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.
 
March 10, 2015 near Syracuse, NY – What has 2 wheels, 3 gas stops, 16 hours and 1,100 miles to go? Today’s escape from this damn NY winter to Florida! Bike is packed, heated gear on, and Hamell On Trial Greatest Hits cranking. SPOT on: https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=c6cc54fe503e97f1f Rolling..

​March 10, 2015 near Thurmont, MD – First gas stop of three. 330 miles in. 45 degrees and raining ..not my favorite conditions. :\ — at 7-Eleven.
 
March 10, 2015 near Benson, NC – Gas stop two of three. Now I can see through my windshield again; and the mirrors. Plus, I hardly feel the pain any more in my left wrist from dropping the bike in stop & go traffic on a rain slick, titled side road in Maryland ..and then picked all 1,000+ pounds of it up myself. Gotta love the Wing’s crash bars!
 
March 10, 2015 near Hardeeville, SC – Last gas stop. Next stop.. A pillow in Jacksonville.. In about 2.5 hours.
 
March 10, 2015 near Jacksonville, FL – Made it. Done. Toasted. Fini. Zzzzzzzzzzz

​March 11, 2015 – Bigger, Dryer, Warmer!, than Americade — at Daytona Bike Week.

​March 14, 2015 – Ha-Haa! Jacksonville, FL straight to Pedro’s “South Of The Border” ..without stopping. Had 0.2 gallons left in the main tank. Very Rainy though (if you wanted to know Robert).

​March 15, 2015 – Got home from JAX last night Safe & Sound. And, wet. And, tired. And, cold. Did I mention wet? Like the most soaked I have ever been (that is, with my good gear that is waterproof, but completely failed me). I wrung out waterproof gloves. Changed socks. De-soaked my wallet. I held my iPhone under a gas stop’s bathroom hand dryer just so the touch screen would work again (it was inside my Stich!). Hahahaha (..I laugh now..). Probably 400+ miles of heavy rain. Then..THEN.. In PA, the fog-so-thick-you-could-cut-it-with-a-knife. I shadowed truckers just so they’d hit anything first. But, I made it. 12:45 AM and 37 out (already miss Florida). Nearly 19 hours and 1,100 miles of riding. Why? Cause I was concerned about this: This is what Syracuse looked like 9 hours later at 10:00 AM. I Love Riding! 🙂 — in Syracuse, New York

​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.
 
Started the year with a new bike, that now has 24,168 miles on it! (map shows where I went in 2014) Been a good year, plus typical and not so typical ups & downs. For 2015: Alaska and All-of-the Lower-48 ..in 10 days. 😉 — in United States.

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.
 
The Rules
The Great Lakes series of certifications is intended to document a successful ride around the “Great Lakes” of Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario located in northeast area of North America near the border of the United States and Canada.
You must complete the ride in 50 hours or less. Please note that depending on the route you take, the mileage around the Great Lakes is 2,450 miles. Attempting to do earn this certification in less than 50 hours is not recommended.
In order to obtain your Great Lakes certification, you should be familiar with the rules for a SaddleSore 1000, which basically require that you obtain start and end witnesses, log each fuel stop, and obtain a gas receipt for all fuel purchases along the way.
 
The Ride
September 12, 2014 – Planning a quick ride next week. The Iron Butt Great Lakes GOLD: Ride around the “Great Lakes” of Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario …in less than 50 hours. Gotta get miles in before the snow! 🙂

​September 25, 2014 — feeling determined in Syracuse, New York –  It’s time …well, in a few hours. Attempting an Iron Butt Great Lakes GOLD. That’s 2,400+ miles around all 5 Great Lakes in one big loop in 50 hours or less (Finally getting to it!). Leaving after 6 AM Friday morning.

​September 30, 2014 –
Here’s details on the Iron Butt Great Lakes GOLD ride I just finished early Sunday morning. Attached is a picture of my SPOT track.
The challenge was: Ride a big loop around all 5 of the Great Lakes …in under 50 hours.
GPS Miles Rode: 2,461
ODO Miles: 2,539 (My bike’s odometer is about 3+% over reality)
Finished in: 44-hours 47-minutes
Slept: ~2-hours in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada (3.5-hour stop at hotel)
Gas: About 70 Gallons
US States: NY, PA, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN
Canadian Provinces: Ontario (it’s Big!)
Time Zones: Eastern, Central
Deer in US: A dozen or so
Deer in Canada: 1
Moose and Squirrel: 0
Idiot drivers: Too numerous to count
Weather: PERFECT! albeit chilly nights, and fog in spots.
Views along coasts of Great Lakes in Canada: Priceless
Thanks to: Wayne for the idea & help to do this ride (instead of a BBG3000). And, all the help from Robert, Minna, and JT.

​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.
 
2014 Butt Lite 7 Rally
 
The Ride
October 1, 2013 – Who just registered for Butt Lite 7 in July 2014? This crazy long distance motorcyclist!

 October 4, 2013 – The Butt Lite 7 motorcycle ‘scavenger hunt’ rally took only three days to sell out! There are 70 solo motorcyclists that will be riding this coming July for 6 days over thousands of miles across this great US.
 
July 1, 2014 – And, here’s how you change the Air Filter on a (gd) Gold Wing GL1800 2nd Gen. lol ~oy~ Hey! I’m halfway done! Did I mention the heat index is 100°? (getting bike prepped for Butt Lite)

July 2, 2014 – Anybody else stopping at Wing Ding in Madison, WI on the way to Butt Lite? I plan on hitting the vendor floor (why the hell I don’t know) Friday morning; then ride to Minnetonka (truck) in the afternoon.
 
July 3, 2014 – Going to a Wing Ding!, then riding Butt Lite. Be back in ~8,000 miles (eh. about 11 days 🙂

​July 4, 2014 – in Madison, Wisconsin – All gassed up. Now, none stop to Butt Lite Headquarters in Minnetonka!
 
July 4, 2014 – Made it to Minnetonka (it’s actually bigger than they make it out to sound). Checked-in; Registered; Tech Inspection done. Nothing to do now except wait for the Butt Lite 7 Rally Packet at 8:00 PM tomorrow night.
 
July 5, 2014 – Getting things setup in the hotel room for a night of Rally Routing at Butt Lite 7. Mayhem starts at 8PM. I could end up ~anywhere~ in this country this week. :))

​July 5, 2014 – Butt Lite 7 Time!
I’ve missed some rides this season. Some parties. Ran some test rallies. Taken the bike apart a few times this Spring. Added farkle-after-farkle (gadgets). Even added a Fuel Cell (aux gas tank) to the back of the bike (Thanks Frank & Angelo!). 4.2 gallons; in addition to the Wing’s stock 6.6G. For a total of 10.8G and 360-miles between gas stops. I’ve already put 12,000 miles on the new bike since March, and had to put a new set of tires on already. Why? all for this…
 
I’m in Minnetonka, MN with 62 other crazy Long Distance riders to take part in the biennial Butt Lite Rally. Starting tomorrow (Sunday) at 8AM CDT I’ll be riding the Wing 6,000 miles give-or-take in the next 6-days-straight. 144-hours of Riding, Eating, Resting and Bonus Hunting on the motorcycle ..as much as I can. Though, none of us will know to where until 8PM tonight when they hand out the rally packs. Then, it’s 12-hours of rally routine, sleeping, and all out mayhem! 🙂
 
Rally Rules prohibit us from any social networking during the rally; No Facebook (not such a bad thing!); No Delphi Forums; No nothing. Private messages, texts, and phone calls are all good. They’ve set up a couple links to follow along, if you’d like:
Butt Lite 7 – Blog: http://buttlite7.blogspot.com
Butt Lite 7 – Public Tracking Page: https://spotwalla.com/locationViewer.php?id=245
Butt Lite 7 – General Website: http://www.teamstrange.com/2014/butt_lite/
 
Number One Goal? Get home safe. Number Two Goal? Finish in the Top Ten. That’ll get me entry into the 11-Day Iron Butt Rally for next year. 😉
 
Cheers,
Steve2
 
July 12, 2014 – The Butt Lite Rally… Been there. Done that. 5,500+ miles in 6-days. GOODNIGHT!

