While the ice-storm of certain doom forms outside, I'm watching Qatar qualifying and daydreaming about making a MotoGP race this year. The only one on my continent runs in a few weeks in Texas. This has me reviewing my Texas Ironbutt dreams.I'd originally gone for an Ironbutt on the way down and a shorter finish up the next day. If I could push the limits I could condensify it even further (making it more excitingly possible!).
It's just short of a twenty-four hour ride to Texas from here. An early wake-up Friday and I could do the Ironbutt to late Friday night (60mph avg for 17 hours 4am-9pm would do it). The last five hundred miles after an early wake up should get me to Austin on Saturday by about 2pm... just in time for qualifying. A good sleep Saturday night and then I'm at the race Sunday. It wraps up about 4pm. A good push to 10pm should put me a third of the way back, I could finish up the rest on Monday. In theory, only two days off work!
I could fly down and back if I was loaded, but a quick look around found a flight out of Detroit (4 hour drive away) leaving Friday at 10:30am and getting in to Austin just before 3pm. Flying out of the local airport meant layovers and a long time waiting.
I found a KTM 390 Duke to rent for the four days from Lone Star Moto Rentals. I think i could fit riding gear in carry on luggage, so there'd be no waiting for luggage and I could be in and out of the airports quickly enough. With the bike rental, hotels and flights I'd be looking at about $3000.
By comparison the ride down would be $1000 in hotels, $200 in gas and I wouldn't be herded onto a plane at any point. Call me perverse but were I to go, I'd ride down.