Hoshiko
Hoshiko
Great, you are my hero :rockon: I can not do more than 400 miles a day, even if I take long breaks.
Good luck and enjoy it.
Also look at rider #32's bike.
Good luck and enjoy it.
Also look at rider #32's bike.
My FZ6 in a rally - follow the prep here
- Thread starter D-Mac
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it takes practice and determination but you can build stamina on that. or.... just ride your 400 miles in one direction and then force yourself to get back!
(don't do this if you are tired, though as you will crash)
D-Mac
Distance Rider
So much of the ride for me depends on the weather and how tired I am. Building up to it and knowing you've done it before also helps mentally (this is really a mental thing more than a physical thing).
On my first 1000-mile day, I found the first 400 miles and the last 100 to be the hardest. I was nervous at the start and didn't want to have to quit 500 miles from home. At the end, I was just tired and it was dark. The middle part was actually pleasant.
On my second 1000-mile day, I found that it got progressively harder throughout the ride, although most of that was because it got dark and started raining hard (and never stopped!) Funny enough, I did another 550 miles the following day and it seemed pretty easy (other than continued bad weather and high wind). Overall, that ride was much easier than the first one.
I also did a bunch of 600-700 mile days last year as well. These ones seemed a lot easier because the rest stops were longer and more frequent.
A 1500-mile ride in under 24h would be the toughest to do on an FZ6 because of the inability to stop and take breaks. I'm hoping the new seat will make this possible (right now I'm not sure I could do it with the stock seat).
bmccrary
Touring Mod
Not to sound rude Wavex, but...
Those miles allow one to become a member of an elite group of people.... put it this way: Of all the vehicles on the roads, 10% of them are motorcycles. Of that 10%, on 1% of the motorcyclists are long distance riders. They are a rare breed and I hope to join them shortly as I will be going for a SS1000 myself soon.
However, in order to do these rallies, (most of them) you have to be a member of the IBA. In order to get in, one must complete the SS1000 first.
However, I dont like doing the highways myself, but sometimes to have fun you gotta do the straight stuff for a while to have time to enjoy the curvy stuff. Heck for me, I have to ride a minimum of 100 miles of highway to get to where I can ride twisties. I normally put in 400 miles when ever I go out for a day ride.
-bryan
bmccrary
Touring Mod
Then again, one day I would love to have the Time/Money/Skill to ride across the country like some of these guys do. Look up a 100CC or better yet, google Greg Rice and his Trifecta Ride last spring. He went from Jacksonville Fl. to California in back in under 72 hours.
BTW, D-mac, what fuel cell are you going with and where are you mounting it, passenger seat? Capacity? All you could add is what 6.5 gallons? Max is 11.5 right?
BTW, D-mac, what fuel cell are you going with and where are you mounting it, passenger seat? Capacity? All you could add is what 6.5 gallons? Max is 11.5 right?
- Joined
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Yamaha FJR Sets Continent Crossing Record - Yamaha Street Bike News - Motorcycle USA
forget the 100ccc, this guy RULES
forget the 100ccc, this guy RULES
Ridgeback
Wakin up the neighbours
I'm off on my first long run in June.
We are doing a charity run for Help for Heroes,which is a charity that helps wounded soldiers and their families.
It's a run across England and Ireland,starting when the sun comes up at the most Easterly point of England and trying to get to the most Westerly point in Ireland,before sunset.
Including getting there,it's just under 1000 miles and I think the longest ride I've ever done is about 100!
Something tells me that with a stock seat,I'll probably be walking like John Wayne when I get off
Here's a link to the post with the Charity run Website - http://www.600riders.com/forum/military-forum/27817-help-heroes.html
We are doing a charity run for Help for Heroes,which is a charity that helps wounded soldiers and their families.
It's a run across England and Ireland,starting when the sun comes up at the most Easterly point of England and trying to get to the most Westerly point in Ireland,before sunset.
Including getting there,it's just under 1000 miles and I think the longest ride I've ever done is about 100!
Something tells me that with a stock seat,I'll probably be walking like John Wayne when I get off
Here's a link to the post with the Charity run Website - http://www.600riders.com/forum/military-forum/27817-help-heroes.html
rwhaugen
Robert
D_Mac
I have the same Givi setup you do and really like it. Longest roundtrip for me is 300 miles. How have your cases heldup on your long rides?
I have the same Givi setup you do and really like it. Longest roundtrip for me is 300 miles. How have your cases heldup on your long rides?
