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MN1K 2006

This adventure started Friday afternoon for myself. After loading the Intruder and saying goodbye to the wife and

critters I was off!! I was hoping for a better experince then the recent Bonzai Rally with all our mechanical problems. I made it about 50 feet before the first problem occured. The bike flat out died trying to drive through the yard to the street. I was thinking this is a bad way to start a 1200+ mile trip. Ended up being minor, I bumped the kickstand and that activated the kill switch.

I decided to take the sceninc route to Lakeville, MN around the Twin Cities staying on back roads, about 30 miles into the ride I encounter my first Deer. Luckly he was travelling alone and fast. Other then that it was a nice ride down no bad weather to speak of. I arrived at my motel and procceded to haul my gear in. About the time I got the Intruder unpacked the rain started coming. It wasn’t raing really hard so I left the rain gear at the motel and headed for Leo's for the Liars Banquet. After some socializing and BBQ for dinner Steffan started reading the TS Rules. All the while the sky is getting darker and darker. Once that was over Bart, the Rally Master, and Crew started handing out the first route sheet. He informed us that there was one bonus we could go after tonight and the rest of the sheets would be given in the morning. The sky was looking extremlly dark by now. I opted for heading back to the room instead of Betty’s Bikes and Buns. A couple of beers and reviewing the route sheet sounded like more fun then riding in the Heavy rain without rain gear.

The next morning, Rally Day, we met around 6:00 AM at Leo's to get our last set of sheets and odometers checked, 15, 932 miles. Sometime around 7:00 AM Bart and crew handed out the last of the route sheets. I already had my laptop setup inside to start working out a route and showing those less fortunate, Sev, where the towns are on the map. 8:30 AM and I finnaly get my route planned out, one of the last ones out the gate. Nice route through southern MN, into IA and SD just over 1,000 miles around 19 hours in the saddle.

First stop Mazzepa, MN the site of Bart’s life changing accident a couple years ago. Enroute to this bonus I notice a sign for Welch and realize it’s not to far out of the way. I have only been in the area during the winter time Alpine Skiing, my winter FIX. Might as well have some fun roads to start this 1,000 mile ride, so the route changes about 15 miles into the Rally. Once I get my picture of the post office it’s southward to Zumbrota on some of the funnest roads in MN. Stopped outside of Mazzepa at the scen of the CRIME, jot down some numbers and off I go.

Next Stop Elba, MN to climb some old Firetower. On the way there while crusing through some little town I noticed the local kids where having a soap box derby. I didn’t think they did that anymore, refresshing to see none the least. Upon arriving in Elba I notice the fire tower way up on a hill just outside of town. Pulling into the parking area I notice a few other MN1K bikes already there. The only problem with this bonus is there are about 800 steps in the staircase to get to the tower. Off comes the leather and I procced to run up the stairs, by about the second landing it’s time to slow down to as fast a walk as I can manage up the stairs. After doing all those stairs the firetower was a breeze. One Hell of a view from up there. I jot down the info requested by our Rallymaster, who was not getting very kind comments said about him about now. Then it’s a quick sprint down the stairs. When I hit the parking lot I noticed Daryl Doughtey taking off his gear to begin the climb, I told him he was not going to like this one. I was real happy for being younger and allot better shape then allot of these people, it took me about 15 minutes to get up and back down. Before leaving the parking area I overheard Paul Sundet and Chris Berg talking about some big bonus in Decorah, IA. I'll have to look into that one at the next stop.

Next stop Spring Valley, MN to get a picture next to the local sidecar builder’s shop. After getting my photo I decide to pull out the map and see where Decorah, IA is located. It looks like it will be tight but I think I can make it. Looks like a gas stop will be required, so I stop in Cresco, IA and re-look at the map and my time. After re-reading the bonus I realize the Lemonade stop is about 10 miles on the other side of Decorah, 30 miles in 20 minutes isn’t going to happen. So much for that big bonus, total waste of an hour or so.

After that minor setback it’s time to head for Austin, MN and get some Spam paraphenalia at the Spam museum. Bart forgot to mention in the Rally Sheets that it was Spam day or something. What a zoo it was by the museum, good thing this is a motorcycle rally otherwise the closest parking spot was about 6 blocks away. I end up making it there with a few minutes to spare get my recipt and off and running.

