Bun Burner Gold Attempt

[BuddyRich]

He is from down sout, they dont have a PMS season.

Oh yea,,,, July and August... Pretty Much Sizzles...

[twigg]

Woah .....

 

Seriously guys ... You are freakin' awesome

 

I just read this thread through and I'm overwhelmed by the support. If good wishes could do the ride, I would have been home dry!

 

Okay.

 

The ride is in the books, and it's a Bun Burner, not a Gold.

 

The full tale is here:

 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/19/1075667/-How-to-Meet-with-Triumph-and-Disaster-and-Treat-Those-Two-Imposters-Just-the-Same-

 

That report took a bit of writing and all the other questions I'll answer in good time.

 

Yes, I was fit

 

Yes, I used the Ignitech but switched back to stock part way. The report will explain why.

 

The headlight was awesome!!

 

So was the desert.

 

Enjoy the read, ask any questions you want because my VR just covered 1575 miles, and it has a story to tell.

[flb_78]

yup, the Texas Panhandle winds and elevation kill these carb'd engines.

[twigg]

yup, the Texas Panhandle winds and elevation kill these carb'd engines.

 

Yes.it.does

 

I wondered if it were the Ignitech, but apparently not. That was working pretty well.

 

The bikes are not jetted for 7000 feet either ... That can't help.

[friesman]

The altitiude might cause some mileage issues, but last summer at the Intl meet,a ton of Ventures did the 11000 ft summit of the Beartooth and I didnt hear of anyone having carb issues. We went from over 100f down in the valley to just above freezing in a short time with no issues, even on my old 85. I did see a couple of FI bikes that were having some issues tho.

 

But it would have been a great ride regardless, Thanks for letting us share in it with your blog. It was great being able to track and follow along.

 

Brian

Edited March 20, 2012 by friesman

[Itsan06]

An incredible venture for you nonetheless.

It was a pleasure to read your story.

I may be heading up toward the OKC then up to Grand Lake soon

maybe we can meet up for a cup of joe.

Kenny

[KIC]

Congrats on your ride. I have driven 2250 miles in 32.1/2 hours several times in the last couple of years but that was in a nice comfy newer Jeep Cherokee. I could not imagine doing 1500 on a bike in 24 hrs. Have thought of trying the 1000 mile Ironbutt type, the extra 500 just seems like ...well incredible.

 

[dingy]

Do you have a way to hook a laptop to TCI? I could send you my module if you don't, and send me yours back. I am several weeks from needing it. I am in process of sanding body parts in order to paint it.

 

I can get you a MAP file that doesn't have the timing curve pushed out like the one I sent out does. It isn't drastic, but might make a difference.

 

I have don't recall ever hitting much below 25mpg with my bike the way it has been modified and on days when I was out 'testing' it.

 

Gary

[pktexas]

Congratulation on finishing the Bun-Burner. Great post of the ride. Enjoy the time reflecting on it in between sleep. Thanks for letting us follow you.

[twigg]

Do you have a way to hook a laptop to TCI? I could send you my module if you don't, and send me yours back. I am several weeks from needing it. I am in process of sanding body parts in order to paint it.

 

I can get you a MAP file that doesn't have the timing curve pushed out like the one I sent out does. It isn't drastic, but might make a difference.

 

I have don't recall ever hitting much below 25mpg with my bike the way it has been modified and on days when I was out 'testing' it.

 

Gary

 

I think I can hook up the laptop, but as yet I haven't tried it.

 

I ran about a sixty mile test with the Ignitech prior to this ride. All was fine except towards the end of the test the bike hesitated, twice. Nothing much to pin down.

 

Normally I struggle with gas mileage ... high twenties, low thirties and about 35 on a run ... so 35ish is what I was expecting.

 

I also noticed that while the Ignitech will normally rev clean to the redline, sometimes it stutters around 6000 rpm, almost like it hit a rev limiter ... then it clears and will again rev freely.

 

That sounds like a connector issue to me, but who knows.

 

I swapped back to stock at the second gas stop. That cost me 15 minutes but gave me peace of mind, and a free revving motor, but no better gas mileage.

 

I am thinking that a combination of headwind, high average speed and terrain caused most of those issues. I am also a bit suspicious that the basic tune might be off. If it is running rich at all it would kill the fuel consumption.

 

If I can hook this up to tha laptop, what do you want me to try first and, just so you know .... These are teething troubles and I am not in anyway disappointed.

[dingy]

Actually, this is the second one from this group that I heard had a few misses.

