How many miles can you ride in a day?

Onder said:

+1
All rides.
Hearing loss is cumulative.

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Earplugs are essential on long rides.

I rode home home from New Hampshire rally to North Carolina, in one day I think that was 800 miles with a roadster tank.

I rode home from the Michigan rally in one day, that was about 900 with an intestate tank.

I've done many 500 mile days, four in a row to the Utah rally. 500 mile days are pretty comfortable to me.

I'm 51 and have 2 small kids so I don't ride a whole lot anymore. Most of these rides were in my 30s and early 40s. All of them with clubman bars and rearsets.

With the intestate tank chain lubrication and adjustment becomes a limiter as far as miles you can do in a day.

I think it took me 20 hours to do 800 miles with the roadster tank, it was an ordeal
It was several hours less to do the 900 miles with the interstate tank. I think 16 hours or less. I I don't think an iron butt would be too bad with an interstate tank.

I use one of those slip-on palm paddles, I forget which brand. Makes a big difference on numb wrists and fingers..

maylar said:

How many miles can you ride in a day?

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None, I'm too busy taking my bike apart and putting it back together.... :lol:

In my early 20s I traveled from Calif to Indiana on a BSA 650 flat tracker. The 1st day I rode all day and went 10 or 14 hours (can't remember which) - riding late into the night. It was cold and I was shivering. I gritted my teeth to keep them from chattering. The next morning my teeth didn't fit together the same and the thumb skin on my throttle hand had split open from the vibration. I would never try such a stunt again but when you're young you do some crazy things and learn from your mistakes.

For me, the question is sort of like asking "How far can you run in a day?"

How far can you go, with your legs aching, your feet blistered, your calves cramping, swilling down water, arms hurting, breathing hard, sweating ....

Why would I even seek the answer to that question? Bragging rights? A personal challenge? Competition with others?

None of those things motivate me in the least. I have no interest in Iron Butt competitions any more than I do ultra-marathons or power-lifting. I don't need to brag to anyone, and my personal challenge is to enjoy myself, and enjoy traveling on a motorcycle. I don't want to mess that up by grinding along far past the point where the ride is enjoyable or even safe ....

That being said, I find that by the time I've ridden 400 or so miles in 8 or 10 hours, I'm done, regardless ...

Lannis

Fair enough, Lannis. But if you go back and read the original post, Dave is asking a reasonable question. He didn't ask how far you can ride if you push the limits of pain and endurance. That sort of thing just crept in to some of the replies. If I read him right, Dave is a middle aged sort of guy who can only comfortably ride his Commando 250 miles in a day before it gets too painful, and he's just wondering if that's typical. Clearly quite a few of our posters are very comfortable with longer rides without significant discomfort, and some (like me) are quite a bit more limited in range. I thought the replies pretty much covered the field, and found them very interesting. There might be a little macho bragging rights going on in some of the posts, but not enough to get excited about.

Ken

I understand; I suppose that I was responding to a different sort of question after 4 pages of responses.

Often, "How far can you ride?" is an alternate form of the question "How fast can you go on your motorcycle?"

And (like the questions "What's the biggest fish you've caught?" and "How many women have you been with?") even the most supposedly honest human male is almost incapable of telling the truth about that!! :roll: :lol:

Lannis

Longest for me was 626 miles. Lightweight compared to some of you guys. I was only 22 yrs old at the time. Rode from Houston to Van Horn Texas. I was totally bushed. Had a couple of, pull on to the apron and slow down, as I was in a pinch to reach a fuel stop. The sun has risen and the sun has set and we ain't out of Texas yet.Never thought to carry an extra gallon of emergency fuel. I loved the fact that you could smell and feel the heat coming from a city as you neared it. I could never do that kind of miles today and have no desire to. I rode a Beemer cop bike for a couple of years recently and planned to do a little long range cruising. Got to love that adjustable windshield and full leg protection. The bike however reminded me of a 2 ton truck. I am resigned to enjoying my beloved Norton. I am going to fit a fairing though as I have become a real sissy regarding getting blown about, hit by big grasshoppers, taking cigarette butts in the chest, and hanging on for dear life at 80mph. FWIW I have learned that in a car, you can go all day if you have a good adjustable seat. Tilt, up and down,recline, and blow up lumbar support enable you to shift the pressure points. Same is probably true on a bike. The more positions the better. :roll:

lcrken said:

Fair enough, Lannis. But if you go back and read the original post, Dave is asking a reasonable question. He didn't ask how far you can ride if you push the limits of pain and endurance. That sort of thing just crept in to some of the replies. If I read him right, Dave is a middle aged sort of guy who can only comfortably ride his Commando 250 miles in a day before it gets too painful, and he's just wondering if that's typical. Clearly quite a few of our posters are very comfortable with longer rides without significant discomfort, and some (like me) are quite a bit more limited in range. I thought the replies pretty much covered the field, and found them very interesting. There might be a little macho bragging rights going on in some of the posts, but not enough to get excited about.

