The experiences described in these posts were Steve & Mic’s at the time they took the ride. Each rider’s experience is unique. These posts do not describe what is usual or likely for the ride described.
 
We had not been on the bike for any significant time in many months, so we decided to try and get some miles in and test out some new gear with an 850 mile ride from home to Santa Fe.

NEW GEAR 

Hydration Bladders – We purchased two hydration bladders on Amazon. Mic acquired and altered a cooler bag to hold the 2 bladders and velcro to the luggage rack on the Wing. This frees up storage in the saddle bags where we would normally stock multiple flip-top bottles of water and allows us to use the cupholders for other beverages like coffee. The cooler bag adds some insulation to keep the water from heating up in the sun. We replaced the stock hose on Steve’s bladder with 6 feet of beer keg tubing, allowing the hose to run under our legs, slightly tucked under the seat with the end resting across the tank. We clip the bite valve to a retractable cord/carabiner to keep it handy for Steve. Mic’s hose drapes across the speaker/arm rest and is easy to access.
WACOOL 3L 3Liter 100oz BPA Free EVA Hydration Pack Bladder, Leak-Proof Water Reservoir

​Cleaning the Bladders – We had taken them for a short ride to Vegas and they seemed to work. We cleaned them per internet instructions and loaded them up again for this ride to Santa Fe. Shortly after we started, Steve noted that his water tasted like plastic. Mic’s did too, but his was way worse. Steve reverted to flip-top water bottles for the duration of the trip out. Luckily, we had purchased these Bottle Bright cleaning tablets. After letting them soak overnight with the tablets, the water tasted clean again and the bladders worked great on the road home.
Bottle Bright – All Natural, Biodegradable, Chlorine & Odor Free Water Bottle & Hydration Pack Cleaning Tablets

​iPad Strap – We used to have the iPad clipped to loops sewn to the back of Steve’s jacket. This would cause the jacket to pull backwards on his neck & shoulders as well as move around as he moved, making it difficult for Mic to use. We tried some rides without the iPad entirely, and found that it is just nicer to have the larger screen to see traffic, side roads and weather patterns. We purchased this strap that would connect to the slots on the Lifeproof Nuud case we use. The strap would sling across body and rest on Mic’s right hip. It seemed to work as well as it did on Steve’s back, even though the iPad needed to be held up for use. It easily slung to the side when not in use. Mic could sometimes use her gloves (depending on the humidity) to operate the iPad and otherwise used the stylus tethered to her jacket. By the end of the 850 miles, Mic did feel a slight pull in her left neck & shoulder, but this also could have been due to persistent cross winds buffeting her helmet. Overall, we’re going to green-light for the IBR.
HDE Shoulder Strap for Shockproof iPad Case – Adjustable Carry Strap Compatible with All Shock Proof Apple iPad Cases for Kids – Detachable Universal

​Neutrino Black Box – Steve will have to do a whole other post on this thing… For this ride, we tested the Neutrino’s ability to control our Gerbing heated gear using the ambient temperature. We ditched the Gerbing controllers and plugged directly into the bike, using these coiled extension cords. We set the Neutrino to turn on the heated gear to low when the temperature dropped below 65 degrees. We found that the probe needs to be out a little further as it is getting heat off the bike, but overall it worked. No more flakey, unwieldy controllers hanging off our jackets & pants. Go for IBR!

​Tour Master Synergy 2.0 Coiled Power Lead Motorcycle Electric Heated Apparel Controllers and Miscellaneous Accessories

​Anker PowerCore 10000 External Battery

​Hardwired Power for Pillion – Mic used to power her devices with Anker PowerCore chargers. We still keep them on hand as they are reasonably small and work great. We found these 2-port USB adapters and were able to wire 2 of them into the Neutrino and tuck them into the left pocket. This creates 4 powered USB ports for Mic to plug in whatever she wants – iPad, iPhone, backup Android phone and Sena headset (when it loses power). As luck would have it, we recently replaced the broken left pocket with one we received from a 2-up couple. They used the pocket for power so it had the perfect hole, complete with grommet, that allowed the power cords to feed into the pocket from the side of the pillion seat, keeping all the connectors in the waterproof pocket. Having 4 power points worked great for Mic and will eliminate the need for battery juggling from the pillion seat.
Yeeco Waterproof 8-22V to 5V 3A/15W Dual Power Adapter DC to DC Buck Converter Step Down Power Supply Module Car Power Converter Double USB Cable Connector Car Charger

​Well that’s enough tech talk. It would be good to do a deeper dive with pics on how we installed and routed all these things, but that’s for another day. Here are some fun pics from our ride…

​May 25, 2019 – I 15 Barstow Freeway, Victorville – Over the mountains and through the desert, on a road trip we go!

