My 1st Moonshine <HR style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #d1d1e1; COLOR: #d1d1e1" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->A last minute decision to go paid dividends. My mileage calculations were in-exact prior to the ride to Moonshine...total mileage up to Casey IL was 890 miles ,split over 2 days. However the first day from my home to the overnite stop in Owensboro KY was 720 miles. 2nd day total was 170 to reach Casey via a stop at the Moonshine store for lunch and my1st Moonburger. My trip up was following three other couples on their hugmongous GL1800 Goldwings...I had no trouble keeping with them with my ST1100 V4 motor...vs. thier 1800cc 6cyl motors...still they were 2 up and they were 100 times more comfortable than I was...as good as my bike is ...after 400 miles I wasnt really feeling too good and that 1st day up was not that much fun...but I kept thinking of my goal to get to Moonshine and see for myself what Terry Hammond had created and to actually understand or "get it"...I did and I do "get it"...its " Never too far...Never too cold...Never too wet" a Moonshine mantra if you will...and its about the people and giving to a greater cause. Casey IL is farm country and the things that have made this a great country still exist there...if you were ever in need of help from complete strangers then welcome to Casey Il. Love of God,Country,Family and their Community along with the strong American work hard ethics that are the foundation of this country...or were..but yet its still there in the Midwest..farmrs plowing their land...millions of acres..day and well into the night...not an easy life to be sure...but without their toil we would have to fend for ourselves as hunter gather-ers and doing our own farming to survive..imagine that... The day we arrived at the store... Lots of motorcycles parked there on beautifully sunny and clear day. I was able to grab a spot right in front of the store...awesome. Inside I go and there a set of familiar faces some I've met and others only seen on the forums...mix in the regular local farmers and families in the area and you have this little store jammed with people. The air is very warm and the smell of beef hamburger grease is heavy in the air...this only heightens your taste buds in anticipation...All their burgers are hand pat...couple yrs back the record they sold at this event was over 2000 Moonburgers... OFC though this isnt truly just about a burger..its heart of being is about LD riding ..you know you've heard about the Iron Butt Association...well these are the folks who are true LD riders... I have never seen such an assortment of aux. fuel tanks or fuel cells anywhere on motorcycles as i saw here at this rally...every kind of bike imaginable...if the rider was an IBA member he /she had some type of aux. supply...IBA rules allow you to carry a total of 11.5 gals of fuel....giving most a 400+ mile range... That evening at Terry's Farm where his widow and his children and his sisters welcomed all of us to a cookout that they intend to keep on doing every year...nearly 300 riders were there and the family also welcomed folks who wanted to camp on their farm...120 did so..just another reflection on the founder of this event. I believe the earlier link in this thread I posted will take you to the home page of the Moonshine website...there are different headings to read abt it and explain who Terry Hammond was and other facts about the charities all the $ goes to... In addition to folks staying at the farm alot more folks filled up the motels in the area. stayed in Casey at the main rally HQ's and the place was full with all m/c riders. Fri brought rain and wind but peoiple still rode out for lunch led by some veryhospitable local organizers...and a visit to a Corvtette an VW museum and later a private tour of a farmer's collection of antique tractors mostly John Deeres. Friday evening was a banquet type dinner for eeveryone at a place in Casey called Richard's Farm but its really a huge restaurant. 370 people attended and awards for long distance were given out. These were SS1000 IBA sanctioned runs to Moonshine from 65+ starting cities aroound the usa....SS1000 means Saddle Sore...Iron Butt Assoc. sanctions a certificate upon completeion of 1000+ miles in 24 hours or less.Documented start and finish times andalso verification of documents on mileage...usually a printed gas recipt will give all thats needed except your odo reading. Of note the 1st place finisher of the LD awards was a woman from Sunnyvale CA in 24 hours she rode 2242 miles!!! The next day saturday...is the actual MLR event and it was raining all day long...it did keep the numbers down but I was there and they did manage to sell over 1300 Moonburgers to an all motorcyclist crowd. It was awesome to meet so many that I've alrady met before and ofc many others I have been wanting to meet as well...Why i even met up witth the fellow I sold my first ST1100 to and the bike was there too...what a surprise that was! You'll see it in the link for the pics. Sat. night was a chili supper at the local h.s put on by the fire dept and all money donated to charity as well...good event and about 220 ppl showed for that...back to the motel and talk for a few hours and off to bed...Sunday @ 4:30 a.m. up and final packing of bike..get some free breakfast at the motel and by 5:10 the same folks I rode up with departed for home..an all day burn non-stop except for gas food and bathroom breaks...tank to tank all day all the way...for me it totaled 16 hours and 844 miles from Casey IL to my home in NC. Because again...I was following the group I was not fully aware of the total miles involved or I would have applied to ride for a SS1000 on the trip back. I would have had another 8 hours to complete roughly 160 miles to total 1000 in well under 24 hours... At the start of this I never thought I could...would do LD riding nor did I think of myself as an LD rider....it seems though that my definition of LD riding is evolving and it isnt a foreign concept to me anymore. So while I still dont think I will compete in the Iron Butt rallies I would like to at least once gain a SS1000 certification... Before that happens I'll need to rethink some comfort farkles on my ST($$) namely a really comfortable seat...and some handlebar risers and a few other items...will I ever be as comfortable as those GW riders? Hell no...not unless I get one myself...I have started looking at them more closely but they're way out of my price range.... Anyways thats the ride report...an amazing experience that next year I will really plan to do better...I'll have 1 year to get the necessary farkles in order...I will be ready to go again. And I know my friend Terry Hammond would be smiling to see this... http://s242.photobucket.com/albums/f...t%20Moonshine/
Sounds like you had a great time. Pity about the rain, but, oh well. Seeing your old bike must have been a bit of a spin out. I sold a previous bike (owned for 14 years) to a work mate, who has since sold it on to another, so I see it regularly.
It wouldnt be Moonshine without the rain though. Most people cant wrap their heads around the fact that one actually rides thru bad weather...no excuses...there is no such thing as bad weather only bad gear and bad preparations. Seeing my former ST was totally unplanned for...In fact alot of other people's pics show a shot of the store the day of the actual MLR and you can see the RedQueen sitting there in the background...plus there was a local Newspaper coverage of the event and a pic of me standing in front of the store! So i've had my 15 mins of fame...LOL Some of you may have seen this link to the Moonshine event...lots of sub headings to read about Terry and this event... http://moonshine-run.com/Moonshine/Event.asp
Very nice Ben. But you are supposed to post your pictures here, not make us go looking for them ! :ddog I remember seeing that red bike in the GSTOR. And with all of the modifications you want to make to your bike you might as well go out and buy a GW ! ! ! Just for LD riding of course ! So glad you had a great time.
Thanks Steve...you did find the pics alright?...With all the farkles I want I estimated aboout $1200 - $1500...a new to me Goldwing would run $12,000 - $15000...so I think I try the former
Thanks Rob... That would be so cool to meet you there...there are a few NJ ST-Owners and New Englanders that do this every year. If next years SS1000 routes are the same as this years...My starting point would be in Raleigh NC which I am close to but the midpoint city is Youngstown OH then onto Casey IL roughly 1015 miles or so. I think its possible to do it in 18 hours tops.