 July 14, 2014 – Butt Lite 7 is over, I’m home, and in one piece – I achieved Goal #1. The bike is in one piece, too. Though, one big problem: I blew the rear tire. My four-month old bike is now on its third rear tire. lol
 
Welp, after sitting on the side of the New Mexico Interstate, in the dark, in the desert, for four-and-a-half-hours with a blown tire, I was finally rescued. Got the tire fixed in the morning, and lost 12-hours of rally time. But, I Finished! And, not too shabby.
 
Out of 60 bikes that started the rally, only 49 finished. I placed 17th. Very happy with that. I rode roughly 1,100 miles there, and then back. Rode 5,600 miles in the six-day rally; For a total of somewhere over 7,800 miles with my ass on that bike for 11-days. I have new aches & pains. New muscles. New calluses. New friends. New memories. And, a Big smile on my face. Hmmm…what next?

​Event Pics from Rick Corwine

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.
 
The Rules
Your ride needs to be completely documented 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 SaddleSore and Bun Burner do NOT require you to speed. The majority of riders will cover their 1,000 miles in about 18 to 20 hours (including all stops). For every hour you are on a major highway riding, you put approximately 20 minutes of “off” time in your time bank that can be used for resting. Use that time wisely as it does not come off the 24 hour clock!
 
The Ride & Certificate

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.
 
Mason Dixon 20-20 Endurance Rally
Founded in spring of 2000, the Mason Dixon 20-20 Endurance Rally is the premier rally of the Mid Atlantic region. Eligible rally finishers may earn their Iron Butt Association membership if desired.
 
Whether you are a complete novice to the endurance riding community or a grizzled three digit holder, you will find the Mason Dixon 20-20 a challenge to your ability to balance time, points and miles, all while riding on some of the finest motorcycling roads in the nation.
 
The Ride
October 21, 2013 – Steve Diederich to Mason Dixon 20-20 – Maybe I’ll finally get to see a “crownstone” boundary monument on the Mason–Dixon line. Been one of my odd bucket list items.
 
January 12, 2014 – “You have successfully registered for the Mason Dixon 20-20 ride.” – I am going to be enjoying riding Too Much this Summer. 🙂   www.masondixon20-20.org
 
May 25, 2014 – in Martinsburg, West Virginia – The ‘festivities’ for the Mason Dixon 20-20 Rally (motorcycle scavenger hunt) just wrapped up. I placed 8th out of 41 Riders. The rally is 32-hours long; I rode 1,218 miles; Hit 30 bonus locations (scored 6615); Got way less than 3-hours sleep in the mandatory rest bonus; Saw some REALLY beautiful sites, countrysides, bridges, roadways; and, Am happy with the whole weekend. Best thing: The Weather could Not have been any better. 🙂

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.
 
The Rally
Hammy’s Rallies
This is an 8-hour photo-based rally that takes place on Saturday, May 10, 2014 from 0800 till 1600 Eastern time. For those unfamiliar with the concept, a rally is a personally-planned motorcycle adventure…
 
The Ride
May 11, 2014  – 847-miles Friday night & all-day Saturday ..riding-to, riding-in, and riding-home-from.. Hammy’s Peace, Love & Sanity Rally in Pennsylvania. Only a little-bit of rain ..and only a little-bit of arguing. 😉

​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.
 
The Rally
24+ hour Rally event with multiple starting locations; a Mini-Rally; a BBQ Feast Saturday evening at the Finisher’s Banquet; and, an informal Farewell gathering on Sunday morning.
The 24+ hour Rally will begin at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time) on Friday the 25th . Each rider will choose from one of three possible starting locations: Naples, NY, Dyersburg, TN, or Crystal River, FL, and all riders will be due in Wilmington, North Carolina, not later than 3:00 p.m. on Saturday the 26th. The Mini-Rally will begin with rider check-in at 6:00 p.m. on Friday evening, followed by an informal gathering from 7:00-9:00 p.m. The Rider’s Meeting will begin not later than 5:30 a.m. on Saturday the 26th. Mini-Rally riders will be released at 6:00 a.m. and are due back not later than 4:00 p.m. The BBQ Feast will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday evening with rally results being announced, awards and recognition of riders at 8:30 p.m, or as soon thereafter as the scores can be tallied.
 