​May 25, 2019 – Standin On The Corner, Winslow, AZ – A corner, maybe not THE corner.

​May 25, 2019 – I-40, Albuquerque, NM

We had some fun with friends, ate some good food and now we're on our way home.

​May 27, 2019 – Albuquerque, NM – Westward Ho!

May 27, 2019 – Coachella, CA – Took a route south towards the Salton Sea with caravan of other Wazers to bypass a major slowdown. We’ll pick back up with the 10 shortly.

​May 27, 2019 – Cabazon, CA – Bypassed one accident on the 10, but are sitting in another. It probably would have been worthwhile to search harder for a bypass route. It turns out the freeway was impacted from 6pm to 6am with 80,000 lbs of carrots mixed with diesel fuel spilled on the roadway. (pic courtesy of Cal Fire Riverside)

May 27, 2019 – In-N-Out Burger – Costa Mesa – Priorities. We made it home safe. First stop – In-N-Out!  ​

The experiences described in these posts were Steve & Mic’s at the time they took the ride. Each rider’s experience is unique. These posts do not describe what is usual or likely for the ride described.
 
The Lobo Loco Arts & Crafts Mini rally was an 8 Hour Motorcycle Scavenger Hunt. You can start and end anywhere. After you start, you have up to 8 hours to collect as many locations as possible.
 
Themed location information was provided prior to the event allowing you to start plotting your bonus locations. The rally flag will be a drawing of you on your motorcycle, which you create yourself.
 
Bonuses included art, sculptures, carvings, stained glass, mosaics, murals, graffiti, galleries, art schools, craft breweries, rock balancing and glass blowing (among other options). Some needed to be in different cities and there were some other limiting criteria.
 
In addition to collecting bonus points from a few mandatory categories, you must also ride 187 miles in order to be considered a finisher.
 
We finished in 7th place out of 20 who started the rally, scoring 7,176 points. We only lost 1 bonus worth 333 points due to a locked door that kept us from getting a good pic of the inside of a stained-glass window (see if you can spot the pic we tried to pass off), but even with those points, our finishing position remains the same.
 
Of course now, everywhere we go, we see sculptures and murals. All in all it was a fun rally and gave us the opportunity to plan, route, and execute/adjust a plan. All good practice for the upcoming IBR! ​

​Closeup of our finished rally flag.

​Pre-rally bonus – Us on the bike with our ‘rally flag’.

Carved Tree – 77pts

​Garden Gnome (on bike) – 335pts

​Craft Brewery – 166pts

​Graffiti – 245pts

​Kinetic Sculpture – 222pts

​Art Gallery – 175pts

​Glass Blower – 750pts

​Craft Brewery – 166pts

​Art Gallery – 175pts

​Oil Painting (with artist!) – 250pts

​Stained Glass (Outside)

​Stained Glass (Inside) – 333pts

​Pottery Studio – 100pts

​Rock Balance – ~150pts per rock

​Art Gallery – 175pts

​Stone Sculpture – 166pts

​Craft Brewery – 166pts

​Craft Brewery – 166pts

​Stained Glass (Outside)

​Stained Glass (Inside) – 333pts

​Mural – 25pts

​Stained Glass (Outside)

​Stained Glass (Inside) – 333pts

​Metal Sculpture – 111pts

​Relief – 200pts

​Stone Sculpture – 166pts

​Animal Sculpture – 124pts

The experiences described in these posts were Steve or Micki’s at the time they took the ride. Each rider’s experience is unique. These posts do not describe what is usual or likely for the ride described.

An RTE is a Ride to Eat. The idea is you ride in, have a meal with other riders and ride home. What is most fun about these events (at least in the Long Distance community) is that folks will come from ALL over. For the Bite the Weenie RTE, we don’t have very far to ride in, but still enjoy going to see old friends and meet new. Here's a pic from the event.

​The experiences described in these posts were Steve or Micki’s at the time they took the ride. Each rider’s experience is unique. These posts do not describe what is usual or likely for the ride described.
 
