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What's your longest ride in one day?
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I was so tired it felt like I was high . Dangerous , I wouldn't do that again . I was young and pretty stupid ... not that I'm much smarter now , lol .
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I felt the same way after doing 1025 miles in 21 hours - far too exhausted mentally and physically to be riding a motorcycle. I won't go over 500 miles in one day any more because for me, I don't think it's safe or necessary.
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longest ride ever..
7,300 miles in 14 days..
Ohio, Texas, California, Washington State, Wisconsin, Ohio
cycle was washed down after dinner every evening.
1983 Goldwing.
7,300 miles in 14 days..
Ohio, Texas, California, Washington State, Wisconsin, Ohio
cycle was washed down after dinner every evening.
1983 Goldwing.
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359 Posts
Same here brother . These days it's 500 tops and I'm parking it , enjoying an evening with a nice meal and going over tomorrow's route .
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If I knew there was a slight chance that I'll get up again I would kneel down for you 1000+ miles a day riders.
Ain't gonna happen, both the kneeling and getting up and definitely not a 1000+ mile in a day trip for me.
If I were a few decades younger, who knows.......
This is the best I can do for you:
![182335]()
Ain't gonna happen, both the kneeling and getting up and definitely not a 1000+ mile in a day trip for me.
If I were a few decades younger, who knows.......
This is the best I can do for you:
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I hear you, I was 59 when I did my 1025 in one day trip. Never again, and shouldn't have done it that time....
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I want to make a 1,000 mile run pretty bad, while I'm still in my early 60s. I read plenty of stories of guys in their 70s and 80s doing it. It's all about pre-planning, resting up, having the right bike, and having the right route.
If you're only going to do it once, best do it right.
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I'm 65 and doing 1000/day REALLY isn't that big of a deal. You need to stay awake 18 hrs. As long as you are on the freeway even the route itself isn't a big deal, cities are only a certain size and while they may slow you down for a bit it isn't a show stopper. You're still gonna be finished in 18 hours and a very good chance closer to 17. Saturdays are excellent as there are no rush hours. You have to average nearly 42mph to finish in 24 and about 55mph for 18 hrs. If you have a 65mph freeway you will finish in less than 18hours with a gas/pee/snack/sandwich break every 2 hours and one relaxed meal.
Just as an example doing the Lower Great Lakes 1000, you need to go completely around Lake Erie and Lake Ontrario with at least 1000 miles in less than 24 hours starting and ending at the same point. Nicely it is a little over 1000 miles to go around, inconveniently you have 2 international border crossings and multiple major cities around the lakes. I did it midweek and no matter how you plan it you will hit traffic at one of the cities. I started in Syracuse 6am going clockwise and that put me in Toronto at 5pm, a literal dead standstill freeway parking lot, like 6 lanes as far as the eye can see and no visible movement, also went through Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, and 2 border crossings. I finished in 16:10 with my LT. You can go just as fast on the X but you need gas every 2 hrs and on the LT I can go for 4 hrs, X is 4 extra gas fills or about an hour longer. No reason to go more than 5mph over whatever the speed limit is, just hold it there and enjoy the ride.
For me what makes it comfortable is a good seat and quiet. My first 1000 with the X was stock seat and roadhouse slipons with no hearing protection. I had a sore neck and shoulder blades and worse my head felt shell shocked after it was over. Loud pipes are physically draining. Sold the pipes on here went back to stock, put on the ultimate seat, 6" pullback risers, and it was like riding a lounge chair, miles were irrelevant, most comfortable bike I'll ever own, more comfortable than the LT. But the bike I've done the most IBA is my little 650 single, russell day long seat that moves be closer to the bars and it is quiet. Done 1500 mile days with it. A quiet helmet with ear plugs or tunes make it very comfortable. The key to doing the first Saddlesore 1000 is just doing it.
Pics are my submitted log and map for the LGL1000. Accompanying this you need dated and time stamped gas receipts and a witness.
![lgl log.jpg]()
![map lgl 1000.JPG]()
Just as an example doing the Lower Great Lakes 1000, you need to go completely around Lake Erie and Lake Ontrario with at least 1000 miles in less than 24 hours starting and ending at the same point. Nicely it is a little over 1000 miles to go around, inconveniently you have 2 international border crossings and multiple major cities around the lakes. I did it midweek and no matter how you plan it you will hit traffic at one of the cities. I started in Syracuse 6am going clockwise and that put me in Toronto at 5pm, a literal dead standstill freeway parking lot, like 6 lanes as far as the eye can see and no visible movement, also went through Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, and 2 border crossings. I finished in 16:10 with my LT. You can go just as fast on the X but you need gas every 2 hrs and on the LT I can go for 4 hrs, X is 4 extra gas fills or about an hour longer. No reason to go more than 5mph over whatever the speed limit is, just hold it there and enjoy the ride.
