What was your longest or toughest one day ride?

[jimmymac]

950 miles.
Planned on stopping halfway and staying the night with friends, but once I got there, I knew I had it in me.

My arse was chaffed for a week!

[Cold Streak]

I've done numerous 700 mile Mpls. to Indy trips and back for the Moto GP which have ranged from pleasant weather to rain all the way.  It is mostly just a boring ride though as we take freeways the entire time.  I did about a 650 mile trip last year on all back roads that was far more tiring due to wrestling the bike through corners most of the day.  Far more fun of course and the Scotch tasted extra good when I got home that night.

[Tactical_Mik]

1997 after EASing from the Corps and visiting family in Bradenton, Florida I went from Bradenton to Wichita, Kansas on my R75/6.  The ride wasn't that bad but it was really long.  I wouldn't do that again.  My butt just started hurting again thinking back on it.  Wish I still had that bike.  It was light and a lot of fun.

[r2t2]

Uh... About 50 miles... The C14 was about a few months old. I took off to to do a quick loop... Boise to McCall to Weiser and back to Boise. It would have been about 250+ miles... Well my hemorrhoids flared up... OK, go ahead and laugh you arses off... But the suckers can hurt like hell. SO I turn around and beat feet back to Boise. I was coming down the last big hill back into town when I hit a rolling road block. It was about 8 or 9 cars just poking along. I passed 'em all (legally... I had the broken yellow on my side). Unbeknownst to me there was a State Trooper right behind me. He (apparently) followed me on the pass (so it must have been safe if the cruiser could do it) and started ripping me a new one. I couldn't even sit on the bike any more and was bent over during his lecture. When he asked me why I passed all those cars the way I did, I told him my hemorrhoids were killing me. He asked why I didn't just go to the ER... Well duh...  The ER was in the same direction I as going! He was having a hard time keeping a straight face. I told him that I hoped he NEVER had to suffer them. I was given a verbal warning and he wrote on my registration that I was pulled over for an unsafe pass and he left. I got back on the bike and continued home. But Murphy wasn't done yet... When I reached the intersection of Eagle Road and Hwy 44 I saw that the traffic signals were out and traffic was all screwed up.  Luckily for me there he was... My friendly trooper. He saw me and (i could see he was laughing) got out of his cruiser and started directing traffic in such a way that I got through the intersection quickly.

Needless to say, I made it home and took care of the problem. That was the LONGEST 20+ miles I've ever ridden! After that my motto has been "have suppositories will travel". That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

[Leo]

The distances never really bothered me as I would plan ahead.  My grandkids were 1050 miles away while I was in college in Texas, so ecomonics dictated that I would iron butt to see then and then iron butt home each time.  When the last grandson was born I rode up, saw the baby and rode back the next day wishing I had the money for a motel. 

Conditions were another story.  Like Strawboss, weather was a drag coming home from the National Rally in Frisco.  I headed south into the wind to get to I-40, the bike worked hard but I didn't.  Turning east to head to Dallas put strong wind from our right side.  It was very hard to control and difficult to stay in the lane if you past a truck or a hill that made a wind block.  I literally had to get help to gas the bike as the wind kept trying to blow the bike off the stand and I was spilling gas everywhere.  My back and shoulders exhausted by the time I got home. 

[valkmc]

Detroit Michigan to Macon Ga., 14 hours and 861 miles. I-75 most of the way but I jumped off In Tn. and rode over the mts. into the back of Atlanta. It was the return trip, days before I rode from Ocala Fl. to Detroit with out touching I-75. Took my time and made lots of stops.

[Rhino]

Detroit Michigan to Macon Ga., 14 hours and 861 miles. I-75 most of the way but I jumped off In Tn. and rode over the mts. into the back of Atlanta. It was the return trip, days before I rode from Ocala Fl. to Detroit with out touching I-75. Took my time and made lots of stops.

Hey Valkmc, As I have stated I have done a 900 mile day on my C14. But I still think my 1997 Valkyrie was more comfortable for long hauls. I'm not going back because I have become addicted to the performance of the C14 but was wondering what other Valk to C14 owners thought.

BTW: I sold my Valk to my son and when we pull in anywhere there are other bikers, the Valk still gets all the attention.

[jimmymac]

My Connie hardly ever gets comments. Lots of looks, but no words.
I'm good with that.


In fact, They stare at me in my full leathers, not at the bike.

[MrPepsi]

Ok, have to go back a few years for this one.
Had a loaner 1975 Honda Goldwing with no bags.
I rode it from Portland, Oregon, up the columbia gorge, hood river, across the bridge into washington.
Then up into Klickitat Washington, to the property my parents owned in Timber Valley.
Well its like 15 miles of gravel, and lots of log tucks. Well lots of log trucks mean lots of wash boards, which are series of small 2-3" bumps all in a row. Creates one heck of a reverb as you drive\ride over them.
In the car, not so bad, on the dirt bike, easy peasy, but on the old goldwing the shield couldn't take it. Cracked right in half.
Well of course, as Oregon does as Oregon does, the end of the weekend brought one heck of a storm.
The ride back home through the Columbia Gorge was POORING rain, and winds like crazy. Me with no fairing.
I'll never forget that ride.

Thanks for this thread by the way, that was a fun story to tell.

[booger]

In 1972, when I was a kiddo, I rode from Houston, Tx.  to Oklahoma City, OK, nonstop (except for gas) on a Yahama 250 Enduro, knobbies and all.  Two friends were on Honda 750s.  My BSA Lightening was broke down,and the Yama was all I had to ride.  Rained most of the way. 

[Boomer343]

Booger one of mine was in 1972 as well. Had a CL160 that I wanted to get to where I was going to University. Easy 3 1/2 hours in a car. Had a going away bash the night before and it was early afternoon and heading for a 85 plus high. Cool for you southern riders but warm for us pale northern riders. Lots of traffic too on a Sunday.

Well that old Honda was just a giant vibrator on wheels, no wind protection, old full face helmet with no visor so it caught lots of air. Lots of bugs...grass hopper, bees, little one, big ones and some I swallowed.

Bike would run OK then surge then go fine for awhile....by the middle of the second tank is was running good so either the fresh fuel helped or it just vibrated all the crap out of the carbs.

But going back to the bash the night before, beer was cold and paid for so I did my best not to leave any lonely. The first few miles I was concentrating on other things but soon between the heat and vibrating I was feeling less than wonderfull. A beer hang over is not good. Later found a bright red patch on my inner thigh from the heat of the high pipes. Had a buzzing in my ears for a couple of days after the trip. Got dehydrated and wind burned and actually turned down sex with my girl friend both that night and the night following.....now that's a bad bike trip!

But boy I sure loved that bike and consider it the best bang for the buck transportation I've ever owned.

It's in the agreement I can't say anything about the girl friend/wife/ex etc......LOL