IronButt Certification

Trip Log/Report

Iron Butt Association Certification Challenge.

Iron Butt Association is dedicated to safe, long-distance motorcycle riding. Although based in the United States, we have thousands of enthusiastic members throughout the globe! One of our more popular slogans is, "The World Is Our Playground." - IBA homepage

This is an association that promotes long distance riding while keeping in mind safe riding values as well as friends comming together to ride the distance. It promotes many long distance challenges within continental U.S. and has recently open up the challenge to those living outside of the United States. Finishers will get to have their names officially listed among their official list of certified riders. They also automatically join the Iron Butt Association Club as one of its finishers/members.

Official List of Finishers

For those who have completed the challenge, your name, vehicles and routes taken will be logged into the official certification information list. Names that appear in the list will be awarded with the challenge certificates and memorabilia as part of completing the challenge from IBA. Lifetime membership to the club is awarded across all countries.

So this is a way to really prove that you have really done any of the Iron Butt challenges officially and not take someone by his or her words.

Ride Report 01 : December Year 2014,

First Attempt

Planning for this ride has taken place over a few months and many different scenarios have been planned out to see which will be a best fit. At the end of it, we have decided to let it be the ending chapter to one of the trip up north at the end of December 2014. For this challenge I will be using my new travel horse, the BMW R1200 GSA LC, the model that was just launched at the end of 2013 and which I have collected and owned since April 2014. This model boost the new BMW liquid-cooled Boxer engine on their flagship toruing bike the GS Adventure.

Hua Hin - Singapore (1600km)

The plan was to ride from Hua Hin to Singapore 1600km within a time limit of 24 hours while maintaining safe riding protocols eg. not speeding.

So how do they verify?

Constant logs have to be maintained
checkpoint to be logged in with a petrol receipts along the way
GPS coordinates would be an advantage.
map of route
witnesses along the way including start and end (verifiable witnesses)

Getting to the Start Point

This is the Day 12 of my ride to the northern Thailand- Myanmar border and I am heading back home back to Singapore. So to end it off, I am going to do the last stretch as the Iron Butt Saddlesore challenge which will take place from Hua Hin to Singapore. The distance I have calculated carefully (with some buffer) and timing to cross border has also been accounted for so as not to waste time getting caught in a jam at the border which will eliminate all chances of making it in good time.

So the report shall start from the time that I arrive at my staging area...the start of the challenge.

My daily blog post of the current ride...

"Day 12

Ayutthaya - Kaeng Krachan National Park, Phetchaburi.

About 260km

This is my final stop in Thailand before i make my way home tomorrow. Will be doing the Iron Butt Challenge(more on that later)

After getting lost in the national park and low on fuel. Finally arrived at the Kaeng Krachan National Park.

Camping grounds are clean and well equipped with shower facilities and some shops or restaurants down the roads. A great place to camp or for a picnic.

Early morning campers can take a hike to see the sea of fog(mentioned earlier) at the viewpoint of the park.

This is the biggest National park in Thailand about 4 times the size of Bangkok. Hungry and thirsty.....lets have a picnic by the lake."

Challenge Log

Iron Butt Challenge

Saddlesore

1600km in 24 hours

To end off my trip with a challenge to myself.

"Endurance, Perseverance and Awareness"

Below is a writeup adapted from www.ironbutt.com

" Welcome to Iron Butt Association's web presence!

The 53,000+ members of the Iron Butt Association are dedicated to safe, long-distance motorcycle riding. Although based in the United States, we have thousands of enthusiastic members throughout the globe! One of our more popular slogans is, The World Is Our Playground."

BASIC RULES:

There are five steps to earning a SaddleSore or Bun Burner certification; 1. Choose a safe route, 2. get a start witness, 3. collect and track receipts, 4. get an end witness and 5. copy and submit your documentation. Since safety is our primary concern, no pre-registration of your ride is needed. Our goal is to give you added flexibility to decide on any given day whether the combination of weather, your motorcycle and most importantly, your attitude, are ready for a big ride.

Good morning Cha Am.

I had travelled 40km out of the national parks in the early morning darkness to get to the starting point. The time is about 4 am in the morning in Hua Hin. The bike is all fueled up and ready to go. The first part of the ride will be riding in darkness of the early hours of the morning through Prachuap Kiri Khan and Chumphon. We shall plan for a stop at the first daylight.

This is the start of the Iron Butt Challenge.

Ya Allah please make this journey a smooth one. Amin.

First stop PTT Chumpon

Distance covered 269km

After riding for about 2 hours without stopping, we head in for our first break in a petrol stop in Chumphon. The perks of riding a bike with a 30 litre tank yo do not need to stop so much but it is good to just stop and shake your legs, have a toilet break and a drink or two to hydrate.

After 4 hours on the road, we have covered 470km of the Thailand Route 4 southbound. Having pass by Prachuap Kiri Khan and Chumphon, we now head into Thung Song for our second break of the journey.

All these stops are logged into the trip log and conversations made along the way to ensure that witnesses can vouch for my attempt of having seen me or met me along the trip. Best thing to do is to tell them that you are participating in a challenge and that you will need their details as the organiser will verify with them. By doing this they will have an impression in their mind that is more long lasting.

*remember that verification takes place months later.

7 hours later

Up till now I had covered about 800km since 4 am this morning.

