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SaddleSore 1000 and Bun Burner 1500 Guidelines
© 2000, Iron Butt Association,
Chicago, Illinois
SaddleSore 1000 and Bun Burner 1500 Guidelines may be reproduced and distributed as needed for personal or club use.
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 day 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 24 hours) and the Bun
Burner became the Bun Burner 1500 (1,500 miles in 36 hours). At the same time, we created the Bun Burner GOLD (1,500 miles
in 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. If you meet Les, please remember to give him your thanks!
The SaddleSore 1000 Guidelines for Certification
People 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."
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.
Roger D Allen
President
Iron Butt UK & Europe
Iron Butt Association Guidelines for the SaddleSore 1000 or Bun-Burner 1500. - Last Revision: 17th March, 2009
IMPORTANT NOTE: The guidelines for a Bun-Burner GOLD (1,500 miles in 24 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 24 hours (SaddleSore 1000) or 1,500 miles in 36 hours (Bun-Burner 1500). It is possible
to complete both the SaddleSore 1000 and Bun-Burner 1500 on the same ride. For example, in the first 24 hours you ride 1,000
miles and then continue on the second day and ride another 500 miles or more.
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 five steps to earning a SaddleSore or Bun Burner 1500 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.
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 24
hours or less (SaddleSore 1000), or 1,500 miles in 36 hours or less (Bun Burner). In order to keep these rides from becoming
a race, mileages in excess of 1,800 miles in less than 24 hours will not be published.
Please keep in mind, 24 hours is wall 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 majority of riders will cover their 1,000 miles in about 22 hours (including all stops). The rides do NOT require
you to speed. For every hour you are on a major highway riding, you get approximately 20 minutes "off" rest time. Use that
time wisely!
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, UK. Riders will find that
the Motorway 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 and Bun Burner rides in
two parts, riding through the day and stopping for a Hotel
room and continuing the ride after a long rest stop (obviously, with 36 hours available, the Bun Burner offers a little more
Hotel time).
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 travelled. 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 either Auto
route (a computer atlas), Map source, Google Earth or an Automobile Association atlas.
From a documentation standpoint, the best route is one where you take a turnaround point (for example, start in London, and finish back in London after a way point stop). 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 London,
Newcastle, Glasgow,
Cardiff, London,
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 Dover
and ride to John OGroats and back to Dover, we would expect
a detailed receipt from JOG (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 around the M25 9 times, a distance of only 117 miles a time.
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 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 and Bun Burner 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 hurtles 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 counties, riding more than 20
miles per hour above the speed limit will also get you charged with dangerous driving. Dangerous 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 their certification 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: Get a start witness
In order to document your ride, the Iron Butt UK
requires that obtain an eyewitness to document the start of your ride. Witnesses for the basic SaddleSore 1000 and Bun Burner
1500 may be a friend (but not one on the ride with you), spouse or even gas station attendant willing to answer a letter from
the IBA about your start or end time. If a passenger is on the ride with you, please ask your witnesses to sign the form for
them also.
Make sure that you inform potential witnesses that the Iron Butt UK
may be auditing certain aspects of your ride and may be sending them a letter with a copy of the page they signed asking them
to verify the information provided. Receipts are your primary concern, however, a good witness has "saved" many rides, so
try to pick the best witness possible to see you start or end your ride. Keep in mind that a witness who doesn't bother to
respond to an audit letter or phone call is as good as having no witness at all!
If a witness is someone you know, a short thank you note after you complete your ride is always appreciated. Besides,
many of them will be waiting to hear how you did.
Try to remember that you are a salesperson each time you approach someone to sign your witness form. If someone doesn't
want to provide their home address - suggest they give a business address. According to experienced riders, taking a few minutes
to explain your ride to potential witnesses will get them involved. Most people will actually feel honoured to sign your witness
form. However, attitude plays a key role, if someone refuses to sign your book, don't argue, move on to the next person.
Many IBA members also volunteer to be witness; you might want to check http://www.saddlesore.com/witness/witness.htm to see if there are any close to your start or end points.
STEP THREE: Collect and track receipts
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 tank and obtain a computer printed gas receipt with a legible date and time stamp. NOTE: Many fuel stations in Europe are printing an "invoice number" which is actually
the time of the transaction for example; you might see Inv# 113557 which means 11:35:57 am. 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.
* * * THE COMPUTER TIME STAMP WILL BE YOUR OFFICIAL STARTING TIME * * *
The following log entries and completed witness forms are mandatory:
Log entries must be made at each gas stop (sample attached). A log entry includes the following information; DATE,
TIME, LOCATION (i.e. London) and ODOMETER reading. A receipt
must accompany each log book entry (please note, that the receipts from these fuel stops,
where possible should include a date stamp - we do NOT care about time stamps on these receipts, do not waste time worrying
about time stamps, the only time stamps that are critical are the start and finish receipts!).
In order for the verification team to account for your time, log entries must be made at each stop longer than 30 minutes
(for example you decide to stop at a roadside rest stop for a nap or get a Hotel room during the ride). Each entry for extended
stops must include the approximate length of the stop or the start time and ending time. Meals that take longer than 30 minutes
are considered rest stops - where possible please try and obtain a restaurant receipt. Obviously, many types of stops, for
example a stop in a rest area, will not generate any kind of receipt - this is acceptable, but please account for the time
in your trip log.
WARNING: If your motorcycle is equipped with a large fuel-tank, please note that you must stop at least once every
350 miles for fuel (this is purely for documentation
for your ride). Although we know it is possible to ride greater distances non-stop, we will not accept a claim of this type.
At the end of your ride, before the 24 hour (or 36 hour for the Bun Burner) time period is up, obtain a computer printed
gas receipt with a legible location, date and time stamp.
* * * THE RECIEPT WILL BE YOUR OFFICIAL ENDING TIME
* * *
STEP FOUR: Get an end witness:
After you get the fuel receipt, find at least one eyewitness to document your ending time. Like the start, the basic
SaddleSore 1000 and Bun Burner 1500 may be a friend (but not one on the ride with you), spouse or even gas station attendant
willing to answer a letter from the IBA about your start or end time.
STEP FIVE: Prepare Copy and Submit your documentation.
Find a map (an old, or photocopied one is acceptable) and circle the cities you stopped in (don't forget the start
and ending points) for fuel/food/etc (a copy of a map is acceptable).
This map is to assist the person verifying the routes and is meant to give a good overall picture of your ride. You do not
actually have to find the small towns you stopped in, just circle the approximate area. The best map is one that shows your
route on one or two pages. Please do not send in multi-page route sheets from mapping programs or an Auto club they are
to hard for the verification team to get a good overview of your ride.
COPY your receipts and number the copies to correspond to your trip log.
COPY your witness forms and log.
* * * Retain your original documentation - only send copies! * * *
If needed, write a short note about any problems with your ride, for example, "The receipt from Clacketts Lane does not have the correct date. I had the attendant write the correct
date. The stations number is 0207 123 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 this ride, one person could not find a gas station with a computer generated receipt (obviously, our favourite
type), so he got a few locals to witness the time he arrived. His other documents clearly supported his claim of riding the
distance in the time-frame he claimed so we did not hesitate to process his award.
COMPLETE the attached form. Basically, this is information where to send the awards, what name and motorcycle you want
on the certificate and the basic route you would like the award to note.
CALCULATE the fee. We offer several options. You can just get the paper certificate for the ride, or in combination
with Iron Butt Association pins and "World's Toughest Riders" plate backs.
FINALLY, send it to:
Iron Butt Association, Garlands Farm, West Challow, Wantage, Oxfordshire OX12 9PB Please make your cheque payable to the "Iron Butt UK". Please note that we do not make any money on this ride, this is our approximate
cost of administrating the SaddleSore and Bun-Burner program.
Please try and avoid Parcel force, UPS or Certified mail - although it may seem faster to use these services, we are
at our full-time jobs during the day and sometimes it can take weeks to take time off from work to pick up your "speedy" package.
If you are concerned we received your documents, we recommend "Delivery Confirmation" (a product offered by the Post Office
that allows you to track a letter or package via e-mail or the internet).
