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Version 6.4 ©
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SaddleSore Documentation Guidelines - the short version (long detailed version below): History - the IBA has been issuing 1,000 mile day certifications since the 1990s. These are difficult certifications to earn, please study the rules carefully. Step one - choose a SAFE route and use a mapping program (google maps preferred) to check your ride really is 1,000 real miles. Step two - Collect, photograph and track FUEL receipts, START/END and each stop - photos of each receipt in front of your odometer. Step three - send it in! Where possible, please use electronic submission. Forms needed:Trip log and application forms (pdf)
If you have any questions about this ride, contact us at [email protected] A good YouTube video to watch, ride tips, documentation tips (6:48 to the end) Joe Goe Conquering the Iron Butt: what you need to know! (Some of the forms he mentions have been eliminated; but there is alot of good information there). Another good video is How to Fail an Iron Butt Ride.THE LONG DETAILED VERSION: SaddleSore History Prior to 1993, the Iron Butt Association did not certify 1000-in-1 rides. To that point we referred riders to other organizations. Unfortunately, that occasionally turned out to be a mistake. In some cases, organizations that claimed to have rides didn't, while others took riders' money and never delivered promised awards. Although it was never the Iron Butt Association's intention to certify 1000-in-1 rides, the number of letters we received asking to do so had become staggering. With some serious pushing from our members, we agreed to certify a variety of long distance rides. At that same time, the IBA had been working closely with Les Martin at the California Motorcycle Touring Association (CMTA) for ride certifications taking place in California, Nevada and Oregon. As it turns out our decision to gear up for ride certifications came about the same time Les Martin had announced he was retiring (1993). With Les moving on to a (hopefully!) more relaxed lifestyle, we were sad to see the rich history of the SaddleSore and Bun Burner rides he had been working so hard on for so many years to be lost. It only took a few minutes of discussion with Les about our plans before he decided to donate both the SaddleSore and Bun Burner names to the Iron Butt Association. During the CMTA days, the SaddleSore was 1,000 miles in 24 hours certification and the Bun Burner was 1,500 miles in 36 hours. The IBA renamed the rides slightly, the SaddleSore became the SaddleSore 1000 (1,000 miles in less than 24 hours) and the Bun Burner became the Bun Burner 1500 (1,500 miles in less than 36 hours). At the same time, we created the Bun Burner GOLD (1,500 miles in less than 24 hours) as so many riders had "unofficially" been documented since the early 1980s. We hope that we can continue the quality and tradition of the ride to which Les Martin devoted so many years of his life. The SaddleSore 1000 Guidelines for Certification
Every time I read these guidelines, they seem overly complex. However, they were developed by one of our members involved in record keeping for various sporting events. There is no doubt that the documentation requirements for these certification are tough, but when you hang your certificate on the wall, you can rest easy knowing that we just don't hand these out to anyone. When the ride is over, you have survived not only a very tough ride, but you'll have the documentation to back up your claims. How many riders can say that? When you read the following guidelines, keep in mind that our goal is to see a well documented ride. If you cannot follow the guidelines exactly, feel free to drop us a line with a proposal. We will be happy to review your plans and possibly accept changes to this format. Scott Durham Iron Butt Association Guidelines for the SaddleSore
1000 or Bun Burner 1500. IMPORTANT NOTE: The guidelines for a Bun Burner GOLD (1,500 miles in less than 24 hours) and Bun Burner Silver (1,500 miles in less than 30 hours) are located at: Bun Burner GOLD Guidelines. Following are the guidelines for earning an Iron Butt
Association Pin and License Plate Back and a Certificate of Completion
for a 1,000 mile (or more) ride in less than 24 hours (SaddleSore 1000). You may also complete the ride two-up (with one person doing the piloting, the other being a passenger the entire distance - you may not share piloting duties!). In these cases, the Iron Butt Association issues one certificate, with both rider and passenger on it, but we provide two copies of it; one for the rider and one for the passenger. There is NO additional charge for a passenger, however, if they would like a pin or plate frame, you will need to add that in on the fee schedule page. There are three steps to earning a SaddleSore certification; 1. Choose a safe route, 2. collect and track receipts, and 3. 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, is ready for a big ride. STEP ONE, Choose a SAFE route Your
