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Are you a motorcycle traveler or a motorcycle traveler?

Bud

It is what it is.
I've been thinking lately about the two different types of Beemer owners.

One type rides just for the riding. They will make any excuse to take trips of hundreds or thousands of miles, many over short time frames, just to experience the joy of riding.

The other type is someone who enjoys traveling, seeing new sites, old (or new) friends, finding new places to eat, riding at a notch or two below warp speed so they can look around.

Which one are you? (Or, perhaps you, or someone you know, are in a different category all together? :wave )
 
Interesting you post this Bud, I was just about to start my short mileage thread again :)
I do a couple of thousand miles a year- mainly running errands.....brought back a 50# bag of spedi-dry the other day.
OM
 
I just like being in the outdoors whenever I can so I choose a motorcycle for my only transportation.
 
I use for daily commuting (70 miles round trip) and little else. Fun and invigorating way to get to work. I'll go to an Antique Motorcycle Rally a couple of times a year, either up in Ohio or down to North Carolina. I have been to a couple of RA rallies and MOA rallies.
 
I LOVE to ride, but hate to travel on a motorcycle. I can ride all day, exploring, riding twisty back roads, but put me on the slab, and I want to fall asleep in about an hour, after 2 hours, I am almost ready to find a bridge abutment to make it stop. If I had unlimited time and could stay off the main roads, I would have no problem riding all over the country, and have, years ago, and will in retirement.

So for now I became a trailer queen, I can take 10 day trips to the Smokey's and spend 9 of it riding the good roads, and travel back and forth in relative comfort, heat, AC and wipers if needed. I can travel to Colorado across the Midwest in 105 degree temps, using the same benefits of the cage, and when I am done have fond memories of the trip, not memories of miserable weather conditions and trials and tribulations worrying about tire wear, severe storms and forest rats trying to kill me.
 
Put me in the second group. When younger I used to venture into the first group on occasion , but haven't in a long, long time.

When I travel, I only use the 'slab' if it is all that "goes there" or it just makes the most sense. I'd rather give up some speed & {IMO} gain some enjoyment.
 
I'm a mix of the two. I ride to work each day unless there's ice or heavy salt on the road. In decent weather (by Vermont standards that's anything above 40F rain or shine) I often take the scenic or unexplored route home. I ride on the weekends for recreation either on backroads (GS) or with one of my dogs (GSA hack). But I also travel as much as I can every summer. Part of that is to see new places, but I enjoy the riding so much that I had to get a helmetcam lest I cover 6000 miles with only a half dozen photos. I tend to ride right past scenic or interesting places with a fleeting, Oh, that would have been a nice photo!

Barley has changed that for the most part. Riding with him is like riding with a child; both of us have to enjoy the experience so frequent breaks for play or snuggles are needed. And in the process I've discovered many wonders both natural and social that I would simply have ridden past before. He taught me that there is beauty everywhere, that now and then you just have to stop and pee on the roses.
 
I'm a mix of the two. I ride to work each day unless there's ice or heavy salt on the road. In decent weather (by Vermont standards that's anything above 40F rain or shine) I often take the scenic or unexplored route home. I ride on the weekends for recreation either on backroads (GS) or with one of my dogs (GSA hack). But I also travel as much as I can every summer. Part of that is to see new places, but I enjoy the riding so much that I had to get a helmetcam lest I cover 6000 miles with only a half dozen photos. I tend to ride right past scenic or interesting places with a fleeting, Oh, that would have been a nice photo!

Barley has changed that for the most part. Riding with him is like riding with a child; both of us have to enjoy the experience so frequent breaks for play or snuggles are needed. And in the process I've discovered many wonders both natural and social that I would simply have ridden past before. He taught me that there is beauty everywhere, that now and then you just have to stop and pee on the roses.

Please leave a sign so I don't stop and smell the roses after you have been there. :kiss :wave
 
I'm a combination of both your definitions, Bud. If I don't have a reason (excuse) to ride, the bikes stay parked in the garage. Seldom use them for in town errands, but with the right excuse (reason), I'll ride across the country to see something (Pacific Ocean. art exhibit, etc.) or someone (MOA & Salty Fog friends). I never take the best photos that I see while on a ride because usually those roads just aren't the safest places to pull over for a photo shoot.
 
Ride all I can

At present I am in the first group; any excuse to take a ride and if on an errand to the library for instance I make a 14 mile round-trip into a 50 mile detour. I have 4,824 miles on my new bike since September 24th and the longest single ride was only 207 miles.

