Do you remember your first?

    • 910 posts
    February 12, 2010 2:31 PM PST
    Hey seasoned veterans. Have you gone on many long hauls? What one stands out the most to you? Is it your first? Your last? One that had a special meaning to it? What makes it most memorable to you?
  • February 12, 2010 2:34 PM PST
    I was 17 she was 16. It was a majikal weekend.
    • 910 posts
    February 12, 2010 2:46 PM PST
    I should have known it would be YOU to go there. *lol*
  • February 12, 2010 2:46 PM PST
    Wisconsin to DC in 05. Stop in Mi. UP to visit with High School basketball coach, 4 july with parents in Ohio, Parkersburg, w Va to see cousin not seenfor 30 yr, Hershey Pa. Friends in Reading, Pa. Gettysburg Ralley, Washinton DC and found class mates on Vietnam Wall, Arlington Cemetary, and more, Stop with parents and home. 3 weeks and 5000+ miles solo multipurpose trip with out a schedual, just goals
    • 910 posts
    February 12, 2010 2:49 PM PST
    Nice. Was that the first?
  • February 12, 2010 2:54 PM PST
    No but it was first for new bike and time to reprogram the brain and body to start over..
    • 2072 posts
    February 12, 2010 2:56 PM PST
    Damn Hambone.................................. you got a late start........... 17!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    • 910 posts
    February 12, 2010 3:11 PM PST
    awww, hey now, don't make me have to edit you! *lol*
    • 190 posts
    February 12, 2010 3:36 PM PST
    Ok, first motorcycle ride, would be the MSF course. First real ride on the road, with my Dad (he on his 2003 AIM Legend) and me on his 86 heritagage sotail, my first ride on a Harley, damn I must have looked like a newbie, but it was great to get out there on the actual raod with a real bike (buckhorn bars too). We made it to and from safe and even stoped for dinner. It really is a special memory for me.
    • 190 posts
    February 12, 2010 3:37 PM PST
    First other time, senior week at the jersey shore, (yes I was a late bloomer far as that goes), extreamely cute red head, in her room then the beach. Awesome!
    • Moderator
    • 19007 posts
    February 12, 2010 10:38 PM PST
    OK I will offer a smidgen of decorum here...
    First ride other than local. From my home near Philly to Presque Isle Maine ( oops! correction Caribou Maine). As I remember it was about 2500 miles round trip. Did that on Bonnie (73 Triumph Bonneville) in 1990.
    Most recent (certainly not to be the last!!!) was last summers "Ride for Sophie" charity event to raise money for Make-A-Wish.  Rex and I did 48 states and  12,989 miles in 38 road days. So don't ever call me a weekend warrior, I don't just talk about it, I ride!

    Not only was that the greatest ride it was for a great cause. For you all who do not know go to www.rideforsophie.org and see what and why.

    If you want to know more about firsts you'll have to buy me dinner and drinks first. I don't kiss and tell.
  • February 13, 2010 12:02 AM PST
    I was married 12 years once. Longest bike ride is from here to Deals Gap several times. About 750 miles one way, good days ride.
  • February 13, 2010 12:11 AM PST
    my first ride was on 350 honda, took brakes to auto store to get cut down, was 17, and pulled a wheely by mistake in front of a cop, he just looked at me , shook his head and kept going.
    • 5417 posts
    February 13, 2010 4:29 AM PST
    My first long trip, at least what I thought was a lng trip back then, was on a Honda 750-4. I rode from South Florida to Cherokee, NC. - about 800 miles. What a great trip though. Only had with me what I could fit in a small back pack and a bed roll strapped to the handle bars.

    My favorite so far was my first trip to Sturgis in 2005. Just 2 bikes and four people. What a great way to spend two weeks with good friends, 8 days of it on the road.
  • February 13, 2010 6:26 AM PST
    austin, texas to lake guntersville, alabama. 20 hours straight through. my shoulders were blown, so i trailered mine and 3 bikes for friends who were running a day behind, i want to go back, and earn the miles honest, beautiful area of the world, the ride up to huntsville was great, can't wait to go back!
  • February 13, 2010 6:35 AM PST
    The one ride I remember the most was last year to the Red Wood Run in Cali. For starters it was the longest so far in terms of miles. The scenery was brilliant,we met lots of great people including Raywood.It was Malissas first ride on her own bike and her second rally with me(much better than going alone!).And the one part which makes it impossible to forget...snow,rain,hail,wind,fog,blistering heat,numb from cold...man was it fun! Did I forget to mention there were lots of neked people lol?!
  • February 13, 2010 8:01 AM PST
    Mine would be the first long trip Steven and I took on separate bikes. He was on '06 Kawasaki nomad 1600cc and I was on a '98 Suzuki marauder 800cc. We left Cumberland heading to St Louis via tail of the dragon and Nashville and then back home. Total miles maybe 1800 over a week. Day two we took this county road 80 at the end of the road I needed a long cold drink. The road was a lane and half wide, up and down, stand on your nose turns, no guard rails, and thankfully no traffic. We get to the stop sign and Steven looks at me and laughs and says "he** honey the road looked flat on the map", all I could do was laugh. This was perfect warm up for the Dragon. We made it all the way to Nashville then weather stopped us. We back tracked through the Smokey Mt. and made it home doing about 1800 miles. There are many other memories about this ride that stand out. I loved our trip to Canada last year and I am looking forward to our two week bike ride this year. Gosh I even love our one day rides for hot dogs 560 miles RT.

