did the iron butt in 2006 on a BMW r1200rt and I would definitely NOT attempt it on my GTS 300. I averaged 75 miles an hour.

doh! I knew it started with 'M' and ended with 'r'.

Sorry for the confoozion.

So I exchanged emails with a helpful gent at the IBA who assured me that there would be no problem with my having to make a couple of big circles in my tiny country to get to 1000 miles. He also assured me that they had access to someone who could read Hebrew (so they can verify what is written on the receipts submitted to certify the ride).

But I'm still curious about what I wrote earlier: After all... I'm up for a challenge, but I don't want to damage my primary mode of transportion in the process.

To me doing the IBA (1000 miles in less then 24 hours) was fun. I thought of it like two 500 mile days as far as what it could do to the scooter.............just add some wear to things and more miles. Granted doing the 1000/1 isn't for everyone but neither is the CannonBall (something I feel is for the very tough!!).

My GTS didn't suffer because of the ride. Left home around at 3am on 6/23/10 (weather was perfect). Rode freeway all the way at about 65 to 67 mph (GPS.........did crank it up to about 72 for the last 150 miles), filled up a lot (11 times), took semi-healthy muchies with me, took a few pictures, called my wife at the 1/2 point, GTS used a little oil, never felt sleepy because I was so pumped up about doing it and arrived home at about 12:30am (6/24. 20 1/2 hours later) to my wife holding a bottle of champagne and 2 glasses.

Yes it is kind of a goofy thing to do but I had a gas! Will do it again on my '83 BMW. Hopefully a longer one on the GTS, soon. Maybe a CannonBall. I'm not getting any younger.........

Long rides can really produce a lot of heat and this can cause belt failure if your belt is already past it's expected, useful life. Make sure that you have a fairly new belt installed and that you have cleaned your air cleaner recently before starting out. If your tires are in good shape and all your fluids are topped off and not close to the point of needing changing, you should be good to go.

+1 to that.

And wearing a notch in the variator is inevitable. The only question is how long. Treat it as a consumable (though a long-term one) and all will be well.

I'm sure it could be done. In fact, I spent some time researching it. My butt can handle it, and I've done long hours before.

The reality is, I just lost interest in trying. I think it would be pretty rough on the scooter, but even more...

I found the things I like best about riding is enjoying it as I go along, and I found I've spent too many long trips (I've used this description here often before) seeing American as a roadside blur.

My thinking now is that I may try it sometime on my motorcycle because I can stick to the highways and rack up some serious miles in less time. In fact, one of my students just bought up the subject last week. Hmmm.

But it's been moved to the back burner for now.

The only way that I would be likely to do it is if I were going somewhere anyway. Having said that it seems to me that if it's 1000 miles in 24 hours not 1000 miles in the same day the way to do it would be to devide the ride into two 9 hour rides averaging 56mph each. Start at 2:00pm. ride till 11:00. Fuel, eat, get a motel, misc.. 1 hour. Sleep 5 hours. Set out at 5:00am ride till 2:00. Doable. If Trepp did it he could even sleep in his own bed.

New Orleans is 915 miles from my home. Hmm....

The New England 1000 starts out with about 300 miles on smaller state highways and the remainder on the interstate. The current plan, at the suggestion of the routemaster, is a 3:00 a.m. start. Everything I've read and been told suggests that steady riding is the key, not speed.

This is the only place I can come to talk about this and have people actually understand the motivation for doing it.

My riding style is somewhat limited, but appropriate for such events

You guys rock! I really appreciate all the feedback and advice. Thanks!!!

So did that solve your top speed problem?

Yes.

Don't recall if I ever shared what had happened.

This wear was atypical, even with my lack of style.

We found that the 'GEAR BOX SEAL RUNNER 180 2T M.02 U' if I'm recognizing the part correctly, started to fail, and caused the usual dust and belt leavings, to become sticky, which when blown around a bit, stuck to everything, including the drive side of the belt.

That wear, while started by about 10k of WOT, really took off in my 4k trip to AmVes and back.

That one repair put me $150 ahead on the original purchase price of my extended warranty, which I had used before. Only thing I had to pay for were the fluids- gearbox and motor oil.

w00t!

If anyone here decides to do it let's make sure the rider has SPOT tracking so we can watch it while it is happening. I am really temped to pull the trigger.

Today, while at ScootOver for a service appointment, I was privileged to talk to the gentleman from Tucson (Howard R) who did the Iron Butt on a Buddy. I asked him if he was planning to do it again. He replied in the definite negative. But given a larger displacement scooter... well, maybe.

I'm the guy that did the Saddle Sore 1K on a 150cc Buddy. As Pete said, I have no interest in doing it again. . . . on a buddy. I enjoyed the ride but I did it on the Buddy mostly just to see if it could done. I did it in 23 hours and 40 minutes, stopping 20 times for fuel and completely ran out twice.

I could be talked in to doing it again on a larger bike and perhaps going with a friend or two. That would be kind of fun.

Taking a 125 or 150cc bike really makes the ride very difficult. Route planning was especially hard, since I had to find the flattest possible route, because I knew that climb would kill my speed and my time. That's the reason I wound up choosing the Tucson to Pecos, TX route.

If anyone has any additional questions, feel free to email me. I thank the folks that have checked out the blog entry, posted earlier in this thread.

Ride safe,

howard

email - howard@skyislandriders.com

You rock Howard and welcome to Modern Vespa! Stick around and I think you will like to group...