longest ride

[DarkLeftArm]

I have made a trip to San Antonio, TX to see my son Frank. He is in basic training fo the US Air Force. His knee is giving him major trouble so he's laid up in medical. I have been allowed to visit. He needs some encouragement.

I left my drive in Tucson, AZ on Thursday night at almost midnight. 15 hours and 915 miles later I rolled into my hotel lot here in San Antonio. What a ride. The time change was 3 hours!

Best night of sleep in a hotel ever. I was exhausted.

What is your longest day riding?

[Guest Swifty]

1,024 miles, around Lakes Erie and Ontario...just because I had nothin better to do.

[Mike G in SC]

950 mi, Branson, MO to home east of Columbia, SC.

You beat my time, I was more like 18 hours and one 5 Hr Energy.

Should have done the other 50 to make it 1000,, nah.

 

Mike G

[Miles]

 

The time change was 3 hours!

 

What is your longest day riding?

 

 

First, I wish the best for your Son, in recovery of his knee, and in his Air Force training.

 

Next, I believe the time change from Tucson to San Antonio is only 1 hour, not 3 hours. There is only a 3 hour time change is you go from the Pacific Time Zone (San Diego, CA.) to the Eastern Time Zone (Jacksonville, FL.) Given that Tucson, AZ. is in the Mountain Time Zone, and San Antonio, TX. is in the Central Time Zone, that should be a change of 1 hour.

 

And last...do you really want to put it out there asking people what their longest day riding was ?

 

Okay...2156 miles in 24 hours, on May 31, 1998, certified by the IBA as the first official ride of over 2000 miles in 24 hours. Done at the Big Bang Rally, Ely, NV.

 

[reddevilmedic]

umm, had to bust out the calc,,,89 mph average! yay!

[RedRider]

1625 miles from Fond du Lac, WI to ..... San Antonio, TX. April, 2010.

 

RR

[Dooder1]

I can still remember my longest ride in 24 hrs. Back in 1978 I was in CA home on leave my dad and I stopped in at the Honda dealer to pickup a part for his bike. By the time we left I was riding a brand new 1978 full dress Gold Wing. I rode it back to Fort Campbell, KY. I ETSed out of the Army Nov 3, 1978 Left Clarkesville, Tn That morning and did not stop till I got to Flagstaff, AZ 23 hrs and a little over 1500 miles later. I did a lot of 8 to 9 hundred mile days on that bike back in the day, but now days 600 is the most I wanna go in a day. lol

 

John

[awsmsrv]

umm, had to bust out the calc,,,89 mph average! yay!

 

Me, too. 89.8333… to be exact. How could you go that long at that speed & not get ticketed?

 

And that's not even counting stopping for gas, food or relief.

[Condor]

umm, had to bust out the calc,,,89 mph average! yay!

 

 

Me too on that one. To average 89 the whole trip needed to be closer to 100mph to make up for pit stops. Back in the day Nevada didn't have a speed limit.. Bennies and Spare Tank???

[Miles]

Me too on that one. To average 89 the whole trip needed to be closer to 100mph to make up for pit stops. Back in the day Nevada didn't have a speed limit.. Bennies and Spare Tank???

 

 

Well, guys, to be precise...I finished the ride in 23 hours and 45 minutes. As I was approaching the official finish line, back at Hotel Nevada, in Ely, NV. I thought for a moment about continuing to ride for the additional 15 minutes, or close to it...you know...maybe a little 8 mile ride out past the finish line, and the same 8 mile ride back to the finish line, like,...why waste 15 minutes of clock time, if I have 24 hours...and not a second more to do this ride. Then it dawned on me...what if I go past the finish line, and get a flat tire, a speeding ticket, or anything else? I was not going to gamble on the last 15 minutes.

 

So I pulled intot he finish with 15 minutes to spare, but I knew I had over 2150 in mileage, so I was comfortable with what I did. My bike...a '94 GL-1500 SE,. loaded with 14.8 gallons of petroleum based fuel, and two 32 oz. bottles of Nitrous. For this very specific rally, the IBA threw out the limitation on fuel capactity, which at the time was 11.0 gallons.

 

The second place guy, on a BMW K1100LT, rode 1932 miles. The 3rd place guy on a BMW K1100LT, rode 1822 miles, and the 4th place guy on a Honda ST1100 rode 1736 miles.

 

My overall averaged speed was...well, technically I am not allowed to say, but I will say that you guys figured it a little low. The math is...2156 miles divided by 23.75 hours.

 

My rolling speed was approximately 15 to 20mph faster than that.

 

Hey, the entire point to that Big Bang Rally was to prove WHO could ride the most miles in 24 hours...period. They underestimated what a GL-1500 with Nitrous could do against those Beemers.

 

Lastly, I am hoping the comment about "bennies" was a joke, because the IBA is very strict about the use of any kind of drug. LD/Endurance riding is all about the science and experience of riding long distances, under endurance conditions. I do not, and never will...take drugs. No coffee, no tea, no caffiene, no religion, no politics, etc.

 

 

[Miles]

By the time we left I was riding a brand new 1978 full dress Gold Wing.

John

 

John, very good on the ride and the mileage, but a 1978 Honda Goldwing was stark naked, as a standard bike, with no fairing, no saddlebags, no trunk. If it had these items on it, most likely Vetter equipment, then someone added those items. The Interstate and Aspencade models did not come out until a few years later.

 

[etcswjoe]

I want to do a Iron Butt, however I don't think I have ever rode more that 700 miles at one shot.

[Brake Pad]

1076 miles in 26 hours, one up pulling my trailer. (figure 10 minute gas stops) ever 135 miles

[murph35640]

1007 miles in 18 hours Kerrville, Texas to Hartselle, Alabama with a detour in Louisiana!

[Barrycuda]

Okay...2156 miles in 24 hours, on May 31, 1998, certified by the IBA as the first official ride of over 2000 miles in 24 hours. Done at the Big Bang Rally, Ely, NV.

 

 

 

Geez guys. I feel like a chump. I did 780 miles on a Saturday/ Sunday trip from my home to Dothan Alabama on my Vulcan. ALL backroads and streets. No highways.

 

Same bike , backroads, and streets again from home to savannah, Ga in one weekend. I am looking forward to breaking my own record...

 

Miles, over 2k in 24 hours. I laugh because I am elated to get over 3500 per YEAR... You guys are awesome...

[Dooder1]

John, very good on the ride and the mileage, but a 1978 Honda Goldwing was stark naked, as a standard bike, with no fairing, no saddlebags, no trunk. If it had these items on it, most likely Vetter equipment, then someone added those items. The Interstate and Aspencade models did not come out until a few years later.

 

Miles you are absolutely right it was all vetter equipment added by the dealer. I all so had them add the stereo system that bolted into the vetter fairing at the bottom of the shield. It had a radio/ 8-track player. lol

[AngryAmish]

a 1978 Honda Goldwing was stark naked, as a standard bike, with no fairing, no saddlebags, no trunk. If it had these items on it, most likely Vetter equipment, then someone added those items.

 

Looks well equipped !!

[Miles]

Looks well equipped !!

 

 

Yes, it does look well equipped. But as Dooder already stated, it was well equipped with all Vetter add-ons, and that 8 track tape player. I loved those old 8 track players. That was the cool thing to have back then.

 

Nice looking bike, and the Vetter fairing and bags were top 0' the line back in those days.

 

I know Craig Vetter quite well, and visit him every year down in SLO (San Luis Obisbo, CA) for his annual high mileage contest. Not the kind of high mileage you are thinking about. Craig Vetter has really gotten into high MPG. He sponsors and hosts a riding contest to see who can get the most MPG out of their bike. Currently over 200 mpg.

 

[Barry1951]

Had been riding east coast, up to visit with daughter and her family at Quantico.

Stopped on the way back to camp out side Darlington SC.

I woke up the next morning, packed up the QuikKamp and pulled out of the campground at 6:15 or so, , , I decided I wanted to spend that night in my bed, , , little over 1010 or so miles later, I got to my house in Longview at 7:30 that night, , , tank to tank with only a candy bar and a drink at gas stops, , ,kept bottle of water on the handle bar.

I was riding a 99 Goldwing pulling a Kwik Kamp.

The cruise control on Wings would top out at 82 then, , ,unless you changed a couple of wire and then it was your choice, , , , Me and my XM made a good trip.