Once I get back on the freeway I start heading towards Blue Earth, MN for a quick visit and picture with the Green Giant. The way things are going I figure I can make Worthington, MN without a gas stop. I neglected to factor in the head wind on I-90 and cruising at hi-way speeds. At 178 miles on the odometer I’m reaching for reserve, OUCH, less then 30 MPG. The worst milage I have ever gotten with my Intruder. I limp into Lakefield, MN and find a gas station with my fuel cell I can carry 6.4 gallons, I put 6.5 gallons in the two tanks.

When I hit Worthington, MN it was time to start heading south towards Sheldon, IA. As soon as I started heading south I caught up to that black sky on the horizon. Looks like it’s going to be a rally after all, can’t have a rally without rain.

Just before Sheldon is the town of Sibley, IA just to be funny I stopped to geta picture by the local liqour store to post on The Barn. There are a few people from the area that post there, and what a friendly area it was. While trying to get a picture in the rain I had some of the locals stop and say hi. Chris from Motorvation sidecars even stopped and offered a place to stop and dry out, I informed him I was kind of busy at the time but Thanks for the offer.

The airport in Sheldon was the next stop. I needed to get the numbers of the tail of an old airplane sitting out front. It was raining pretty good by this point so wirting the answer down was hopeless. So I took several pictures of the GPS, odometer and plane to write in the information upon hitting a drier location.

Off to Sioux City, IA the turn around point on my route. There we needed to get a picture of the 30’ tall Jesus statue. This was a popular bonus, there where about 10 bikes there when I arrived. Everyone was taking a little break and drying off, the rain had finally quit. I noticed there was also a 30’ tall Mary statue, I was nice and stopped one guy from taking the picture with the wrong statue. There was a asian family there that was getting a good chuckel out of all the motorcycle pepole taking pictures of Jesus.

After leaving Sioux City I came upon a really cool picture opurtunity, a Double Rainbow, my camera didn’t do it justice. Next stop Slayton, MN for a gas reciept. It was sunset by this point, time to pull the covers off the Hella’s and see what they can do. When darkness hit I was really happy I put those extra lights on they worked great!

Montivedio, MN was the next stop on the list. I needed a picture of some historical monument. Once I neared town I found the sign for the monument but couldn’t find the monument. Some locals where kind enough to show me the way, I went back another day in the daylight and it was still hard to see.

The next bonus was a pretty good one and near the Rallymasters home town, Renville, MN. Once I hit town I pulled out the route sheet under a street light to see where I needed to go. It was about 12:30 AM by now and I attracted the attention of the local law enforcement while sitting there. I asked if I was parked illegal or something and he said “no”, I explained what I was doing. He didn’t know where the historical marker was but had a county map in his cruiser. While he was getting that Bill and Chris pulled up, they where looking for the same thing. After looking at the county map I seen a shorter way to get there then was layed out in our route sheets so off I went. The last few miles of this bonus was a gravel road, not in the greatest shape, that had been recently rained on. The Intruder handels the gravel pretty good, but this sloppy mess SUCKED. One more time I was happy I grew up ridding dirt bikes!!! Once I got back to the paved road I noticed another person on a bike, it has to be another Stranger who else would be out here at 1 AM . I felt sorry for that person they where on allot bigger bike then me, a goldwing or something like that. I flashed my lights several times to say Hi and kept on rolling.

By this time my eyes where getting sore and needed a break. I was going to look for a place to crash once I hit Cosmos, MN the next planed stop. Talk about perfect location, there was a nice lions park where the bonus was and a gas station right across the street. While I was getting gas and my first recipt I noticed the local cops cruising the town. I flagged them down and explained what I was doing then asked if the park had time restrictions. They said no and to go ahead and crash out on one of the picnic tables in the shelter. By this time it’s about 2 AM time to start my rest bonus. I managed to nod off for about 2 hours, the bugs where terrible with the fresh rain. Around 5 AM as my rest bonus was about over 2 more riders rolled into town to get a picture of the Lion fountain. After saying hi I grapped my second recipt and headed out of town.

On the way to the next bonus in Kingston, MN I came upon another great picture oppurtunity of the rising sun, in the country. After taking down the required info from the historical marker it was time to head back to the Twin Cities and the final bonus Betty’s Bikes and Bun’s. I arrived shortly after they opened along with a few other riders. A quick Red Bull and we where off for the finish line at Leo's South in Lakeville, MN.

I ended up finishing my first MN1K with 960 miles on the odometer and 7th place in the expert class. It was allot of fun and I can’t wait tell next June to try again. Thanks Teamstrange for putting on a great event and Leo's for putting up with us.