One of the big stigmas sports bikes have is that they're just plain uncomfortable to take on any kind of long-distance trip. As someone who loves both road trips AND sport bikes, am I screwed?

What's the longest you've ridden, and how did you feel afterwards? I have a buddy with a GSXR who claims to have ridden from IL to CA in 3 days. I suspect he's making the **** up, as I've done that trip in a car, and it's brutal. Thoughts?

 

Longest I've done is 2 hours..my knees weren't happy after that and I reeeally needed to stretch. I haven't had time to get really acclimated to it though, I suspect with time it would get easier.

Friend in the garage working right now says he's done Tampa to Atlanta several times..he said the biggest thing is remembering to stop every couple of hours and stretch, and you'll be fine.

 

I can do about 2 hours, but it's my elbows that start to hurt, not my knees. Sounds like one of us has a posture issue (and it might be me).

Obviously, you're putting all your weight on your legs, and I on my arms. Which is correct? Either? Anyone else?

 

i can go for about 2 hours untill my hands start to cramp up

 

Legs/thighs is where you bear the weight. That is what they were designed for.

Squeeze the tank with your legs and sit with shoulders back and not slouching, as is your mother just told you to sit up.

If you struggle gripping the tank, get stomp grip.

 

This weekend I did 500 miles. My friends all put on decent miles too. . My one friend put 1100 miles on his brand new GSX650F just this weekend!

I belong to a riding group called "canadain motorcycle crusiers" And I find the cruisers often have to stop for a break long before I or the other sport bike guys do. So it's not the riding position.

Really the problem is carrying extra stuff on a sports bike. Like a tent and a sleeping bag that kinda makes doing the long miles hard

 

the most i have done is 3.4-4 straight hours, i felt it in my knees the most cause i have long legs to be bent up for that long, that and my a$$ was KILLING me. The important thing when doing a long trip is to take breaks BEFORE you get sore cause once its there no break is going to make the pain go away.... If you look back in previous pages there are plenty of threads about other members doing 1500, 2000, cross country road trips. Im sure that you can get info from those threads as well as pm ing those guys. I know ive seen multiple threads by a member thirdgenlxi about very long trips (has over 150k on a 2004)

 

I just got done with a 5 day solo trip to West Virginia yesterday. I did 1,766 miles in those 5 days. The most I did in a day was 380 miles and the least was 315. My strategy is picking one place to stay in a location that's a great area for riding and just going out from there every day. That way I only ride with luggage and the bike the first and last days and have all of the ones in between without it. I hate riding with luggage because it ruins the handling of my bike. My hands really are still hurting but it was well worth it. It's kind of fun to do long trips with a sportbike because all of the guys on Goldwings and other touring bikes think that you're insane. Traveling by sportbike also teaches you to pack VERY light. Here's a picture of the bike fully loading for 5 days. Next time I'm eliminating the backpack because it was such a pain to have on.

Don't be discouraged from doing long days or long trips on a sportbike. I honestly did a 5 day trip like this to the Smokey Mountains on a cruiser 2 years ago and that bike was just as uncomfortable as the sportbike. The cruiser's forward footpegs don't allow you to stand up to shift your body position plus it forces your back into the hunched over cruiser slouch. I'd rather have my hands be sore than my back.

 

So far the longest trip with the F4i has been 4 hours one way, with two breaks for restrooms/food, etc... I was actually very comfortable, instead of benchpressing yourself the entire time (by holding yourself up with your arm strength), use your abs and legs for support. I drive the F4i almost everyday and put over 6K on my F2 last year...

 

went to windsor on my bike... it was three and a half hours... best trip of my life. If your near the great lakes do it for st pattys days!!!