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| This year's Theme. |
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| Hammy Tan and his air conditioning problems. |
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| Scott Jones on Jeremy Loveall's old bike. |
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| Tim Masterson and his FLIR Display. |
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| Chris Sakala's Aux Tank. |
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| Eric Bray. |
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| Jim Owen with last minute preparations. |
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| 21,000 mile 06 BMW GSA. |
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| Dale Warchild Wilson at his best with a rider begging for forgiveness. |
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| Another FLIR System. |
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| Wayne Boyter Tech Inspecting. |
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| Olaf Moon's Bike |
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| Brian Roberts giving this tank the evil eye. |
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| Josh Mountain also with the air conditioning option. |
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| Jim Owen being inspected. |
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| Nicely decorated helmet. |
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| Rod Schween's Helmet |
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| Tom Austin begins the measuring of Jeremy Loveall's new Auxiliary Tank. I won't explain except to say specific gravity is used. |
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| Jeremy however has already measured it the old fashioned way and is unconcerned. |
Oh by the way he passed easily.
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| Sometimes you have to remind yourself. Usually at about 1:30 AM in the absolute middle of nowhere. |
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| Will Barclay's Harley Davidson. A Rookie to this type of Rallying, but definitely not a Rookie in the traditional sense. |
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| Greg Rice. |
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| A little final drive maintenance, the old school way. |
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| L to R, Wayne Boyter, Chris Sakala, and Perry Karsten. |
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| Perry has ridden this bike in the Iron Butt 5000, the 2011, 2013, and now 2015 Iron Butt Rallies. The pinstriping is from a bonus in the Iron Butt 5000 in 2010. |
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| Josh Mountain using some solar drying. |
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| The height of this bike tells you it is Kurt Worden's 250. |
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| Lisa Landry and former IBR Champ Rick Morrison |
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| Mike Langford made it in late last night, but made it. |
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| First victim Donna Fousek. |
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| Josh Mountain's turn. |
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| Eric Bray always cool. calm, and collected, enjoying a little Iron Butt Magazine reading. |
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| Hammy Tan with his happy face, ahhh. |
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| Perpetual 11th hour riders, Eric Jewell and Mark Crane show up as usual last for Tech. |
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| Dale Wilson using his charm to explain that perhaps he would prefer them be here a bit sooner. Oh, and ODO check starts right now. |
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| Father Daughter moment as they prepare to ride in their second IBR. |
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| Mike Kneebone at the Start Dinner, soon everyone will know what they have in front of them, at least for 3 days |
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| The Riders and Guests anxiously await the word. |
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| Dale Wilson presenting the contestants of the hair dye competition to see who gets to lead the Iron Butt Rally out of the parking lot. |
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| Rally Mistress Lisa Landry (don't call her Mam). |
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| Rider #2 Kirsten Talken-Spaulding, who just happens to work for the National Park Service. |
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| Tom Austin with the words everyone has waited for, Open your Rally Packets. |
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| Suddenly things are quieter. |
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| Kirsten's flag. I believe the best looking flag I have seen in a Rally. |
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| The Parking Lot, 2 hours before the start, when you ride 11 days 2 up in the Iron Butt Rally, you need teamwork. Ande Bergman-Good and John Good are working as a Team already. |
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| The most colored coordinated team, the Liles, even coordinated with their bike. |
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| This folks is a Texas Funeral Director. |
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| Game face on, check. |
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| Lisa Landry and Tom Austin. |
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| Rider #2 plotting, planning. |
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| The Lahmans getting their last cool rest place for awhile. |
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| ODO team, you must be at your bike by 9 AM. |
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| Al Holtsberry, his IBA# is 27. those who earn their 3 digit number on this Rally, will be over 500. Not his first Rodeo. |
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| New Mexico is an open carry state, but this is the Albuquerque PD, here to help with the start. |
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| Maybe I will just change my route here at the last moment? |
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| Dale dispensing wisdom. |
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| Lisa giving Lisa Wisdom even to the New Mexico Highway Patrol. |
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| Last minute rider instructions. |
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| Words from the NM Highway Patrol. |
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| Hammy Tan and Jerome Byrd listening carefully. |
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| Albuquerque's Bernadillos County's and NM Highway Patrol gathered to help the riders safely get to I 40. they blocked all traffic lights between the Hotel and I 40. |
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| At the bikes, ready to go. |
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| Law Enforcement in the lead. |
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| First Rider Out! |
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| Oops, two time Rally Veteran Chris McGaffin wasn't ready for the ODO check, and had to wait until everyone left, well almost. |
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| This rider's bike fell over when he was told to start. Volunteers quickly jumped in as his right foot peg was folded in, and bent it back out. |
AND THEY ARE OFF!
I was scoring at the Albuquerque Checkpoint so don't have many pics from there. Here's a few and some from the launch the next morning.
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| Here is Troy Martin's not quite mint Triumph Trophy. Troy, fell down on a dirt road, hit a deer and had an accident on I 25 coming into the Checkpoint. Undaunted, Troy, a Rookie, took 4th after the first leg, but had to withdraw, the forks were tweaked too badly to continue. Oh, and that's deer hair in the crack in his sidecase below. |
Riders leaving from the Albuquerque Checkpoint.
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| Matt Wise almost set. |
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| Phil O'Connor seems well rested. |
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| Paul Tong with some last minute prep. |
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| Top rider Kirsten Talken-Spaulding, looking for another big leg no doubt. |
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To the surprise of probably no one, Mark Crane, one of the top riders in any Rally he enters, was leaving a little later than the others.
Truman Historic Site
Being back in Kansas City, I swung by Independence MO to see who I could see in a couple of hour time window for me. Luck was a little on their side, as two blocks away the streets were blocked for the 4th of July Parade.
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| First up was Greg Lenentine as he snaps the photo. |
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| Next to visit the Show Me State, Don Duck. |
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| Dave Legnosky plots the next move. |
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| Gary Springgay, the 80's in Missouri seemed like winter time to the AZ rider. |
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| Maybe to remind him what he was doing by Day 8? |
