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Sean "Muncie" Brayton · 08-09-2010, 02:27 PM

I Am not sure that everyone got what I was trying to say. I don't want a full time shadow and I don't want to look at the back of someones truck the whole ride. I would just like to be able to call my teem to help me. Flexibility and the ability to adapt to each situation is part of the challenge. The efficiency of my teem and the set up of my truck is part of my preparedness. When this all started It was my plan to run alone and have the only the official truck haul my parts . I was fine with that but when everyone around me (including the cannonball staff) was talking about personal chase rigs I changed my plan.

I think 90% of the people are in this as a experacnc and not so much a compition. I know I would love to win but untill I see the finish line I will do what I can to help any of my fellow riders who are likeminded.

My resoning behinde changing the no chase truck rule is not because I am wimping out or whining Its because I want to spend my time riding... Getting my bike repaired and back on the road is not wimping out. Riding to the next hotell in a the sweep truck might look good after 12 days of riding vs repairing the bike in a hurry and getting back to work.

I give credit to the Cannonball staff this is a huge undertaking and you have done a fantistic job. I am only trying to express my point of view. I am invested in the suscess of this Cannonball as we all are.

***jurassic*** · 08-09-2010, 03:26 PM

i'm sorry ,but what your proposing just sounds like a logistical nightmare to me. either every support truck is on our route or they're not. we have all agreed that we cant have them all on our route. so how is it that they are going to just show up whenever you call? it seems to me that either our support sidecars ,or sweep vehicles ,or tool truck will be much closer to you than someone who is taking a completly different route,or someone that is an hour behind us, or ahead of us, on our route. even more so for the single cylinder bikes, who will most likely be running at the back of the pack just ahead of the sweep trucks. what is it that makes your support truck so much better than the official support trucks? they got tools ,gas ,oil , they can pick you up ,just like any support truck. if you are spending more than 15 minutes on the side of the road making repairs then you aren't going to make it to the next stop before dark. we got just 16 days to get where we are going. its going to take some riders every minute of daylight they have to get to the next hotel. which means you can only deal with minor repairs on the side of the road. there will be no time for major repairs during a days stage. unless you can get it done at the 45 minute lunch break. therefore if you are only dealing with minor repairs ,why do you need your personal support rig behind you? please tell me what it is that you have in your truck that we can not supply.

Sean "Muncie" Brayton · 08-10-2010, 01:46 PM

Its not a lack of equipment on your truck its more that I will have to share it with other riders. Its like having 60 race drivers share a pit crew and pit box. My crew works for me and there loyalty is to me If volunteers from other teams are crewing it is a conflict of interest. Now we can just go with no road side support. But The idea of no support on the road and only pickup and haul has the potential to DNF a lot of riders and possibly eliminate the entire Field (class) because of the 8 DNF rule.
I don't Know how many brake downs we can expect or even how fast each rider will travel. However I do know a lot of riders are only just now getting there bikes on the road. This type of ride is brand new to a most of us and I would gage the success of the event more on the number of miles completed by the entire group than just the top few. The Idea that only the bikes that finish in the top of their field are entitled to glory would make this a trip that only the top 5 would enjoy. Its my opinion that every rider should be given every advantage available to complete in as much of the run as he or she can. This is a endurance run but if 9 out of 10 riders don't finish somehow I don't see the failure of the majority as a success for the cannonball. In racing the rules are not created to handicap competitors but more equal the playing field keeping the contest closer. As a race organizer a landslide victory is failure.

Logistics
If the trucks are let go one hour after the rider they will be no more than a hour behind the rider and gaining as we travel. we can tweak the times as we go to improve. The chase trucks must travel at road speed and do not create traffic problems or they will be penalized. We are not adding more trucks to the run just better utilizing the resource we already have. Lets face it some riders will sneak there trucks risking the point deduction anyway.

