Longest ride you've ever ridden?

[MaxB]

This thread stirs up memories.

In July '86 mates had scored me Queen tickets for the Newcastle UK gig. I was working on OE in Devon 650 kms away and was going to use the concert as the start of a touring holiday up north. When I got the bike (Honda 400-4) to my Grans house in Gloucestershire I was told my Uncle was crook in hospital but it was OK to carry on.

I swapped bikes for my Beemer twin, loaded up the gear and off I went. 7 happy hours later I rocked up to my mates and they had a message from my Gran "Come home, your Uncle wont make it through the night and wants to see you." 4 and a bit stressed out hours later I was at my Uncles bedside and I got his message.

He wasnt dying, just had a mild stroke. So I was now free to get back up to the concert but not before dropping 30 pound coins into the hospital payphone catching up the rellies back here.

I rode through the night and made it to the concert 22 hours and 1050 miles after leaving Devon. Saw the show, met a group of nurses and had one of the best weeks of my life.

BTW the message from my Uncle I'd risked my life for "When you get back to NZ could you send me an Auckland rugby tie I've always fancied one of those?"

[LBD]

In recent times it has to be the GC/10K super tour and TT2000's.... but back in the day...in the dim and distant past as it were, I would say the coastal most roads excluding culdesacs.... around the SI from Chch including the Catlins, Bluff, south coast Haast Wet coast, to Wetport, Nelson Picton and back to Chch. Two up on Honda 750, back when much of the way was gravel....over a 2 day weekend + friday after work

[orangeback]

i rode Auckland to Invercargill in 1 1/2 days and fell off about an hour after getting to my destination heading to the petrol station , ( morel of the story don't pull wheelies for your mates, when you don't know where the roads works is) (it cost me a brand new zx9r back in 94, but at least I put on 2000km)

[awa355]

I bet the desert road was, um, interesting. I rode the desert road at night in January once with a couple of mates who had never done it - they couldn't figure out why I put on all my thermal kit when we stopped at Palmy.

Back in the early 90's I organised a run for our group, the Matamata road riders, A winter midnight Matamata to Wellington breakfast ride. Middle of July. Only Brian Hickson and I were stupid enough to do it.

I had a borrowed XS750 custom, Brian had his old CX500. Was awesome crossing the desert road at 3am, Scattered clouds, a full moon and the XS sounding like a GM diesel at full revs.

Incidentely, The 1000 miler, Haven't done it myself but the likes of Brian H did several of them on that CX500, Scott Baigent did the first two on his old KZ440.

Would it be any easier on today's bikes compared to the slower heavier bikes of the 80's?

I remember one old buggar saying years ago, they needed to throw in a decent stretch of metal roads to put the challenge back into the ride.

What do you think?

[FJRider]

Would it be any easier on today's bikes compared to the slower heavier bikes of the 80's?

Speed is not the answer to 1000 milers ... 70 km/hr average speed will get you home under time allowed. Mental stamina is required. (AND a comfortable bike ....)

Ride fitness plays a good part of it too ... but the mental aspect plays a bigger part ...

I recall a certain gentleman from Dunedin (in the Motorcycle trade) doing it on a BSA 350 (under time required)

[banditrider]

I recall a certain gentleman from Dunedin (in the Motorcycle trade) doing it on a BSA 350 (under time required)

Not to mention an RG50 one year...

[FJRider]

Not to mention an RG50 one year...

I heard it (RNGC) was done on a RG50 ... and the rider had to be lifted off the bike at the end ..

[banditrider]

I heard it (RNGC) was done on a RG50 ... and the rider had to be lifted off the bike at the end ..

Yep - 2001. I didn't see him finish (he left 2 hours ahead of everyone so other riders could keep an eye on him as they caught him). It took us quite a while to catch him. He stopped at the checkpoint in Gisborne, fueled his bike and was back on the road in no time (I reckon he was in 3rd by the time he left the forecourt). We then mucked around and caught him about 20km south of Gissy. He was carrying spare fuel and I'd say she was wide open for the whole ride...

It's hard enough on a good bike!

[Kickaha]

I heard it (RNGC) was done on a RG50 ... and the rider had to be lifted off the bike at the end ..

Not sure about an RG50 but in 1992 when I did it a guy completed it on a NSR80, he wasn't walking very well the next day when I left

Just checked their site, it was completed on a 50 in both 2001/02

[MarkH]

Onehunga => Christchurch on my 400cc scooter was a pretty good ride. I shoulda left earlier and gotten an earlier ferry, it was after 2am when I got to Christchurch.
The following day it was a much shorter & more relaxed ride to Winchester followed by a great weekend at the Magpie Madness rally.
After the rally it was Winchester => Palmerston North, some sleep over night and then Palmerston North => Auckland with torrential rain and gale force head winds, still better than being at work though.

This was Thursday - Monday. Onehunga to Winchester to Onehunga over a 5 day period.

[NC]

about 700kms, done on a 250, 400 and 1000

[Highlander]

I think being a shift worker helped me with both my GC's as I found them easy and struggled to get to sleep afterwards.

I wondered about that too - when I first started doing them I was also a shift worker. I think mental toughness and a bit of common sense is probably the key...

