Long distance riding secrets...

M

Metal Mafia

New member
It's not called "Iron Butt Ride" for nothing !
Trial and error, will get you there.
And I know,the sooner the better!! lol
Check out the Iron Butt Association's "Archive of Wisdom" (AOW)
Best tips for long distance riding.
http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aowprintout.cfm

good luck with your LD rides
IBA member # 23996
chappy
 
Start with a good seat. I put the Sundowner on mine and did an 800 mile day with no problem, but everybody fits a seat differently. To me, it's the best seat I've ever owned. Staying relaxed and being able to move your feet around helps, tunes, water, snacks. I usually go from tank to tank, but I like to stop and see the sites if something catches my eye. When I take a long road trip I always allow for extra time as I don't like to be in a hurry. I took a short trip with a bunch of riders I'd never been with before, and they were in such a hurry to get where we were going, it made the trip much less relaxing than it could have been. You're getting some good tips here, and I'm picking some up myself. Enjoy your trip!
 
I haven't done a Saddle Sore 1000, but have done quite a few 500 milers, 726 being the most in one day. Here are some pointers:

1. A good seat: Mustang or Corbin. I have a Mustang now, which is $200 than the Corbin including a backrest, and the Mustang is the equal or better. Give it at least 1k miles to break-in before any serious riding.

2. Backrest. A must. Don't even think about a long ride without one.

3. Saddlebag-guard bags. Keep an insulated bottle (Wal-Mart) with Gatorade at the ready. I keep sunscreen in the other bag.

4. Windshield bag: Snacks, chapstick, etc.

5. Take a break every 150 miles or so. A five- or ten-minute break off the bike will get you a new lease on life. You'll need gas about then anyway.
 
I have done 917 miles in 15 hours for my longest so farday and plan on more long ones real soon. Great advice above for sure. I also use a sheepskin that I cut extras long at the front to tuck into my belt on cold days to keep the junk warm, never eat fast food ever it will make you have to stop and crap, I keep well hydrated and munch powerbars or granola bars then eat metamucil later to unclog.If I start to get even slightly tired feeling I do not use red bull because I crash harder later but I double up on drinking water so I always feel like I have to pee and it keeps me awake until the next stop.I also find wearing the full face helmet cuts down on my rider fatigue from wind buffet and dry lips and eyes even though i wear goggles with the half helmet. Having a comfortable seat and seating/riding position is most important. Hope this helps
 
What works for me may not work for everyone. It's a trial and error type thing to see what will work for you. End of Dec. I rode from WA State to Stockton, AL for the Stagecoach Lunch. It was a 3100 mile ride one way, which I did nonstop. It took me 49.5 hours on my 07 Ultra with a Air Zeppelin seat. Pretty cold that time of year and maybe that’s why my butt didn't hurt for the first 600 miles <g>

This is what works for me. I wear leather pants, with padded bike shorts under them. Jeans just wont cut it for me, I'm good for maybe 500-700 miles if that. Make your first few stops short, getting only gas and get off the bike to fill up. Don't stay on the bike to fuel up. Give your legs a chance to get the blood flowing good. Also I find it helps if you somewhat rotate your shoulders in a circular motion every so often while riding. Every 30 mins or so stand up on the pegs for a minute or two. If you have highway pegs switch back and forth from them to floorboards. Drink every fuel stop even if you don't think you need it.
Doing 500 miles on average should be around 7-8 hours. At 8 hours that is a moving average of 62.5 mph. This includes gas stops so keep them short, I try and average mine to 7-8 minutes. You also have to take the weather into consideration, during the summer months leave early before sunrise and try and get a few hundred miles in before 10/11:00 am.

Digger
Camas, WA
 
We always used sheepskin seatcovers for distance riding. Even in the heat they keep you fairly cool. We always figure out how far we were gonna ride that day and divide by four. That way ya don't get numbazz and you can get something to drink and top off. It keeps anyone on the back happy and you can check over your scoot.
 
A good backrest, comfortable seatand biker shorts. I laughed at my buddy when he told me to buy a good pair of biker shorts. Long story short I ended up buying a pair, best investment I made for a long ride. I use the HD Sundowner seat

07 FLHX
SERT
Rinehart TD
SE AF
 
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