How many miles can you ride in a day?

Given the demographics of the recent owner age thread, I'm in the middle of the age curve around here. I find that my ability to ride any distance is limited by back pain, and about 250 miles is pretty much my limit for a day.

Friends tell me it's because of the upright riding position on the Norton and the less than ideal seat. They suggest that I invest in another bike, with forward controls and a cushioned saddle - "You sit ON a Norton, and sit IN a big bike".

The Norton is my only bike, and I've never done any serious miles riding something else. I'm curious if the other (old) guys here are able to do any better, and if you have a different bike when you want to take a long ride.

When I worked for Norton as a development/test engineer, my daily mileage on the Commando prototypes was about 450. Of course I was a lot younger then (early 20s in 1967/68), but that was 5 days a week for a while. We also ran a lot of high-speed miles at the Motor industries Research Association test track, continuous running at 100 mph until you had to engage the reserve fuel tap. Two riders took turns, switching after two tanks of gas. A day at that track usually lasted 10 hours.

I guess it must be how different people are built.

I prefer a nice firm seat -that is the right shape. Too much padding gives me "monkey butt".

Forward controls give me serious lower back pain in no time at all. I need my feet under me.

I place luggage behind me to give me some lower back support.

I'm 60 and ride 500 to 600 mile days normally.
I have done 1000 mile days -but only when necessary.

I knew a long distance guy some years back that had a hand carved wood seat -no padding. He swore it was the best seat he ever owned.

I did 620 miles on my stock Interstate a few years ago, in the south Texas heat. Immediately after that, I installed lower bars.

I intend to do an "iron butt" run (1000 miles in 24 hours) on that same bike this fall when it cools off.

depends on a lot of things like what speed do you ride at ? do you stretch your legs a bit when you fill up for petrol? etc if you ride at high speed like 90mph plus then you really need a fairing or screen ,i have rear sets on my commando and a cafe race fairing but slightly raised handle bars i have a disc out of alignment in my spine so i'm always looking for a comfortable riding position all my bikes are altered to suit me but i can not do more than 300 miles in one day but pain killers help a bit ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,baz

I've been trying different bikes, and different configurations of the same bike (Norton) for the last several years, trying to find something I could ride for a longer round trip than 100 -150 miles. I'm 74 and have some damaged lower vertebrae, as well as severe neck arthritis, and am also subject to leg and hand cramps from long rides. As they say, getting old isn't for sissies. I've been weaning myself from pain meds because of the bad side effects, and have found that they don't really help that much anyhow. As an aside, the single most helpful thing I've done to reduce pain is lose a little weight. It's amazing how much difference just 10 lbs can make. But back to the bikes, I've found that the only style I can ride any distance at all is a conventional sit-up configuration with "normal" bars. Two other critical items are foot pegs more or less centered below my body center of gravity, and some sort of rear support from the seat. It doesn't have to be a full back rest, just enough that I don't have to use leg muscles to keep from sliding rearward. At the moment, the most comfortable bike I have for longer rides is a Kawasaki Ninja 650 that has had higher bars fitted. I can do a comfortable 150 miler on it, as long as I stop and stretch my legs a bit once in a while. For the Nortons, after riding a MK3 Interstate for a number of years, I'm converting it to roadster configuration. I've been lately riding the MK3 roadster we built for my grandson, and it's much easier on me than the Interstate was. The interstate seating position is just too far back for me to ride comfortably. The standard roadster configuration, with the stock "Western" bars is pretty good for me. I think a little seat modification to put some support behind my butt will make it even better. Of the other bikes I've tried in the last few years, the most comfortable one was a 1980 Honda CX500C with Corbin seat, but it really didn't corner all that well, so I sold it. But it did show me how significant the seat design is for long term comfort.

Another consideration is some sort of fairing to reduce the wind blast at higher speeds. I find that pretty fatiguing at anything over 65 mph for any significant distance. Fortunately, in the type of rides I usually do, there's not much sustained high speed. We might get up to 90 mph now and then, but only briefly. Most of my riding is in the 45 mph to 70 mph range, so most of my bikes don't have fairings. If I wanted to do highway riding at higher speeds (80 mph seems to be the normal speed on local freeways now!), I'd fit a fairing. The kind of riding comnoz and grandpaul are talking about really dictates some sort of wind protection.

