Not an HD-bashing thread, so help me God......

[Galo]

......but still a study in contrasts:

A long-standing dear friend and co-worked bought a Harley eight weeks ago....not a full-dress FXTYTRYUYTDDGYTRD kinda thing but a slim, simple Dyna Wide Glide (I think).  He's done all the right things like taken a MSF, etc etc and today, after 8 weeks, he finally reached the 500 mile mark on the bike.....he was proud because 'break-in was over' and in our conversation, he asked me if I had been riding recently, given the great OR weather.

I told him that Sunday afternoon I did a 'WCRM warm-up' ride of 206 miles, this in prep for a 570 mile stint next Friday the 18th and his jaw dropped to the floor, he stammered and incredulously asked 'you did 200 plus miles in one day and are planning to do almost 600 miles in one day??!!'

Ahh, the wonders of sport-touring......
 

[Nitro]

I know as many Harley riders who have mega miles on as I do sport touuuuring riders that do...Strange eh?

But even  more  of a contrast is that its hard to believe we did rode 700 mile days 25 yrs ago before anyone dreamed up the sporttouring title! It was just biking....


Take his bike and  put couple thou on it!!  

[Galo]

I know as many Harley riders who have mega miles on as I do sport touuuuring riders that do...Strange eh?

But even  more  of a contrast is that its hard to believe we did rode 700 mile days 25 yrs ago before anyone dreamed up the sporttouring title! It was just biking....


Take his bike and  put couple thou on it!!  

Amen!
I certainly would...it's actually a nice bike.....

[highside]

I think that was a study in contrast between you and one other person, not between two different types of bike. I see *plenty* of years old sport bikes that haven't yet turned over the fourth digit of their odometer. I would go as far as to say that the perceived desireability (is that a word?) of a bike has an inverse relationship with how often it gets ridden.

In other words, the better suited a bike is to being a garage ornament the more likely it is to be employed as such. I would say that Harley's and top end sport bikes, especially Ducatis and Japanese litre bikes. are pretty equal in this status but for different demographics. I have seen a couple of wealthy sorts that have barely broken in BMW touring bikes "on display" as well.

[renegade13]

I have to say this may be more of a beginner thing than anything else. My first BIG day trip on my Katana was a whole 150 miles!!! And it took me almost all day to do it In fact, I had to rest for 15 minutes after my first 30 miles. Anyway, after your buddy's body get used to riding I'm sure he'll be doing long days too without any problems.

[greench440]

At his stage of newbiness, he's probably sore after 50 miles so the concept of 600 in a day doesn't compute.  What he doesn't realize is that the pain stops after 200 miles.  

[Anthony]

......but still a study in contrasts:

A long-standing dear friend and co-worked bought a Harley eight weeks ago....not a full-dress FXTYTRYUYTDDGYTRD kinda thing but a slim, simple Dyna Wide Glide (I think).  He's done all the right things like taken a MSF, etc etc and today, after 8 weeks, he finally reached the 500 mile mark on the bike.....he was proud because 'break-in was over' and in our conversation, he asked me if I had been riding recently, given the great OR weather.

I told him that Sunday afternoon I did a 'WCRM warm-up' ride of 206 miles, this in prep for a 570 mile stint next Friday the 18th and his jaw dropped to the floor, he stammered and incredulously asked 'you did 200 plus miles in one day and are planning to do almost 600 miles in one day??!!'

Ahh, the wonders of sport-touring......
 

I tried to talk my cousin who rides a harley into meeting us in fortuna and got the same response. Then he informed me his bike was almost a year old and just hit 1600 miles .  

[sleazy rider]

What he doesn't realize is that the pain doesn't get any worse after 200 miles. 

Fixed that for ya.   

[TRaGiK]

I've seen people on both ends of the mileage spectrum on all kinds of bikes.

My boss has an 03 Electra Glide that he bought new. So far, he's put over 100k miles on it.

One of my friends bought a 2005 VTX1300, had it for over a year, and put under 1k miles on it.

I have put 14k miles on my F4i in under 8 months.

The bike that one rides means nothing to how much they'll actually ride. It's the owners "want" to ride (or not).

[JTM]

So, my dad (harley rider) and my grandfather (if he were still alive) would ask what is wrong with you if you put less than 7500 miles on a bike in a year.

So anyone want to help me make sure I hit 12k this year, I have already put 800 miles on it in the last 3 weeks.

[ctfz1]

Stock Harley seats are notorious, I've met rider riders, and two who's Sunday ride, weather and temp permitting is 11 miles each way, too busy rest of week.

[county]

200 miles is a long ways between bars.

[ray6576]

Let's see on my first bike the longest ride was 260 miles on a day ride, bike Honda Rebel. My next longest ride was on my Harley Sportster with a new Mustang seat (needed large seat for my seat) 330 miles. Longest day trip on my newest bike Harley Electra Glide 360 miles with my SO on the back. And this bike currently has about 1400 miles on it picked it up March 31, 2007. He will get used to longer distance if he is any kind of rider.

[scott-sts]

Call me crazy but i've noticed on those cold, blustery days in March it seems the only other bikes I see on the road are Harleys.

[Biglar]

This 700 mi gig is my longest in one shot. 350 -400 mi is the norm for me on a weekend. It happens fast when I'm thirsty or on my Buell. Riding the Buell up for the Fortuna, CA gig. 700 on this bike will be a trip...

[black hills]

One of the HD guys I know has twice as many miles on his '03 HD as I do on my '03 CBR???

[windsorgreen1]

I know as many Harley riders who have mega miles on as I do sport touuuuring riders that do

the guy I rdie with most of the time has a 93' Electra Glide sport with just over 130k- original

[R.Markus]

200 miles is a long ways between bars.

 

[R.Markus]

But even  more  of a contrast is that its hard to believe we did rode 700 mile days 25 yrs ago before anyone dreamed up the sporttouring title! It was just biking....

Motorcyclists have become weak. The bigger and better large displacement bikes have taken the life out of motorcycling.

[1KPerDay]

The Wide Glide is the most poseuriffic bike H-D makes. Forward controls, mini-apes, etc. 200 miles on that will test your tailbone.

The FLHs and 'standard' Dynas are much more capable mile-eaters.