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, witness contacts where needed and custom certificate
preparations) and the fact that approximately 60% of the labour involved with producing these awards are performed by volunteers,
it will usually take a minimum of 1 month before your certificates
will be ready for signature and mailed to you.
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.
Before we can issue your certification, you may be asked to clarify certain aspects of your ride and/or documentation
by either e-mail, phone or letter. Additionally, certain aspects of your ride are subject to audit by yet another set of IBA
volunteers charged with insuring only people that rode the miles get the award. Should your package get tagged for that audit,
it too may delay the final determination of your claim for the award.
If you have any questions about this ride, you may send e-mail to roger@ironbuttuk.org or pete@ironbuttuk.org .
EYEWITNESS
FORM for START of RIDE
Date: ______________________ Local Time:______________
AM/PM
License Number: ____________ Odometer Reading: _______ Miles
Make & Model: __________________________________________________
This witness form
is for: _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
(Riders Name and address)
The location of this
stop is: ________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
First Witness (Please Print) Second (optional) Witness
Witness Name: _________________________ ___________________________
Address: _________________________ __________________________
_________________________ ___________________________
_________________________ ___________________________
Phone: _________________________ ___________________________
(Note: Obtaining a
phone number where we can contact your eyewitnesses
will speed up the issuing of your award)
Signature: _________________________ ___________________________
EYEWITNESS
FORM for END of RIDE
Date: ______________________ Local Time:______________
AM/PM
License Number: ____________ Odometer Reading: _______ Miles
Make & Model:
________________________________________
This witness form
is for: _____________________________
_____________________________
_____________________________
(Riders Name and address)
The location of this
stop is: ________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
________________________________________
First Witness (Please Print) Second (optional) Witness
Witness Name: _________________________ ___________________________
Address: _________________________ ___________________________
_________________________ ___________________________
_________________________ __________________________
Phone: _________________________ ___________________________
(Note: Obtaining a
phone number where we can contact your eyewitnesses
will speed up the issuing of your award)
Signature: _________________________ ___________________________
LOG
SaddleSore/Bun-Burner-
__________________________________________________
(Fill in Name and Address above)
DATE TIME LOCATION
ODOMETER READING
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Checklist of documents
needed for Iron Butt Association SaddleSore 1000, Bun Burner 1500 certifications:
___ Copies of Witness
forms (starting and ending, others)
___ Copies of Receipts
(do not send originals!)
___ Map (may be photocopy)
showing route with towns stopped in circled
___ Explanation of
any problems encountered, for example, "In central
Newcastle,
at my third fuel stop, I was unable to get a dated
Receipt. I asked the attendant to sign his name
on the back
But he refused to do so. The phone number of the station is
(555) 555-1212 - he will verify that I was there at 10
a.m.
on August 4, 2008."
Also, please complete
the following information for your certificate
(it goes to the person
that does the certificate and not the verification
team):
Ride you completed
(circle): SaddleSore 1000 or Bun-Burner 1500
FEE SCHEDULE
Please use the following
fee schedule to calculate the cost of awards:
SaddleSore or Bun-Burner
(complete package,
verification, pin,
plate back and certificate)
£30.00
If you have completed
both the SaddleSore 1000 and
Bun-Burner 1500 on
the same ride, there are some savings
for us in postage
and administrative costs that we can
pass on to you.
Additional certification
(Bun-Burner with SaddleSore) £18.00
Additional SaddleSore
ride pin if desired:
£6.50
SaddleSore ride patch
if desired: £6.00
Bun Burner ride patch
if desired: £6.00
Additional Bun Burner
ride pin if desired:
£6.50
Additional World's
Toughest Riders plate back if desired: £5.00
Additional copy of
certificate if desired:
£4.00
Total Enclosed:
____________
OR
If you already have
or do not want pins or plate backs,
or want additional
items, please use this list
SaddleSore or Bun-Burner
(certificate only):
£20.00
If you have completed
both the SaddleSore 1000 and
Bun-Burner 1500 on
the same ride, there are some savings
for us in postage
and administrative costs that we can
pass on to you.