2018 Iron Butt 50cc Quest Certificate Ride
We successfully attempted an Iron Butt Association 50cc Quest certificate motorcycle ride from Jacksonville, FL to Huntington Beach, CA ..roughly 2,400 miles in under 50 hours. Riding between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean going Coast to Coast. And, scooping-up a bit of water & sand at the start and finish.  This will be Micki’s 2nd 50cc and Steve’s 8th.
Rules for this ride (IBA 50cc Quest): http://www.ironbutt.com/themerides/50cc/
(All times in PDT)

​March 18, 3:12 am, Jacksonville Beach, FL – On the road again! ✅ Gas ✅ Start Receipt ✅ Atlantic Ocean Sand & Water

​March 18, 5:25 am – Sunrise behind us…

​March 18, 8:20 am, Love’s Truck Stop, DeFuniak Springs, FL – First gas stop! Gas, dogs n gators. (We didn’t eat any dogs, I was just impressed by the sheer volume.)

​March 18, 8:47 am, Pensacola, FL – Highway in the sky….

​March 18, 11:36 am, Circle K, Slidell, LA – Early stop for rain gear.

​March 18, 12:10 pm – Traffic bypass courtesy of your trusty back seat navigator.

​March 18, 4:33 pm, Louisana/Texas State Line – Jiminy Christmas Louisiana!! Rain, traffic, construction!!! You nearly broke our spirit… keepin’ on keepin’ on.

​March 18, 6:03 pm, Exxon, Winnie, TX – Gas, bike maintenance and a burger from the most chaotic McD’s I’ve ever encountered. Back on the road. Spotwalla is a touch behind as the (now replaced) Spot battery died.

​March 18, 8:02 pm, Engle, TX – 
Happiness is…
– looking up at the stars
– finding a bonus beef jerky stick in your pocket
– people who can read and understand the “Left lane for passing only” sign
– San Antonio being only 2-digit miles away

March 18, 10:20 pm, Kerrville, TX – Bed, after a Long day!!

March 19, 7:46 am, Kerrville, TX – Gassed Up and Rollin’!

​March 19, 10:32 am, Bakersfield, TX – Gas, snacks. Not as close to home as our Bakersfield.

​March 19, 2:23 pm, El Paso, TX – Just Paso-ed El Paso. #dadjokescoast2coast

​March 19, 4:51 pm, New Mexico-Arizona State Line – 2 more states!

March 19, 5:57 pm, TA Truck Service, Wilcox, AZ – Gas and hoity-toity beverages.

March 19, 6:25 pm – Sunset in AZ

​March 19, 9:18 pm, Tonopah, AZ – Stop for gas and alternate earplugs… it’s not an Iron Ear ride.

March 19, 10:27 pm, California/Arizona State Line – California here we come, right back where we started from..

March 20, 1:39 am – Video of scooping up sand & water from the Pacific Ocean! [MISSING]

​March 20, 2:13 am – Home!! (Why we did the 50cc to HB)

​March 20, 2:51 am – Start 3/18/18 6:12 Eastern -> End 3/20/18 1:51am Pacific = 46 hrs 39 min (if errors, math done at 3am)

The experiences described in these posts were Steve or Micki’s at the time they took the ride. Each rider’s experience is unique. These posts do not describe what is usual or likely for the ride described.
 
2018 Iron Butt Why? Whynot! Certificate Ride
We successfully attempted an Iron Butt Association “Why? Whynot!” certificate motorcycle ride from Why, AZ to Whynot, MS ..roughly 1,575 miles in under 36 hours. Rules for this ride (IBA Why? Whynot!): www.ironbutt.com/themerides/whywhynot/
​
March 11, 9:07 am – Good Morning! We’re enroute to Why… because that’s our starting point!

​March 11, 11:48 am, Why, AZ – We went to see Why, if only briefly. Now we begin our trip, Whynot?!

​March 11, 1:57 pm – Next turn 471mi!

​March 11, 4:12 pm, New Mexico – We’ve entered the Land of Enchantment, rainbows and all.

​March 11, 4:57 pm, Petro Travel Truck Stop, Deming, NM – Receipt #2 – gas, coffee, warm layer and back on the road!

​March 11, 6:54 pm, El Paso, TX – Receipt #3 – rain gear for Mic and to actually PLUG in the heated gear. (Works better that way). 

​March 11, 6:58 pm, Texas – Texas – doing it bigger than NM. Why have one rainbow when you can have two.

