Topic: First "long" ride

[flybox1]

I love it when the car is too full and i have to ride 

[Wobbly]

Again, I'd like to see someone ride 100 miles straight without a windshield with our twisty curves and 75 MPH speed-limits up here in southern Idaho. Fatigue depends on the type of road too.

Hm, it's about four hours of Autobahn at speeds well above 150 mph. After that it is driving passes all day, some above 9,000 feet, in the Alps. Probably not that challenging as southern Idaho. By the way, I also do that in the wintertime at temperatures below freezing, and I have neither a windshield to speak off nor heated grips. I guess, we are used to different things. It's all good.
Also, my back and knees are shot from jumping, and my shoulder joints are beyond fixing from 30 years of lifting. Never mind sustained injuries. But then again, I am the type of guy who squats with one arm in a cast. 

[kammery]

 Take a extra tail/brake bulb . Out on the road one night Tail light burnt out , long way from home . Get a good pair of comfortable gloves .

[kammery]

 Take a extra tail lamp bulb . Get a good comfortable pair of gloves . take sunglasses or clip ons if your riding into the sun .

[Bankerdanny]

Again, I'd like to see someone ride 100 miles straight without a windshield with our twisty curves and 75 MPH speed-limits up here in southern Idaho. Fatigue depends on the type of road too.

Hm, it's about four hours of Autobahn at speeds well above 150 mph. After that it is driving passes all day, some above 9,000 feet, in the Alps. Probably not that challenging as southern Idaho. By the way, I also do that in the wintertime at temperatures below freezing, and I have neither a windshield to speak off nor heated grips. I guess, we are used to different things. It's all good.
Also, my back and knees are shot from jumping, and my shoulder joints are beyond fixing from 30 years of lifting. Never mind sustained injuries. But then again, I am the type of guy who squats with one arm in a cast. 

Ah, but you are in a nice forward crouch with more rearset pegs. He's on an upright CB. But I get what you are saying. Spend enough time in the saddle and your body adapts, it's how we are made.

[Wobbly]

What you can do and what you should do are two different things. Even airline pilots are limited to 10 hours of operation at one time. But it's your life take it as you wish. I wouldn't want to be on the road with someone that's been on two wheels for 12 hours.

During the Fallujah Offensive our surgeons here at LRMC were performing surgeries  14 hours in a row (mostly taking limbs off). But I guess that isn't as demanding as riding a Honda at 70 mph were you ought to take a break every 30 minutes. You know, it's perfectly okay to be a pussy. But don't try to make it a virtue.

Ah, but you are in a nice forward crouch with more rearset pegs.

That helps on the autobahn, but is less than ideal driving those hairpins turns on the passes.

[lone*X]

200 miles will be no issue as many have stated.  Just service your bike before leaving and check it good before the return trip.  I only have one suggestion.  Instead of you following the car, have your wife follow you at a safe distance.  If you have a break down or need to pull off for gas you can simply do what you need to do and she will be able to see where you are headed.  With her in front she may not immediatly see if you have to pull off for some reason.  This is the reason that on a long group ride the chase truck is always the last vehicle.

[DustyRags]

What the hell? Since when is this about how hard we can ride? Since when does it make people "pussies" when they decide to take their vacation more leisurely than a battlefield surgeon? Chill the hell out!

Yes, it is possible to do insane things like ride incredible distances and unbelievable speeds. Hell, I know a guy who drove across the entire US without any stops other than gas and whatever trash food he bought at the stations. That doesn't make it a virtue.

Motorcycling is about pleasure. Enjoy your ride, whether that means howling down the Autobahn for 12 hours straight, or trundling through the back roads of Calaveras County for 20 minutes. It's also a game of odds. Is it worth pushing yourself if you raise the odds of a crash? Maybe. Maybe not. That's for you to know, not some dude on the internet to tell you.

Ride at your speed, for your distances, whatever makes you comfortable. Be safe. Have fun. Ignore the internet.

[70CB750]

What the hell? .....Chill the hell out!

