long ride???

[Illusion Blue]

What do you guy's consider a long ride,as opposed to a daily ride.The longest ride i've take in a day has been 400 miles,is that long to you?

[danX]

I'll take a shot at it. The first day I rode a motorcycle, the 35-mile trip from the dealer to my home was long ride. Later, 100 miles, one-way, was a long trip. After that, the 250 miles, one-way, that I rode to see my parents was a long-trip. But I rode that a few times, and the trip doesn't seem so long now. This summer I rode to Denver from my home in Beatrice, NE, a distance of 550 "Honda" miles, which took me eight hours and seemed like a long trip.

Now, 35 miles is nothing, 100 miles is nothing, and 250 miles seems easy. 550 miles seems like it isn't too long, now, and I'm looking forward to riding an Iron Butt or two, or three, next summer, so I'm sure that, at that point, 550 miles will seem like nothing. For me, what I consider a long ride, is changing as I'm increasing the distance that I ride. 8)

[Illusion Blue]

Thanks Dan.I know now if i only ride 30 to 50 miles,it does'nt seem like much.When i take a ride on weekends,i go out for a while and don't even notice how much i've ridden till i stop for gas.Then i think,damn,i rode 100 miles,one way.Sometimes i'll ride 300 miles in a day and want to ride more,but have something else to do,and i get bumbed out.I know i've had the bike since april,but had 3 broken toes for 10 weeks after i bought.I finally got back on it in june,and since then have put 4500 miles on it.I guess i'm getting better at riding longer.Thanks again,from one Dan to another,Dan.

[mental floss]

ive done 600 miles in one day it was long but im doing it again next thursday, alittle different route this time got it to 565miles, reno to salem. i do have the ultimate seat, hoping to get some highway pegs b4 next week. The stock seat is a little tuff on anything over a couple hundred miles.

[wanderer]

I think that rides are more measured by time than distance. You can jump on the highway and really knock down the miles in a few hours. Let's say 300 in 5 hours. Or you can spend 8-10 hours taking 2 lane slowing for every small town and roadside attraction. I tend to prefer the latter.

[danX]

i do have the ultimate seat, hoping to get some highway pegs b4 next week. The stock seat is a little tuff on anything over a couple hundred miles.

I agree--the stock seat is a butt-killer. I have the Ultimate seat with Driver's backrest, and the seat has made a tremendous difference in my enjoyment of the longer ride.

I sat on my bike for a moment after I arrived in Denver after 550 miles and eight hours, and I thought, "I could turn around right now and ride back home." I felt pretty good--I'd had a fun ride, my butt wasn't sore, and I felt pretty fresh. In that moment, I knew I could do an Iron Butt without any problem. The Ultimate seat played an important role in how I felt at the end of the trip ... but the 1300, which ran like a dream, was the real key to my sense that 550 miles wasn't such a long trip after all. 8)

I'm glad your toes are healed and that you're back on your X-machine, Dan! Ride Hard!!

[danX]

I think that rides are more measured by time than distance. You can jump on the highway and really knock down the miles in a few hours. Let's say 300 in 5 hours. Or you can spend 8-10 hours taking 2 lane slowing for every small town and roadside attraction. I tend to prefer the latter.

Yes ... my trip to Denver was two-lane all the way except for the last 35 miles, which was I-70 going in to Denver. I could have ridden Interstate all of the way, but I have more fun riding when I'm riding two-lane roads. One of my fellow Nebraska VTX Riders, VTXHOGG, has a motto attached to his VTXOA message, "Take the Long Way Home."

Exactly ...

[snush]

I rode from Aspen Colorado to Dayton Kentucky in 18 hours. I needed to get home asap. Drove straight thru. haulin butt for 1350 miles on a VTX 1800 retro w/ Mustang seat.