Columbia, MD to Jacksonville Beach, FL Bunburner Gold 1500 Report

It's the Right Time of the Night, for Making Tracks

Trip Background

Having done a SaddleSore 1000 ride the previous month from Columbia, MD, to Winchester, KY, I considered the options for my next long distance ride. I thought about doing a Bunburner 1500 in 36 hours or a Bunburner Gold in 24. The Bunburner 1500 in 36 is nice because you can ride 12 hours, spend the night, and ride the same duration the following day; this gives lots of daylight driving time. See http://www.ironbutt.com for ride certifications.

Bill M at BLM Accessories said that my 6 gallon pillion gas tank was ready; since I had just sent the payment, I knew I wouldn't have it for this trip. So, I had the abundant quantity of 5 gallons to go with the 25-35mpg that the bike gets on rides like this. (If I loaf at 55mph, I get 40mpg+, but I needed to average about 65mph including stops). This would make a BBG more difficult and an exercise in efficiency.

Jacksonville Beach, FL was the right distance, and the route was unlikely to have snow in the middle of the fall season. I decided to leave the BBG as an option based on progress and how I felt at and beyond the turnaround point. I researched hotels in Jacksonville Beach, FL, Brunswick and Savannah, GA, and Santee, SC. A friend told me that many hotels in Florida were booked full of hurricane escapees and that I shouldn't count on finding a room. This meant a GA or SC stay.

By the way, I love this line I saw in Dave Nelson's message today: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by
state troopers." So much for stopping by the woods on a snowy evening. :)

Bike and General Preparations

JP Cycle had large mirrors with long stems at a great price, so I installed them before this trip. This allowed me to see more than my shoulders. Round mirrors were put in the corners. My highway pegs were as low as I could get them, so I could get full leg extension. My rider backrest was all the way forward to decrease arm strain; even at 6'3", my reach of the handlebars had been about 1" short. On top my radar detector box, velcro attached a small container to hold whatever snacks or sandwich I was eating. The audio from the Valentine 1 into my Nady Intercom was inaudible, so, inline, I installed a Boosteroo Revolution with its 4x amplification. What's a AAAA battery, anyway? ;) Thanks for the tip to use an ID Badge holder with a retractable cord for my CamelBak water hose--I clip it to the front of my jacket. My white HJC flip-up helmet is great for eating on the go. I set my Ultrak dual timer to countdown from 23:59:59 and 12:00:00. Rain gear lives in my left saddle bag, spare clothing in the trunk. I had called my four credit card companies in advance and no card got locked by them during the trip. Exxon has a mind of their own on such matters.

Food Preparations

I brought Shrek-character General Mills fruit snacks, Special K bars, Quaker Chocolate Chunk bars, 3 Peanut Butter sandwiches, 1 roast beef sandwich, and a pack of trail mix. (I ended up forgetting where I put 2 of the sandwiches, but it didn't matter. I found them later in the TourPak near my socket set.) Food went into my small magnetic tank bag, fairing lowers, and the MountainSmith pack. The tank bag holds my Nady intercom. Advil went into the sunglass case velcroed to the BLM dash shelf.

For water, I filled up my 45oz CamelBak and strapped it to my backrest. Next came the 96oz Nalgene Cantene (soft), which went unused in my saddlebag. I had two large Nalgene water bottles with dirt caps. They were mounted in the MountainSmith fanny pack which was strapped to the passenger back rest--I used these bottles to refill the CamelBak once during the trip, on the way south.

