What is the appeal of long distance trips?

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I am not trying to be obnoxious, I just haven't been on any long distance motorcycle trips (all day, multi-day trips). I've been on plenty of long distance (multi-day) car trips and frankly, don't enjoy them very much. I'm more of a get from A to B as quickly as possible type of traveler in a car.

I have a brother that lives in Kansas, a sister that lives in Texas. I'm in Utah.

I plan to purchase a motorcycle before the end of this year, and I've been thinking how fun it would be to go on long distance trips on it. I've had quite a few motorcycles in the past and have loved riding, but now my stable is empty and has been for a number of years.

I'm wondering now if I am just kidding myself, will my motorcycle experience be similar to being in a car - where I can't wait until I've arrived, I am concerned that I may not enjoy the trip to either of these locations, because they are so darn far away, even on a motorcycle.

Am I way off on this? I hope so, I am hoping most of you enjoy long distance in a motorcycle where you hate it in a car.

Do you have advice for me?

If long distance isn't much different, then my selection of motorcycle will be more focused for enjoyment around town and up to 200 - 300 miles.
 

skipcurt

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Me personally, I like the LD thing. I've always liked it in a car too. I like the planning and routing of it. For me it's the challenge. I just recently did 1200 miles from home to Superior, WI as part of an Iron Butt challenge. I have riding friends that like it and others that would never even attempt anything over 250 miles. To each his own. As far as the bike goes I think it definitely matters as I couldn't imagine doing 5,6,700 mile days on a true sportbike. For me it would only be a tourer, sport tourer or an adventure bike.

Skip
 

kiltman

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The enjoyment for me is taking roads off the beaten track. This summer I went out to Banff Alberta from Southern Ontario, rarely did I ride on multi lane highways. You can still go at a fiar pace on the two lane highways, the scenery is usually better, and the bike has plenty of power to quickly pass (when safe) slower moving vehicles. YMMV
 

W0QNX

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You may never know until you try it!

I know very well what I like, I'm pretty sure if money didn't matter I'd be "out riding" about 350 days per year. 300 nights would be somewhere in a tent, 50 in a motel\hotel room and the other 15 would be "home".
 
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Many friends don't like long road trips...they want to get there 'right now'.
Personally, I like to see the countryside. My wife and I love road trips...we take several a year...our grown sons do not. During good weather, the fresh air and various noises we experience on the bikes is the attraction.
It's a lot like riding across the country on a horse century before last, just faster, not as smelly, and no flies.
 
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To me, the Journey itself IS the destination. Frequently I never even get to where I start out for. I like a "Penny Tour" (not sure if I invented that term) where I get 50¢ worth of pennies. At each stop, I flip one. Heads I turn left, tails I turn right, can't see it, I go straight. I never know where I'll end up.
 
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Bilko
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To me, the Journey itself IS the destination. Frequently I never even get to where I start out for. I like a "Penny Tour" (not sure if I invented that term) where I get 50? worth of pennies. At each stop, I flip one. Heads I turn left, tails I turn right, can't see it, I go straight. I never know where I'll end up.
That's cool!
 

SupraSabre

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It is really up to the person!

I prefer long distance, but it always seems that getting to the destination, takes away from the ride. I try to break up the ride to give us the saddle time required to get from point A to point B, but who you ride with can make the ride longer, or shorter than you would like to do during that leg.

Last year I took a 2,200 mile ride with three of my sons. While they all enjoyed it, my oldest was glad he did it, but will probably never do it again. He felt I didn't stop enough, but the problems was, I was used to riding for hours with short stops in-between, he was not.

Try reading different experiences of others, that might give you a better idea what LD riding is all about. You can start here at my site, these are the rides I felt needed to be remembered.

MC Adventures
 
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I'm wondering now if I am just kidding myself, will my motorcycle experience be similar to being in a car - where I can't wait until I've arrived, I am concerned that I may not enjoy the trip to either of these locations, because they are so darn far away, even on a motorcycle.
Here's my take on it. In my job I travel, a lot! I'm a pilot, so I sit for hours for days at a time. I used to like road trips in my car. Things have changed; mostly, it's the traffic volume, and the intensity of the traffic around the city. My enjoyment of driving has diminished. In the country-side it's better, but I'm still sitting in a vehicle, which can remind me of work. I'm relatively new to motorcycling (5 years). I can't say that I love it, but I do enjoy it. I started by taking "short trips," about 50-125 miles. Was I bored and couldn't wait to get home? No. As my experience grew, I decided to venture further and longer. I then went for "Day Long" rides, about 8 hours. This created new sights, sounds and feelings, as well as expanding my vision of "what next." Was I bored? No. As of today, I have ridden three long, multi-day trips. One, about 3000 miles, and two of about 2500 miles. What stands out most is the purpose of the trip/ride. If the purpose of the ride is to get from point A to point B (I've done many of those on our TAG rides), I am focused and enjoying the ride for the rides sake. On the other hand, my multi-day trips have a different purpose. Enjoyment, scenic beauty, new experiences. It's not about getting somewhere quickly. In fact, my multi-day trips usually only cover 200-250 miles per day. This allows for a leisurely ride with sightseeing a priority (I hate feeling rushed).

Part of the enjoyment I find in the motorcycle is the mechanical connection I make with it that is just not there in a automobile. It takes a skill that is not required when driving an automobile. In some ways, it's similar to flying an airplane. Not everyone can do it.

For the long trips (either distance or time in the seat) seat comfort is very important. Without my Russell Day Long seat I couldn't take the long trips I now take.

So, will you experience the car experience on a motorcycle? You may, but not necessarily. Your purpose and comfort on the motorcycle will tell you.
 

jfheilman

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Ok... For me its fairly simple I like to ride So long distance trips give me the opportunity to ride and ride and ride. Next, its not the destination its the ride. You said you have taken trips in a car, getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible and then "touring"... Not bad, and I sometimes do the same thing on the bike, using the interstate to get between SC and AZ as fast as possible. But after that, its no interstate until i head back home. 400 to 500 miles per day unit the area I want to tour is reached than 200 to 300 miles per day.

I must admit I don't stop and do the touristy things (well I did do the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley and four corners, and well you get the picture). But I have not gotten to the best part. On the bike, you are immersed in the experience. You have 360 visibility (well you have to turn a little :) ), but you see and smell and feel the trip. A convertible does not even come close to riding on the bike down a nice two lane road (curves or no curves, hills or no hills) its just a helluva lot of fun

You are not shielded from the environment you are part of it....

But you also mentioned riding local and riding distance. I like adventure, so if I go for a days ride her in SC, I have to work at it to not travel the same roads... It gets hard after awhile. If I were to take a trip to the Nova Scotia (as I did last year), I might elect to take the interstate out of SC and then back roads the rest of the way. (http://carolinarider01.blogspot.com/2014/06/today-we-started-on-trip-to-nova-scotia.html) Blog of this trip.

The type of motorcycle you get will depend on your needs as you have stated. I have an ST1300 and just got a 2015 Goldwing. The ST1300 is a great single up bike (you have to add a few things but it is really a good bike, quick, nimble and long range on a single tank). By contrast the Goldwing is a "touring" bike. Yes, it can do almost as well as the ST on curvy mountains roads it does not go as far on a tank of gas, but....

I took a trip this weekend to the mountains and back. I rode the ST. It was as I said ,quick, nimble, fun. When I got home I prepared to take the Goldwing to work the rest of the week. Getting on the wing I noticed the slightly lower stock seat with a more comfortable, feel and a more upright sitting position. The wing feels heavier and is heavier... But on the road, for distance and touring it is king. And for two up, there is no bike better..

Yes I ride the bike back and forth to work but I live for the "road" trips, the 600, 6,000 miles trips through new places, being part of the bike, the road, the wind in my face,,, It does not get any better and it is never bad, even in the rain and snow, its an adventure not a chore.
 

the Ferret

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i've always enjoyed traveling by motorcycle. I ride nearly everyday. Just love riding. My last trip was Ohio to California just to dip my foot in the Pacific Ocean ( feat accomplished at Monterey Bay) and back. 5500 miles in 11 days. Loved every minute of it. Rode RT 66 out, up the PCH and back through Pikes Peak, Bonneville Salt Flats etc. Took 1 day off when I got home then back to riding the next day.

Motorcycle travel is not for everyone. Expect to get hot, cold, wet, tired, lost, frustrated, and experience things you would never be able to experience inside a plane, bus, car. Totally worth it to those of us that love it.
 
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You may never know until you try it!

I know very well what I like, I'm pretty sure if money didn't matter I'd be "out riding" about 350 days per year. 300 nights would be somewhere in a tent, 50 in a motel\hotel room and the other 15 would be "home".
ditto for me :)
 

ibike2havefun

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My take, which is pretty similar to many of the thoughts already shared.

1: Having only had a bike since July 2014 my opportunities for "long" rides have been limited since that pesky j-o-b thing continues to dictate how I spend the majority of my waking hours. Between that and the fact that there are other items competing for agenda slots, the bulk of my rides have been under 200 miles, and last for less than a day. They are fun, but I often wish there had been time for more.

2: I've done a handful of day-long rides of 200 - 400 miles. Two of them have been RTE events, so there was a destination but it was a midway point not the overnight location so there wasn't the same urgency to "get there" except for being hungry. And I could control my departure time to allow for plenty of wandering around and back roads on the way.

3: Only once have I undertaken a ride with a purpose of actually getting to some other place for the purpose of being in that place. It was a GREAT trip, but there were a few moments where my focus shifted to arriving at the destination rather than enjoying the time on the road.

4: It is fun to just wander about the countryside, following roads that strike your fancy because of where they may go or simply because you like the name. You can spent as much or as little time as you like in such pursuits without ever having a destination in mind except perhaps some distant eatery.

5: Someone else mentioned the extra sensory inputs you get on a motorcycle and I'll second that. I can smell the trees, and new-mown grass, and a pizzeria, and the stream, and all manner of other things that would get completely missed if I were in the car, even with the windows down.

On ALL of my rides so far, the best feature has been the "Avoid highways" option on my phone's GPS. I have discovered some wonderful secondary and back roads, and seen miles of things I'd never have seen from the Interstate. These are routes I'd never have thought to take in my car, nor have I ever gone out driving just for the pleasure of doing so.

When you have no place in particular to be, and all day to get there, the route you take and the number of times you stop (and for how long) become unimportant except insofar as they contribute to continued enjoyment of the ride. It is a real contrast to the get-in-the-car-and-hammer-till-you-get-there mentality. Oftentimes, even if I have the luxury of time, I find myself falling into the old habit of "get there as quick as I can" when I am in the car; that urge happens much less often when I am joyriding the ST.

Rally riding is another topic altogether, and one I can only comment on from the perspective of an armchair quarterback. That won't stop me though. ;)

It appears to be a pastime where the thrill and enjoyment come from the anticipation, planning, and preparation, and from the end result and satisfaction of knowing you did it. The actual execution often appears to contain more than the usual share of opportunities for misery, frustration, and angst.

Finally this: on the bike the world seems to shrink away. There's a certain quietude to be had-- the whistle of the wind notwithstanding-- when you are mounted up and have earplugs in. Even though they only diminish sound intensity and don't completely obscure it, the reduction in audio input helps keep the rest of the world at a distance not easily obtainable any other way. I don't ride with music playing, for a variety of reasons, and although I occasionally wish I had it mostly I prefer the way it is now. There's time to think or, even better, just appreciate and soak in the world without a great deal of conscious thought. The longer the ride the more that's true.

Hope this helped, and good luck on making the right decision for you.
 

JohnK

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Like others depends on your desire, willingness to be open to what may come, and fulfill a dream or goal. I love riding, never enough opportunity, life long passion. My. Very first LD ride was this year to WeSTOC and parts north of CA. 3200 miles of planned and unplanned routes, two glorious weeks on the road camping, hotel, visiting my kid, met great folks saw great places, and realized this is what I truly like. What adventure lies ahead, can't wait! May your rides be enjoyable, no matter how far you ride.
 
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Bilko
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I really appreciate all of the thoughtful responses! The key message to me is to set about with the purpose of enjoying the trip, if I approach it with the expectation of enjoying it and make the effort to plan and appreciate the experience, I'm pretty certain it'll be a win - I will build up to it. I also plan on a Russell Day Long saddle as part of my basic purchase price, as when I had my VTX1800, that is an upgrade I wanted to do, but never was able - that will help the enjoyment factor by avoiding the numb butt syndrome (I hope in my case).
 

MajorTom

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What is the appeal of long distance trips? To keep it short, the riding. If you enjoy riding a motorcycle, then a long distance trip equals more enjoyment. Ride at your own pace, stop as often and as long as you want. Enjoy the ride.
 

Highrider

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Traveling by bike enhances the experience, for me at least. I have taken business trips on my ST and by car, the bike is always better for the same trip. The best example I can think of is riding through Glacier National Park, I have done that trip a number of times in a car, motor home and a few times on my ST. It is 10 times the experience on the bike, the exposure to your surroundings alone is much greater and more enjoyable.
 

spanner

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Appeal?

1/ for me it is a sport - set distances in set times or set places and activities like a scavenger hunt.

2/ In Australia if you live anywhere away from a major centre you have to travel long distances ..... why not make it interesting by doing different routes?

3/ I have always loved driving long distances

4/ I don't listen to anything whilst on a bike so I have no interruptions to my thoughts other than what is going on around me .... kinda like meditation

5/ Sense of achievement when things are conspiring against you read the attachment about my first LD trip - lots of trials and tribulations but also some amazing things.

6/ why do you ride a bike? for me it is being closer to the elements - rain, sun, snow, wind etc. In a car you are watching a movie, on a bike you are part of that movie ( I don't know where that quote is from but its not mine)

7/ on a bike you stop more often and have the ability to meet new people, see different things and choose different routes

8/ I love being part of a 'club'. Being a LD rider is a relatively unknown and 'secret' club that not many people really understand.

9/ because I can!
 

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its not how far you go, its what you do and see along the way that really matters. As others have mentioned, the immersion into the scenery that you get on a bike makes it much better than being inside a car.
 
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