Topic: Why I will never use a motorcycle for long distance travel again

[axehole54]

loud pipes discourage wildlife from coming anywhere near you

Not Kangaroos mate, they're dumber than dog#$%*!

good to know terry I'm planning on renting a bike for me and my girl when i get there in a few months

[axehole54]

loud pipes discourage wildlife from coming anywhere near you

Not Kangaroos mate, they're dumber than dog#$%*!

Doesn't work for kamikaze coyotes, either. I had one ram me on the return leg of the trip I mentioned.  

I used to run over those on the old cr250 from time to time little less of an issue on dirt at 60km I think lol

[Skonnie Boy]

I for one agree with the sentiment of traveling on four wheels, as opposed to two.  I'm sick of feeling the twins between my legs all time.  Let me pull on the Mom jeans, hit the gas and just go.  You know what I mean.  

[Retro Rocket]

loud pipes discourage wildlife from coming anywhere near you

Not Kangaroos mate, they're dumber than dog#$%*!

good to know terry I'm planning on renting a bike for me and my girl when i get there in a few months

Hi Terry, while i was living up north Roos were quite common, especially at dusk and dawn. The wife an I were coming home from town after dark and i saw a big buck roo on the side of the road up ahead. As we approached i said to the wife to slow down which she did, as we came along side the roo it made a bee line straight at my Bronco, the silly roo bumped into the front guard , not very hard and just sat there bouncing off the guard in the one spot.....{imagine a roo bounding but going no where} So i said to the misses to move off slowly, the stupid roo just kept jumping at the side of the bronco like it was an invisible wall, by the time we had finished laughing at the stupid antics of that silly {6 foot tall  } roo i noticed that it had rubbed all the dirt of the left side of the bronco....      Dumb as dog#$%*.......

Mick

[supersports400]

Hi,

When I finished my study physics back in 1992 there was no job for me (Netherlands).
I had some money left (working in a pub during my study) and I had a motorcycle drivers licence.

I bought an old Yamaha XT500 single (this was a bike I could effort), and went for a cup of tea in cylon (Sri Lanka). It took a year to get there, but it was the best year of my live.

I was young enough to bear the inconveniences, as these were in balance with the experience.

Now, I'm 42 years old, family, a nice job, a few classic bikes (the XT is not one of them).

I still take out the bikes for long trips (last year on a CB400F from the Netherlands to Italy, and a year before that on my CB72 to Spain) and I'm planning to do that as long I can withstands the inconveniences that goes with it.

Of course my wife takes the car with the kids, and I drive the bike, and at the end of day we meet in a motel or hotel or guest house. The balance point is shifted a bit, but my age too, and still it's for me the best way to travel long distances.

Seat pain can be avoided to do a little work out while stopping, and after that cleaning the bike a bit. Is it so bad to stop every 100 to 200 miles ? I like it, it makes you realize where you've bin.

(I avoid high ways as much as I can, these are made for cars)

Jensen

[seaweb11]

"The wife and kids are in the car"

That just kills me

[supersports400]

Hi,

??, I don't understand your point,

Jensen

[BeSeeingYou]

I bought an old Yamaha XT500 single (this was a bike I could effort), and went for a cup of tea in cylon (Sri Lanka). It took a year to get there, but it was the best year of my live.

I was young enough to bear the inconveniences

Jensen

And the vibration.   I am thinking that bike was called the SR500 over here, nicknamed "the thumper".  A true road warrior to make the trip on that bike.  How was the tea.

[supersports400]

Hi,

The XT is an off-road bike, a big single ineed.
It's light, easy to maintain, breaker points and bullet prove.

The point of vibration is reached at 6000 to 7000 rpm, and it was hard to get there in the first place. The speeds were low, especially in India.

Jensen

[Shenanigans]

"I dont always climb a mountain with malaria, but when I do I try to stay away from antiquing on a motorcycle when I get back because that sh*ts just too intense for even me to figure out."




I'm sorry but its like 1 am and I cant sleep and thats really all I got from his story.

[Kframe]

"I dont always climb a mountain with malaria, but when I do I try to stay away from antiquing on a motorcycle when I get back because that sh*ts just too intense for even me to figure out."




I'm sorry but its like 1 am and I cant sleep and thats really all I got from his story.

 

"I don't always climb a mountain with malaria, but when I do, I drink Dos Equis."

(Your reply made me think of that, thanks for the laugh!  I'm stuck on-call at work at 0230 and that brightened my day, er, night.)
-K

[seaweb11]

Hi,

??, I don't understand your point,

Jensen

It amused me

[spitcrazy]

As you ride along at 65 mph on your shiny new bike and you hit a deer (armadillo, opossum etc.), your DEAD, or seriously injured. In a car there would be little or no damage to car or driver. So, why not use a car for long distance travel ??

Almost hit a deer doing 80 in a sedan, I was barely able to swerve out of the way, hitting a deer at 80  would have seriously injured me and the passengers, so this is a moot point.

Besides on a bike you have a lot more wiggle room.

Deer (and moose) are hit all the time in cars round here. Have never heard of people dying in the car. I know it occasionally happens... but... Swerving to miss deer is what generally causes injury, now you're out of control. Hard on the brakes and steer gently is the ticket.

[754]

 Hope he sells his bike to someone, that enjoys it more..

 I got to mention what has really changed in riding, it got pricey. The cost of all the gear, bike insurance vs, the discomfort bits... starts tipping the scale. Then it can reach a point, where it gets harder to justify.. Around here its 2-4 bux a day... just for insurance!

 Plus it sounds like he has a decent car. A lot of bike people when young and less established in life, have a basic car, and stick their money in the bikes... not a car you would WANT to tour in..