ride needs to be completely documented (steps
outlined below) and cover a minimum distance of 1,000 miles in less
than 24 hours (SaddleSore 1000)). In order to keep
these
rides from becoming races, we do not publish the actual time it took to
do the ride...only that the ride was completed with 24 hours! Please keep in mind, 24 hours is wall clock time, not riding time. So if you start your ride at 5:00 pm on June 1st, you must finish it before 5 pm on June 2nd. The SaddleSore does NOT require you to speed. The majority of riders will cover their 1,000 miles in about 18 to 20 hours (including all stops). For every hour you are on a major highway riding, you put approximately 20 minutes of "off" time in your time bank that can be used for resting. Use that time wisely as it does not come off the 24 hour clock! Although this is not much of an issue in the USA and Canada, please note: We do not certify rides where the maximum speed limit is too low to support the average speed necessary to complete the ride within the time limit. A safe ride should be your primary goal. If this is your first attempt at a 1,000 mile day, we highly recommend that you study the Iron Butt Association's 25 long distance riding tips located at: 25 Tips. Additionally, U.S. riders will find that the Interstate Highway system offers the safest and quickest way to cover the miles. With efficient time management, many riders leave early in the morning and are home in time for a late dinner. Other riders will split the SaddleSore in two parts, riding through the day and stopping for a motel room and continuing the ride after a long rest stop. IMPORTANT NOTE: Unless your speedometer has been
calibrated, do NOT depend on your own odometer readings for official
mileage! Most Japanese motorcycles register at least four percent more
miles than actually traveled. Over the course of a 24 hour period, this
error can be quite severe - as much as 40 miles. IN ALL CASES, mileage
will be verified with propriety software which is very accurate.
Hence, you shuld plan to ride at least 1,040 odometer miles, We recommend you put your route in to Google Maps, it works in most parts of the world and allows you to easily change your route by dragging it on alternate roads. Additionally, it allows you to save your route and send it to us (Click the Menu icon ≡ (upper left corner); Click the Chain Link icon "Share or embed map"; copy the resulting link & paste it where desired.) From a documentation standpoint, the best route is one where you take a straight line ride from point to point (for example, start in Chicago, Illinois and finish in Denver, Colorado). However, we realize that many riders cannot afford to devote this kind of time to their ride. With that in mind, you may choose any route you wish using the following guidelines: If you choose a circular route, you will need to obtain a dated receipt at each "corner" to show that you did not take a short-cut. For example, if you choose to ride the circular route of Chicago, Illinois to St. Louis, Missouri to Kansas City, Kansas to Des Moines, Iowa and back to Chicago, we would expect to receive receipts from each of those cities (in addition to the guidelines that follow). If you choose a route where you ride 500 miles and then turn around and come back, you must get a dated receipt at the turn around point. For example, if you were to start in Denver, Colorado and ride to Omaha, Nebraska and back to Denver, we would expect a detailed receipt from Omaha (in addition to the guidelines that follow). We strongly discourage, and in some cases may reject, routes that are repetitive in nature. For example, we would not accept a claim that you rode five round-trips between Daytona Beach, Florida and Jacksonville, a distance of only 95 miles... No preregistration is needed for the SaddleSore or Bun Burner rides. We feel this removes the pressure to complete the ride should you become tired or otherwise feel unsafe. While group SaddleSore rides bring with them the safety of group travel, they can also increase your risk by encouraging you to press on when you might otherwise stop. Group rides can also encourage aggressive riding. Be sure riding styles of others in your group match your style. When planning a ride, keep in mind that group rides are only as fast as the slowest person in the group. This can extend your riding day many hours pushing you toward fatigue. Motorcycling comes with risk and riding a 1,000 miles or more increases your risk substantially. It is imperative you understand the risk you are taking and minimize the possibility of an accident by practicing safe motorcycle habits. No one, not even the most experienced long distance rider, can safely fight off fatigue. If you are tired, the only option is to stop and rest. Ignoring the symptoms of fatigue can be fatal. The SaddleSore rides enjoy a fantastic safety record but to continue this record requires you to do your part. If you are tired, having a bad day, or facing other hurdles that are impacting your riding skills, please stop and rest so that you may enjoy motorcycling another day! Please remember that the Iron Butt Association is dedicated to the sport of safe, long-distance motorcycle riding. It does not condone nor will it tolerate unsafe activities such as excessive speed (in many states, riding more than 20 miles per hour above the speed limit will also get you charged with reckless driving. Reckless driving is a serious charge in any jurisdiction. In many cases your motorcycle can be impounded and you will be required to return to court for a personal appearance at a hearing, irrespective of the distance you have to travel to appear or the hardship that it might entail. Few experiences in motorcycling are more memorable than an appearance in traffic court, particularly if your license hangs on the outcome), reckless motorcycle operation, riding while fatigued or otherwise impaired, the use of stimulants to maintain alertness, or any other activity that results in riders exceeding their personal limits. Any rider found to have engaged in these or other unsafe activities, as determined in the sole discretion of the IBA, will have the certification application refused. If the certification is already issued and we find out about these infractions after the fact, the certification will be revoked (if you read Motorcyclist Magazine, you may have seen them burning an IBA certification when we revoked the certification of a noted staffer's ride). For these purposes, the IBA will consider as an admission of violating this policy any public statements made by the participant that describe participation in unsafe activities during a ride subject to certification. STEP TWO: Collect, photograph and track FUEL receipts - THIS STEP IS CRITICAL! Your ride starts from the location of your first computer generated receipt (preferably fuel): * * * THE COMPUTER TIME STAMP on your FIRST/START receipt WILL BE YOUR OFFICIAL STARTING LOCATION AND TIME * * * at the end of your ride, * * * THE COMPUTER TIME STAMP on the FINAL receipt WILL BE YOUR OFFICIAL ENDING LOCATION AND TIME * * * You MUST have a receipt at every major CORNER/TURNING POINT of your ride to show you did not take a short cut. And finally, don't forget, we need ALL your FUEL receipts! RECEIPT TIPS: Here is an example of a 'good' receipt:  You MUST take a photo of each receipt in front of your odometer at the start, each fuel stop and finish location:  This
low-resolution photo shows a good way to show your receipts. Of
course, the photo you turn in will be higher resolution so the
verification team can clearly read location, date and time. Most
phones are capable of taking this kind of photo. For more
examples, please visit here. You might want to start practicing now before your ride. On a good day, under cover at gas pumps, it is easy-peasy. On a wet, windy day at non-covered pumps, not so much. Some riders use a small clipboard to hold thir receipt; others use blue painters tape. You decide which way is best for you. Before the start, you will want to try gas stations to find one that has a receipt with a good location, time and date on it to document the start of your ride. IMPORTANT NOTE: Date and time is most important for your start and end receipts. They are much less critical on the other ride receipts. We know there are mistakes on many station clocks - spend your time concentrating on the start and end receipts. Fill up your gas tank and obtain a computer printed gas receipt with a legible date and time stamp. NOTE: You may also elect to use a bank ATM receipt with a time and date stamp for your start time but please leave with your tank full. WARNING:
If your motorcycle is equipped with a large
fuel-tank, please note that you must stop at least once every 350 miles
for gas. Although we
know it is possible to ride greater distances non-stop, we want you to
get off the saddle, take a short break, and stretch your legs. At the end of your ride, before the 24 hour ) time period is up, obtain a computer printed gas receipt with a legible location, date and time stamp. * * * THE COMPUTER TIME STAMP WILL BE YOUR OFFICIAL ENDING TIME * * * You should also consider using a satellite tracking system to
record your ride. The IBA has adopted spotwalla
as our official tracking syste, Using spotwalla makes your
application process easier to prove, and provides our family with a way
to track your journey. STEP THREE: Submit your documentation. Choosing
Your Application
Pathway
Once you return safely, organize your data—.