It was my understanding that class 1 was to be set out at 7 with the class 3 at 9 so if the sweep rigs are to take up the rear they will be starting 2hrs behind class 1. The Idea being that they would catch up by the end of each stage. I propose the same idea with the teem trucks.

I think our vision of this run is very different and that's why we don't see eye to eye.

I deduct you see the group travailing in close proximity to one another with the occasional straggler who needs help. Using the official support to control riders positions.

I see it as bikes and trucks spreed across 300 miles of space with a short amount of time to complete a task. I see brake downs happening all over and at the most inconvenient times and frequency.

Also I have no solid information about the size of your staff, The number of trucks you have and equipment? How many bikes and riders can the sweep truck or trucks can haul in one shot?
To me the support trucks are like life boats we need to have the ability to rescue everyone.

Buzz Kanter · 08-10-2010, 05:49 PM

Lonnie, is there a practical way for the chase and support trucks to meet the riders at each planned lunch stop every day?

If so, that might be a good solution that is more acceptable to the riders concerned about these matters.

Just a thought.

Tim O'Day · 08-10-2010, 08:24 PM

(08-10-2010 05:49 PM)Buzz Kanter Wrote: Lonnie, is there a practical way for the chase and support trucks to meet the riders at each planned lunch stop every day?

If so, that might be a good solution that is more acceptable to the riders concerned about these matters.

Just a thought.

Sounds like a feasible compromise!

***jurassic*** · (This post was last modified: 08-10-2010 11:34 PM by jurassic.)

you are right sean ,we do see this event differently . i see it as some capable people with capable machines that have prepared extensively for what may be the most physically and mentally demanding thing they have ever done. motorcycle break downs happening all over the place is a failure. if a bike is having major break downs every day then they need to go home. many will start ,few will finish .

10E · 08-11-2010, 07:35 AM

(08-10-2010 11:29 PM)jurassic Wrote: you are right sean ,we do see this event differently . i see it as some capable people with capable machines that have prepared extensively for what may be the most physically and mentally demanding thing they have ever done. motorcycle break downs happening all over the place is a failure. if a bike is having major break downs every day then they need to go home. many will start ,few will finish .

Hello

Here is one to chew on. Last year at the Alturas pre 15 run, the rescue truck broke down. We are still chuckling about that one.

victor

knossos · 08-11-2010, 12:12 PM

Hi Victor. Yeah, that was a good one, but he made it ok. A few years ago on the Moto Melee, so many bikes broke that they filled all 3 chase trucks. So the next guys who broke down rented a big Uhaul truck and shared it for 3 days to get home. It all worked out fine, it always does. Riding, getting lost, breaking down, roadside maintenance; it is all part of the adventure.

Pete

Hello

Here is one to chew on. Last year at the Alturas pre 15 run, the rescue truck broke down. We are still chuckling about that one.

victor
[/quote]

10E · 08-11-2010, 03:16 PM

(08-11-2010 12:12 PM)knossos Wrote: Hi Victor. Yeah, that was a good one, but he made it ok. A few years ago on the Moto Melee, so many bikes broke that they filled all 3 chase trucks. So the next guys who broke down rented a big Uhaul truck and shared it for 3 days to get home. It all worked out fine, it always does. Riding, getting lost, breaking down, roadside maintenance; it is all part of the adventure.

Pete
Hello Pete
Are you trying to say we should have a back-up for the back-up
or a back-up for the back-up back-up back-up truck :-)
victor

Hello

Here is one to chew on. Last year at the Alturas pre 15 run, the rescue truck broke down. We are still chuckling about that one.

victor

[/quote]

knossos · 08-11-2010, 11:44 PM

No, nothing like that Victor. I'm sure that we'll be fine with all the trucks and trailers that are coming along. With all the mechanical knowledge that this group will have, we can probably fix anything.

(08-11-2010 03:16 PM)10E Wrote: Pete
Hello Pete
Are you trying to say we should have a back-up for the back-up
or a back-up for the back-up back-up back-up truck :-)
victor