​March 11, 9:24 pm, Pecos, TX – Welp, we made the turn. On I-20 now and headed for our midpoint stop. We watched these glow on the horizon in almost every direction. Not the best pic. Big flame!

​March 12, 9:10 am, Midland, TX – Day 2 Receipt 1 – Midland was a decent midpoint stop for a nights’s rest. Gassed up and on the road again!

​March 12, 11:36 am – We just completed the windmill to windmill tour. ;p (CA & TX)

​March 12, 12:53 pm, Pilot Travel Center, Weatherford, TX – Day 2 Receipt 2 – Gas, pit stop and maybe a little snack from Wendy’s. Oops, did I (Mic) pick a stop with a Wendy’s??

​March 12, 1:42 pm, Dallas, TX – We ask not WHO shot J.R., but WHY??

March 12, 4:03 pm, Texas-Louisiana Border – We’ve crossed over! Hasta la vista TX. Hello Louisiana!! #wontbackdown

​March 12, 5:43 pm, Arcadia, LA – Day 2 Receipt 3 – Gas, heated gear & coffee

​March 12, 7:55 pm, Mississippi – Crossed the Mississippi River into the last state of our trek to Whynot. Cruising!

​March 12, 10:22 pm – We’re done! Why? Whynot! In the bag.

​March 16 – We received our certificate (with custom art) at the awards ceremony. Fun!

The experiences described in these posts were Steve or Micki’s at the time they took the ride. Each rider’s experience is unique. These posts do not describe what is usual or likely for the ride described.

An RTE is a Ride to Eat. The idea is you ride in, have a meal with other riders and ride home. What is most fun about these events (at least in the Long Distance community) is that folks will come from ALL over. For the Bite the Weenie RTE, we don’t have very far to ride in, but still enjoy going to see old friends and meet new. Here are a couple of pics from our ride and the event.

​The experiences described in these posts were Steve’s at the time he took the ride. Each rider’s experience is unique. These posts do not describe what is usual or likely for the ride described.
 
Iron Butt Rally
The Iron Butt Rally is an eleven-day motorcycle event, broken into sections (or legs), traversing a large section of North America. It is not a race. No benefits, actual or implied, accrue to the rider who finishes a section (or the entire rally) in the least amount of time. Finishing positions will be determined solely by the points obtained by the riders during the entirety of the event. The following rules, tips, and miscellaneous information are designed to provide the rider with the minimum amount of background material necessary to participate in the event.
 
Riders spend years training and preparing for this ride they call The Big Dance.

​Rally Prep
March 22, 2016 – Las Vegas, NV – First.. The IBA’s 2017 Iron Butt Rally (IBR): I’m in! 🙂 I’m thrilled to be accepted to participate and look forward to doing my best riding ~11,000 Miles over 11 Days next year scavenging for bonus points all over North America. (http://www.ironbuttrally.com)
 
Second.. I feel for my fellow LD riders who applied and weren’t accepted. It’s incredibly tough to get accepted to and I’ve received that “Not the email you wanted to receive…” message before. Just keep riding and keep trying!

June 2017 - Last minute bike maintenance begins.

June 13 – Tire Day! These tires are going to leave their mark on more of North America in the next four weeks than most Americans see in a lifetime

​June 13 – Provisions have arrived! Maybe some water, and a full tank of gas and I’ll be ready to ride 🙂

​June 15 – Bike prep and maintenance is all done for the Big Dance! I even saved a few bucks and upgraded the iPad to the latest in low-tech for routing me to the IBR Start. — in Costa Mesa, California.

​Ride Food

​June 21 – As ready as Me and Moto will ever be Minneapolis Bound! — in Costa Mesa, California.

​June 21 – Away He Goes!

June 24 – Made it to Minneapolis Thursday. Got through Tech Inspection, ODO Check, and Registration today without problems. Just waiting for Rider Meetings tomorrow, and the Rally Start Monday morning!  Oh, and this graphic is supposed to give us clues as to the ‘Rally Theme’; as in.. Where we’re going.
??? — at Minneapolis Marriott West.

