BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

I agree with gogs01 above; special events aside, time is a better planner than miles.  Just returned from a week in Scotland, planning to ride about 7 hours each day.  The daily mileages worked out between 210 and 410.  Was lucky enough to get great weather for the spectacular bits, which tended to be shorter mileage.  The transit days (I live way down south in Hants) were longer mileages.  Part of the reason for going was to pick up landmarks for the Round Britain Rally so stops were regular.  That's the key for me:  Hop off and have a swig of water and stretch every now and then.  Worst day: Battering through Monday's monsoon to get home!

Lol never saw you came back monday as well from skipton to portsmouth

It all depends on where you live.


Unhappily he died a few years ago, but my riding buddy at the time lived about 90 miles dull miles from here, so we'd meet at his house for breakfast, head out for about 300 miles of great back roads, then 90 dull miles back.  Once you get used to it, 500 miles days are easy, although it makes for a full day.


These days a good riding day is about 350 with no interstate and only minor twisty as far as possible.


I don't really understand why, but it is much easier to cover high mileage this side of the pond.  I've done many 750+ days and i can't image doing that in the UK or continental Europe - although the spousal unit & I did an 860 mile day once from west Switzerland to east Switzerland and then London. Not by choice, btw. A looooong day!  That was on a Kawasaki 1300, making serious progress on the motorways (allegedly) back before it mattered very much.

I had a 2002 R1150RT and I rode from New Hampshire to Texas 6 times over the years. Roughly 1900 miles one way. 4 years ago I was diagnosed with MS and had to give up riding. Sold the bike with 82,000 miles on it.  Now I am doing better and have recently purchased an '07 R1200RT....with 82,000 miles on it. I'm planning a return trip next Spring or Fall (Summer's too hot).


I took however many days the trip took. Most times it was 4 days but I did it in 3 a couple of times.  My routine was to leave by 9am, stop for lunch around 1 and ride until 6. Usually ended up doing 500+ miles a day. I always ran into crappy weather at some point and that is what made the difference in how long it took. My last trip was 8 years ago and 8 years makes a big difference when you're getting up there in years. This upcoming trip may be my last mega trip...maybe 

I suspect the difference in doing big miles in a day on either side of the pond would be traffic.  Over here in UK, around the major cities it gets very congested.  Also our minor roads are often single track between high hedges and can have grass growing up the centre.  From my road trips in US (by car  ) the minor roads over there are more open and flowing.  UK roads are often derived from ancient land ownership and field boundaries so they can be tighter and slower. 


My 500 mile days over here tend to be using fairly major routes to get to an area for a nice tour around and then the major route home again.  I live near Southampton on the south coast so nearly all of the good stuff involves going north.


It must be age, because I get as much if not more fun just chuffing about on my new Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 twin in the sunshine for 60-80 miles as I do from the longer trips on the RT.  Simple pleasures (+ lots of cake and coffee stops).

Devon to Kingston Park, watch Exeter biff Newcastle, then back home. 385 miles each way.

"It's not a competition, however", just returned home after completing 615 miles to Portsmouth and back in 17 hours.

The return journey was accompanying a guy on a Honda CG125!

WEIRD:  Two Sheriff's deputies gave me a ride to town when my bike broke down.  One was a rider, when I asked him about his longest ride he said 980 miles, the exact figure I referenced long ago in my post above.  Very strange coincidence.  I did 650 miles the next day, but driving a rental truck with the bike in the back.  All my 800+ rides were getting home on the last day of a tour, so that's a factor.

On our annual tours we try to work our routes and overnight stops for 4-5 hour days, with stops every hour or so for fuel, water, food and, at my age, a comfort break.


We've only done extended hours when we've decided to cut the holiday short, as in one instance where our intended 4 days in Germany were aborted due to a forecast of torrential rain and high winds, so we did the run from Mont Blanc to Coquelles in 11 hours followed by another 2 hours to get home... very boring and hard on the butt!


For me the temptation on a long run is to speed up and try and get it over with, which is counter productive as you get more tired and concentration lapses.

I've covered 500 miles in 12 hours. On did this once while driving through France to Spain for a wedding. The reason for the ride? I was a day late to attending a wedding. Go my days mixed up but still made it for a 13:00 start. I did this run on my old ex-2001 Goldwing. I was walking around like i had ridden a horse for hours. The trip back i took it much slower taking 2 days instead of 12 hours