Just finished reading a Panjo ad, now wondering what the term "long distance travel" (annual mileage) means. Ad suggests "cross country" riding with multi 600 mile days, yet bike has had only 29,000 miles put on it in 8 1/2 years (3,400 mile annual average). What stats are there on average annual mileage for registered bikes in US? For BMW bikes in US?
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What is long distance?
- Thread starter motodan
- Start date
akbeemer
SURVIVOR
The MOA has an annual mileage contest. From a quickly diminishing memory, the average rider who enters the contest rides around 9000 miles in the 6 months of the contest. On the one hand, the number may be skewed high because it includes only BMW riders and only those who choose to compete in the contest. On the other hand, the number may be skewed low because it includes only mileage ridden in the six best riding months and excludes miles ridden by folks in the more gentle climes in the other six months. In any case, riding less than 4000 miles a year is Harleysque in nature, meaning low.
rangerreece
RangerReece
Interesting question. I don't think long distance can be statistically defined. Average riding distances I think can be defined.
I had a science teacher in high school tell me once, "there's no such thing as cold... Only lack of heat."
I had a science teacher in high school tell me once, "there's no such thing as cold... Only lack of heat."
pglaves
#13338
Ah, so there is no such thing as long ... only a lack of short???
Fifteen or so years ago when I was MOA President I had gathered some seemingly decent statistics. The average MOA member was riding about 9,000 miles a year. The average AMA member was riding about 3,000 miles a year. And - a pretty fuzzy statistic about the average motorcycle rider in the U.S. riding about 1,800 miles a year.
I suspect those statistics remain relevent if not exact, today.
Ah, so there is no such thing as long ... only a lack of short???
Fifteen or so years ago when I was MOA President I had gathered some seemingly decent statistics. The average MOA member was riding about 9,000 miles a year. The average AMA member was riding about 3,000 miles a year. And - a pretty fuzzy statistic about the average motorcycle rider in the U.S. riding about 1,800 miles a year.
I suspect those statistics remain relevent if not exact, today.
Thanks. I assume our MOA numbers would be quite a bit less without the Glaves' totals
Ah, so there is no such thing as long ... only a lack of short???
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I think it is the other way around " no such thing as short, only lack of long".
rangerreece
RangerReece
I think it is the other way around " no such thing as short, only lack of long".
Yeah, I didn't want to touch that one... I thought maybe one of the ladies would chime in and extol the virtues of short verses long.
Wkoppa
Member
It kind of is what you think it is. Lots of factors to consider, to many to quantify. If you do a lot of other stuff, maybe you make one big 2000 mile trip a year, and then just get to scoot about. Maybe a 150 mile ride is a long ride for you. This is just one of those subjective things. Personally, I feel a bit robbed if I don't ride my expensive BMW 5-6 thousand miles a year. But maybe there's someone else with a different schedule, who still rides a long way but gets less rides in.
A long distance is any distance where the rider feels they are venturing far from home would be my statement. For a new rider that may be 100 miles, for a seasoned rider maybe they don't feel long distancy until they cross that 4th state line.
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A long distance is any distance where the rider feels they are venturing far from home would be my statement. For a new rider that may be 100 miles, for a seasoned rider maybe they don't feel long distancy until they cross that 4th state line.
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BMARC153920
New member
I'd disagree having done 14k on my stock RT seat of which three trips were over 2000 miles in under 4 days each with zero complaints.
58058D
New member
To me, long distance has nothing to do with annual mileage. I used to commute 50 miles each way to work on the bike, every day the weather permitted (8 months of the year usually) so I racked up a lot of miles in a year but was unable to do long trips during that phase of my life. Compared to my 1,000 mile days when on a 'long' trip a time or two, these commute days did not seem long distance. So, as implied in several posts above: apples, oranges, kiwi, banana, canteloupe. All good but very different.
Totally agree, used to ride 1,200 miles round trip from Sarasota FL to Suches GA every two weeks for 3 yrs put a lot of miles on the bike but did not get anywhere.
kioolt
New member
I'm going to have to agree with you. The stock seat on my 04 RT is the most comfortable seat I have ever had. I bought a Sargent seat which I sent back because I liked the stock seat better. The stock seat on my 82 RT is another story.
jconway607
JohnWC
9000 miles in 6 months comes out to 1500 miles per month or about 375 miles a week. I'll allow for a few long trips adding substantial mileage, but that's still a lot of miles per week to be putting on a bike. I know that personally, I can't put that kind of time in sitting on a bike, much as I might like to. I would get nothing else done. Are these high mileage figures also saying that most of the people who buy/own BMW's are older, retired folks with an awful lot of free time on their hands? I'm often hearing about how our membership is "graying out" and the need to find younger members. It appears that could well be true. Those young people are all at work.
I would guess that 4000 miles a year for a Harley is high, looking at local Craig's list ads. But I also think they are not obsessed with racking up 600 mile days on their bikes, and I don't criticize them for that.
BMARC153920
New member
I view long distance and accumulated miles differently. One may ride 14k a year or 6k a year but if that 6k was all in one trip I'd be far more impressed than someone who commutes all year to get 14k. So I agree and say don't judge based on mileage. I mean we just read an ad without knowing the riders circumstances, like number of bikes, kids, illness, work life, let's judge based on a cl ad.
BMW Triumphant
Ed Kilner #176066
LDR = Retired?
That probably applies to me.
I returned to riding in May 2000 and put only 40,000 Km on my Triumph 900. Retired in 2010, bought a new RT in September of 2011. By September of 2015, I had put 34,000 Km on it. Two trips of about 9,000 Km to Vancouver Island and back, plus one 6,000 Km trip to Nova Scotia. The remainder was trips around home. Oh, one trip to the DC area. Rode all the way back to Toronto in one shot. Not bad for an old fart and standard seat on all rides.
I did not have the time before retirement to do that. Might have had the money but did not think I had the right to spend it on those trips (wife does not ride). Only about 3,000 Km on the 2015 RT, and wondering what trip I want to do next summer. I have a friend out on Vancouver Island, so that is always attractive. And, the scenery can't be beaten.
It will be cool if the Canadian dollar recovers so I can do a US and Canada route. Otherwise, I will have to see what new routes in Canada might be possible. I am sure I can find something interesting... .
That probably applies to me.
I returned to riding in May 2000 and put only 40,000 Km on my Triumph 900. Retired in 2010, bought a new RT in September of 2011. By September of 2015, I had put 34,000 Km on it. Two trips of about 9,000 Km to Vancouver Island and back, plus one 6,000 Km trip to Nova Scotia. The remainder was trips around home. Oh, one trip to the DC area. Rode all the way back to Toronto in one shot. Not bad for an old fart and standard seat on all rides.
I did not have the time before retirement to do that. Might have had the money but did not think I had the right to spend it on those trips (wife does not ride). Only about 3,000 Km on the 2015 RT, and wondering what trip I want to do next summer. I have a friend out on Vancouver Island, so that is always attractive. And, the scenery can't be beaten.
It will be cool if the Canadian dollar recovers so I can do a US and Canada route. Otherwise, I will have to see what new routes in Canada might be possible. I am sure I can find something interesting... .
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