Where did you ride today?

[SRTie4k]

If you haven't done 500 miles in a day on a motorcycle, have you really suffered enough in life?

I'd recommend the entirety of the Blue Ridge Parkway in a day as a good intro to long distance, all-day riding. It will keep you so busy with the scenery you won't notice the agony.

[breakdirt916]

Uh oh...did I lose my NESR oldie card?

I did over 400 miles on the 690 enduro on pavement

But before that, mostly 220-350 mile days on the Ninja 500, Vstrom 650, and FZR600. Honestly 350 was pushing it on a sport-ish Bikes...mostly saddle sore.

I moved to more dirt/dual sport stuff where the mileage is less important. 220 miles of dirt for Barstow to Vegas was pretty tiring.

I’d like to do 500 mile days, but on the right platform. Plenty of dope rides from the desert Southwest To AZ/UT/NM/NV/NorCal...but I figure once my joints start throwing yellow cards from the dirt rides, I will transition over to something that just eats miles for breakfast lunch and dinner. Harley, GSA, RT are all on my short list.

[RandyO]

Uh oh...did I lose my NESR oldie card?

I did over 400 miles on the 690 enduro on pavement

But before that, mostly 220-350 mile days on the Ninja 500, Vstrom 650, and FZR600. Honestly 350 was pushing it on a sport-ish Bikes...mostly saddle sore.

I moved to more dirt/dual sport stuff where the mileage is less important. 220 miles of dirt for Barstow to Vegas was pretty tiring.

I’d like to do 500 mile days, but on the right platform. Plenty of dope rides from the desert Southwest To AZ/UT/NM/NV/NorCal...but I figure once my joints start throwing yellow cards from the dirt rides, I will transition over to something that just eats miles for breakfast lunch and dinner. Harley, GSA, RT are all on my short list.

change your underwear

I've done several 1k+ days, did a 900 mile day once, zero highway, and 300 or so were in dirt, 450-500 miles /day is routine

[Stoneman]

change your underwear

I've done several 1k+ days, did a 900 mile day once, zero highway, and 300 or so were in dirt, 450-500 miles /day is routine

Iron Butt runs need not apply.

[RandyO]

Iron Butt runs need not apply.

they make checking out the Ozarks possible in a 4 day weekend

[SRTie4k]

I've always thought about doing an extremely long ride (like 750+ miles), I think what dissuades me the most is that riding in the dark on highways seems kind of boring. Part of the appeal of riding to far off destinations is seeing the sights, and not having that would put a damper on what would be an already tiring ride.

Maybe it's best to start in the early morning hours, so the local ground (what you've already seen) is what's covered in the dark?

Then again I did ride the final leg of the BRP from Asheville to Cherokee several years ago in the pitch black and pea soup thick fog. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.

[Stoneman]

I've always thought about doing an extremely long ride (like 750+ miles), I think what dissuades me the most is that riding in the dark on highways seems kind of boring. Part of the appeal of riding to far off destinations is seeing the sights, and not having that would put a damper on what would be an already tiring ride.

Maybe it's best to start in the early morning hours, so the local ground (what you've already seen) is what's covered in the dark?

Then again I did ride the final leg of the BRP from Asheville to Cherokee several years ago in the pitch black and pea soup thick fog. It was both terrifying and exhilarating.

Never been nor am I now a fan of riding in the dark. Same goes for the wheelers & sleds. Just doesn't do it for me.

[SteveM]

Never been nor am I now a fan of riding in the dark. Same goes for the wheelers & sleds. Just doesn't do it for me.

On my SS1000, I left in the dark to get known interstate done and avoid riding in the dark at the end of the day when I'm tired and the terrain is unfamiliar.

It still isn't great!

[loudbeard]

Even on my Multi, if it's greater than a couple hours of slab I'd rather put it in the back of the truck and enjoy the good riding when I get there.

[RandyO]

On my SS1000, I left in the dark to get known interstate done and avoid riding in the dark at the end of the day when I'm tired and the terrain is unfamiliar.

It still isn't great!

when I do IBA rides, I start so that my dark riding is closer to home on roads I am more familiar with, I've still had surprises from black ice to a black bear, along with the dead skunks,

Several times, while everybody else trucked down to Deals Gap, I rode my SV, it's about 21 hrs/1200 miles from my house, If I leave aboout 5pm on a Friday afternoon, I get down there in time to make a few runs on Saturday afternoon, a good nights sleep, and rarin to go explore on Sunday

Very similar to explore the Ozarks, 23hrs to cover 1550 miles that it takes to get to Joplin, MO, get a good nights sleep, and before dark, you can have 600 more miles

[golden chicken]

For anyone thinking of doing long miles in the saddle, learn from my mistake. I scoffed at RandyO's underwear warning. He's right.

