What is long distance?

markaz · Dec 9, 2015

Regarding long distance riding...I saw a statistic in the paper this morning that in 2014, motorcycles in the US were ridden a total of 25 billion miles. And there are about 25 million motorcycles in the country. Hmm...let's see...that's only 1000 miles average per motorcycle. Seems kinda low. It was one of those 'factoids' from USA Today (our local rag is owned by Gannett, same as USA Today so it shares a lot of content) so I don't know the source of the data.

I rode about 6000 miles on my RT in the last year just in day rides around the state. Then again, I put only about 25 miles on my old CT90...

jao45 · Dec 9, 2015

Well, I rode my Trek bicycles 5300 miles last summer and this summer combined and I'm 70 +. It's part of staying in fit. Ride the bicycle first, then the RT and reflect while your doing the twisties. Just make sure everything you do is on two wheels, one horsepower, or many more.

jao45 · Dec 9, 2015

Markaz, how many miles on your RT. I see we both have a '04'. Have you done any mod's or changes to yours? I got the ilum foot peg lowering kit, other than that, mine is stock. Just got it this summer, and just getting used to it. How long you had yours. My speedo reads about 5 mph faster than actual at hwy speeds. Is yours the same?

jeffkruger · Dec 10, 2015

I used to really obsess a bit over mileage. I've done things like a BBG and plenty of high mileage days. These days I care a lot more about the quality of the miles. When I rode the length of The Great River Road in the summer of 2014 I let my enjoyment of the ride and day dictate how many miles I put on. Some days it meant enjoying a high mileage day of grest riding. Other days it meant pausing more and checking out some cool small towns and sight seeing a bit.

For me, the mileage used to dictate the day. Now my enjoyment of the ride and the day dictate the mileage.

globalrider · Dec 10, 2015

jeffkruger said:
For me, the mileage used to dictate the day. Now my enjoyment of the ride and the day dictate the mileage.

Some of us have grown up.

bdfbeemer · Dec 10, 2015

When I go it west I blast the miles and then slow down and smell the roses when I get there. If I had more vacation time I would take more back roads and checkout local stuff. Maybe when retirement comes along I can do that. But with a finite time frame you do what you can.

jdubick · Dec 10, 2015

A lot of those 25 million motorcycles in the U.S. don't even have an odometer. My KLX only gets towed to the dual sport rides and even though it's a 09 model it only has about 5000 miles on it. But by golly they were all fun. :dance

RYD1WD · Dec 11, 2015

My last self-defined "long distance ride" was from VA to NC, via 19 states in between, in 3 days. Does that count?

flyhi2cfar · Sep 17, 2020

We have an answer...

RYD1WD said:
My last self-defined "long distance ride" was from VA to NC, via 19 states in between, in 3 days. Does that count?

... NO.

That was a "short duration ride" in our opinion.
Disguising the distance traveled by using proximity of states and days of travel resulted in a worthy discussion.

A bunch of us have been pondering your question around campfires and rally's the last 5 years.
And you deserve an answer before the Forum Five Year Opinion Verdict expires. (no such thing actually exists)

We figure you never crossed GA. or TN. east to west, much-less FL anywhere.

You undoubtedly just clipped Delaware and rode up to New Hampshire, plus a few states nearby, turned around and came home!

With 26 States east of the the Mississippi... most are jammed together in the Northeast US quadrant.

Should you have also visited MI AND IL... our decision is nil & void. Please accept our apologies

globalrider · Sep 17, 2020

Did you see anything?

vark · Sep 17, 2020

flyhi2cfar said:
... NO.

That was a "short duration ride" in our opinion.
Disguising the distance traveled by using proximity of states and days of travel resulted in a worthy discussion.

A bunch of us have been pondering your question around campfires and rally's the last 5 years.
And you deserve an answer before the Forum Five Year Opinion Verdict expires. (no such thing actually exists)

We figure you never crossed GA. or TN. east to west, much-less FL anywhere.