Getting Ready

The alarm was set for 5:30, but I woke up an hour early. In Maryland, the forecast was clear with a 30 degree nightly temperature and a full moon. I had brought my heated Gerbing gloves, jacket liner, outer pants, and socks inside during the previous night so I could suit-up in my apartment. The dual controller lets me control the glove temp separately. I put on Gold Bond Powder and LD Comfort non-cotton shorts under my LL Bean fleece-lined blue jeans. The powder container didn't get put on the motorcycle, but I didn't need it again. I had a fleece neck warmer under the chin strap. Unfortunately I took it off down south and didn't want to take the time to put it back on northbound (brrrr, bad idea.) I think I'll put a velcro fastener on it so I don't have to remove the helmet. Before walking out the door, the Cardo Scala Rider headset was sync'd up with the cell phone--they are both BlueTooth compatible. Now you know why I have a flashing blue light on the left side of my helmet.

All my paperwork went into the MountainSmith pack. The bike came out of the garage before the start button was hit to minimize the echo of the stock exhaust for the neighbors. I like that my 2005 Electra Glide is fuel injected. My '99 wasn't, and before I went for Stage 1 performance, winter driving meant leaving the choke on for a long time--unless you wanted it to stall when going around the corner with the throttle off. The Exxon is very close, so I didn't connect up myself to the intercom, CamelBak, and Gerbing power cable for the trip there.

A funny thing happened with my GPS. Usually I have two routes configured, one from home and one to home. This time, I had a round trip route; my GPS recalculated the route and let me know I was at my destination before I started. So, in the parking lot, I created a new route to Jacksonville Beach, FL.

Exxon, Columbia, MD
0 Miles total, 5:45am
Receipt 1, Start of Ride

I got my starting gas receipt, updated my log, reset my GPS trip info, plugged myself in, and started my 23:59:59 countdown timer. Pulling down the chin bar on my helmet, I rode off into the night, taking Route 100 East a short distance to I-95 South (65mph limit), which I would take all the way to Florida. The stars were out and the air was crisp and clear. The cold air kept me alert the entire trip. I watched the sun come up from my left and hoped it wouldn't be too long for it to rise high so the temps would reach the 50's.

I rode down I-95 and then West on I-495 (55mph limit), the West loop of the Washington Beltway. The Mormon temple was passed and the American Legion Bridge over the Potomac River led into Virginia, near Tysons Corner. Since radar detectors are illegal in the Commonwealth, I had velcroed a feather-shaped patch over the front of my waterproof box to hide the lights. Although I missed seeing the Valentine 1's directional warning arrows, the sound was working thanks to the Boosteroo Revolution amp. I-495 rejoined I-95 at the bottom of the Beltway loop and I think I got in the HOV lane. I had avoided the I-95/East Beltway loop since it crosses the Wilson Bridge over the Potomac River; there are periodic road closures during the contruction of the new bridge. I did miss its view up the Potomac River to Washington DC and to Alexandria, VA. Potomac Mills Outlet Mall and Kings Dominion Amusement Park had some signs along the way. The round mirrors I installed were a pain; the angle was such that they didn't help do anything except keep headlight reflection out of my eyes. Vehicles in my blind spot were the size of a pixel (i.e. picture element, for those not in the know.)

Exxon, Colonial Heights, VA
160.7 Miles total, 8:05-8:15am
Receipt 2, Stop 1

I got 34.4mpg on this leg, the highest I would see until 5pm. The bike was running well and I was comfortable on the Air Hawk seat with my legs stretched out to the highway pegs. The CB traffic was minimal. I took I-95 through Richmond for the southbound leg instead of 295 which goes West around the city and rejoins I-95. My helmet is new and snug. When I chew, sometimes I bite my cheeks since it presses in.

Exxon, Selma, NC
303.7 Miles total, 10:12-10:15am
Receipt 3, Stop 2

I didn't use my MP3 player the entire trip--highway speeds kept my full attention. The unit is clipped to my tank bag and plugs into the AUX jack in the radio/CD player in the dash. Most of NC, SC, and GA had 70mph limits which the traffic was considering merely an aspirational goal. 29.7mpg was calculated for this leg of the trip. I kept passing the same trucks since they had more fuel capacity and a longer driving range, and I had to stop for gas when I got down to 1/8th tank.