    Once we got home Steven replaced the chain on my bike. He took my bike for a test ride and could not believe I rode it for a week never complained once about being sore. A few months later he bought me my new baby an '08 Suzuki C90T.
    • 2 posts
    February 13, 2010 8:15 AM PST
    Remember my 1st extended run well indeed. - Had to get from Hancock, MI to Buffalo, NY.
    My ride was 1st one owned & paid for (no cousins there to "borrow" from) - 305 Honda Hawk
    Did not want to take it over the Mackinaw Bridge so went East across the U.P., then North over the Locks @ the Soo and hugged the shore of Lake Huron.
    Really enjoyed running thru the Canadian boonies, south of Sudbury, alongside Georgian Bay & at last South to Niagara Falls.
    Things were tight stopped, @ a couple of times @ Chinese diners, a strictly Canadian phenomena, not to be confused w/ Chinese restaurants, for substance. Slept on the picnic tale in a roadside stop using a poncho liner as a shelter half.
    To this day can smell the piney woods & see waves splashing to my right.
  • February 13, 2010 8:27 AM PST
    My first ride was after assembling a basket $35.00 48 Cushman Huskey scooter. No book just what looked right and what worked. Took 2 days to fire after it was all together. Lived on a farm with 1/4 mile gravel lane to the highway. That is when I found out how important the brake adjustment was after having to make a 90 degree turn on to the pavement and another 100 feet to stop...I was 14 at the time.   
    • 601 posts
    February 13, 2010 9:07 AM PST
    Over the years i've probably put the guts of a million miles under my ass, route 66...misissipi delta..trans europe...ocean highway. But the one that will always stand out for me is actually funny. I was at a rally in Donegal in the eighties, locked outa me head when we got word that my drinking buddy's mam had a heart attack. He was out of his tree with booze at 2am and I probably was not far behind when we got the word. The guys running the rally filled my tank with juice got me "coffee'ed up". They strapped my buddy's feet to the footpegs of my bike and put two belts around our waists and sent us on our way back to Cork, all of 300miles at 2am. It was comical at the filling stations trying to get the attendant out to take money for petrol and bring me coffee as well.Toilet breaks were held on the bike. We made it eventually, and my pal slept all the way. thank God his mam was OK. If we did it today we would probably get 10 years hard labour...back then we were toast of the town
    • 1509 posts
    February 13, 2010 10:02 PM PST
    I always rode every day to and from work as transportation fro nov 08 to june 09 was the only months in 5 yrs. that i have not ridden (on crutches after surgery). longest day ride was 210 to flight 93 crash site memorial.

    F decourm!!!!!!!!!!!! the other was 4th of july washingto dc with my wife now married 30 years. (still cray after all theese years maybe more!!!!!!!!!!)
  • February 14, 2010 4:02 AM PST
    Ha, I remember with a smirk what I THOUGHT was an incredibly long ride...the first ride I took away from home was to visit friends in Stuttgart. I went the equivalent of 280 miles one way, and halfway I was so tired I stayed in a hotel! I think back to that time often, finding 280 miles an easy ride now!
    To date, my longest ride is 3200 miles (round trip, Gibraltar being the furthermost point) but I live in the center of Europe and I am limited by the Atlantic to the west and the Ukraine and Russia to the east.
    This year I am headed to Patras, Greece, a mere 2300 miles!
  • February 14, 2010 8:18 AM PST
    Best long ride I had was back in 1973. Was at my girlfriends place (now my wife). A mate came over at about 10pm friday night and asked if I was up for a ride.Hopped on my then bike Suzuki GT550 and away we went.Travelled about 1500 miles and only stopped for fuel and food.Never slept all weekend and on returning to my girlfriends place late sunday afternoon. put the sidestand down and fell off the bike and asleep in the gutter.She heard me arrive and thats where she found me.She is a great lady then and now.(No she isn't looking over my shoulder)!!!!!!!!
  • February 14, 2010 8:19 AM PST
    Best long ride I had was back in 1973. Was at my girlfriends place (now my wife). A mate came over at about 10pm friday night and asked if I was up for a ride.Hopped on my then bike Suzuki GT550 and away we went.Travelled about 1500 miles and only stopped for fuel and food.Never slept all weekend and on returning to my girlfriends place late sunday afternoon. put the sidestand down and fell off the bike and asleep in the gutter.She heard me arrive and thats where she found me.She is a great lady then and now.(No she isn't looking over my shoulder)!!!!!!!!
    • 1509 posts
    February 14, 2010 11:41 AM PST
    woah dejavu dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!