[OneCheekRider]

500 miles in one day??

sounds equally exhausting as it sounds awesome!

This was actually 3 500 mile days. So total trip was 1500 miles but all pics posted were of the same day.

Those roads look next level epic and the telescope looks so cool. Is it still in working condition?

Yes, the telescope is still in use, although they're doing some renovation to the floor. The floor actually lifts 17ft up hydraulically to the hand-rail you see just below the dome. It's crazy to think they built this between 1876 and 1887. They did add an electronic coordinates device (no idea what it's actually called) but all telescope controls are still operated by hand! At some point the dome was all operated by hand but was converted to electric motors. The picture I posted has the original astronomer's ladder/chair -- crazy to think one person sat in that giant ladder chair and spent the night looking up through that giant telescope.

[Stoneman]

Anyone get any miles in during the little fake spring we had last week? I saw a shitload of people out in the Manchester area.

[SRTie4k]

I rode to work and then took the long way home.



It was a pretty bumpy ride with all the frost heaves. And by 4PM it was already 40 degrees and quite windy, and I was wearing my new Goretex jacket, which is quite a bit colder than my old jacket, so I wasn't really dressed appropriately to continue riding.

It was nice while it lasted, though.

[01xj]

I put 100 miles on. Nowhere fun, but still got out. Ran some errands, went to see some old co-workers. Saw a ton of bikes out. And in normal fashion, my lunatic neighbor rode to work that Friday in a snow storm.

[Stoneman]

I saw someone this morning on Route 28 heading north through Pembroke on an ADV bike. The temp according to my truck was 24 degrees. Temporary plate on the bike and crispy new gear. I'm guessing someone got a new ride over winter and is very eager to ride it.

By 9:00 this morning I'd already seen 3 or 4 bikes go by the shop.

I'm starting to twitch...

[OneCheekRider]

My favorite local road opened back up after being closed for the winter. Shame there's some cloud coverage, the snow on the mountains is beautiful. Might have to head back up for another photo...

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

[FriskyDingo]

I can't be the only one who took advantage of the 70 degree Friday for a ride

Got out for a quick 95 miles on the back roads, mostly out in eastern CT, must have passed 50+ bikes. Everyone was represented, HD, "GSXRninjas", Adv, enduro, dual sport, trikes, reverse trike, full dirty, scooter.....

New bike is a HOOT!!

[SteveM]

I can't be the only one who took advantage of the 70 degree Friday for a ride

Got out for a quick 95 miles on the back roads, mostly out in eastern CT, must have passed 50+ bikes. Everyone was represented, HD, "GSXRninjas", Adv, enduro, dual sport, trikes, reverse trike, full dirty, scooter.....

New bike is a HOOT!!

I skied Fromm 10 to 3 in a long sleeve t-shirt, then I hiked for 2 hours up at Pleasant Mountain.

[whynot]

I can't be the only one who took advantage of the 70 degree Friday for a ride

Got out for a quick 95 miles on the back roads, mostly out in eastern CT, must have passed 50+ bikes. Everyone was represented, HD, "GSXRninjas", Adv, enduro, dual sport, trikes, reverse trike, full dirty, scooter.....

New bike is a HOOT!!

Got out and around central MA, 100 + miles on the Guzzi. Some smaller roads had sand (and salt I guess) on the edges and centerline, but otherwise, it was all clear like 99% of the time. Heading home, I was waiting at a light to make a left turn onto MA Rt 2, and a number of yutes on sport bikes pulled up next to me, blipping and revving. The leader of the pack, on a CBR, was right next to me (I was in my usual hi-viz ATG, etc.), turned and gave me a fist bump. On green we made the turn and they took off WFO and tucked on the straight, one of them wheely-ing at 60 or so mph. They were having fun. No one died.

[SteveM]

Will be out tomorrow, the new Yamaha Tracer 9 GT is ready to go!

[loudbeard]

Would have gone out yesterday but I have the subframe of the Multi torn apart for some tasty bits.

Also worth noting, I haven’t pulled up my plow marking stakes yet because I don’t trust it.

[boosten lebaron]

If the Harley starts after it's long slumber easily enough I will be cruising around the back roads of CT Monday. If it is a bastard I'm sure the NSR will fire in a few kicks and I will terrorize central mass on it.

[TheIglu]

I have race tires on the 890 now. Boooo.

I want to ride!

[FriskyDingo]

Get that Duc tomorrow, weather looking decent the rest of the week....