Iron Butt Rob!

Folks, check this out!   Our good buddy Rob Morel just completed an Iron Butt run on his CSC RX3!

Hi Joe.

I rode  my RX3 on  an Iron Butt 1000 this weekend. Its 1000 miles in under 24 hours and you have to document start, stop time, all gas stops with receipts to prove you actually did it. Took just under 20 hours to complete. 11 gas stops. Burned thru  23.111  gallons of gas for 1055 miles for an average of 45.65  mpg costing $57.90.

What amazed me was the flogging the motor took. I literally rode it full throttle at 65-70mph on the GPS for 70-80% of the trip going up and down interstate hills where the speed limit was 70 and 80 mph in Oregon and Idaho. The motor seemed to take it all in a stride.   Judicious use of the gear box to keep it above 6500 rpm was needed to get over mountain passes and curvy hills in 4th and 5th. Never had to run it above 8000 rpm. On a long down hill I held it wide open to gain speed to get up the next hill and 75mph GPS was attained. Usually ran from 65-70mph on the GPS with 80 mph cars passing me like flies on the way to the milk barn.

Gearing was 2 teeth up from standard on the rear sprocket. Stock gearing would have been fine.

Oil was the CSC 20-50 premium synthetic.

I used  one of the nice gel seats you guys sell.  Rear held out pretty good till temps got hot and sweaty, then what’s a fella to do?

Ran the lowest grade of gas first 500 miles then switched to middle grade and it gained me 2-3 mph and more power to get over the hills so I didn’t need to downshift as much. 

The bike never once gave me trouble or left me wondering if I would make it home.

It impressed the Harley, Indian, and Victory guys I started out with. They soon left me with their higher top speed so I was riding solo most of the 20 hours it took to complete. I made it to the last fill up to certify the end of the ride maybe 15 min after they finished.

I have around 9300 miles on the bike now.

While not the best choice for Iron Butting, the RX3 showed that it can on play with the big boys and finish what it starts.

Have a great trip around China, Joe.

As for me, where’s my Tylenol?

Rob

Rob, that’s impressive riding, and we are all very proud of you.  Thanks very much for sharing this tremendous accomplishment with us!

Folks, I first met Rob on the Western America Adventure Ride, during which Rob met us in Idaho and then rode along with the group for the next several days.   Rob impressed me greatly the first time I saw him.   I was leading our group north on the road into Cambridge, Idaho, where Rob had told me (via email) he would hook up with us.   It was early in the morning and I was in my normal funky mood after trying to get everybody moving on time (without a lot of success).  I did not yet know Rob, but I had corresponded with him and he told me he would be in Cambridge.  I remember thinking we’d have another delay as I tried to find this guy, but that wasn’t the case at all.   Rob had parked his RX3 at the edge of the road and he was sitting in a lawn chair, watching and waiting for our arrival.  When I first saw him, he was getting out of the lawn chair to start his bike so he could fall into formation with no delay.   My kind of guy, Rob is.

Here’s a photo I took of Rob that fine morning in Idaho…

Good times, good people, and grand adventures…it’s what riding CSC and the Cult of the Zong is all about, folks!