I'm doing an Iron Butt ride this coming Saturday.
This one calls for doing 1,000 miles in less than 24 hours.
I'm riding my 2012 Ultra Classic.

So, I'm asking what you know about the following roads...good, bad, etc.
Speed Traps? (We plan to ride no more that 10 mph over the posted limit)

My basic route is

Winston-Salem, NC north to Charleston, WV,
then West to Louisville, Ky
then south to Nashville, TN,
then east past Bristol, TN, then back south to Winston-Salem, NC

Also, I welcome any tips from you experienced LD riders.

Thanks.

 

leave at the crack of dawn and try not to stop between fill-ups. those 5 minutes breaks add up after a while. drink lots of water to stay hydrated. stay on the interstates--avoid big cities where you could get tied up in traffic jams. should take about 20 hours.

 

I did 877 in 15 hours coming back from Daytona and didn't really intend to, it was just a nice day. Had I planned it I could have done it quicker but when I left Daytona I meandered up A1A to St. Augustine. Stopped in south Georgia and had a leisurely lunch. I have to stop every hour or hour and a half, if just for a minute and walk around the bike a couple times. I'd think 1000 in 24 very doable.

The police in the Kentucky part of your trip shouldn't be a problem. The Kentucky State Police in general are a pretty good bunch as long as you aren't riding crazy. They won't say anything for 5 over and possibly a little more but why push it? The KSP is spread pretty thin so I rarely see them sitting watching for speeders, if you see any it'd probably be locals.

Coming into Louisville on 64 take 265 around the south side of Louisville to avoid the city. There is some construction down south on 65 in Kentucky but it shouldn't be a problem. Nashville can be a cluster but won't be 'as' bad on the weekend but depending on time of day traffic can still be a pain. Coming from the north and going east what I usually do is get off on Briley Parkway and go east. Its a 4 to 6 lane parkway that has no red lights till you get to I-40 which I'm assuming you'll be taking. If you go thru the middle of town I-24, 65 and 40 come together and the traffic and non-drivers can be a bit unnerving and you never know when someone may screw up.

The ride east on I-40 is beautiful going over the Cumberland Plateau. Going thru Knoxville, again depending on time of day, the traffic may be pretty heavy till you get to the Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg exit.

The speed police will be much more prevalent in Tennessee as well and don't have much of a sense of humor.

They're saying right now the weather in Louisville Saturday is going to be 70 with scattered showers and sunny Sunday....who knows though that's still 5 days off. We have had an amazing spring so far. Hopefully you'll have great weather for your entire ride.

Man I wish I was going with you, but if the weather is good the first couple weeks of April I may be doing a little Texas Hill country ride.

I hope this helped a little, have fun and be safe :-)

 

Thanks Dan and Jim.

I've got the route planned. 11 stops, with 20 minutes allowed at each stop. I'm planning on riding at 10 over the limit, but no faster than 78 in a 70. The cruise control on the Ultra should serve me well.

Basically heading out at 5 am, and hope to finish the ride before midnight.

3 others, who are experienced in these rides are coming along.

I'll let you know how it went.

 

11 stops for 20 minutes = 220 min almost 4 hours. Too much stopping in my humble opinion. When I did my 1 k I stopped 8 times and progressively stopped for longer the more miles I put on. Both the 1 k and 1500 bun burners I started hard and managed my time and stops when I was half way through. On my 1000 my 7th stop was 45 well deserved stretching minutes. Where my 1500 I had to make up time on the last stretch so it was gas and pee only. Drink and eat on the road. My advice is to shoot for at least 125 miles between stops and shorter breaks to begin the trip with. Good luck and ride safe!

 

Agree that the earlier u can leave the better. I've done several SS and by far it has been best to leave by 3 am. The 3 hours of darkness in the a.m., for me, is a lot easier than 3 more at night once tired. I generally go 175 +\- miles between stops.

 

I hear ya ref the number of stops I've planned. 2 of them are much sooner than I'd like, but are needed because a fellow rider hits reserve at 110 miles....and, 2 others are required by IBA rules since we're riding a squared loop and they want proof of the corners.

I do plan to eat/drink while moving. And yes, an earlier start would be nice, but I have to be considerate of the group wishes.

 

I did the saddlesore last summer. Here's my route...

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...a999059be647cf

I stopped for gas 7 times (9 if you include the start and end of the ride), more often than I needed to but you have to stop when you get to a corner to document your route.

When I stopped, I gassed up, got a drink, a snack or sandwich, wolfed it down and hit the road again. You have to keep your stops as short as you can, no time to sit down for a restaurant meal.

It was easy, I left at 5:00 am and got home at 11:00 pm. It rained on me for the last hour, dark, cold, wet, not too nice.

You should plot your planned route on google maps like I did, post it up here so we can see your plan.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=...=m&z=8&vpsrc=1

Stops were planned for a rider in our group who hits reserve at 110 miles.
So, more stops were planned - and the corners are required by IBA since doing a loop.

 

I like to go about 150 miles inbetween gas stops but yea it depends on the rider with the smallest gas tank... and the weakest butt.

Once you do the 1000 miler you'll realize it isn't really all that hard and you may even become addicted to these kinds of rides. Have fun!