I think being a shift worker you get to know how you react when you are tired, you recognise the signs earlier than the average person and know what to do about it, so take action to keep up with what is going on around you.

...I agree with others that going from 1,000 to 1,600km in a hit is a big jump - the first 1,000km are a piece of cake but sooner or later you start getting tired - know when to stop!

The Rusty Super Tour guys are the real distance heroes - 10,000km in 10 days.

http://rustynuts.co.nz/default.aspx?PageID=455

Them guys are legends. I have done several days of 1,000 km plus but stringing 10 to them together - not for me thanks. Two in a week with a couple of 6 or 700km jobbies in between is quite enough.
I have ruled out a crack at the Grand Challenge, because I do stay up for close to 24 hrs at a time on a regular basis and know my riding suffers badly.
Couldn't rule out the TT2000 one year, but would work it in with a couple of quieter days or even a rest day.

I guess you never really know your limit until you cross it, but I think if you are getting close to what you think your limit is, push gently rather than give it an almighty shove.

[doc]

Easy rider: After 56 years and 700,000 miles it's finally time to sell my motorbike... for £40,000



When Stuart Jenkinson paid £385 for his Vincent Black Prince motorcycle in 1955, he thought he would only keep it for a year before swapping it for a car.

But now, after a 56-year romance on the road that saw them travel more than 700,000 together, Mr Jenkinson, 83, is finally going to part with the bike he calls 'Vinnylonglegs'.

The 998cc machine, which has covered the length and breadth of Europe, is set to land its owner a windfall too, because it is expected to sell for £40,000 when it goes under the hammer at auction.



Good runner: Stuart Jenkinson, 83, is finally hanging up his leathers and selling his beloved Vincent Black Prince after 56 years and more than 700,000 miles

For many years Mr Jenkinson and wife Anne led touring holidays on the continent, which accounted for about half of the bike's incredible mileage.

From 1962 the couple travelled to Greece at least once a year for their holidays, but Anne gave up riding pillion after a crash in Yugoslavia 15 years ago.

Mr Jenkinson has taken the bike through Germany, Belgium, Austria, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, Macedonia, Czechoslovakia, Montenegro, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Hungary and Greece.

His longest tour was a three-week mountain jaunt to Greece that clocked up more than 2,355 miles out of its current total of 721,703.

He enjoyed the continental roads where he could push his machine up to 120mph - but he says he rarely gets to 100mph any more.

Mr Jenkinson's touring business continued until 2008, but now he says he doesn't have the strength to pick up the bike if he were to drop it.



Newly purchased: Mr Jenkinson pictured with the bike in 1955

With much regret he has decided to sell it and give up motorcycling for good. Instead he will drive his VW Passat.

The former university lecturer from Whitley Bay said he has had about 100 crashes, mostly when driving to work in snow-covered Northumberland.

When I bought it I never dreamed I'd still be riding it,' he said.

'I thought I'd have it for about five years then buy a car.

'It was my third Vincent and I loved riding it so I kept it.

'At first I just used it to drive to work on, but then I started going abroad.

'From 1962 my wife Anne and I started going to Greece for our holidays. We'd also go away for weekends.

'Then in 1980 I retired from my job and set up a touring company, taking motorbikes around Europe.

'It was on these tours that I clocked up about half the mileage.

'My wife always came until about 15 years ago when I threw the bike down the road with her on it.

'It was in Yugoslavia and there was a big thunderstorm and we were on a narrow country road with agricultural debris on it.

'We were only going about 30mph and I came to the crest of a hill and suddenly realised there was a sharp bend and I braked and the wheels locked and we slid along on our backsides.

'We weren't hurt and after we got back Anne didn't do any more tours on the bike.

'I never wore a crash hat until you had to; when I got it I just had goggles.

'It has been rebuilt three times and I have modified it for touring and done all the work myself.

'It must be one of the most travelled bikes in the world and has gone through hundreds of tyres.

'I am very sad to be selling it - it's like selling your child. I really hope it will be bought by someone who will ride it rather than going to a museum.

'In the last few years I have lost a lot of strength in my arms and shoulders and I can't pick it up any more.

'Once I weighed it with myself and my wife and all our camping gear on it and was about 750lbs.

'I don't think I could ever ride another bike - I've only had Vincent's.

'Rather than get a lighter bike I think I'm going to give up and just use my car.'

'I call it "Vinnylonglegs" because it is a Vincent and because it has done so many miles.'

The bike is to be sold by Bonhams on April 24 at the International Motorcycle Show in Staffordshire.

[Gremlin]

Damn that's impressive for the old boy.

In comparison, I bought my KTM for 24k, just over 2 years later, I sold it for 8k, only 62k on the clock.

I'm doing something very wrong compared to the old boy.

[shrub]

I bought my KTM for 24k, just over 2 years later, I sold it for 8k, only 62k on the clock.

That's pretty impressive.

When Charley Lamb bought his Thruxton a couple of years ago he picked it up on a Tuesday after work. He dropped it off on the Thursday morning before work for it's 800k service, which in itself is pretty good, but he worked a normal day on the Wednesday so the 800ks were ridden outside work time.