​6/25 – Got my Rally Routing Desk all setup! Welp, the time has come. Check-in and Riders Meetings are over. We’re just waiting for the Banquet Dinner where they hand out the “Rally Packets”. Then, its Plan Plan Plan and Ride starting in the morning for the next 11 days. So, you won’t see much of me around Facebook or whatever. Will be too busy riding & sleeping. To follow the 2017 Iron Butt Rally, here are links to whats happening during the rally:
IBR DAILY REPORTS http://ironbutt.com/2017ibr.cfm
PUBLIC SPOTWALLA TRACKING MAP https://spotwalla.com/locationViewer.php?id=429
2017 IBR RULES http://ironbutt.com/ibr/_2017/IBR2017Rules.pdf
Wish me luck! It’s going to be an adventure 🙂

Start photos by Rick Corwine
​
The IBR Rally Masters have issued a no social media policy during the rally. These are the last visuals we have of Steve until the rally is over!

​The Party
The Jacksonville party was fun! It was great to meet other riders, hear their crazy stories and celebrate our shared enjoyment of long distance riding. There was even an LDR marriage proposal!

​We received the certificate for our "ride in" to the Jacksonville IBA party.

​New Orleans
As we headed west again, Mic requested we stay a night in New Orleans as she had never had the chance to visit.

March 18, 2017 - The Algiers/Canal St. Ferry -  New Orleans, LA
Ferrying across the Mississippi!!

March 18, 2017
Saint Lawrence Nola
​New Orleans, LA
Dinner in the Big Easy

March 19, 2017 
Leaving NOLA. Short n sweet.

March 19, 2017
RaceTrac - Opelousas, LA
Our new favorite gas station chain ⛽

March 20, 2017
Bullard, Texas
Had a great visit with my cousin Amy and her family. Thanks for your hospitality!!

March 21, 2017
Poco & Mom's Cantina - Tucson, AZ
Got my New Mexican green chile fix.  Been dreaming of green chile for at least a year! And I got a jar to go! Thanks Aunt Cindy & Uncle Gene!!

​March 22, 2017
Home Safe & Sound!
CA to FL back to CA. 6,078 miles round-trip Two-Up. Got an IBA 50cc Certificate. Attended the IBA Banquet. Saw Friends and Family. Did some sightseeing. No Major Problems on the road..Phew! Some minor ones we overcame. Barely got wet! (Phew again!).
 
Now, to return to reality, Play catch-up with work, And..unfortunately..need to clean the bike again. lol

​2017 Cross Country Trip Part 2
 
Florida
What does one do after they’ve ridden across the county??? Circumnavigate Florida!

The Keys
We had plans to ride to the Florida Keys, stay the night and then head up to Sarasota to visit Steve’s daughter. Since we got in a little behind schedule, we decided to rest another day and do our trip around Florida in one fell swoop. We set out in the morning and were crossing the Keys by mid-day. Mic pretended she was an extra in True Lies as we cruised across the 7-mile bridge.

Mic & Steve at the southernmost point of the continental US.​

Mic having a slice of Key Lime pie in the Florida Keys, while on the phone with Chase, assuring them that yes, it was us buying gas in Florida.

Alligator Alley
After a slow, long ride to the end of the Keys and back, we jetted across the tip of Florida via Alligator Alley. It was dark and thankfully we saw no gators! We pulled over at some point as it seemed that something was rattling, but upon remembering that you can’t out run an alligator, we hopped back on the bike and went on our merry way.  Not too long afterward, we arrived at our hotel in Sarasota.

Siesta Key Beach
We had a lovely visit with Steve’s daughter and visited beautiful, albeit chilly, Siesta Key Beach.  After a nice breakfast in the morning, we headed off back to Jacksonville

​2017 Cross Country Trip Part 1
Iron Butt 50cc
Steve has attended the IBA (Iron Butt Association) “Pizza Party” for a number of years now. The Daytona Party, as it’s now called, happens the last weekend of Daytona Bike Week, in Daytona, Florida. Long distance riders come from all over to hang, ride, and celebrate some fun IBA rides. If you’re headed to the IBA event, you will usually do an IBA ride to get there. This can be the entry-level SaddleSore 1000 or the ridiculous 250cccccc that Steve did in March 2016 where he rode from San Diego to Jacksonville and back, and back, and back and back – crossing the US 5x in 10 days. Steve and Mic decided on a single 50cc – Coast to Coast in 50 hours or less. This would be Mic’s longest ride and Steve’s longest 2-up ride.
 
Mic was excited to take a trip across the US on a motorcycle. She enjoyed the ride home from Denver, after flying out to meet Steve at the finish of the 2016 Butt Lite. Having completed a SaddleSore 1000 as pillion, she earned membership in the IBA, an IBA number and could be certified for completing a 50cc.
 