In case you haven't figured it out already, age is a significant factor here. When I was 30, and had just acquired my Norton Production Racer, I could do several hundred miles on it with no problems, clip-ons, rear sets, and race seat included. Now, if I still had it, I couldn't ride it around the neighborhood without severe neck pain!

Ken

The point is that we are talking about touring v sport riding. Or perhaps I should call it local riding.
Any long ride is 125 miles or more each way. Touring isnt about looking good its about being comfy.
The stock seat is awful, even brand new. The foam is too soft and after a while you just sink into it.
Harder the foam the better. Fairing is a must. Airblast over 60 wears me right out. When I was
running a R90s I could lie right (or is that lay?) down on the tank with my feet on the passenger pegs
and roll on like that for miles. Rather unsafe Im sure but...
My roadster has domestic market Triumph bars, rear sets that put the peg right in the middle of the
triangular mounting pad for the stock footrests and a stock seat. I need to fit the seat with some
very hard foam sooner than later.

I think a lot has to do with how vertical you are sitting on the bike. If you are straight up and down the movement of the bike compresses your spine, so a slight lean forward is probably better. However if you are not riding fairly fast, the weight on your wrists becomes a problem. With my Seeley, the first few laps of a practice session is a nightmare. The footrests are extensions of the swing arm spindle, so getting your feet up stretches the tendons, and until you get going fairly quickly the weight on your wrists is horrible. Once I get up to speed and beyond the pain, I could ride it all day.

Age is absolutely a critical part of this. I just can't do it any more. I'm just trying to figure out if it's the Norton or me that's the weak link.

My seat isn't bad. I put new foam in it a few years ago and that made a huge difference. I have a windscreen but it's so noisy that I took it off. I do stop every 100 miles or so regardless, as the Roadster tank needs to be topped up. 65 mph is comfortable on the highway for me, and 45-70 is the range I normally cruise at.

Like Ken, I get finger and leg cramps too. It just sucks to get old.

My brother - about 5 yrs my junior - rides a Harley and he wants to do these 500 mile day trips which is agony for me. I'm surprised to see other old guys here doing that on Nortons.

Maybe a sissy bar and back rest would help.

A stock Roadster is hard on me,too upright. I have an Interstate with rear sets, a short windscreen and low bars and can travel 60-75+mph for along time. Had a 1000 mile day once,but I was much younger :shock: I depends on your condition and body type , I am 6'3" and the Nort is perfect for me.

My longest day was 750 miles, but that was on the ZX-14 two years ago. On the Norton, I did 3-600 milers back in the day, but I cetainly wouldn't atempt that on it now.

Consecutive 6-7-900+ mile days on a Honda CB-500T (I was 21 @ the time). Multiple 700+ and a lot of 300+ mile days on my 1978 Gold Wing. I don't believe I have gotten over 250 on my Commando yet. Hopefully that will change after I get it back together again.

Friends tell me it's because of the upright riding position on the Norton and the less than ideal seat. They suggest that I invest in another bike, with forward controls and a cushioned saddle - "You sit ON a Norton, and sit IN a big bike".

The Norton is my only bike, and I've never done any serious miles riding something else. I'm curious if the other (old) guys here are able to do any better, and if you have a different bike when you want to take a long ride.[/quote]

You think owning a bike with forward controls and a cushioned seat is going to help, I am 58 years old and do a lot of long miles on my bikes (Wideline Featherbed 850 with innerstate seat and 900 Thruxton) I ride long trips with mates that have Harlies with their forward controls and big cushiey seats and I tell you most of them have had enough riding after 400 miles or so and want to stop, they get a bit pissed off with me when I want to keep going, I just tell them they can catch up after they have had their 2 hr break but they will have to do some high speeds to catch me, but we nomaly know where we are going and staying the night ususaly sleeping in our swags, I nomaly have camp set up by the time they catch up to me I even have had a meal and shower.
I have done a few 15 hr rides in the saddle only stopping for fuel and feed on my Thruxton the foot pegs are a little further back than the Bonnies and I find this to be a very good position when traveling long distants.