You have three
options to submit your application, depending on your timeline and
future
riding goals:
If you intend being an active Iron Butt rider, you should consider becoming a Premier Member now. Premier members usually get their certificates in just a few weeks! The most efficient methods are the electronic application or the Premier Electronic application . You already have your gas receipt pictures in your cell phone. Just email those pictures to yourself, and attach them to the completed application at one of the portals above. Electronic applications make it easier for the IBA to route your application to one of our volunteer verifiers. If needed, write a short note about any problems with your ride, for example, "The receipt from Valentine, Nebraska does not have the correct date. I had the attendant write the correct date. The station's number is 555 555-1234." We strongly caution that out on the road it may not be possible to follow these guidelines to the letter.If that happens, please explain any problem you encountered and we will do our best to work out a solution. For example, 23 hours and 35 minutes into his ride, one rider could not find a gas station, eventually he found an ATM and got a receipt. While he was over the 24 hour time period, he had also ridden 1,081 miles, obviously he had ridden over 1,000 miles in 24 hours (no one can ride 81 miles in 35 minutes). In a case like this, we roll the map and clock back to the 24 hour point. Email the form. Tell us what merchandise you are ordering: Paper certificate? Full Package? Full monty??. CALCULATE
the fee. We offer several options. You can get only
the certificate for $45; or for a better value, you can order the 'full
package' including the certificate, a ride PATCH, and an
IBA plate back for $55 (a $5.25 savings); or for the best value you can
order the 'full monty' including the cerrtificate, a pin and a patch,
and the backer plate for $63.25 ( $6.50 savings). Send that payment to us through paypal. paypal will
quickly send you a confirmation of payment. Send a copy of that
confirmation as an attachment to your application. If
for any reason your ride cannot be verified we will refund your
payment. Here's how: --Go to PayPal.com, log in, click 'My PayPal', then click 'Send and Request' and choose 'Send money to'. ---Send the calculated payment to:
If you are unable to use the electronic submission
system, you can still send in your application via snail mail.
Just download and print these forms: Trip log and application forms (pdf) send to: Iron Butt Association, 2036 CHEROKEE ROAD STE 194, ALEXANDER
CITY, AL 35010
USA. Please make your check payable in US funds to the "Iron
Butt Association". Please note that we do not make any money on this ride, this is our approximate cost of administrating the SaddleSore program. We realize this is a long time to wait for your certification. However, our certification process is very thorough. In fact, the entire certification process is what gives your certificate value. It would be very easy for the Iron Butt Association to simply take money and print up a generic "you rode a 1,000 mile day" certificate, however, the value of the entire certification program is in the fact that not just anyone can get an Iron Butt Association ride certification. The downside is this process takes time... We can only offer that when you receive your certification you know that not only you earned it, and so did any other rider that you meet with the same certification. When we get your ride documentation, one of several people will start the verification process. Due to the extensive work involved (keying data into mileage spreadsheets, map verifications, and custom certificate preparations) and the fact that approximately 90% of the labor involved with producing these awards are performed by volunteers, it will usually take a minimum of 2 to 3 months before your certificates will be ready for signature and mailed to you. If you intend being an active Iron Butt rider, you should consider becoming a Premier Member now. Premier members usually get their certificates in just a few weeks!
If you have any questions about this ride, contact us at to [email protected]
Ride Packages:
The Full Package (most popular)
The Full Monty
Pins:
(Not true to size--pins are 1.75 inches tall by 1.75 wide) SaddleSore 1000-Pin BB1500Cruiser Pin
Bun Burner 1500 Cruiser Patch
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Riders that
successfully have a SaddleSore or Bun Burner ride certified
receive a certificate, an Iron Butt Association pin and a
plastic license plate back with our logo "Iron Butt Association -
World's Toughest Riders."
