What is the longest road trip you've ever taken on a motorcycle?

[Mailman]

This morning I was reading an article that recommended this coast to coast road trip ,



“clocking in at 3,254 miles, U.S. 20 is considered the longest road in the National Highway system—and one of the most scenic, too. It stretches from the Pacific Coast town of Newport, Oregon, to the glittering big city lights of Boston, Massachusetts.”

I know some of the guys on this forum have stacked up some really impressive miles on bike trips.
I’m looking at you @cra-z1
But I also know a lot of others here have taken some impressive road trips. Myself? I’ve got no big trips under my belt, I’ve always been a day tripper.



But! I’d really love to hear about some of the trips you guys have made, whether it was 50 years ago or yesterday!

 

[Niels B]

Back in 1985 I did a oneway trip from Los Angeles to Boston, great trip with many good sights, flagstaff Az to Grand Canyon up through 4 corners and up along the western Colorado before crossing over to Kansas , St Lois up along the frat lakes all the way to Rochester before aiming for Boston. I was poor at that time so it was mostly camping with a weekly splur at a hotel eight I had plenty of time and spend almost a month on that trip. ( 1978 HD wide glide)

Did another one from Houston Tx, west until I could go up through western Colorado all the way to glacier park in Montana, back over Wyoming Yellowstone grand teatime and down to Yosemite before heading home. This was in 2003 and I could afford hotels - took about a month. (BMW R1150R 2002)

In 2005 I went from houston into Mexico to a small city called real de Cartorce, Zacatecas and back via western texas. (BMW R1200GS)

If I find energy and time, I’m planing a trip from Atlantic beach Fl, to Alaska - hopefully next year before I get to old and weak. Keep riding and be safe.

 

[Mailman]

Back in 1985 I did a oneway trip from Los Angeles to Boston, great trip with many good sights, flagstaff Az to Grand Canyon up through 4 corners and up along the western Colorado before crossing over to Kansas , St Lois up along the frat lakes all the way to Rochester before aiming for Boston. I was poor at that time so it was mostly camping with a weekly splur at a hotel eight I had plenty of time and spend almost a month on that trip. ( 1978 HD wide glide)

Did another one from Houston Tx, west until I could go up through western Colorado all the way to glacier park in Montana, back over Wyoming Yellowstone grand teatime and down to Yosemite before heading home. This was in 2003 and I could afford hotels - took about a month. (BMW R1150R 2002)

In 2005 I went from houston into Mexico to a small city called real de Cartorce, Zacatecas and back via western texas. (BMW R1200GS)

If I find energy and time, I’m planing a trip from Atlantic beach Fl, to Alaska - hopefully next year before I get to old and weak. Keep riding and be safe.

Brilliant! Sounds like you’ve had several memorable trips. Monthlong trips and having the luxury of time to relax and explore, sounds pretty great! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Downeaster]

NAS Pensacola FL to NAS Millington TN on my '74 TX650A. 450+ miles with my seabag strapped to the back of the seat.

I had orders to Instructor Training (IT) School, wife and kiddies living in base housing aboard NAS Pensacola and Hurricane Frederic using NW Florida as a bullseye. Only other vehicle was a '74 GMC pickup and couldn't very well leave them with the bike as their only exit strategy.

Successful trip on all counts (my natural gift for gab got me out of IT school a week early), everyone survived the 'cane (altho there were some casualties in the skivvies department...) and my stint as an instructor went a long way towards my promotion to Chief Petty Officer.

 

[Jim]

Back in the late 70's and early 80's I made several trips from Ft Walton Fl to White Sands N Mex. They were all for work, so no memorable sites to visit or talk about. Still enjoyed them though. All trips were on an XS650 except for one. Did one on my Norton. The Norton was definitely a smoother ride but damn there were a lot of stops to tighten something or other back up.
The XS never failed me... think it was either 4 or 5 trips total. Even did one non-stop overnight. About 1100 miles in 22 or so hours. Ironically, I had no idea there was such a thing as the Iron Butt Challenge. Had I known....

As I said, these were for work. The Air Force would fly you out there, but they were 4 month deployments and that meant 4 months of walking everywhere. Fuck that. I didn't own a car at the time, so I rode my bike to avoid 4 months of walking.

 

[Mailman]

NAS Pensacola FL to NAS Millington TN on my '74 TX650A. 450+ mile

All trips were on an XS650 except for one. Did one on my Norton. The Norton was definitely a smoother ride but damn there were a lot of stops to tighten something or other back up.
The XS never failed me... think it was either 4 or 5 trips total.

Nice! Distance riding on old vertical twins requires a lot more commitment! I did a 500 mile day once! Definitely easier on a younger body. Most of my rides were in the 200-300 mile range. Leave after breakfast and home in time for dinner.

 

[GLJ]

Sterling IL to Louisville KY to New Orleans LA to Houston TX to San Diego CA to Sacramento CA to Los Vegas NV to Sterling IL
March of 1986 3 weeks 6000+ miles.. Riding a 1979 BMW R100T. Traveled by myself.
It was a great trip. I did other trips over the years but never that far. I wanted to do 1,000 miles in 24 hours. So on the way home I left Los Vegas at 8am and road until I did 1,000 miles. Trouble was I didn't do the math before I left Los Vegas, I did the 1,000 miles in 20 hours. That was the good, the bad was it was 4am. Kind of late to get a hotel room. So I kept riding until late in the afternoon. I ended up in Rolla MO, 1700+ miles. Beat myself up so bad that it took me 2 days to get home from there.

 

[arcticXS]

When I bought my 77 XS 650D in early May 2010, I rode it home to Tromsø, Norway from Moss, Norway (first leg was just the ferry from Moss to Horten, where I stayed the night at an old classmate's place, before starting the actual trip)
Horten-Tromsø is 1900 km or 1181 miles.
I cannot say I had much luck with the weather, as it was snowing heavily for the first 100 or so km. So I had to stop and hope for rain. Which i got for the rest of that day, and the next...Didn't get as far as I wanted on the second day, so I ended up with 2 hotel nights on my way home. The third day/ third leg was in dry but freezing conditions, down to minus 7C as I crossed the Arctic Circle. Dry roads though..The old, but new to me XS ran like a champ, only one of the licence plate screws came loose, nothing else!

 

[arcticXS]

The summer I turned 50, I took some extra time off, and took my GF/ partner on a 4 week motorcycle tour. Down through Norway to Oslo, ferry to Kiel, Germany, down through Germany, Switzerland and France to a holiday apartment in Sainte Maxime, where we stayed for a week. Then into northern Italy, where we spent 3 nights, up the Passo Stelvio/ Stilfser Joch, down on the other side into Switzerland, briefly into Italy again, and stayed a night in Nauders, Austria. Then to Munich, Germany where we embarked on the Autozug overnight to Hamburg. Then from Hamburg, up through Denmark, a night in Aalborg, and ferry to Norway. Then zigzagging our way north towards home. 4 weeks and 7000 km two up on my 1998 Ducati ST2. My longest motorcycle trip so far.

 

[Mailman]

I did the 1,000 miles in 20 hours. That was the good, the bad was it was 4am. Kind of late to get a hotel room. So I kept riding until late in the afternoon. I ended up in Rolla MO, 1700+ miles. Beat myself up so bad that it took

Wow! I can’t even imagine doing that many continuous miles! Amazing!

When I bought my 77 XS 650D in early May 2010, I rode it home to Tromsø, Norway from Moss, Norway (first leg was just the ferry from Moss to Horten, where I stayed the night at an old classmate's place, before starting the actual trip)
Horten-Tromsø is 1900 km or 1181 miles.

All that on an unknown bike!

The summer I turned 50, I took some extra time off, and took my GF/ partner on a 4 week motorcycle tour. Down through Norway to Oslo, ferry to Kiel, Germany, down through Germany, Switzerland and France to a holiday apartment in Sainte Maxime, where we stayed for a week. Then into northern Italy, where we spent 3 nights, up the Passo Stelvio/ Stilfser Joch, down on the other side into Switzerland, briefly into Italy again, and stayed a night in Nauders, Austria. Then to Munich, Germany where we embarked on the Autozug overnight to Hamburg. Then from Hamburg, up through Denmark, a night in Aalborg, and ferry to Norway. Then zigzagging our way north towards home. 4 weeks and 7000 km two up on my 1998 Ducati ST2. My longest motorcycle trip so far.

That sounds absolutely amazing, Austria, Germany…..the ALPs! The scenery must’ve been stunning!

 

[Sparkyduc]

This morning I was reading an article that recommended this coast to coast road trip ,

View attachment 373980

“clocking in at 3,254 miles, U.S. 20 is considered the longest road in the National Highway system—and one of the most scenic, too. It stretches from the Pacific Coast town of Newport, Oregon, to the glittering big city lights of Boston, Massachusetts.”

I know some of the guys on this forum have stacked up some really impressive miles on bike trips.
I’m looking at you @cra-z1
But I also know a lot of others here have taken some impressive road trips. Myself? I’ve got no big trips under my belt, I’ve always been a day tripper.
View attachment 373981


But! I’d really love to hear about some of the trips you guys have made, whether it was 50 years ago or yesterday!

In 2013 and then again in 2017 a friend of mine and I rode from Edmond Oklahoma up to Fairbanks Alaska then up into the Arctic Circle spent about six weeks and about 12,000 miles each time. I’m too old to do it now though.

 

[Mailman]

In 2013 and then again in 2017 a friend of mine and I rode from Edmond Oklahoma up to Fairbanks Alaska then up into the Arctic Circle spent about six weeks and about 12,000 miles each time. I’m too old to do it now though.

That’s a true endurance test!

 

[GLJ]

In 2013 and then again in 2017 a friend of mine and I rode from Edmond Oklahoma up to Fairbanks Alaska then up into the Arctic Circle spent about six weeks and about 12,000 miles each time. I’m too old to do it now though.

That's impressive. 6 weeks/12,000 miles. WOW.
Spending 6 weeks traveling with a friend is impressive. Doing it a second time is even more impressive.
I remember a saying I heard when I was a kid. "You never really know someone until you travel with them."

 

[Sparkyduc]

That's impressive. 6 weeks/12,000 miles. WOW.
Spending 6 weeks traveling with a friend is impressive. Doing it a second time is even more impressive.
I remember a saying I heard when I was a kid. "You never really know someone until you travel with them."

Every summer we go on a trip together now it’s down to about 3 to 5000 miles in one to three weeks

 

[Sparkyduc]

Every summer we go on a trip together now it’s down to about 3 to 5000 miles in one to three weeks

We have been riding together since high school and that was 55 years ago

 

[Jim]

We have been riding together since high school and that was 55 years ago

I'd be hard pressed to remember a friends name from 55 yrs ago, let alone still ride with 'em.

 

[Mailman]

We have been riding together since high school and that was 55 years ago

That’s pretty great. When I was in my early 20’s I had a friend like that. We were both single at the time and we rented a house together. He had a new ‘78 Honda CB750 and I had an XS650 at first, then a XS750. Man, back then we practically lived on those bikes, rode them day and night and then all over on the weekend. Nothing like being young on a summer night, riding your bike with cute girl on the back.
We thought those days would never end!

 

[Wordman]

That’s pretty great. When I was in my early 20’s I had a friend like that. We were both single at the time and we rented a house together. He had a new ‘78 Honda CB750 and I had an XS650 at first, then a XS750. Man, back then we practically lived on those bikes, rode them day and night and then all over on the weekend. Nothing like being young on a summer night, riding your bike with cute girl on the back.
We thought those days would never end!

I met my wife on a motorcycle ride. Both my wife and a friend of mine belonged to a group called "Single Volunteers of Washington D.C.. Bob (the friend) had recently gotten his first motorcycle and had arranged a group ride through the SVWDC list-serve. He called me the day before the ride to explain he had too many gals who didn't ride and not enough guys who would allow a passenger.

Any excuse to ride is a good excuse, right?

Kristy (my wife) and I just hit it off. She rode for over 100 miles that day (on the back of my '79 GS1000E). Six months later we were engaged, and five months after that we were married.

We'll be married 25 years this August.

Unfortunately, thanks to MS, she can't ride with me anymore, but we still go for "rides" in my Miata!

 

[Mailman]

I met my wife on a motorcycle ride. Both my wife and a friend of mine belonged to a group called "Single Volunteers of Washington D.C.. Bob (the friend) had recently gotten his first motorcycle and had arranged a group ride through the SVWDC list-serve. He called me the day before the ride to explain he had too many gals who didn't ride and not enough guys who would allow a passenger.

Any excuse to ride is a good excuse, right?

Kristy (my wife) and I just hit it off. She rode for over 100 miles that day (on the back of my '79 GS1000E). Six months later we were engaged, and five months after that we were married.

We'll be married 25 years this August.

Unfortunately, thanks to MS, she can't ride with me anymore, but we still go for "rides" in my Miata!

That’s a nice story about meeting your wife.

 

[FB71]

Updated with pics...
Baltimore, MD to Long Beach, CA, and back.
Did the trip in 2005 on my newly acquired 2002 VStar 1100. Only had 643 miles when I bought it in 2004.
Just got a hair up my ass one day in the spring of '05, and planned out the trip for June. I had planned on riding solo, but my dad decided he wanted tag along. He drove the chase car, as he's never been on 2 wheels.
Don't remember the exact route or order, but took a route southwest through Shenandoah, Memphis, Little Rock, multiple points in Texas, Kansas City, St Louis, Albuquerque, the Petrified Forest, Roswell, Vegas, LA, etc.. Route back was I-70, much less exciting, other than the Rockies through Colorado. Veil Pass was fun on a stock carbed bike (11k ft altitude).
About 6k miles round trip, averaged 500-700/day. Trip took 2 weeks.
Had a great time bonding with my dad, even when he aggravated the hell outta me...
I'm sure I've got pics somewhere...

Fun fact; I am now the same age that my dad was during this trip

The pic with me and the gent in the blue jacket; riding through Texas, we hit one hell of a storm - fat rain, hail, etc.. We both took refuge under the canopy of an abandon gas station. I believe the gents name was Journey, and he was headed to Cali from one of the Carolinas. The three of us had a great conversation for a few hours while we waited for the storm to pass.