Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ 00 .... iU ..0 8 u o The 1986 Iron Butt finishers. Back row: Shuck. McQueeney. Egloff. Persinger. Middle row: Norman. Moore. Smith. Front row: Plunkett. Crane. Holtsberry. Copas. Johnson. Kneebone and Phillips. Fran Crane crossed the finish line; Crane was the only woman in the Iron 8utt in 1986 and she finished in a tie for third place. '86 Iron Butt Ral~_ 10,300 miles in 11 days By Michael Schuster Photos by Lori ~ickery MONTGOMERYVILLE, PA, AUG. 26-SEPT. 5 The '86 Iron Butt Rally, called "the world's toughest motorcycle competition" by Gary Patterson, rally organizer and president of Montgomeryville Cycle Center, began Tuesday, August 26, at Montgomeryville Pennsylvania just north '. . d' d d of Phlladephla, an en e there 11 days later. The Iron Butt Rally was first run in 1984 over an 8400-mile course around the perimeter of the United States. It was intended to bean endurance rally and produced a four-way tie for first place. In 1985, Patterson decided to add "bonus cities" to help pre\'t~nt anolher lie for first place. The rally turned into an all out road race around the country, with most riders dropping out belore the Seattle, Washington checkpoint. Those who managed to finish, averaged only two hours sleep per day. Learning from the '85 Iron Butt, Patterson vowed to integrate more requirements of skill and strategy into '86 competition. Easier said then done. Patterson knew he needed experienced help organizing this year's event and George Egloff, two-time winner of the rally and Jimene Giles, a Cycle Center employee who proved invaluable during last year's run, came to the rescue. Iron Butt '86 was off I Egloff, ridjng a Suz.uki Calvacade donated by U.S. Suzuki, went out and pre-rode the course to map out exact mileages and try and come up with more creative bonus destinations. Unlike last year's event. Egloff was able to pick out and research exactly where riders would stop to receive bonus points. Last year's rally found Patterson and Giles wamped trying to verify receip.ts from points all around the U.S. while everyone clajmed everyone else was cheating. This year, Egloff had the exact mileage to each destination and a sample of each bon us receipt needed on hand to quickly verify that each rider actually visited the bonus location. Iron Butt '86 covered 37 states, part of Canada andover 10,000 mile in II days, drawing 16 riders, ranging in age from 27 to 53 years old who came from as faraway as Alaska to compete. Publishing tycoon Malcolm Forbes took time OUt from his busy schedule to fly into Montgomeryville from Boston to start each of the-l6 com petitors in one minute intervals. Fifty dollars of each rider's $750 entry fee went to the Muscular Dy trophy Asso- Publishing tycoon Malcolm Forbes flew into Montgomeryville to start each of the 16 competitors; here he waves his hat to Gary Moore. ciation. Additionally, John and Suzie Shuck managed to raise over $1500 in Muscular Dystrophy pledges, as well as Ross Copas and Jim Plunkett who raised nearly $1000 each. Forbes also donated $1000 in the rally's name. Before the start, the experienced rally participants got their kicks psyching out the rookies. Everything was attacked, from a rookie's tires to the brand of macmne he was riding. One competitor, riding a BMW, told another riding the identical bike that the rookie was defi ni tel yon the wrong mount and should just give up now. This was turning into a typical Iron Butt start. Garv Moore's 1981 Honda Gold Wing had 124,000 miles on the clock - fellow competitors wondered if it could go the dj tance. Joe Tracy had a turbo-equipped BMW K I00 that he claimed would run 170 mph. Speculation was it wouldn't last until it was all over the road at speeds over 100 mph, hence the switch to the turbo Beemer. Rookies and vets alike were all behind theTriumph team of Gary Johnson and John chuck, there to prove that the mighty Trident triple and 750 Tiger twin could make it around the entire U.S. Each rider had to check in on "his mjnute," enduro style, at Reynolds' Sport Center in Gorham, Maine, at 7:00 p.m. on the first day while trying to make bonus points along the route. If Montgomeryville to Maine in nine hours didn't sound like challenge enough, EgioU threw in a timed 40 mph enduro section 40 miles long, leaving only eight hours to ride the remaining 4800 miles up to Gorham, Maine. Spectro Oil in Brookfield, Connecticut, had refreshment and sandwiches waiting for riders who made the 50-mile round trip trek oU the interstate to get a 50-point bonus for topping there. Entrant Ross Copas was overheard tating he felt rude having to go and not being able to stay for lunch and a tour of the plant, but such was the life of a racer. Only four riders, Copas, Walt Deck, Jim Plunkett and Michael Kneebone decided to ri k getting caught in downtown Boston rush hour traffic to pick up the 101 -point bonus offered at Sullivan Brothers' Distributors in Hansan, Massachusetts just south of Boston. Plunkett said he was going absolutely crazy watching the minutes tick away while he was sitting in downtown Boston with no place to turn or way to get around the wall to wall cars. At the first checkpoint in Maine, thestanrungs were Copas (BMW Kloo) in first, Plunkett (BMW RI00S) and Deck (Honda Gold Wing) tied for second and Kneebone (Yamaha Venture) in third. Riders left Reynolds' Sport Center at 9:00 p.m. for Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to the cheers of over 100 spectators attending the event. Bon us spots were Brattleboro, Vermont, the New York Thruway, Grand Island toll bridge, the Rainbow Bridge between Canada and New York, the Eclipse factory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Motorcycle Touring News in Aurora, Illinois. Later that rught, outside of Brattleboro, Vermont, rusaster struck the only Harley-Davidson entered in the ra1ly when Nick Nichols' rear cylinder and piston exploded, rupturing his gas tank. Fortunately, Nick had ills feet on the front touring pegs and wasn't hurt. pecial commendations should be given to Barry Norman and Gregg Smith for taking time out to find a rope and then towing Nichols' bike to the next town. Early the next morning, several riders made a major mi take in going to the Grand Isle t01l bridge between Vermont and New York instead of the Grand I land toll bridge near iagara Falls. Deck sajd he was going to frame the toll receipt after having ridden 400 miles out of the way to get it. Despite gale-force wind and rain, Kneebone stuck h is foot in the toll booth door and argued that this had to be the right bridge - and wouldn't leave till the toll gate keeper proved where Grand Island was. Copas rode over the border to his home in Cornwall, Ontario, 10 catch some sleep. Special thanks have to be given to both Eclipse and Motorcycle Touring News for staying open a1l njght to accommodate riders checking in for bonus points. Egloff received praise from all the riders for making bonus stops at motorcycle-related industries. Everyone enjoyed stopping at these places versu the usual boring toll and gas receipts used throughout the event's history. Leaving Road. Track and Trajl in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, ern Thur day, August 28, at 9:00 p.m. ready for the ride to Seattle, rider were handed the next bonus locations - Harvey, orth Dakota, Wili ton, orth Dakota, and Glacier Village in Montana. Meanwillle, Egloff was back in Montgomeryville consoling wives and girlfriends, whjle at the same time hoping for rain, snow, anything to help weed out the less serious competitors. Patterson said, "Now I know whata sick mjnd George has." Egloff's wish almost came true when riders crossing Minnesota and North Dakota had to contend with record low lemperalures in the 30s. That same day, ridjng lhrough M~l1lana, lemperatures reached well over 100°. Later that night, Deck was following Fran Crane through Minnesota when a deer ran in front of Fran's bike and stopped on the highway. Deck said, "Fran was so close to the

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