Longest ride you've ever ridden?

**Gremlin** · 21st February 2011, 12:10

Originally Posted by shrub

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.

I use another bike for work, and over the 2 years, it probably did 30k. I also work long weeks, nights, weekends, but don't have a wife or kids

GiJoe collected his new bike one afternoon, went off to run it in, and was home the next day having accidentally gone over the first 1000km... He put the bike through more weather and conditions in the one ride (storm fronts across the country that night) than most do in the entire life of ownership of a bike.

**shrub** · 21st February 2011, 12:21

Originally Posted by Gremlin

I use another bike for work, and over the 2 years, it probably did 30k. I also work long weeks, nights, weekends, but don't have a wife or kids

I am even more impressed! My son did well - he had his 20k service on his Street triple after 10 months. I generally only ride 10 - 15000 ks a year, but I do use my bike to commute and I probably ride about 7 - 10000 ks a year open road. I think the biggest year for me would have been around 20k, but that was on my Mk2 Le Mans, so that's like about a million Ks on a normal bike.

GiJoe collected his new bike one afternoon, went off to run it in, and was home the next day having accidentally gone over the first 1000km... He put the bike through more weather and conditions in the one ride (storm fronts across the country that night) than most do in the entire life of ownership of a bike.

I find it mildly offensive when I hear about bikes that are "never ridden in the rain" or are taken off the road for winter. I really like seeing my bike covered in shit and mud from a long ride and some of the best rides ever are winter rides - I'd rather ride in all my thermals on a cold day than cook and many of the best rides ever were on cold and/or wet days. I remember years ago I had stopped for a coffee on a very wet day. I was completely soaked and a guy looked at me and said "I bet you wish you were in a car right now". I said "Shit no, I wouldn't trade places with anyone for anything", and it was true, I was having an awesome ride.

**MarkH** · 21st February 2011, 17:13

Originally Posted by shrub

I find it mildly offensive when I hear about bikes that are "never ridden in the rain" or are taken off the road for winter.

Some people are just a bit soft!

I have been riding in the rain and thought "wow, it looks wet out there, I'm glad I'm warm & dry in here!" - 'in here' being the inside of my wet weather gear & helmet.
I've also been offered a ride in a car because it was raining (me and a friend both heading to the same place) and I said "you'll get more wet than I will" - he had to get from the car to the pub (to play poker) crossing the road, I parked near their front door (on the footpath) and I was wearing my wet weather gear.

It doesn't even cost much for a pair of over-pants and a pair of over-gloves, staying dry while riding in the rain is easy as!
I ride all year round and after 40,000kms of riding through 2 winters I still have no desire to go back to driving a car. In fact I was on the motorway today at around 4:30pm and my desire to be in a car was less than nil.

When it rains I feel even more sorry for those poor suckers barely moving in Auckland traffic - when wet it is worse than ever.

**Highlander** · 21st February 2011, 17:21

I ride my wifes bike to work and use mine for fun.

Often she lies there listening to the rain on the roof and says "
You can take the car to work if you wnat" to which I say "Why?"

Have taken the car 3 times in 5 years because the bike has been out of service.

**jacksteel** · 21st February 2011, 17:31

I did the 2005 Rusty Nuts Southern Cross Road Rally on a MKIII Lemans - approx 5300km in six days, my arse was flat for three months afterwards. I quite regularly do 1000km day rides and used to do delivery rides to the South island for a dealer mate and then fly home. The quickest return trip I have done was a delivery from Hamilton to Christchurch - left at 5:30pm Saturday, caught the 1:30am ferry and flew back to be home (only 5 minutes from the Hamilton Airport) by 11:30am Sunday. Another delivery trip was a R1200GS Hamilton to Oamaru, flew from Oamaru to Christchurch, picked up an R1 and rode back to Hamilton the next day. I am doing the Southern Cross again in a couple of weeks, on my R1100S this time - far better seat.

**Mr Merde** · 21st February 2011, 20:38

My longest single ride was from Cardiff to Edinburgh and return in one hit. About 800 miles (1300 km). To deliver a live trout.

Over a period, 250,000 miles in two years (400,000 km approx) All weathers.

the joys of intercity courier work in the UK. One bike worn out, one bike destroyed by a cage driver who didnt see me and the final bike stolen after two weeks of ownership.

**Jantar** · 21st February 2011, 21:50

Originally Posted by jacksteel

...I am doing the Southern Cross again in a couple of weeks, on my R1100S this time - far better seat.

Yep, looking forward to it. The TT200 is my pratice ride for it.

**Gixxer peter** · 1st March 2011, 09:01

more information to come but my best is 3258kM in 39 hours and 56 minutes. (TT2000)

**marty** · 1st March 2011, 09:50

914km on a DRZ400SM last week - Cambridge to Blenheim via the scenic route (included Western Byass, Desert Rd, Fields and Paihatua Track) 780km on first day and the rest at 0600am the next day to Nelson. Note the time is 12 hours out on the instrument cluster.

I've done longer(twice that) on the 'bus, but that hardly counts

**shrub** · 1st March 2011, 16:33

8 kms by foot from the centre of town to my home on 22nd of February.

**aprilia_RS250** · 1st March 2011, 16:53

WOW how do you guys do it! After about 150km I need new tyres, knee sliders, am dripping in sweat, did about a million gear changes, can hardly put my feet somewhere as pegs are all worn out....

**Dave Lobster** · 1st March 2011, 16:54

I did RAF Brawdy in the SW of Wales to Poolewe in Scotland on an R6 in 6 hours. I'd have been faster, but the panniers slowed it down. Seven hundredish miles.

I was a bit younger then, so it didn't even hurt.

**Rback** · 2nd March 2011, 11:50

Rode to Chch from Kerikeri over a 2 day trip. then to Queenstown via the West Coast. The was awesome. Back to Chch the next day. New Years eve I rode from Chch back to Kerikeri in one long haul. Had half an hour wait for the ferry. AND all this on my Blade. My arse was flat for weeks.

**one-speed** · 2nd June 2011, 22:29

Originally Posted by Rback

Rode to Chch from Kerikeri over a 2 day trip. then to Queenstown via the West Coast. The was awesome. Back to Chch the next day. New Years eve I rode from Chch back to Kerikeri in one long haul. Had half an hour wait for the ferry. AND all this on my Blade. My arse was flat for weeks.

lol Nice one Pat!!
One of the best i have done was Leaving Tauranga 4am headed down to Carterton just in time to enter the 1/4 mile sprints then road home again