A 50cc begins at one coast (east or west) and ends at the other coast. The ride should take 50 hours or less. San Diego, CA and Jacksonville, FL are the closest points between oceans and have been used many times and beginning as ending points for this ride. The rider collects water in one ocean and then the other, and this becomes a nice souvenir of their ride.

​Heading Out
Anticipating the trip and 2 weeks off work, she shared links so her family, friends and coworkers could follow her as she gallivants across the US.

​Mic knew she needed to pack light; she was aware the bike needed to hold water & food for 2 days, in addition to a week’s worth of clothing & toiletries. She edited as best she could, yet this much still needed to be left behind.

​Pacific Ocean
The alarm rang early Saturday morning. Mic & Steve suited up, packed the bike and made the short trip to the gas station to get the starting receipt. Two fellow riders offered to meet up at the starting location to serve as witnesses. With a brief conversation, thank yous and well wishes, Mic & Steve headed to Dog Beach, which has easy access from a parking lot to the surf. In the process of gathering up the Pacific Ocean seawater, a larger wave rushed in, splashing up to Mic’s knee. Having followed Steve’s lead in washing & waterproofing her Aerostich pants and riding boots, her feet and legs stayed completely dry!

​The West
The ride out of town and out of state was uneventful. Beautiful desert scenery rushed by. It wasn’t long to the Arizona border. A slight turn south and we arrived at the NM border. As the sun set, we grabbed a quick meal from a Wendy’s drive thru. It was nice to feel the air-conditioned “breeze” flowing out of the drive thru window.

​Gassed up, we continued East. We noticed Steve’s microphone cutting in and out as he spoke. When he wiggled and pulled the wire, it would come back. Then a bump in the road would take it out again. Then the next bump would bring it back. Continued wiggling, pulling & tapping, guided him to the left pocket. A tap on the pocket would bring it back just about anytime it went out.
 
As we entered Texas we saw some rain on the radar. We were in contact with a fellow rider, Kenneth, who was doing a 100ccc from Jacksonville to San Diego and back, on the same highway. He reported hitting rain, so we prepared. We saw clouds off in the distance and encountered 180-degree show of lightning, but never experienced more than a light sprinkling of rain. Kenneth, on the other hand, hit storm cell after storm cell. Unfortunately, this impacted his timing and our intended mid-Texas meetup ended up being a quick flash of the high beams as he motored West past us on the 10. We did make a midnight rest stop somewhere in Texas to let a rain cell pass by. We ended up sitting next to a group of state troopers who had met for coffee and discussion of the latest ‘perps’ they’ve apprehended. They wished us well and we continued East.

​We rolled into Kerrville about 4am Central time. We lost 2 hours moving from the Pacific time zone to the Central time zone. We also lost an hour due to the change to Daylight Saving Time. We slept hard that night, waking at noon – check-out time – to get back on the road.

​Texas, and more Texas, then the Panhandle
Texas is big. Having left at noon, we were in the Lone Star state until sundown. Luckily it was a Sunday, so navigating the larger cities was a breeze and we cruised quickly through Texas to Louisiana & Alabama. You know what seems as big as Texas? The Panhandle of Florida. Man, that thing is wide! At hour 10, Mic was SO excited to be in Florida. When she peeked over Steve’s shoulder at the GPS, the realization that they were still 10 hours from the coast was disheartening. And it was cold. Why was Florida COLD???
 
Florida
We’ve crossed the last state line for this journey — just need to get ourselves to the Atlantic Ocean. We’re moving fine, but communication is difficult and Mic is freezing. Steve opts to stop and get Mic suited up in any electric gear he’s got on the bike. It’s dark, it’s in the 40’s and we’re motoring down the highway. Mic warms up a bit with the extra gear, but still isn’t comfortable. After a bit, Steve again decides to stop – and this time we’re not going anywhere until Mic is warm and we can hear each other. He begins with troubleshooting the gear and discovers a broken connector. He bypasses the connector and voilà!, heat begins and Mic is warm! Next he dismantles the dashboard checking connections as he goes along.  A small adjustment and voilà!, we have sound.  Now it’s time to finish this last leg.

​Atlantic Ocean
The sun rose as we rode and we began to warm some. A couple stops for coffee and rest kept us moving through the early morning hours. Right about 9am Eastern we arrived at Neptune Beach, our Atlantic Ocean destination. We parked the bike, took a few deep breaths and trudged out across the sand to scoop up our water and sand for our keepsake bottles. We completed our 50cc within the 50 hour time limit. Success!