You need to have your arse fully on the seat for comfort with forward controls your arse is planted more to the rear of your backside and after a few hundred miles of coruse your arse is going to be very uncomfortable, the other problem with forward controls is the wind blowing up between your arse cheek some may like this but not me, so on my Featherbed 850 I have a solo innerstate seat with the hump at the back this is a very comfortable seat for traveling and with the hump it keeps you in the right position for all day riding and my swag sits on the hump which helps as a back rest and having the right handle bars help, I like the lower bars for traveling and it also helps to have good suspenssion on you ride.

Ashley

maylar said:

Given the demographics of the recent owner age thread, I'm in the middle of the age curve around here. I find that my ability to ride any distance is limited by back pain, and about 250 miles is pretty much my limit for a day.

Friends tell me it's because of the upright riding position on the Norton and the less than ideal seat. They suggest that I invest in another bike, with forward controls and a cushioned saddle - "You sit ON a Norton, and sit IN a big bike".

The Norton is my only bike, and I've never done any serious miles riding something else. I'm curious if the other (old) guys here are able to do any better, and if you have a different bike when you want to take a long ride.

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I rode my '73 850 straight home from the rally in Ashland a few years ago. 640 miles and I only stopped for gas. The only things changed for my own comfort are a Corbin seat and lower Euro style handle bars. One thing that I always wear on long rides is a well made kidney belt. Helps my 63 year old lower back a lot. Don't buy into that forward control nonsense. It shifts your weight back on your tailbone which is not helpful for long range comfort.

In my opinion anyone who rides 400 miles on a motorcycle is either a hero or insane. It is not something I even fantasise about. Many years ago, a friend of mine rode a Dominator 99 from Brisbane to Melbourne non-stop except for fuel, in the rain - because had almost run out of money. When he got home in Melbourne, he fell into bed and stayed there for 3 days. I also once met a guy who rode around the outside of Australia on a Honda in 14 days when the roads were mainly dirt. At one stage, he hit a kangaroo and dragged his bent bike up a side road to a farm house to fix it.

Two rally's ago i rode from Wellington to Kerikeri in one day [ approx 575 miles ], I had intended to stay with an old friend in Martin but couldn't find where the bugger was so at 2;30 in the afternoon i said F... it and rode home. Got home at approx 1:30 in the morning and did a FRED FLINTSTONE ON THE FRONT DOOR. The last rally in Mahia was a 1200 mile round trip.
I still use the standard seat on both my commandos but fitted a new squab from Leightons some years ago on the 850. I find sliding my backside back on the seat depending on the conditions, gives me the best riding comfort [ for a commando ] I have std British bars on the 850. I am 65 and have no injuries to stuff me up but I do suffer from back ache in the lumber region if a stand still for too long [ probably as a result of working on all those car engines over the years]. I can get a BSA, and I don't ride that fast [ speed limit 62 mph here ]
Dereck

I agree that position on the bike is extremely important. On long trips, I put a mid size windscreen on my 850 Interstate. With rear sets and Daytona bars it's pretty comfy. Coming back to Ohio from the Oregon rally I rode about 825 miles the last day. Most were on 2 lanes, the last 100 miles on the slab at night. Not usual, but not that big of a deal either. I was 64 at the time.

Mine is a second bike an a pleasure ride. 100 is pretty good for me with the low bars I have.
I am happy to get home with no issues.

eskasteve said:

One thing that I always wear on long rides is a well made kidney belt. Helps my 63 year old lower back a lot. Don't buy into that forward control nonsense. It shifts your weight back on your tailbone which is not helpful for long range comfort.

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+1 on the kidney belt. I now wear a back support belt when I ride any distance, and it does help. I'm not sure if the support helps, or if it just reminds me to ride with better posture. In any case, it does help.

Ken

comnoz said:

I knew a long distance guy some years back that had a hand carved wood seat -no padding. He swore it was the best seat he ever owned.

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Interesting.

When I was at Uni I used to sit 8-10 hrs at a time in the libraries, and in all sorts of cushioned chairs or overstuffed chairs - my ass would kill me after a few hours and I was constantly taking breaks to walk around. So, I started to go to to the Suzzolo graduate library reading room where they had these old oak contoured chairs. I could sit in them all day, no pain.



BTW - I would ride my Mk3 to get there...