 I rode most of last winter, people said yeah if you had the car on the road, you would have been in that. I disagree... I actually like riding bikes, and back in the day, used to ride a fair bit in the cold weather. It easier if you have a grubby bike to use, I can remember times your bike was too nice to risk weathering it..

 I strayed from the touring topic... but the jist is... if you love riding, you will get out and do it... How many people do we know that will only ride if conditions are perfect or if someone else is going.?

 Which brings us to a new topic, & group to stay away from; The "Riding to fit IN, or BELONG" bunch.....

[Damfino]

Hi,

??, I don't understand your point,

Jensen

It amused me

Funny How? 

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name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="

type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="660" height="525"></embed></object>[/youtube]

[Cbowers]

.......Wonder how long it took him to figure all this out?......My biggest problem with the motorcycle is that I haven't figured out how to eat a cheeseburger and text message while riding, I used to have a problem keeping my soda between my legs until I found this.


If your worried about passengers braving the elements I have found a neat trick for that too!

[spitcrazy]

If your worried about passengers braving the elements I have found a neat trick for that too!

  And I thought Micheal Jackson was terrible for dangling his baby off a balcony! LOL

[mgbgt89]

 Plus it sounds like he has a decent car. A lot of bike people when young and less established in life, have a basic car, and stick their money in the bikes... not a car you would WANT to tour in..

 I rode most of last winter, people said yeah if you had the car on the road, you would have been in that. I disagree... I actually like riding bikes, and back in the day, used to ride a fair bit in the cold weather. It easier if you have a grubby bike to use, I can remember times your bike was too nice to risk weathering it..

 I strayed from the touring topic... but the jist is... if you love riding, you will get out and do it... How many people do we know that will only ride if conditions are perfect or if someone else is going.?

 Which brings us to a new topic, & group to stay away from; The "Riding to fit IN, or BELONG" bunch.....

Good points here. I wouldn't trust either car i own to make it to work on time, much less across state lines. My bikes are hands down the more reliable transportation for me. My 4 wheelers are for snow, and hauling things.

 It amazes me how many bikes you see out this time of year. I'm usually the type to wave at other motorcyclists, but not this time of year. I will if it's a cool bike, or they wave first. If i come across another crazy guy on a motorcycle in the middle of January when it's 15 degrees out, You're damn right i'll wave at him.

[wannabridin]

i would LOVE to take a road trip on a bike!  i don't care what gear i have on, riding through the mountains of CO was a very humbling experience and i just made day trips up and back.  sure my ass was REALLY sore for a couple days, but i'm young and dumb (no suspension and a shaved, stock foam seat on my bike at the time).  i WILL have a goldwing one of these days, i'm still trying to convince my dads friend to sell me his 82 GL1100!  otherwise, i'll keep trying like hell to convince the gf to grow a pair for riding at speeds over 45 and then we'll hopefully be good for a 3 hour trip to austin or something small!  i'd love to go a 3-4000 mile trip one of these days, i think it would be an amazing experience!  the $$$ issue isn't that big of a deal for some things, mainly the wind screen because buffeting can fatigue you very quickly!  but i don't buy crap at pit stops, and if i do on a bike, i'll pay to ship it home, who cares!  

when you take a road trip on a bike, it's about the adventure, not the destination

[greasy j]

I cracked up at the dos equis comment, and the baby in the box has me going too.

I think this is very subjective. everyone has a diff idea of comfort and fun. when I was younger I was an 'on the road' hobo/punk squatter type. got used to sleeping wherever. I can still sleep on a concrete porch or whatever and be fine. I sleep in the garage a lot...

and I used to ride a cb200 or cb350 long distances every weekend. didn't realize that bikes weren't supposed to shake like that til I had a bigger one. but at the time a sore ass and numb hands were just part of it.

complaining made you a pussy in my particular world. also growing up skateboarding teaches you to get beat up by concrete and marble and like it. girls admire scars, etc.

so, in my case suffering is a type of rejuvenating splash of youth. I need to get beat up a bit now and then. which is why I like my job, and why my hands look like leather and I'm covered in scars.

if I have a kid I'm gonna beat him up all the time so he doesn't grow up to be a pussy like this guy. not with my fists, though. I'll build a halfpipe and take him out on dirtbikes and stuff. no cap'n crunch and video games for my kid. gatorade and broken bones.

oh, and also I've suffered from migraines my whole life. it's a wicked curse. absolutely nothing compares to the hell of a migraine headache. puts other 'pains' in perspective.

[seaweb11]

Hi,

??, I don't understand your point,

Jensen

It amused me

Funny How? 

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name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="

type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="660" height="525"></embed></object>[/youtube]

Thank God someone picked up on my set up

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I'm pushing 59 real hard and don't see what the problem is   

We're in the initial stages of planning a round tripper in October to Key West from Colorado with a few days stop in Daytona for Biketoberfest. I'm not taking a real cruiser either (nor will I take my 750) as I will be on my Fat Boy. Initial direct route estimate starts at 5000 miles. Probably add another 1000 to that. We have almost 3 weeks to do this. What's the big deal? 

[Retro Rocket]

I await the sheep jokes....

I love long trips and i am a small bloke with a bony arse and "yes" i do get a sore arse but i use a piece of sheep hide or sheep skin, like sheepskin seat covers, and i find i can ride twice as far before needing a small break.....Riding long distance for days on end is one of the small pleasures i still get out of life and if it were to kill me i couldn't be happier....

Mick

[axehole54]

I've started a new habit that seems to ease the discomfort of no windsheild/back strain it's probably a bad habit but i lay across the top of my bike and rest my legs on the bags sometimes for a while when it seems like too much... brings me right back to good and then i sit up again

[dave500]

if greasyj has a boy he will name him sue,that ought to make him tough or die.