 

To help the connectors get a better connection there are a couple of options. First is to replace the harness end connectors with the replacement ones I sent along just for that. Second, and a tad easier, is to take needle nose pliers and twist the male terminal on the adapter harness 6 & 8 pin plugs. Just a tad, about 1 or 2 degree. This will help them engage better with the plugs on the harness

 

If you can get computer hooked up to bike, there is a pure stock map file that Ignitech sent with TCI's. It is in the "Ignitech Supplied Files" directory on CD you have. MAP file name is "v-max old venture v88.ign". Ignitech refers to the 4 pickup coil bikes as "old" and 1 pickup coil bikes as "new".

 

File in same directory named "120221b_tcip4A_v88" will run TCIP4 software.

 

Call me when you get to point of doing this and I will help you through it. My contact info is in directory on CD "Contact info". Generally home by 4:30 pm.

 

Gary

[MJ44]

Congratulations on the ride.

I really enjoyed reading your post of the event!

[Kirby]

Twigg I enjoyed the report and am glad you made the right decisions. You can always try again, but if you had pushed it, and failed you might not have that opportunity again. After all, it's about Safe Riding. Glad you made it back in one piece and look forward to reading about your next adVenture!!

[RedRider]

Steve, Sounds like a good ride was had. You made the right choice. Well done on the BB.

If a BBG was easy, everybody would be doing it. Perhaps next time.

 

RR

[twigg]

Steve, Sounds like a good ride was had. You made the right choice. Well done on the BB.

If a BBG was easy, everybody would be doing it. Perhaps next time.

 

RR

 

It was a terrific ride, loved every minute except the minutes I was hurting

 

I learned exactly what it takes to complete a BBG successfully. At least now I know that I can do it, but it does involve some decent fortune as the margins are exextremely tight.

[barend]

What do you do to stay awake?? I have a hard time keeping my eyes open in a car after working all night (10 hrs) and the bike only gives me a slight edge.

[twigg]

What do you do to stay awake?? I have a hard time keeping my eyes open in a car after working all night (10 hrs) and the bike only gives me a slight edge.

 

I never find myself falling asleep on a bike, the way I sometimes can in a car.

 

In a car the actual driving is almost sub-conscious, and can be quite soporific especially on an Interstate in warm weather.

 

The bike is not like that at all. It will not go forward without the rider being totally involved in the activity, so what happens is that you stay alert right to the point where you become too fatigued to stay alert any longer.

 

You need to recognise your own "personal" signs. Many riders make a list of tell-tales, and if they check off two in succession they stop.

 

For example, one might be your speed dropping below a threshold you have set. Another could be forgetting to indicate a lane-change (forgetting, not choosing). Maybe forgetting to switch to low-beam for oncoming cars.

 

Little things that tell you that the limit is being reached.

 

When you see those signs, and you will see them, then you simply must stop, if only for a 20 minute power-nap.

 

Work out your own, and stick to them.

[RandyR]

I'm wondering if there are some stretches of interstate that are better than others for the 1500 mile BBG?

 

I would think that min of 70mph or + and few stretches thru cities with 55mph. would be best.

 

I would think that even at 75mph one should average 35mpg so a 4 gallon aux tank that fully drains should provide 9x35= 315 miles with 1 gal safety margin. (6 gallon 2nd gen tank).

 

avoiding construction appears to be a must.

[MikeWa]

Wow great story. Nicely written. My helmet is off to you for just going for it. Your performance experience is similar to the one I had on a long cross country trip. (posted last year) Non turbo or supercharged gasoline engines loose about 3% of their power for every 1000 feet of altitude gained above sea level. So figure a 20% drop in power, headwinds, and a long but steady uphill run and your fuel mileage will suffer significantly.

 

I actually had my Venture dyno checked after my return just to make sure it wasn't some sort of engine or tune problem. My bike being a second gen I have since changed the differential to the V-Max. I am hoping to make a repeat trip later this year. Should make for a good comparison.

 

I have learned though that on these cross country trips through the West it is almost always windy and the wind is always a quatering head wind. Turn around and go the other way and so will the wind.

 

Mike

[twigg]

I'm wondering if there are some stretches of interstate that are better than others for the 1500 mile BBG?

 

I would think that min of 70mph or + and few stretches thru cities with 55mph. would be best.

 

I would think that even at 75mph one should average 35mpg so a 4 gallon aux tank that fully drains should provide 9x35= 315 miles with 1 gal safety margin. (6 gallon 2nd gen tank).

 

avoiding construction appears to be a must.

