World’s Toughest Motorcycle Riders
Well when you start relaxing after a great ride and pat your back for few hundred kilometres, the Iron Butt Association will come as a bad news for you. This group is known for its bad ass and butt shattering challenges across the world. It’s not only long distance riding but long rides with very limited time windows. Riders across the world take up challenges introduced by the IBA and on successful completion they are felicitated and recognised by the same.
The 60,000+ members of the Iron Butt Association are dedicated to safe, long-distance motorcycle riding.Although it is based in the United States, IBA has thousands of enthusiastic members throughout the globe! One of their popular slogans is, “The World Is Our Playground.”
IBA hosts several rides, the most notable being the 11-day, 11,000+ mile Iron Butt Rally. Additionally, the Iron Butt Association hosts the Saddle Sore 1000(a 24 hour 1,000 mile ride), the Bun Burner 1500(1,500 miles in 36 hours), the Bun Burner Gold(1,500 miles in 24 hours), the 50cc Quest.(Cross Country in 50 hours or Less), the National Parks Tour Master Traveler Award(visit 50 parks in at least 25 states), the coveted 10/10ths Challenge(10 consecutive 1,000 mile days) and the almost-impossible to get into 100K Club.(100,000 miles or more in one year).
The Iron Butt Association (IBA) does not have membership in the traditional sense. They do not have yearly dues, formal meetings or a monthly newsletter. The IBA is a little more loose knit organization than most clubs. Generally speaking there are several ways to earn membership. The most notable is to be a finisher of the Iron Butt Rally or a successful finisher of one of the other rides they sponsor, such as the Saddle Sore 1000. Rally workers and supporters are also granted membership status.
The Iron Butt Association releases several documents about the Iron Butt Rally and Long-Distance Endurance Riding, including their hottest title, the “Archive of Wisdom”, which contains a list of Long Distance Riding tips from the most seasoned, veteran riders.
Besides the North America specific rides (USA and Canada), Great Lakes of North America rides and Iron Butt Association Recognition Award, there is a list of Rides that can be done the world over:
| SaddleSore & Bunburner | 1000 miles in under 24 hours / 1500 miles in under 36 hours! |
| SaddleSore 1600K, 2000K, 2500K | Kilometer based rides – 1600K in 24 hours, 2000K in 24 hours, 2500K in 36 hours, 2500K (GOLD) in 24 Hours |
| SS2000 | 2,000 documented miles in under 48 hours! |
| SS 3000 / BB 3000 | 3,000 miles in three days |
| SaddleSore 5000 | 5,000 miles in 5 days |
| BunBurner GOLD | 1500 documented miles in under 24 hours! Xtreme! |
| BBG3000 | Two back-to-back BunBurner GOLD rides; 3000 miles in 48 hours! Xtreme! |
| 10-10ths | Ten consectutive Saddlesore rides; 10,000 miles in 10 days! Xtreme! |
| 100k Club | 100,000 documented miles in one year. ‘Nuff said. Xtreme! |
| Other LD Ride/Event | Anything that doesn’t fall into the other catagories |
| IBR Ride Report | Stories from those who attempted The Ride |
| IBA South Africa rides | IBA-sanctioned rides specific to South Africa |
| IBA Finland rides | IBA-sanctioned rides specific to Finland |
The SaddleSore 1000 and Bunburner are very popular in India.
Riders that successfully have a SaddleSore or Bun Burner ride certified receive a certificate, an Iron Butt Association pin and a plastic license plate back with their logo “Iron Butt Association – World’s Toughest Riders.”
Rides that can be done anytime of the year.
| Saddlesore 1000and Bun Burner Information and Rules. |
| IBA “Extreme” Rides the BBG1500, the 100CCC, the intense BBG3000, and more. “For the Insanely Hard-Core!” |
| IBA 50cc Quest Coast to Coast in less than 50 hours! |
| 48 Plus! 48 states plus Alaska in 10 days or less! |
| Tour of Honor Tour of Honor with IBA Option |
| The New England 1,000 and 2,000 New Rides for the NorthEast! |
| SCMA Four Corners Tour Ride to the four extreme corners of the United States in less than 22 days! |
| Iron Butt Association Master Traveler Award Create and ride your own National Parks tour! |
| Great Lakes 100 and Great Lakes GOLD Around the Great Lakes in less than 100 hours! |
Of-late few Indian riders have been successful in completing the saddle sore and Bun-burner rides. Devjeet Saha set a record by completing this challenge on a Hero MotoCorp Splendor Pro, a 97cc motorcycle. Saha has attempted the Saddle Sore challenge earlier too, but it was always on bikes over 150cc. Chithra Priya became the first Indian female bike rider to have completed the Saddle Sore endurance ride. Bikerni Seema Sharma Dora of Delhi became the first Indian woman in history to have achieved the Bun Burner record (2500kms in 36hrs).