Exxon, Florence, SC
442.6 Miles total, 12:11-12:30pm
Receipt 4, Stop 3

This was my longest stop of the day. It took longer in the icky restroom with all the clothing and wires. The station had a mini-mart and a McDonald's, from which I now remember buying a $1 cheesburger to eat while getting ready to head out. The bike and some palmetto trees were photographed with my digital camera.

Exxon, Hardeeville, SC
592.7 Miles total, 2:26-2:40pm
Receipt 5, Stop 4

Updrafts behind the windshield would occassionally lift food out of the container on the dash. How would you like an open snack bag spewing green Shrek heads flying by your visor? I had brought four credit cards on this trip and was rotating them. Still Exxon managed to refuse one after its 2nd use. Out of spite, I switched to Shell & BP for the trip home; they were happy to take that card and the others. My CamelBak was empty and I had to refill it from the water bottles. I didn't stop at South of the Border, although the billboards gave me warnings for miles and miles that I could be an Amigo of Pedro.

Shell, Jacksonville Beach, FL
756.9 Miles total, 5:02-5:10pm
Receipt 6, Stop 5

There's a cool suspension bridge coming into Jacksonville Beach. An ambulance was coming up the right lane, but it is right-turn only at the end, so I just kept ahead on the uphill and moved left on the down. Later, I passed the Welcome to Jacksonville Beach sign and looked for a gas station on Beach Blvd. It was warm, probably around 60, and with a drizzling rain. Fortunately a finger wipe done later was enough to clean the goop off the visor. (I had brought one of those plastic cylinders of window wipes that leave paper residue all over, but didn't use it.) I voiced dialed a good friend. "I have some good news and some bad news and some good news. I made it to Jacksonville Beach. It's rainy. I'm leaving." At the Shell, I held down the Find button on the GPS for the one-button route home feature. I was in and out of the Shell station in under 10 minutes. I passed the ramp for the highway out of town since I was following the GPS which routed me up city roads to the next exit. Oh well. What's 10 minutes?--a lot, judging by the unused time left at the end of this trip. Since I was on the road back home in under 12 hours, I knew I had a chance at a BBG if I didn't get tired. I thought it was a small chance since traffic would be moving at a lower speed at night.

Shell, Richmond Hill, GA
887.9 Miles total, 7:11-7:15pm
Receipt 7, Stop 6

Along the trip, I kept doing mental calculations about progress and tried to maintain about 66mph average including stop times. Even at night, the traffic moved at speed, and I was able to make the same pace as during the day. The intake roars at high RPMs and earplugs would have been useful--if they weren't in my trunk. Brunswick and Savannah GA were just too close to FL to stop for the night; I felt good and kept moving. This stop was about 30 miles from SC, if I recall correctly. I think hot temps would have made this trip more strenuous, but the cold took its toll later. The cloud cover blocked the full moon at times. There were two hellacious bumps on bridges in construction zones; I'm surprised I didn't get a flat or a bent rim. I carry a tire puncture kit with CO2. The outside gas receipt had the date, time, and gallons, but didn't have the city, state, or the brand Shell. I went inside for a reprint that had everything needed for documentation.

BP, Santee, SC
1,011.9 Miles total, 8:56-9:05pm
Receipt 8, Stop 7

Santee is about 4 hours from FL and 8 from home. I decided to keep moving. As it got later, I started looking for gas at the 1/4 tank level. I'm glad I kept my wallet in the front leg pocket of my Gerbing pants. My seat felt better and it was easy to access. I have a Timex Speedpass to my Amex on my wrist and a regular Speedpass to my Visa on my keyring. These are great, but only at Exxon/Mobil. Since traffic northbound in GA/SC/NC was moving, I didn't eat much since I needed to concentrate. I didn't play much music but occasionally played some songs on the CD. I didn't stop at South of the Border, but it was brightly lit.