 

Your theory is faultless, in practise it's not quite like that.

 

Here is what I experienced:

 

Normally the I40 route is probably one of the best ... It is almost door to door Interstate, most with 75mph speed limit. I ran as close to that as I could. Sometimes a bit above, sometimes a bit below ... The chart on the Ride Report lays it all out.

 

The GPS showed that, over 1000 miles I was able to maintain a moving average speed of 72mph. You will not get much better than that. That accounts for all the construction, the cities where the speed limit drops to 60 and all the slowing down and speeding up, plus getting in and out of gas stations.

 

In future I will plan rides assuming I can maintain 70mph over a long distance, a figure which builds in some margin.

 

Gas mileage is massively variable. I planned based on 35 mpg. My experience prior to this ride is that I get 30 to 32 ish, in general riding, and about 35 on steady runs. That is poor compared with a modern motorcycle engine, but it's manageable for an elderly tourer.

 

I have a Summit 4 gallon aux. tank giving me, in theory, 9 gallons before I am desperate.

 

9 gallons @ 35mpg = 315 miles range. Perfecto!

 

Then reality hits ....

 

The auxiliary tank is rubbish! It only holds 3.5 gallons and, crucially, only delivers 2.9 gallons into my main tank at best. That reduces the absolute range to 275 miles.

 

I usually plan to re-fill every 200 miles, because 200 miles should be easily achievable and, importantly, you cannot guarantee a gas station exactly when you want to ... so plenty of wiggle room and you never have to worry about gas. You can push 230 without worrying.

 

However ... On my run out West the gas figures were ... 26.7, 24.7, 23.2, 23.3, 25.6 for the first five fills.

 

This is on a bike where I was expecting around the 35mpg you mentioned. My guess is that the poor performance was caused mainly by a combination of high speed, high wind and climbing in altitude.

 

Take 24mpg and the range is reduced to 189 miles, and you have to re-fill every 150 to be safe. That is just not good enough.

 

On the run back I got much better numbers, including one tankful @ 36 mpg.

 

On this particular ride I was planning for seven gas stops totaling around 60 minutes. In reality I needed many more, and they took longer, including the time spent changing the ignition back to stock, etc.

 

That's pretty much where the attempt failed.

[twigg]

Adding ....

 

On a run like this you really only need to run 68mph for 22 hours to hit the distance.

 

That leaves two hours for gas and rest stops ... up it 1/2 mph to give the extra 30 miles you need.

 

Doing that will reduce the gas consumption quite a bit, and, significantly reduce the number of stops you need for gas because you will easily hit the 200 mile range.

 

It simply proves the point that LD Riding is not about speed, it is about hours spent with the wheels turning.

[RedRider]

How do you have the aux tank plumbed in? Are you using it to refill the main tank or did you 'T' into the fuel line after the petcock? Kind of surprised you aren't getting a complete emptying of the aux tank.

 

RR

[twigg]

How do you have the aux tank plumbed in? Are you using it to refill the main tank or did you 'T' into the fuel line after the petcock? Kind of surprised you aren't getting a complete emptying of the aux tank.

 

RR

 

The Aux. Tank does not have the capacity Summit states. It is a 4 Gallon tank that only holds about 3 1/2 gallons from completely empty.

 

The outlet bungs are about 1" from the base, and that's why it doesn't empty completely.

 

The tank gravity feeds to a Tee right before the fuel pump inlet ... it backfills the main tank to about two full bars in about ten minutes.

 

It works as designed, and works well, but it needs to be a little bigger.

[RedRider]

I use a 5 gal TourTank with the bung on the bottom - also T'd into the fuel line. I turn off the main tank petcock and run the TT until empty - it completely empties. Then turn on the main tank so my fuel gauge is operational. I believe I have the only TT that is accurate. Ordered a 5 gallon unit and it take right at 5 gallons to fill it. Not typical (as strange as that would seem).

 

I never tried to backfill the main tank. However, the petcock is easier to get at on the 2nd Gen than the first (IIRC).

 

RR

[RandyR]

twigg,

 

when the wind was pushing you around, did you try running in 4th gear instead of 5th?

 

I'm not sure about the 1st gen gear ratios, but on the 2nd gen where both 4th and 5th are overdrives, I would not be using 5th gear into a headwind or when running uphill.

 

Your mileage is poor. But I have heard of similarly poor mileage in a strong headwind.

 

just thinking aloud. I may try for a 1,000 mile run this year just to see how things go. I probably won't find interstates here in the southeast where I can average 70mph though.