Additional certification
(Bun-Burner with SaddleSore) £100.00
SaddleSore 1000 pin
if desired: £6.50
SaddleSore ride patch
if desired: £6.00
Bun Burner 1500 pin if desired: £6.50
Bun Burner ride patch
if desired: £6.00
World's Toughest Riders
plate back if desired:
£5.00
Additional copy of
certificate if desired: £4.00
Total Enclosed:
____________
Harley-Davidson owners:
Plate backs do not fit all models of Harley-Davidsons.
We attempt to send
the best fit possible (we have 2 versions), please see
DO NOT SEND CASH! If you are from a country outside the United States
please write roger@ironbuttuk.org for alternate methods of payment!
Address to mail certificates
to:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Contact phone number(s),
best time to reach you:
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
If you have one, your
e-mail address: ___________________________
Have you ever completed
an Iron Butt Association ride before? ________
IBA number ____________
Name you want on certificate:
___________________________________
(for example, Jonathan
J. Smith, SR or John Smith)
Your age (only used
for statistics): _________
Circle One (only used
for statistics): Male Female
Did you do this ride
with anyone else or in a group? Y/N If
so, who:
______________________________________________________________
Date of start: ___________________ (for example, 5th January, 2008)
Motorcycle make/model
ridden: _______________________________
Note: this is used
on your certificate. For example, do you want
us to list your Honda
Gold Wing as a Honda GL1500 or do you want
us to list it as a
Honda Gold Wing. You may also include a
model year if you
want, for example; 1993 Honda Gold Wing.
NOTE: If you are applying
for both a SaddleSore and Bun Burner, please
indicate mileages
for both rides and start/end and mid point cities
for both rides (you
can do this on this part of the form or duplicate
this page with the
information).
Miles Ridden according
to your odometer: _______________________
Note: These will probably
be changed by the verification team.
If you used a GPS
(Global Positioning Device) and noted your
mileage, please enter
that reading here: _______________________
Cities/towns your
route included:
NOTE: The following
is used only for the people that do the certificates to make them more understandable. Try and answer the following questions
to make your certificate reflect your ride.
Sample wording of
a SaddleSore Certificate (please keep this format
in mind as you answer
the following questions):
This is to Certify
that on 15th May, 2008, John J. Rider rode a BMW
K1200LT a total of 1,310 gruelling miles in less than twenty-four hours starting in London,
continuing onto Newcastle, Glasgow and Cardiff before
ending in London while participating in the SaddleSore 1000.
Name of start city:
______________________________________
Note: for the **certificate**
you may substitute a large city nearby
if you want); for
example, if you start in Chadwell Heath Essex,
(a suburb of Romford),
it is acceptable to put Romford as the starting
point for the certificate.
Name of end city for
SaddleSore: ________________________
Note: Same rules apply
to these cities as noted above.
Name of end city for
Bun Burner: ________________________
Note: Same rules apply
to these cities as noted above.
Your certificate will
highlight up to three cities as midpoints.
Please list UP TO
THREE cities that helps highlight your route for your
certificate:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Note: Some of these
cities may be listed on your certificate and the
same rules apply to
these cities as noted above.
Please note that this
is only an attempt to make your certificate more
readable - do not
stop 60 miles short of Cardiff and expect us
to create a certificate
that reads Cardiff.
This is to make the
certificates more
readable so that when you display them, your riding
friends will better
grasp the immense ride you took.
Finally, you must
certify that what you are telling us is accurate:
I (print name): _____________________________,
hereby certify that the
statements in this
application for certification are true to the best
of my knowledge and
belief.
Signed: _________________________ Date: ___________
Send the package,
along with a cheque to (PLEASE DO NOT
USE A STAPLE ON YOUR
Cheque) to:
Iron Butt Association
Garlands Farm
West
Challow
Wantage
Oxfordshire
OX12 9PB
DO NOT send CASH! Please contact roger@ironbuttuk.org if you are from
outside of the UK and need alternate means of payment!
Should you decide
to tackle the SaddleSore or Bun-Burner,
we wish you the best
of luck and look forward to hearing about your
ride!
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