Long(er) Ride

Took my VFR for it's second long(er) ride on Saturday. Rode from Nashville to Vincennes, IN and back home. 468 miles in a day is, to me, a pretty good haul. I felt surprisingly good when I got home and was ready to go some more. That says a lot for the ergononomics of the bike when someone 56 years old can hang on that long.

Not an "Iron Butt" by any stretch, but it was almost an "Iron Cheek" :tongue:

I don't think I could do 1,000 miles in a day, but I do think I had a couple of hundred left in me.

 

Nice feeling Huh, to be able to get off then want to get right back on. Yea I'd say thats a pretty good haul for anyone. Only thing, where's the photos?

 

First Longer Ride

Did my first three hour ride on Friday on the back roads around here (Northwest of Ottawa), but can't say I wasn't sore and wondering about Corbin seats. Throttle wrist was also tight, in spite of the Helibars and a Crampbuster. Am coming up on 56 so that's part of the problem, but I think improved posture and a completely relaxed grip on the throttle will improve things. Am also taking off the Crambuster because it seems to interfere with trottle/brake control.

 

The VFR is the first "comfortable" bike I've owned. And while I've never done 500 miles in a day, a couple of weeks ago I did 200 miles of mostly all twisties (Auburn/Cool/Salmon Falls/Placerville). It was nice (at 40) to be the only one in the group not complaining at the end of the ride. All the "winers" were 20-25 and riding CBR 600&929/R6/R1. Also, the VFR had me right in the thick of things the whole way. What a nice feeling...

 

Right Here! It will take the photos a minute or so to load because there are a bunch ahead of them.

It does feel good. I've done the same mileage on my V-Strom a couple of times and did 375 on the VFR last fall. It was a rough winter as far as aches and pains go and I wasn't sure I was up to it. V-Strom is in the shop, I wanted to go, so the VFR it was. Next time it won't matter whether the V-Strom is in the shop or not, I'll take the VFR by choice.

I have a friend who is a true long-distance rider. But she's young and does not have the weight problem I have either. To her 500 miles is a run down the street. She's done a Bun Burber Gold (1,500 miles in a day) and did a 4-Corners (San Ysidro, CA -> Blaine, WA -> Madawaska, ME -> Key West, FL) in 18 days "Taking Her Time". I'd like to do an Iron Butt but I just don't think it's in me.

I do NOT like Crampbusters. I have one and when I saw how it worked I never even used it. I don't want anything getting in the way of releasing the throttle. I did put a Vistacruise throttle lock on last week and the jury is still out on that one. What I've always done before was just use the palm of my hand and thumb to controll the throttle, and stretch the others out over the brake lever for a few seconds. It makes an amazing amount of difference just in a few seconds. I also sometimes wear a wrist brace on my right wrist for the asme reason. Just an elastic sleeve but it also makes a great deal of difference.

It's nice when we can put something over on the young guys, huh? I love to ride, don't care when or where, but getting older tends to make it tough sometimes. I frequently hurt in places I didn't know I had.