BP, Lumberton, NC
1,126.6 Miles total, 10:37-10:45pm
Receipt 9, Stop 8

With so much distance still to cover, I was comparing the remainder to other trips: "This is like driving between Rehoboth Beach and home four times." That wasn't too helpful after all. Between here and home, I didn't drink enough and didn't empty the CamelBak like on the trip down. I think the cold helped numb the usual shoulder pain, like an ice pack--good for that purpose but not for keeping warm. This station didn't have pay at the pump, so I paid cash inside. I got my lowest gas mileage on this section, 24.1mpg.

BP, Rocky Mount, NC
1,254.2 Miles total, 12:37-12:45am
Receipt 10, Stop 9

The Rocky Mount stop was not one of those "visible from the highway" stops by any stretch of the imagination. I had to get off onto route 64 (I think) and go into town. I was cold for the last section of the trip. I'm just too thin to ride in 25 degree temps for hour after hour without rethinking what to wear under my Gerbings. I rode for hours with my left hand grabbing the right side of my jacket to press the heated liner against my chest. I had to keep my feet on the floorboards and out of the wind of the highway pegs. I stretched out there periodically to keep my legs from being sore, and I did seat raises for a count of 15. My face and neck were cold since I didn't put my neck warmer on for the trip north. [I received an email from a reader suggesting I wear something snug over the Gerbing jacket liner, and under my coat.]

Shell & TSA, Ashland, VA
1,394.1 Miles total, 2:50-3:05am
Receipt 11b, Stop 10

Coming up to Richmond before this stop, I took I-295 to the East. Since almost no one was on the road, I was happy to have the PIAA lights to run with the high beam. My volt meter drops from its usual pegged state down a few volts with the lights and the Gerbing heating clothing on, but I really needed the light. This is such an improvement over the stock lights, which starting in 2005 were reflector beams. I turned off my radar detector and slowed down in VA since I calculated that I had 1/2-hour to an hour to spare and didn't want to blow the BBG time deadline with a Certificate of Driving Achievement, compliments of the Commonwealth. There were signs to dial 511 for Wilson Bridge info. Since I couldn't do this, I turned the radio to WTOP traffic on the 8's and found the West loop of I-495 was OK. Following I-95 on the East Beltway loop would have been problematic due to closures. Gassing up here was, uh, fun. The Shell was closed and dark, but the pumps were open. I swiped my card and accidently pressed Medium Grade. How long do they expect me to look at "Please wait". Helloooo? I cancelled, reswiped and pressed Premium. Success. I pumped. No receipt. Ick. I took a digital photo of the pump and went next door to the brightly lit and open TSA. I pumped $.09 and got a receipt. I was joking to myself that I shouldn't bother to open the tank cap, but I did nonetheless. The full faced flip-up helmet helped keep my eyes from drying out in the wind during the trip.

Exxon, Columbia, MD
1,523.4 Miles Total, 5:09am
Receipt 12, End of Ride

Getting off I-95 onto 175 West, I headed through the neighborhood back to the Exxon from which I started. I circled around to park uphill at the pump closest to the door. After taking off my helmet, I had ringing in my ears for a while. I pumped, hit Yes for receipt, and took a deep breath after it came out. I logged the stop, found out that one witness, the clerk, was a retired Colonel. I rode home, taking my paperwork inside and leaving almost everything else on the bike in the garage.

Miscellaneous

After I got home, I posted a message on the IronButt board, turned off my phone, put on blinders, and slept from 6am to noon, at which time I started getting my documentation together. My right hand wasn't very good at holding things like a pen. I later went out and got the water containers out of the garage so they wouldn't freeze.

Overall it was a great trip and I was happy I had the bike adjusted just right. Doing the ride in 24 hours with all the gas stops really kept me on the go. I'm glad the cold weather kept me alert. I am very grateful for the advice and encouragement I've received from the long distance riding community.

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