You undoubtedly just clipped Delaware and rode up to New Hampshire, plus a few states nearby, turned around and came home!

With 26 States east of the the Mississippi... most are jammed together in the Northeast US quadrant.

Should you have also visited MI AND IL... our decision is nil & void. Please accept our apologies

Ha! Thanks for the chuckle!

henzilla · Sep 17, 2020

Thread revival!

Any trip out of TX is LD from our somewhat central base. We cross a state line to mentally get a feeling of progress :dance

. We avoid Interstates and enjoy a stop or three along the way out to see stuff.

According to the Texas Almanac, the Lone Star State extends 801 straight-line miles from north to south and 773 miles from east to west.

https://texashillcountry.com/travelling-width-texas/amp/

And Kevin, I know Alaska is larger! Talking contiguous US :wave

flyhi2cfar · Sep 17, 2020

vark said:
Ha! Thanks for the chuckle!

I can visualize Mr North checking this thread periodically in 2015, 16, 17 ,18, 19, and now 2020.

Thinking... either no one likes me; or I've really stumped this bunch!

98lee · Sep 17, 2020

Steve,

California is 770 miles long. It's 840 miles of coastline makes for a nice ride or it's over 500 miles of Sierra Nevada and Cascades ( north to south) can keep you in the state for weeks.

:dance

akbeemer · Sep 17, 2020

henzilla said:
Thread revival!

Any trip out of TX is LD from our somewhat central base. We cross a state line to mentally get a feeling of progress . We avoid Interstates and enjoy a stop or three along the way out to see stuff.

According to the Texas Almanac, the Lone Star State extends 801 straight-line miles from north to south and 773 miles from east to west.

https://texashillcountry.com/travelling-width-texas/amp/

View attachment 80419

And Kevin, I know Alaska is larger! Talking contiguous US

Careful or Alaska may split into two states and make Texas the third largest state.

drneo66 · Sep 17, 2020

flyhi2cfar said:
... NO.

A bunch of us have been pondering your question around campfires and rally's the last 5 years.
And you deserve an answer before the Forum Five Year Opinion Verdict expires. (no such thing actually exists)

John - I need a ruling: does traveling ~35,500ish miles in only 1 state count as low, medium or long distance? "No distance" since I started and ended at my house over the whole "ride"??? A bored-at-work mind needs to know!!!!

At the end of the day, I subscribe to Danny Liska's quote: "It's only far if you don't go"

We should drag up more threads like this...

mikegalbicka · Sep 17, 2020

Strange to visualize Texas like that - then I check and find out it is 830 miles from Pensacola to Key West in our tiny little state. Also 1350 miles of coastline ranks second only to Alaska. Michigan is second if you count shoreline instead.

pglaves · Sep 17, 2020

akbeemer said:
Careful or Alaska may split into two states and make Texas the third largest state.

And creating two states with the fewest people among the then 51.

pglaves · Sep 17, 2020

The guy who rode 30 consecutive 1,000 mile days, or Voni who rode 72 consecutive 500 days in 1999 is long distance riding. Or a 49 state ride in 10 or fewer days is long distance riding. Or 1,000 miles in 24 hours is long distance riding. Even 92 Dairy Queens in 13 days might be long distance riding. And a new rookie rider riding his or her first 300 or 400 miles in a day may be long distance riding. The metric is in the mind of the beholder.

akbeemer · Sep 17, 2020

PGlaves said:
The guy who rode 30 consecutive 1,000 mile days, or Voni who rode 61 consecutive 500 days in 1999 is long distance riding. Or a 49 state ride in 10 or fewer days is long distance riding. Or 1,000 miles in 24 hours is long distance riding. Even 92 Dairy Queens in 13 days might be long distance riding. And a new rookie rider riding his or her first 300 or 400 miles in a day may be long distance riding. The metric is in the butt of the beholder.

Fixed it.....

What is long distance?

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