I used to travel but my wife's health is not good and I am not what I once was.
 
I'm a pure twisty whore. I trailer 3.5 hours to the Smokies, then ride 8-14 hours, all twisties. I never stop to take pictures or look around--nothing I haven't seen before. I wear my tires out VERY fast. I ride purely to ride.

I cannot stand the freeway. Even 30 miles of highway is intensely monotonous. Put the bike on a trailer and drive a car. Save the bike for the corners.
 
Personally I am the type that rides just for the riding, traveling, seeing new sites and finding new places to eat. I will make any excuse to take trips, many over short time frames, just to experience the joy of riding. I avoid any interstate or multi-lane highway and eat or shop at any place that is not a chain and do it at a leisurely pace.
 
I'm a pure twisty whore. I trailer 3.5 hours to the Smokies, then ride 8-14 hours, all twisties. I never stop to take pictures or look around--nothing I haven't seen before. I wear my tires out VERY fast. I ride purely to ride.

I cannot stand the freeway. Even 30 miles of highway is intensely monotonous. Put the bike on a trailer and drive a car. Save the bike for the corners.

One of these days we need to cross paths, seems like we were made from the same mold.
 
Put Me Down As A Motorcycle Traveler

I am most definitely not one who will ride massive miles in a short time frame. 400-800 miles a day on a bike on super-slab is NOT my cuppa. I will combine slabs with smaller roads to get a jump on a day's travel, or to connect one smaller road to another. There are times when I will flog along, intending to make it somewhat quickly from A to B... But I'm still on U.S. Highways and "B/C" roads. But as often as not, when I travel by bike, I take as much time as I can. Being independently employed does help in this regard... I have the time to stop and check out that nice lunch spot, or to lolly gag about, taking pix of interesting stuff. On an every day, around-the-house basis, I day trip around as often as possible, sometimes covering as many as 250 local miles just cuz I can; other times just popping about for the heck of it- errands, over to a friend's, out for a beer & a bite.. whatever.
I have a motorcycle-specific trailer and sometimes use it as the others who posted here do- to cover long distances in optimum time & comfort, in order to maximize enjoyment on the destination end of a journey...
Especially if it involves my Norton.

Oh, and I almost never commute to/from work on any of my bikes.
 
I've been thinking lately about the two different types of Beemer owners.

One type rides just for the riding. They will make any excuse to take trips of hundreds or thousands of miles, many over short time frames, just to experience the joy of riding.

The other type is someone who enjoys traveling, seeing new sites, old (or new) friends, finding new places to eat, riding at a notch or two below warp speed so they can look around.

Which one are you? (Or, perhaps you, or someone you know, are in a different category all together? :wave )



Both.

I think you need to come up with a' third category?' :wave
 
Guess I am both, I have done a Iron Butt ride and my wife and I have taken backroads while touring all around the country. We love taking our time and stopping to take pictures and see the sights but I might take a quick long distance trip racking up some big miles too. Its all good :)





.
 
Yep, how about: Rider who likes warp speed , stops to look around,take pics,hike,fish,eat,visit people & historical sites, & also rides for the ride(commute or non-purpose rides) & travels because there are other places to do all of those things listed & more?
 
Both.

I think you need to come up with a' third category?' :wave

Hey Kevin,

I'm just a country boy from S. Illinois and it is hard to deal with more than two things at a time! :kbasa (Kind of like that that emotocon of eating and drinking)

So far "both" has been a common answer with a few other thrown in.

Open to any and all suggestions. :D
 
I've been thinking lately about the two different types of Beemer owners.

One type rides just for the riding. They will make any excuse to take trips of hundreds or thousands of miles, many over short time frames, just to experience the joy of riding.

The other type is someone who enjoys traveling, seeing new sites, old (or new) friends, finding new places to eat, riding at a notch or two below warp speed so they can look around.

Which one are you? (Or, perhaps you, or someone you know, are in a different category all together? :wave )

I guess Im in the "other" category, or maybe both. I use any excuse to take trips of hundreds or thousands of miles, all too often these trips are way to short; all just to see new sites, meet new friends, hear strangers "motorcycle stories", and find new places to eat. Some times at warp speed, others times just poking along. I cannot imagine a life where a bike isnt part of my existance, it puts me into the world in a way other forms of transportation do not, we all know what it smells like just after a rain storm pass as we ride along, it provkes strangers to walk up to me and strike up a conversation, you dont get that in a car. I dont know what type that makes me, goofy I guess.
 
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