How about getting a page from your own book?

[DustyRags]

Yeah. I got my coffee now. Doing better.

So. Riding advice. Drink your coffee. Breath. Relax. 

[nccb]

haha, i have a pot on at the moment as well

[Bankerdanny]

Ah, but you are in a nice forward crouch with more rearset pegs.

That helps on the autobahn, but is less than ideal driving those hairpins turns on the passes.

I certainly can't dispute your personal experience. For my part, the clubmans on my Enfield were hard on the wrists at low speeds, but at the same time, the forward position was a real improvement over the conventional bars it originally had when the roads got twisty.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

You'll be fine. Just get on and ride. It'll be much more pleasurable than riding in the city so it will be easier and that tank of gas will go quickly. You should lead the caravan so you can have the open road and let your mind wander vs worrying about how the wife is driving and keeping your mind busy about that damn car in front of you. That way she won't be constantly distracted by looking in her mirrors.

Some of us don't get on the road and thats truely a shame. Some can't handle miles and they may be better at home. 500, 600, 700, 800 mile days are pretty standard for me. I get up early and fit the riding in before dark. That is what determines how I ride. It's the journey, not the destination. Ah, the open road 

[nccb]

Made it.  The ride was awesome but that 40 year old seat sure does suck.  I feel like the bike performed better after the first 100 miles. I can see why some of you fools go for such. Long rides now.

[scottly]

Old crumbly seat foam sucks! For the return trip, pick up a 1 inch thick kneeling pad (or 2?) from a hardware store. Use duct tape or zip-ties to hold the extra padding on, if necessary.

[750K]

Nice, this summer the wife and I with her uncle did a fun ride through part of the okanagen. There and back we covered just around 300k maybe a bit more, 90% of it was twisty mountin roads. You really get to see how suited for that type of riding the cb750 is, just loves to be on the open road. We had a stop at a hot springs at the half way which was nice. Was a bit worn out at the end of it but I could've easily ridden longer and I don't see a ton of long distance riding each year. My seat is cushy as hell and my bars put me in a pretty good position, which is key I think.

[dhall57]

Made it.  The ride was awesome but that 40 year old seat sure does suck.  I feel like the bike performed better after the first 100 miles. I can see why some of you fools go for such. Long rides now.

Good to hear you had a good ride and your bike performed great. I think those seats are still available from Honda. I got one for my K6 right after I got it in 2009 and it made a world of difference. My ass thanks me!

Yeah that seat is still offered part#77200-341-701. $228.00 I order a lot of stuff from ServiceHonda and have always got good service. Check ebay also or maybe another member might have one to sell.

[70CB750]

Now the bike things you finally grew some 

[andy750]

Again, I'd like to see someone ride 100 miles straight without a windshield with our twisty curves and 75 MPH speed-limits up here in southern Idaho. Fatigue depends on the type of road too.

Hm, it's about four hours of Autobahn at speeds well above 150 mph.

I think you have had it easy Wobbly...try blasting down the Autobahn at 105 mph for 4 hrs straight on a 1974 unfaired, stock CB750 with poor brakes  . No modern racers here, just pure solid, heavy, feels-as- fast-as-a-missile riding knowing that if you have a front tire puncture at these speeds you are going to have a very interesting time.

Speaking of which I have had a high speed (80 mph) front tire puncture after coming off a day of twisty riding on the same unfaired stock bike in the Agave region of Mexico, when I was 2-up with a very fit 18 yr old soccer babe on the back who I had just picked up in Oaxaca, Mexico (her first time on a motorcycle)......she was suitably dressed for the occasion wearing hotpants and a tank top  . Wrestling that bike to a stop coming down the long straight at 80 mph was quite an experience  . On that trip I experienced desert riding (very hot, 110+), mountain riding (very cold, snow on top), super windy conditions where you had to lean at one angle all day, super wet (ever ride through a tropical storm?), dirt road riding (finding those elusive campsites by the beach) etc etc. 