Ken

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Thanks, Ken - you understand the question. And the responses have been most interesting. As I noted in the first post, a lot of riders here are in the same age bracket as I am so I expected guys to say, "After 200 miles my legs cramp up" or similar. But reading that 60+ yr old Commando riders do 400 miles in a day is kinda comforting. It means I don't need a new bike.

I too did 600 miles in the rain from Ontario Canada to my home in Connecticut when I was 23, but that's a lifetime ago and not pertinent to my current query.

What I'm taking away from this thread is that I should try a back brace and/or maybe a gel cushion on the seat. Also fit my windscreen again and wear ear plugs (or earbuds plugged into my Garmin GPS 8) ).

Yes. ear protection is good and I wear my quietest helmet on long distance runs. :!: I just finished a long distance trip of 3046.8 miles with my brother-in-law, He on a Honda 919 and I was on my 74 Interstate. I compromised for his bike as he had to get off every 1 1/2 hours to refuel and refreshments and our longest day run of a 10 day journey was 343.2 miles. I could and would have gone longer but It was a bike trip between the two of us. Our agreement was we are ready at 8:30 am and drive till 6:00ish to get a hotel/motel with a/c and a shower. Once I was lead and I knew I was pushing it, :roll: my b-In-L Bill would complain that his butt felt like he was sitting on two hockey pucks for that leg of the journey. :mrgreen:
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN

I went on about a 100 mile loop yesterday (maybe less) just over 2 hours. Mostly 3rd gear winding roads from my house for about an hour or so and then 60 - 70 mph highway miles getting back and then another 1/2 hour of slow roads again until home. I was happy but done. I'm 63 and just kinda worn out from the gripping the tank with the legs, gripping the bars and somewhat in the butt, not quite monkey-butt but getting there. I've done a couple of 500 - 600 mile days in my youth, San Diego to Paradise, California via mostly highway and Freeway miles. Didn't really like it, rain in San Francisco area, freezing cold, very sore all over but in those days my trusty Trumpet was my only transportation (T-100). I've avoided the long days ever since but still enjoy an hour or two. I could ride again today but don't really feel like it.
Lance

One thing I have found helpful in long distance riding is the use of a simple cruse control. If you are a sufferer of Carpal tunnel syndrome and you cannot keep the twin amals turned without pain as a result of the twin springs pulling the slides on return, then try one of these friction holders. I use a Photon Cruse Control Universal for 7/8” bars. It helps take the pressure off the constant death grip on the throttle hand.
http://www.universalcycle.ca/store/prod ... -BK-7-8in/ 8)
I got mine at GP bikes for 16.99 Canadian. I think they have a MkII version but I find that when there is not enough tension due to the Norton Vibrations then use a small O ring up the tongue till you get it to stay on a constant setting while still being able to roll off the throttle when needed.
Hope that helps.
Cheers,
Thomas
CNN

Fine and cold clear day, ideal for a ride, 240 miles (386KM)round trip, coastal, hilly, twisty and a lot of 2nd and 3rd gear riding in the twistier hillier parts.
Fuel used 4,4i Imperial gallons(19.5 litres)
54.5 MPG or 19.8 Km /l
Pics taken with my drone that I have in a backpack strapped to the seat, a pain sometimes, but on those good days, worth it
Regards Mike

grandpaul said:

I use one of those slip-on palm paddles, I forget which brand. Makes a big difference on numb wrists and fingers..

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If I'm going to ride more than a hundred miles on an interstate highway I tighten the friction screw on the twistgrip so that it will hold my throttle position.

ewgoforth said:

grandpaul said:

I use one of those slip-on palm paddles, I forget which brand. Makes a big difference on numb wrists and fingers..

Click to expand...

If I'm going to ride more than a hundred miles on an interstate highway I tighten the friction screw on the twistgrip so that it will hold my throttle position.

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I do that as well. I modified my throttle with a knurled screw so I can adjust tension on the fly. I tried one of the plastic paddles, but it wouldn't fit over the cushioned grips that I use.

I mostly ride on the "twisties" so a throttle friction device would not be good for me, I usually can avoid Highway or freeways because I'm not just getting somewhere. However, an ergo-grip sounds good I'll have to look into it. I've used them for about 5 years on one of my mountain bikes, but the throttle is in the pedals on those :wink:
Lance

Does anyone know of a "negative spring" assist built into the throttle. Such as is done to counter stiction on air spring front forks on mountain bikes for years and years now. Maybe a clockwork spring that partially and adjustably assist your hand versus the Amals, and drag.
Lance

I use a push pull throttle and an extremely light spring. Not quite enough to return the throttle all the way to idle by itself. But just a light grip on the throttle keeps it steady.
Then I also have an old vanda-cruise for when my right hand needs a rest. Jim

Is that similar to a Vista-cruise?

A gizmo called twistassist is/used to be available, to help lighten the load on the right hand.

Big Del Orto's are pretty hard on the wrist.