Longest Distance

[Red]

With your feet up.  

Yesterday I did 211 miles w/o touching even a toe.  Spokane, WA to Pendleton OR.

Curious as to others experience.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

20 years ago I did a SS1K, and was going tankful-to-tankful on my 1100RT, about 250 miles between stops.  I'm in my 50s now though, and as much as I like to get where I'm going quickly when slabbing along, regular stops make the journey a little nicer.  

 

These days I don't usually go more than 150 miles without wanting to stretch my legs. 

[Rougarou]

When I do joy rides alone or can use the bike to travel for work, I ride til I gotta find a fuel farm, so, depending on the bike, 290ish-350ish depending on throttle spins.

[Red]

1 hour ago, Rougarou said:

When I do joy rides alone or can use the bike to travel for work, I ride til I gotta find a fuel farm, so, depending on the bike, 290ish-350ish depending on throttle spins.

Without ever touching even one foot to the ground.  Hard to do w/o being on a super slab.  I can't imagine that as a "joy" ride.  

[Rougarou]

Just now, Red said:

Without ever touching even one foot to the ground.  Hard to do w/o being on a super slab.  I can't imagine that as a "joy" ride.  

 

Several years ago I did this little run for my job.  Interstate to start, but moved on to highways, then two lanes.  Didn't ping the mileage between toes down, but didn't' think of it at the time, sometimes stoplights appear outta nowhere .  I'm good to ride interstate or backroads, happy either way. 

 

[lkraus]

I've done a full tankful a few times, gas station to gas station, 300-350 miles. Probably not completely "feet up" because I do stop before exiting a gas station and there is usually a stop sign or traffic light at the exit ramp, but no actual off-the-bike stops.   That type of riding is not something I plan to do, but sometimes you get in a groove and there is no particular reason to stop. 

 

I don't recommend it, I usually make at least a short get-off-and-walk-around stop every couple of hours.

[szurszewski]

21 hours ago, Red said:

With your feet up.  

Yesterday I did 211 miles w/o touching even a toe.  Spokane, WA to Pendleton OR.

Curious as to others experience.

Interesting to know I’m not the only one who thinks about this, but I have no idea what my longest distance is. I do know that on my way to work (121 miles, mostly on three interstates, but about 2-3 miles from driveway to on-ramp, and then about 5 miles off-ramp to parking lot) I can sometimes do the trip feet up (it does require me to only sort of stop for three stop signs in my neighborhood, but the visibility is good and there is very little traffic that early) if I do a good job timing the traffic lights. 
 

 

[roadscholar]

If you're good and ride a GS, because of it's balance and leverage with the wide bars, you can come to a complete stop and go again w/o putting a foot down. If you're really good (or a trials rider) you can do it on almost anything : ) 

[szurszewski]

3 hours ago, roadscholar said:

If you're good and ride a GS, because of it's balance and leverage with the wide bars, you can come to a complete stop and go again w/o putting a foot down. If you're really good (or a trials rider) you can do it on almost anything : ) 

Years ago, when we were updating the state’s sample driver ed curriculum (in Oregon), we had a discussion about this. The new head of driver training for the state was just learning to ride, and though I was a new guy in this group (and probably the youngest person at the table) I was the only “seasoned” rider at the table. At the time my main ride was an 1100RT, and I was asked if this was a possible thing to do, and if it was reasonable/practical to do, or if to be “truly” a stop the rider’s foot had to touch down. I don’t know if I could still do it because honestly riding a GS almost all the time has allowed me to be kind of lazy (those wide bars just make most things SO easy), but at the time I could stop an RT for two seconds -most of the time- and start again without putting a foot down. 

 

I will say that I am not good enough to not screw it up sometimes though, and particularly I’ve found myself having to put a foot down quickly when I think it’s clear, I’m about to roll on the throttle, and then I realize there’s a car or whatever. On the GS it’s a pretty easy save - I came close to dropping the RT more than once in that situation. So, now, I try to reserve that no-foot stop for times where there’s no one around and I’m really just doing it for me. Anytime I feel like a stop is really required, even if a brief one, I’ll put a foot down. 

[roadscholar]

46 minutes ago, szurszewski said:

Years ago, when we were updating the state’s sample driver ed curriculum (in Oregon), we had a discussion about this. The new head of driver training for the state was just learning to ride, and though I was a new guy in this group (and probably the youngest person at the table) I was the only “seasoned” rider at the table. At the time my main ride was an 1100RT, and I was asked if this was a possible thing to do, and if it was reasonable/practical to do, or if to be “truly” a stop the rider’s foot had to touch down. I don’t know if I could still do it because honestly riding a GS almost all the time has allowed me to be kind of lazy (those wide bars just make most things SO easy), but at the time I could stop an RT for two seconds -most of the time- and start again without putting a foot down. 

 

I will say that I am not good enough to not screw it up sometimes though, and particularly I’ve found myself having to put a foot down quickly when I think it’s clear, I’m about to roll on the throttle, and then I realize there’s a car or whatever. On the GS it’s a pretty easy save - I came close to dropping the RT more than once in that situation. So, now, I try to reserve that no-foot stop for times where there’s no one around and I’m really just doing it for me. Anytime I feel like a stop is really required, even if a brief one, I’ll put a foot down. 

 

Likewise, I've done it a few times on the 1150Adv just to try it and see, although 2 seconds is a long time to balance while stationary, I'm thinking maybe half that : ) Also think with some practice one could become fairly proficient. Actually it wouldn't be a bad exercise to try/learn for any GS riders wanting to venture offroad, could instill some confidence in the tricky stuff.

[LBump]

3 hours ago, roadscholar said:

 

Likewise, I've done it a few times on the 1150Adv just to try it and see, although 2 seconds is a long time to balance while stationary, I'm thinking maybe half that : ) Also think with some practice one could become fairly proficient. Actually it wouldn't be a bad exercise to try/learn for any GS riders wanting to venture offroad, could instill some confidence in the tricky stuff.

 

Balance is a KEY... 

I doubt if you could fuel-up even if you could balance forever. 

If you really want to go distance and no feet down,  you'll need to get a secondary tank installed, a Camel Bak, a catheter (very important) and a wish to sit on a BMW seat until HELL freezes over. 

[roadscholar]

Found this video of some GS exercises, begins at rider stopping for 3 seconds w/o a dab (it takes practice). Then skip to the slow race at 6:40.

 

 

[Hosstage]

Legally, a full stop means the wheels come to a complete stop, foot up or down, no minimum time needed to be stopped. Practically, a foot down keeps the copper from having make a judgement call.

Distance-wise without putting a foot down I've done full to empty tank runs many times on longer trips. Now many stops are determined by the need for a bathroom break.

[Rougarou]

8 hours ago, roadscholar said:

Found this video of some GS exercises, begins at rider stopping for 3 seconds w/o a dab (it takes practice). Then skip to the slow race at 6:40.

 

 

 

I dunno, watch the "glitch" when the count starts and stops.  Also, the head doesn't move the three seconds.  As soon as the count is over, there's a "jump" in the video.

 

I ain't saying it can't be done, it definitely can, but I don't think this example is true as it appears the video is frozen for the count. 

[9Mary7]

I've seen it at police rodeos by a few folks.......harder on an RT....... easiest on a KZ1000P. One guy in the slow race would pull his KZ about 10feet forward and stop, waiting for everyone else to exit the course before he crossed the finish line.

Wet clutch bikes are easier than dry ones.

[roadscholar]

1 hour ago, Rougarou said:

 

I dunno, watch the "glitch" when the count starts and stops.  Also, the head doesn't move the three seconds.  As soon as the count is over, there's a "jump" in the video.

 

I ain't saying it can't be done, it definitely can, but I don't think this example is true as it appears the video is frozen for the count. 

 

Yep, noticed it too, I think it was edited in that case but was the only example I could find quickly. Like I said, 2 seconds is a long time, 3 is an eternity but there’s probably someone that can do it. 

[Rougarou]

1 minute ago, roadscholar said:

 

Yep, noticed it too, I think it was edited in that case but was the only example I could find quickly. Like I said, 2 seconds is a long time, 3 is an eternity but there’s probably someone that can do it. 

 

No doubt, all those stuntaz riders can balance like a kitty cat