SCMA data shows that the average rider in 1998 (the 15th year of the event) booked 8,053 miles on the tour, but this figure does NOT include the distance from your home to the first corner and back. Expect a minimum of 8,500 miles round trip on the shortest route. If you want to see more than countless miles of boring interstate highways, plan on adding a 1,000 miles or so to the basic route.
Besides obtaining the usual gas receipt in each of the corner cities, you will need a camera to take a picture of your motorcycle in front of a local landmark. Don't worry, the instructions give names and addresses of places that meet the rules. Additionally, the riders package contains local maps for each city and self-addressed 4 Corners envelopes. The instructions guide you to one of several public phones where you record the number and then drop the letter in the mail back to the SCMA from a local mail box.
After the trip, the photos get mailed to the SCMA for final verification. Many riders I talked to wished that they had carried a Polaroid camera for on-the-spot photos. There's nothing like spending half the tour worrying that the documentary photos are ruined by a faulty camera.
Successful finishers receive a scrap book with a certificate, your photo in front of each corner landmark, receipts and postmarked envelopes ready for display on the coffee table. Of course the SCMA also includes a fancy finishers pin. Truly a class event. The Four Corners folks also host an annual banquet in February in Los Angeles, California.
The U.S.A. Four Corners Tour is operated by the Southern California Motorcycle Club (SCMA). The cost of the Four Corners Tour is approximately $75. Information is available via e-mail from Four Corners Chairman Joseph Mandeville at [email protected] or via snail mail:
U.S.A Four Corners Tour
c/o Jo Anne Gamble
4214 West Highland
Santa Ana, CA 92704
For a detailed trip story of a typical Four Corners ride, check out http://www.nwlink.com/~mikeblas/rides/4corners/index.htm Mike Blaszczak's Four Corners Page.
Southern California Motorcycling Association U.S.A. Four Corners tour information.
Iron Butt Association Members that have finished the U.S.A. Four Corners Tour
Completion
Rider City Date Motorcycle Total Trip Mileage
Terry Smith Woods Hole, MA 09/26/98 BMW R1100RT 10,600
Gary Moore Frederick, MD 09/09/98
Roger Deal No.Richland Hills,TX 06/98 BMW R1100GS 14,000
Bryce Ulrich Kirkland, WA 03/31/98
John O'Keefe Tigard, OR 06/27/97 Kawasaki Concours 11,172
Clarence Spencer Memphis, TN 09/10/96 Honda Gold Wing 12,764
John Harrison Birmingham, AL 06/17/96 Honda Gold Wing 13,390
Bill Kramer Mt Top, PA 1996 Honda Gold Wing 9,350
James David Culp Johnson City, TN 07/08/96 Honda Gold Wing 10,523
James Delos Culp (14 years old - passenger)07/08/96 Honda Gold Wing 10,523
Robert Higdon Washington, DC 02/04/93 BMW K75T 12,017
Joe Mandeville
Dave McQueeney (various finishes)
Robert Higdon Washington, DC 08/25/90 BMW K75T 10,403
Michael Kneebone
Fran Crane
Harold Brooks 07/30/90 Honda Gold Wing 9,066
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