Open Registration will begin on January 3, 2014 and will remain open until we have filled all available rider slots (125 registration slots are available – 100 for the 24-hour and 25 for the Mini-Rally), or March 15, 2014, whichever occurs first. The last few years the longest open registration period has been 6 hours (yes, hours, not days or weeks) – don’t wait.

​The Ride

​January 2, 2014 – “You have successfully registered for the 2014 Cape Fear 1000 Rally ride.” – All Set!

April 22, 2014 – This towel isn’t big enough to dry the bike with…can I have a couple more? – Getting ready for the Cape Fear Rally this weekend! — in Syracuse, New York.

​April 24, 2014 – Off to Cape Fear!  Riding to Naples, NY in the morning to start the 2014 Cape Fear 1000 Rally (http://www.capefear1000.com). A 29-hour 1000-mile (give-or-take) motorcycle scavenger hunt rally that ends in Wilmington, NC 3PM on Saturday. The bike’s not washed, but it’s packed & rally prepped!  Be back late Sunday.

​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.
 
The Rules
Your ride needs to be completely documented 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 SaddleSore and Bun Burner do NOT require you to speed. The majority of riders will cover their 1,000 miles in about 18 to 20 hours (including all stops). For every hour you are on a major highway riding, you put approximately 20 minutes of “off” time in your time bank that can be used for resting. Use that time wisely as it does not come off the 24 hour clock!
 
The Ride & Certificate
March 8, 2014 – The new bike is ready for its maiden voyage! Leaving Tuesday morning for Florida with -0- on the ODO and not stopping until it hits 1,000+ miles. Two things for sure: I’ll have plenty of light and I won’t get lost! — in Syracuse NY.

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.
 
7-Years of Luck – My Motorcycling Anniversary
 
7-Years ago today, on January 4th 2007, after having taken the MSF Basic Rider’s Course just two-months earlier, and never, ever having ridden a motorcycle before training.. I bought my first motorcycle: A used 2002 Suzuki Intruder VS800. I rode it out of the dealership shitting-my-pants and wondering if I was going to kill myself just getting home. I was actually afraid of riding it in the Spring, and thought I should go get a 250cc bike.
 
I really liked that bike. But, after a couple years of riding it, and joining the Salt City Riders riding club in Central NY (thanks to Patrick Marnell), I quickly desired to turn it into a touring bike – which isn’t easy to do to a 800cc bike..and that’s where Mitch Lenway (easily) convinced me to buy a used Gold Wing in June of 2009. Today I still ride that bike: A 2003 Honda Gold Wing GL1800.
 
In the Summer of 2011 I decided to take a chance and ride that ‘touring bike’ of a Gold Wing across country and see if I couldn’t avoid death and actually make it back home alive. I did, and my life would never be the same. I Fell In Love with Long Distance Riding! OMG – You could actually ride thousands of miles across this great country of ours and not die. lol
 
Since then: I have been from coast-to-coast THREE times. Met So Many new friends across the country; not to mention experiencing the openness of the riding community – whether it be my own backyard, the state, or the country. Have experienced places, back roads, and off-the-beaten-paths I can’t even put into words. And, recently, been introduced to the world of Motorcycle Scavenger-Hunt Rallying.
 
This ‘Riding Season’ of 2014, I will participate in 8-hour, 24-hour, and 6-DAY (Butt Lite) motorcycle scavenger-hunt rallies. And, attempt to ride into each of the continental US-States-plus-Alaska in 10-days. :))) Additionally, I have entered into a chance to be picked to ride the 11-Day Iron Butt Association Iron Butt Rally in 2015. (Fingers Crossed!)
 
In the 7-years I have ridden: I have accumulated 65,585 miles on two-wheels (60K+ on the GW). Across too-many-to-remember US States, and Canadian Provinces. With some great friends. And, can’t wait to do any-of-it, all-of-it, or-what-ever ..again.
 
..feeling good.. even though there are inches-upon-inches of snow outside and the temp is -5 F right now. Come on Spring!
 
~Ride Safe~