For me what makes it comfortable is a good seat and quiet. My first 1000 with the X was stock seat and roadhouse slipons with no hearing protection. I had a sore neck and shoulder blades and worse my head felt shell shocked after it was over. Loud pipes are physically draining. Sold the pipes on here went back to stock, put on the ultimate seat, 6" pullback risers, and it was like riding a lounge chair, miles were irrelevant, most comfortable bike I'll ever own, more comfortable than the LT. But the bike I've done the most IBA is my little 650 single, russell day long seat that moves be closer to the bars and it is quiet. Done 1500 mile days with it. A quiet helmet with ear plugs or tunes make it very comfortable. The key to doing the first Saddlesore 1000 is just doing it.
Pics are my submitted log and map for the LGL1000. Accompanying this you need dated and time stamped gas receipts and a witness.
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When I did my 1025 mile trip in 21/22 hours, it wasn't a joy ride or sight seeing trip, I was going to visit my son and other family and didn't want to spend too much time travelling. Most of my longer trips are for the same or similar purpose, not just riding time. To prepare, I went to sleep early the night before and departed at 4am. At the time, I hadn't had my vtx very long and it still had the OEM seat on it and it was NOT comfortable. After the trip, I sent the seat off to MCC for adjustments. Had I done that before my trip, it would have been somewhat more bearable. Either way, I won't be doing more than 500 miles in a day ever again.
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I believe that ride would have qualified you for an "Iron Butt" patch, a form of motorcycle rider honor, and honor i will NOT be getting, too old...😎
Longest ride i have taken in almost 9 straight years of adult riding is about 300 miles. I ride for fun, not to hurt...lol
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I have an even easier deal figured out, but it's not a typical "ride". I'm in Leander, TX, fairly near the north end of Toll Rd 130. I could get up around 6AM, ride over to Georgetown and head south to Seguin, about 100 miles. Gas up, turn around, and head back up the 130. Gas up, turn around and head south again, and keep doing that till I tick over 1,000 miles. I can EASILY average 80MPH, as the speed limits are 85-ish, and everybody flies past you if you go that slow.
So, not very fun, but easy & effective just to say I've done it, and get a patch. At my age, I'm OK with that.
I could take a VTX, but it might be easier on the ZRX...
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Yep, good ol' I-10 heading west and back is my "Easy Plan B". I'd burn up almost 200 miles just getting to the jump-off point and back at Kerrville, so only 400 miles out and back. Only problem? 400 miles out, is out in the middle of the desert! (Van Horn, actually)
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Yep, in summer time that is a sweltering stretch of hi-way. Now days if I make that trip on the VTX I will stop at Fort Stockton for the night, going or coming. These days, if the wife goes down too, she flies and I ride the VTX solo. If I go I-25 to I-10, or if I go via Roswell, Carlsbad and Pecos Texas, Fort Stockton is a great 1/2 point to spend the night either route.
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Been riding motorcycles since I was 14 years old and a CC50 had always been on my motorcycle bucket list. In 2007 I rode solo from San Antonio, TX to the Tail of the Dragon (1,100 miles) for a VTX event. Rode solo non-stop. Worked out a pretty efficient system. My VTX1800C has a 4.8 gallon tank so gas stops are pretty critical and frequent. With a 1300 rear drive I could travel about 110 miles in about 1.25 hours. For three stops I would do a NASCA style stop which included gas, pee, Gatorade in about 10 minutes or less. Every 4th stop I would extend to 20 minutes and grab some fast food. Left at 5 AM and rolled into the Tail about 7:30 PM that night. Stayed 3 days and reversed the trip home. Round trip and all the riding at the Tail it added up it was about 3,000 miles with two 1,100 mile/14 hour stints in the saddle. That showed me the doability of CC50.
To start the CC50 I drove from San Antonio to Jacksonville, FL. (1,050 miles following the same ride 1.25 hours, stop 10 minutes, repeat method and got to Jacksonville in about 13.5 hours. Rested two days, then Jacksonville to San Diego (2, 340 miles in 40'ish hours which included 6 hours in my own bed, my own crapper, and meal in San Antonio). Spent a week in San Diego with friends, we lived in Carlsbad, CA for 15 years. Then Carlsbad to Tucson spent the night and then Tucson to San Antonio.
My VTX1800C is now 17 years old, has 138,000 miles and the original seat.
And yep, I know that stretch of I-10 from San Antonio to El Paso pretty well. Back in the 1990's we drove from Carlsbad, CA to San Antonio about twice a year (Christmas and summer vacation) in a Suburban with 3 kids and dog to visit my wifes parents. Gas stations between El Paso and San Antonio were pretty sparse. Took a run out to Junction, TX three weeks ago to visit some friends just before Thanksgiving. Shortly after Kerrville, the posted speed limit on I-10 is 80 and there are some fun curvey canyons. I was running about 100 and occasionally getting passed.
To start the CC50 I drove from San Antonio to Jacksonville, FL. (1,050 miles following the same ride 1.25 hours, stop 10 minutes, repeat method and got to Jacksonville in about 13.5 hours. Rested two days, then Jacksonville to San Diego (2, 340 miles in 40'ish hours which included 6 hours in my own bed, my own crapper, and meal in San Antonio). Spent a week in San Diego with friends, we lived in Carlsbad, CA for 15 years. Then Carlsbad to Tucson spent the night and then Tucson to San Antonio.
My VTX1800C is now 17 years old, has 138,000 miles and the original seat.
And yep, I know that stretch of I-10 from San Antonio to El Paso pretty well. Back in the 1990's we drove from Carlsbad, CA to San Antonio about twice a year (Christmas and summer vacation) in a Suburban with 3 kids and dog to visit my wifes parents. Gas stations between El Paso and San Antonio were pretty sparse. Took a run out to Junction, TX three weeks ago to visit some friends just before Thanksgiving. Shortly after Kerrville, the posted speed limit on I-10 is 80 and there are some fun curvey canyons. I was running about 100 and occasionally getting passed.
I know what you mean. I recently went from way up in the Colorado Mtn.s back to Wichita. I had left my bike there when it was still summer and went to help my mom out with my truck. The truck died and it took me longer than planned. Ended up having my 87 year old mom rush me to get my bike, it was suddenly under 3 feet of snow. With no real cold weather gear I rode her home out of the mtn.s. did a photo book and placed it on facebook (Mrbill hawley kansas) just to prove I made it. Really messed up my nerves in my right hand and had to tie my hand to the throttle to make it. I wont say how fast I made it but I can say at one time I was at 98 mph with my 87 year old mom hanging right with me! Cool mom!
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Not sure if this counts. I have done many unofficial 1000 miles in under 24 hours. Back in 2015 I was detailed for work to Burlington, VT. I was authorized to ride up from Los Lunas just south of Albuquerque, NM. The first leg was up to Carlisle, PA with a 1 1/2 hour nap in Memphis at a truck stop. The route I took was just over 1900 miles and 42 hours on the back of the bike, with the exception of fuel/meal stops and the nap. Took a 10 hour sleep before finishing up the 2500 mile ride. Was up there 6 weeks, rode all of the New England states and put 9300 miles (weekends) while up there. On the way back I rode from Burlington, VT to Sweetwater, TN non-stop (except for fuel and meals). The next day I rode the Cherohala Skyway to the Dragon up and back down. Then road the whole Moonshiners 28, then up to Atlanta to 20 then west back home with a stop someplace in Arkansas for a 1 1/2 hour nap on a grassy knoll and back home...about 1800 miles and 39 hours on the back of the bike. BTW, I lost my rear brakes before I got to the Dragon...
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When I was 67 I did 1250 miles in 18 hours on my VTX1300R. Love that X. Also on the VTX, almost a Saddle Sore Gold (2000 mi in 36 hours) by accident, no planning, just wanted to get home after 9000 miles in 13 days. Only needed about 40 miles but time had ran out plus I was only minutes from my Lazy Boy. I settled for one of, if not the longest, IBA Bun Burners 1960 miles in almost 36 hours. I could have turned it into a Saddle Sore 2000 (been there done that) but that Lazy Boy and a cold beer were calling me. That was when I was only 66.
December 21, 2020, at age 71, just days away from 72, I put on 1150 miles for a Winter Solstice Saddle Sore 1000 just to see I I could still do it. It felt great. I have more planned for 2021 even if they have to be in the free Republic of Texas.
I have had some health issues along with some surgeries. However, I have to thank the good Lord for the health that I have and the wife that supports me with my addiction.
I like good scenic 300-400 mile days but I do like those Iron Butt rides also. It just depends on my wants at the time or if I just want to get there, or home.
The song by Toby Keith in the Clint Eastwood movie, The Mule, "Don't Let the Old Man In" sums it up.
December 21, 2020, at age 71, just days away from 72, I put on 1150 miles for a Winter Solstice Saddle Sore 1000 just to see I I could still do it. It felt great. I have more planned for 2021 even if they have to be in the free Republic of Texas.
I have had some health issues along with some surgeries. However, I have to thank the good Lord for the health that I have and the wife that supports me with my addiction.
I like good scenic 300-400 mile days but I do like those Iron Butt rides also. It just depends on my wants at the time or if I just want to get there, or home.
The song by Toby Keith in the Clint Eastwood movie, The Mule, "Don't Let the Old Man In" sums it up.
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