At an average of 100km/h....not too bad

This will be my last post by myself as next I will be clearing both Thailand and Malaysia Immigration. After that I will not have any more data line. No joke riding in the daytime with traffic. Wet weather expected ahead and jam expected in Malaysia.

Loss of time at the border

Stuck at the border. Border crowd was terrible. Took 2 hrs to clear Thai side just to clear immigration (10m long line) and another hour to ride bike into custom house (200m). Due to the heavy rain in southern Thailand, many areas are flooded with water rising. Therefore slight delays in our trip as a result.

This is due to a few borders being closed due to flood. Not fun going through traffic jam in the rain and after that queue up very very long.

This has put me back by a few hours. Need to catch up on lost time.

Due to wastage of time at the border, I planned for a two stop strategy to complete the journey in time. This should help me cover 800km from Bukit Kayu HItam Border to Tuas Checkpoint in 7 hours (hopefully fatigue does not set in early) with some time to spare as well to clear Singapore Immigration.

Update from Mohamed Reza at 1928 21st December 2014:

Check in 1000km.

Ginong Semanggol RnR

Terrible to be stuck in Thai custom on a Sunday. Was delayed for 3 hours just to clear immigration

Update from Mohamed Reza at 10.00 pm 21st December 2014:

2nd last pump 1200km

Ulu Bernam RnR

Fatique setting in. Hungry, tired, aching. The only thing that keeps you going is knowing that you are returning to the warm hugs of your loved ones......and of coz Red Bull.

(Updates provided by the wife through facebook as I have no data in Malaysia)

COMPLETED the Iron Butt saddlesore challenge.

1630km in 20.5 hrs including 3 hours stuck at Sadao immigration in Thailand.

All documentation for this challenged was compiled and put together.

The following are the screenshots of the document that was submitted to IBA Saddlesore challenge for the certification

Good News (2 Years later)

As the challenge took place outside of continental US, it takes quite some time for the verification process to clear. There were emails that was sent back and forth as well as questions asked.

Finally close to two years later (1 year and 9 months later), we have finally been certified as an official Iron Butt member and placed on the nominal roll.

Ride Report 02 : September Year 2017,

Year 2017, we attempted the same challenge for a second time however this time we did it from Singapore to Hua Hin and on a different machine. This time we are riding the Ducati 2016 Multistrada 1200 Enduro.

The following is some photo sharing of the second attempt as the process are the same.

Iron Butt Challenge Part Deux

September 2017

All set to go for the second time. This time from Singapore to Hua Hin for another 1600km within 24 hours. Also this time will be the ride up which will be followed by a relaxing 4 days 3 Night stay in Thailand, mainly in the province of Hua Hin and Phattaliung but we keep that story for the other blogs. This report we based on just the Ironbutt challenge itself.

1st Ticket (start point)

1st petrol ticket to indicate the start time and start point.

Some of the rest stops along the way and the petrol pumps to ensure that checkpoints are all logged. We planned enough breaks to avoid getting sleepy as we ride through the night for the first leg and we hope to make it in time when the Malaysia-Thailand border opens up so that there are not many people and faster clearance.

Arrived at the border at day break and did all the paperwork to cross into Thailand. The border was practically empty with the crowds not arriving yet and the throngs of buses stuck in Malaysian Immigration. This make it a smooth immigration [procedure into Thailand.

Along the way , petrol stops and refreshments break along the way as the weather in Thailand can be scorching hot in the day time. It is important to hydrate well so as not to suffer from heat exhaustion while riding. Heat exhaustion is definitely not welcome especially during a long ride like this. So at every stops, we ensure we hydrate well and plan for our next stop. At the same time we take the time to fill up the trip logs for the ride.

Trip logs

Keeping up with the trip logs at each stops either for petrol or for some refreshment. This is to account for break time and ensure that there is no speeding involved between petrol pumps. Also we decide where the next stop shall be from here as this is more of an unplanned ride up.

Heading into Surat Thani , about 1200km of the way, it started to rain heavily. We took shelter in one of the roadside cafe, taking it as a much needed rest. Everything is on time for our arrival. Due to no wastage of time at the boundary, this may be our best attempt yet at the fastest time to cover the 1600km. As usual petrol receipts and log are always updated at every rest stops.

The sign of the End

The big bird of Prachuap is always a welcome sight. It only means that we are nearing our goal of 1600km . This bird is situated just out of Hu Hin within the province of Prachuap Kiri Khan. Many riders would stop to take a photo with this bird. It act as a waypoint for most riders on their way up north.

Destination Reached....1600km in 16 hours !!!

The last receipt.

The final petrol pump receipt to indicate the ending time of the whole journey.

The whole trip took us just about 18 hours to complete from Singapore to Hua Hin, riding alone with minimal and shorts stops if any. Also there were no traffic or human jams along the way or at the immigration of both Malaysia and Singapore.

Start time: About 2.00am Singapore Time

End Time: Before 7.00pm Singapore Time

The photo below shows the face after completing the 1600km ride...happy but tired.

Mission Accomplished

So with this we have ended another Iron Butt Challenge using a Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro

We are in Hua Hin....lets enjoy and have some rest.

So what shall be next....??

Perhaps we should attempt the

IBA Bum Burner - 2400km in 36 hours Challenge ...who is in?

Seriously, if anyone wants to do it, I would like a friend to do it together because beyond this distance ... I will need another person to keep me sane as we are doing the challenge and encourage one another.

Till the next Adventure....

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse