Long distance ride

Anyone here take their machines long distances (over 1000 miles)? I have never owned a motorcycle before and bought my '81 XJ650 hoping to get it running good. It seems to be running pretty good now, but now I'm thinking, "Wow, this could actually break down 500 miles away from home."

 

I wanna try to do an iron man run sometime on my bike, but the most I have done is about 200 miles or so, sorry.

 

Most I've ever done is 120 in one day.

Suggestion: Harden your backside before starting

 

I've done just under 500 kms in a day. And MiCarl is right - my ass was killing me when I finished!

 

The XJ, no. Back when I had a Hondamatic, though, I would make a 350-400 mile run (one way) to visit a friend of mine in Phoenix. I'd leave on a Friday, and return Sunday evening. Figure 700+ for the weekend.

 

I've done 500 miles or so round trip up to Salem in a day............and the backside hardening comment by MiCarl is VERY accurate! Get a hemroid doughnut first!! :lol:

These bikes, if maintained well, will run forever..........I'm about to roll over 46,000 miles and the bike runs strong......enough for me to trust riding it great distances without hesitation! 8)

 

I've driven from Chesapeake, Va to Louisville, Ky (approx 730 mi) took me 15 hours on the xj650. Did it on a 85 Venture (much more confortable) and only took about 11 hours. I have done an iron man from New Orleans to Chesapeake (1035 miles) on the Venture, took 23 hours.

 

I have ridden my XJ550 375 miles in one day once. I did not have any problems with my backside, however I was noticeably fatigued. It was a long day down into WV and OH and then back to pittsburgh.

 

Did the run from Folsom to San Diego a lot back in the 80s (550 miles). It was fun for the first 3 hours, then it started to get uncomfortable. It'd take me a day or so to recover from the soreness.

 

The first year I had my bike, 1981, I left Saskatchewan and headed west. Through Alberta and British Columbia and down into Washington. Passed through Oregon and went to the coast in Northern California. Drove East through Nevada, up through Idaho and over to Yellowstone Park. Crossed Montana, back int0 Alberta and back home to Swift Current.
I was gone from Sept. 10th to 27th. Probably put on over 3000 miles. Never had a stitch of trouble. One warning for speeding in Yellowstone!
I'd probably not hesitate to take the same bike, on the same trip today. I made one round trip of 1200km and one of 900km last year. I usually limit my travels to about 6 hours saddle time per day now. I have a 2100 KM(1300 miles)trip planned for mid August.

 

Wendall79
take a look here http://www.ibmwr.org/non_anon/non_anon.shtml
it's by BMW riders but i doubt they'll hang up on ya

 

well i'm about to undertake a ride of a lifetime and pray the xj makes the longhaul. just about 2,000 miles on an 82 xj 550. the bike has about 3300 miles on but i need to tune up.

 

Just go for it and hope for the best. I'm also planning a 2k trip for this fall on my 85 xj700... I don't expect any trouble, but you never know. I've given myself plenty of time just in case! My friends think I'm a fool but I can't think of a better way to spend my time off. Be safe!

 

I just did around a 400 mile trip(about 200 each way) last week. The backside was fine. I used a camo seat pad that I use for hunting. The thick round ones you can buy at Wal-Mart. It was comfortable.

 

5,400km's in 6 days last year pretty much with out issue. I've figured out every way to sit on an xj and still make it down the road

 

Last year I spent almost 3 weeks on the XJ and put 5,300ish miles on it. Central NY to Boston then west to Seattle and the Oregon coast. I ran into 2 problems, first is that my bike that already runs a little rich hats the high thin air in the Rocky Mountains. The CV carbs. made it very hard to keep the bike going, I would have to keep the engine revved over 3k RPM in order to keep the engine going otherwise it would drop to an idle and not rev up. These led to the second problem of snapping the clutch cable. I had to ride the clutch for a 7 mile construction zone in Yellowstone because first gear was too fast at 3k RPM.

Snapping the clutch cable in the middle of Montana wasn't much fun but luckily I was able to get 3 shifts out of it between the time I saw it about to break and when it did. Those shifts got me to an Ace Hardware so I rigged up the cable with a lawnmower throttle end piece. Then I only had 1,500 miles of only using the clutch to start out and I was fine.

 

A few weeks ago. Note the one day mileage, it was the first day. (The GPS will store up to four days, that is why the trip miles are higher than the one day mileage.)


7 days later, note the total miles.

Jim

 

Was this on the Turbo or the BMW?

 

BMW, the turbo is still acting up.

Jim

 

I got back yesterday from a 1557 mile(2506 KM) trip. The XJ ran perfectly! I think someone should invent or tell me where to buy a gel seat pad. The butt got a little sore! Cold liquids applied internally at the end of the day helped. :wink: