July 24, 2012 5:47 AM PDT
I've done my fair share of high-mileage days, but not on anything like a Yamaha FZ6! I do have a Kaw GPZ 1100 that I have put a couple hundred on in a day, and that was about all I was interested in, to be honest. It's a very different ride from the electra glide, as far as comfort, if ya ask me. So, that is an impressive haul considering what you were riding!
Other than the bike I am riding, other things that factor into how many miles I attempt in a day can be any or all of the following:
• How much time I have to get to where I am headed -- if I am only out following the front tire, I can take all day to go 300 miles. If I absolutely positively want to be halfway across the country by tomorrow, I can make it happen. 800 miles is about my limit though.
• Whether or not I prefer to take the scenic back roads vs the superslab -- even on the high-mileage cross-country trips when I am tight on time, I always throw in a couple hours of back roads during the day.
• Who I am riding with, their experience level and/or hiney fitness level -- I tend to stop more often and for longer periods when I am riding with others. By myself, I stop when the bike needs gas -- but not necessarily when the fuel light comes on. 3 hours or 160 miles, whichever comes first, usually. I hit the bathroom, throw some water and calories down, text family and friends an update on my progress, and I am on my way.
• Weather conditions -- the colder it is, the longer the stops are and the more frequent, and the slower the speed (windchill and road conditions) as I am going down the road, so fewer miles logged in a day.
All that said, I do want to get bags for the Kaw and take it on a multi-day tour one of these days.
My best advice for those planning a long haul is to NOT break it up into equal legs. For example, instead of doing a 1500 mile run in 3 days, 500 miles each day, I would plan to do 700 the first day, 500 the next day, and 300 the last day. I find it makes the trip easier both physically and mentally!
An added benefit is that it gives me a chance to explore areas further from home a bit more. That last 300 mile day may still be over 10 hours in the saddle, but it won't be on ANY expressway!