But back to the Alps,riding those passes, again and again day in, day out on a stock CB750 were amazing but yes they did tire me out! By the end of the day I was ready to crash. I am looking forward to seeing your CB750 back on the road Wobbly and hearing about your experiences with this bike in the Alps, Autobahn etc.

At the end of the day it dosent matter how you ride its that you ride at all. Good news from the OP that he enjoyed the ride and is eager to do it again! Success!

cheers
Andy

[Geeto67]

I may not be in the army, but please don't imply I'm not in shape. You'd think quite different face to face. Ever have grown to 6'4 and experience the effect on the lower back?

Again, I'd like to see someone ride 100 miles straight without a windshield with our twisty curves and 75 MPH speed-limits up here in southern Idaho. Fatigue depends on the type of road too.

I guess the 20 people group I was in were all in bad shape to want to take breaks too. Lol.

You're giving #$%*ty advice to someone who has not been on a longer distance trip to not take short breaks. As in, if breaks are bad for you. I'm saying to take them when he feels fatigued. 

I'm 6'5" and up until recently have routinely run my tank from full to empty in one shot on my 75 750K stocker. you are just a sissy.

I say up until recently because I fractured my L3 vertibrae on july 3 and after a few months of healing I have limited myself to 30-50 mile rides. Not because of pain but because if I get stranded any further away from town I might not be able to fix the bike or pick it up off the ground in my physically limited state. I'm am by no means "in shape" being nearly 100 overweight.

If you are having lower back pain from riding, your bike isn't properly setup for you. you need to re-evaluate your bar/seat/peg choices. Also a few lower back bends at the gym wouldn't hurt, it's what I do to avoid back pain from having a beer gut.

The route from my old apartment in brooklyn to my parent's house in montauk is just a hair over 100 miles and I used to make that almost every weekend on the bike in one shot (if I remembered to fill up before I left). Sometimes the best practice for riding long distances is to actually ride long distances. I have a friend who gets nearly 300 miles to a tank on his guzzi 1000sp (5+ gallon tank), when we rode to mid-ohio I had the 5 gallon dunstall tank and the 78F at 100 mph (for over an hour straight at one point) was getting almost 190 miles to a tank - I was the limiting factor, having to make him stop every 175 miles. He isn't a small dude either at 6'4". I am not saying this to brag (well maybe a little) but more to point out height isn't an excuse, if you bike isn't properly setup, even a 5'5" person isn't going to be able to stand more than 30 minutes in the saddle.

Also, since I grew up riding dirt bikes, I know not to be static on the bike. If I am not carrying a passenger and my leg starts to cramp, or one part of my butt starts to hurt I will slide around on the seat till I find a better position. I have been known to lock the throttle, put my feet on the passenger pegs, and lay across the tank on longer highway slab journeys as well if I feel like it or if the cross wind is a little heavy. Some people are rider passive - they sit on their bike like a sack of potatoes, but being rider active you can get more out of the riding experience.

the only important advice is as a rider know your own limitations. Droning away behind a car for 4-5 hours at 55-60 mph isn't interesting and can actually fatigure a rider faster than being engaged to navigate some nice 55mph sweeping twisties with beautiful views. The best advice I can give our OP is to get a head start of the car and don't just sit behind the thing the whole way, but enjoy your ride. Let them catch up to you if you break down, or take a piss break, and if there is a problem with the car you can always hop off and hop back on the other direction and head back to where they are. don't wagon train it like the pioneers unless you feel you need to be there the whole time. Honestly I rode behind my wife in the car once and it was more of a distraction to me because all I wanted to do was pull next to the car and look at my daughter in the back seat.

edit: missed the post where he already made the ride. glad it went ok.

[ofreen]

Made it.  The ride was awesome but that 40 year old seat sure does suck.  I feel like the bike performed better after the first 100 miles.

When I started reading this thread, the comment I was going to make was you'd likely find the bike was running better when you got back.  They like to run and thrive on it.

[fendersrule]

I've only been riding for just under two years. I have maybe 6,000 miles under my belt. I've taken 3 motorcycle training courses (I don't think just taking the DMV test is enough, and I don't care how long you've been riding. That just means you probably have been practicing errors over and over again).

My father who use to ride for years (who hasn't taken a course) make me cringe on some of his riding choices (riding in the center lane almost all the time or mounting the bike from the wrong side). My friend who has been riding for 10x longer than me made the worse riding error I've seen--I've gone far enough to tell him to tell him about it: NO rider should be following close to large vehicles through an intersection without allowing yourself to SEE AND BE SEEN by the traffic ahead. Stay at the stop light and allow the vehicle to proceed to give yourself space to be seen. See and be seen is the basic fundamental rule in motorcycling that some people don't get.

The reason I stop often isn't so much physical. I'm 6'4, 220 lbs, and 12% body fat. If you do the math, this equates to someone with a lot of muscle mass...I get mistaken for being in the army.

The reason I stop is because I've learned to RIDE TO SURVIVE. I'm constantly looking for animals, sand, and cars. Every second. Rarely ever do I "relax" on a motorcycle....and those periods are pretty brief. Zero close calls so far, and the situations that I could have gotten hurt from I saw 20 seconds in advance and laughed at them in when they arrived. I must be doing something right. Don't mistake my confidence for complacency, I always ride like I'm invisible.

How often also depends on the road I'm on. There's lots of twisty, sandy, and traffic-filled roads here. Idaho is known for being a serious cycling state. We also have the highest motorcycle injury or death rate in the nation. I'm usually riding my girlfriend around on short trips, which does drain a little more. When you're cruisin' without a windscreen at 75, you get more mentally fatigued too. Plus as I've revealed, I don't have a whole lot of experience, so I suppose my "50 mile limit" will get better and better. I know that if I got on the interstate right now (I have VERY little experience on interstates), I bet I can rack up 100 miles without wanting to pull over. The type of road and driving situation counts too is what I'm saying.

So yes, I stop often for mental reasons. To give my mind a break so I can be PREPARED when I get back on, and to take a 5 minute look at a lake, mountains, or nature. It's nice to take a stop to enjoy things that you just pass by...

btw, my ass is never sore on my '77 CB750 seat. The CB750 seats are pretty comfy actually. Try sitting on a Harley seat. I rode a Harley person home when her bike died, and she went on and on about how much my seat is like a couch.

The advice that should be given to a person who doesn't have a lot of riding experience is to take breaks when you feel fatigued. I don't care how many miles it is. In case you didn't know, motorcycling is about the journey and not the destination.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Made it.  The ride was awesome but that 40 year old seat sure does suck.  I feel like the bike performed better after the first 100 miles. I can see why some of you fools go for such. Long rides now.

Yeah, knew you'd catch on    How'd your suspension do? vs the seat.

Signed, one of those fools 

[nccb]

I didn't notice anything with the suspension that I am aware of.  No leaks in the front seals but I have notice them leak a bit if I have done more aggressive riding with corners.  After 400 miles on it this past weekend I would say the seat is very worn at the front.  To the point that I can feel the plastic bottom at the edges.  I would rotate posture by pushing my butt further back and leaning forward more and then scooting up so that I could straighten my back.  I'd say I would have to do that about every 30 or 40 miles.  My ass was definitely going numb towards the end there

I would love a new stock seat or reenforce the foam on mine somehow.  The cover is ripping down the top seams as it is and have gorilla tape over them.

[Bankerdanny]

I removed the center strap on my 550. Being tall (6-4) and on a relatively small bike it was right where my butt went and not at all comfortable for multiple hours riding.

I find that on both motorcycles and bicycles, if you don't ride regularly, as in several hours a week, your butt needs to get used to time in the saddle. On my couple of multi day rides I was more comfortable after by day 3 than when I started out. I also recommend body glide or anti-monkey butt powder in some of the more sensitive areas to limit chaffing, particularly when it is hot and you might get sweaty.