Topic: Have you ever just jumped on your bike and went far, far away?

[sangyo soichiro]

I'm so damn tempted to just head to St. Louis, MO on the stock CB750 I have and see the arch and turn around and come back.  It's over 6 hours each way.  One of these days I'm going to do that.  Just go.

Have you ever just went a long ways away on a whim, spent a short time there, and headed back that same day?  If so, do tell!

[crackerbat]

Threw one change of cloths in a back pack 2 years ago at about 3am on a friday, and drove straight through Milwaukee to Memphis.  Got a cheap hotel, took a nap and partied friday night thru saturday. Got on the bike sunday and rode home.  Got back to milwaukee  at 5am monday morning, showered and went to work.

Travel channel had a show on Beale St. and all the great blues that came outta Memphis, and I just decided to go right then and there

[japscrap]

back when I as 18 and stupid I got my tax refund in the mail and decided I wanted some good old fashioned fried chicken,and the best place I ever had any was Hamptons in Deland fl.so cashed my check grabbed a spare shirt and took off.
left ny rode to fl got my chicken went to the beach for a few hrs and rode home...
I dont reccomend a long trip like that on anything smaller than a 500 cc bike,I was on a cb360t,rough on the back to say the least.
Had a blast and have done it many times since.

[Gordon]

When I was 21 I was supposed to go on a trip with a friend from Austin to Big Bend in my van.  She backed out at the last minute so I strapped all my camping gear to my KZ550Ltd and went by myself.  I know it's not exactly what you're talking about since I had already planned the trip, but I hadn't planned on riding the bike and it worked out fantastically.  I spent three days camping and riding trails that without a motorcycle would have required a serious 4x4 vehicle or taken weeks to see on foot. 

[cb750f-2010656]

Went to Orlando from Tyler, TX (1056mi) on a ~70,000mi GS500E w/drag bars and a Vance and Hines exhaust.  That SUCKED.  Top speed was about 65 because any faster and it would just shut down after 5 minutes.  Swore I would never ride that thing that far again.....  Four months later I headed back on that same old POS Suzuki.  New cylinder head, but that was the only change.  I know four months is a bit longer than you were asking for, but it felt like a week to me, and is so distant a memory now that it seems like it was all a dream.....

[74cb750]

Yep, sure did many times.
Notice the past tense, as time rolls on the bikes get older
and tell me not to do it as often. 

maybe tomorrow,

[crackerbat]

Yep, sure did many times.
Notice the past tense, as time rolls on the bikes get older
and tell me not to do it as often. 

maybe tomorrow,

Yep, if by "bikes" you mean "knees" and "back"

[bikerbart]

yup.living in columbus ohio,I said to my buddy who rides(70 cb750 at the time)lets go to my moms for dinner,she's an awesome cook.So we did,600 miles away.

[rhos1355]

I knowthat it's not as spontaneous as what you guys have done, but three weeks ago I rode up to north wales (250 miles away) where I work and did some lovely evening rides with little or no traffic and very twisty roads. Got back last night, and when I finally parked up at home I swore I'll never ever get on another bike again. Ha, that won't last long.

[bwaller]

Yea I rode clear across the country in three days on my 750 when I was a bit younger and always said I'd do it again. Bench seat & flatbars, Christ my back hurts thinking about it, but I'd love a chance to be able to go.

I suppose something more modern & comfortable would make the trip easier on the aging rider, but that wouldn't be right now would it?

Ride those bikes fellas.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Last day first year pharmacy school. 1980. I was fried. Lexington, KY to Denver and back. 3 weeks ~2500 miles. Had never ridden more than a few hundred miles. 

[Cuts Crooked]

1976........Got on my 72 Triumph, with a back pack and a sleeping bag, and headed west, got to California and headed north, ended up taking the Al-Can into Alaska. Came back and have never done more than a couple hundred miles at one time since.

[BeSeeingYou]

1976........Got on my 72 Triumph, with a back pack and a sleeping bag, and headed west, got to California and headed north, ended up taking the Al-Can into Alaska. Came back and have never done more than a couple hundred miles at one time since.

At least you have a big one under your belt.   Not everyone can say that.  I did a 6000+ mile trip on my own with a few weeks notice with my main waypoints being Sturgis, Yellowstone, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Golden Gate, Crater Lake, and Glacier Park.  Everything in between was "seat of the pants".  No cell phone, no internet, no credit card, just a great experience.  

That was my third road long trip but also my longest.

Somewhere in Oregon