D-Mac
Distance Rider
Haha. I have one that can top that! Have you heard of Warchild's BunBurner Gold Hell Week? This guy rode a Bunburner Gold (1500+ miles in under 24 hours) SEVEN CONSECUTIVE times on his Blackbird (doing EACH ONE 1500 mile segment in under 24h). That's ABSOLUTELY CRAZY. He hauled something like 21 gallons of fuel and had a pit crew to prep his bike between each ride (so he could grab a few hours of sleep). The total mileage was 10,636 miles in under 7 days! As I remember it, the Iron Butt Association wouldn't certify it because even they think it's too dangerous (although Warchild actually serves as their technical inspector at the major rally). I think CycleWorld had an article on his ride a few years back.
BBG Hell Week - Mission Complete! - CBRXX.com
D-Mac
Distance Rider
I'm off on my first long run in June.
We are doing a charity run for Help for Heroes,which is a charity that helps wounded soldiers and their families.
It's a run across England and Ireland,starting when the sun comes up at the most Easterly point of England and trying to get to the most Westerly point in Ireland,before sunset.
Including getting there,it's just under 1000 miles and I think the longest ride I've ever done is about 100!
Something tells me that with a stock seat,I'll probably be walking like John Wayne when I get off
Here's a link to the post with the Charity run Website - http://www.600riders.com/forum/military-forum/27817-help-heroes.html
Awesome! You'll have a blast. With a stock bike, I think it's hardest on your legs/feet. You should try and stand up every 50-60 miles for a few minutes to keep the blood flowing. Otherwise your legs can fall asleep and you might not know it until you stop and try to get off the bike! Also, make a conscious effort not to get yourself slide to far forward and into the tank. Trust me on that.....
D-Mac
Distance Rider
Overall, I think the Givis are AWESOME! The forward side of my topcase got a bit scratched from where I bungeed two has cans on the ride to the Arctic, so now my bike has "character." The side cases also have a few rubs from where my leg didn't quite clear them when getting on/off and the rubber bands inside one of the sidecases that hold them open 90 degrees tend to fall out (probably from trying to cram too much stuff inside), but that's not really a big deal.
Most importantly, they all lock securely and they're absolutely, positively 100% waterproof. They're also much stronger than I thought they would be.....When I rolled into a bog and went over on the right side, the bag took the [gentle] drop like nothing had happened. You can also secure bungees over the handles of the side-cases and onto the rack if you want to hold down an extra bag on the passenger's seat. The Givi racks make it easy to lash stuff to the bike. Just check the bolts at every oil change or use lock-tite to keep them from working loose.
One other thing, if you have an 07+ FZ6, you should always leave the side-cases on the bike if you use the turn-signal mover kit that comes with the Givi side racks. Otherwise, the tail-lights tend to fall out of the Givi holders (probably because they stick out a lot on the sides). I've added a couple of zip ties to secure them to the signal holders just in case. I like the looks of the side-cases anyway, and I don't notice any problems in the wind.
D-Mac
Distance Rider
You're right about IBA rules (11.5 gallons is the limit).
A tank from Summit racing is the cheapest option, and probably the easiest to mount over the rear seat (it's a plastic box). Baffles to keep fuel from sloshing around and other options are extra.
At this point, I'm planning to go with a 4-gallon tourtank (Tour Tank, For those who refuse to let gas stations dictate their destination.). I figure that I'll never want to go more than 350 miles without stopping anyway and I like the idea of a strong metal tank (I'm also going to ground it just to be safe). I plan to mount it in place of my top-case by removing the plastic topcase holder and bolting an aluminum plate directly to the steel topcase mounting brackets. It will keep the weight higher and farther from the center (a bad thing) and I'll lose the topcase, but I want to maintain easy access to the electrical box, chain oiler, and everything else I have mounted under the seat. I also figure that I don't need the topcase on Iron Butt type rides (I still have sidecases and can bungee a waterproof bag to the passenger seat if needed). I plan to mount a quick no-drop disconnect fuel line under the seat to make it easy to swap between the topcase and aux fuel cell.
bmccrary
Touring Mod
Yea putting it back there isnt the best placement as far as the CG and COM are concerned. However, if you consider a full tank of gas, plus the weight of the tank your looking at what 50lbs max? Not much a weight difference when you consider a top case with luggage can get around there as well. So as long as you arent planning to set some lap records around V.I.R. with it, you should be fine. LOL.
This past August I went down to Spartanburg, SC for the start and breakfast for the the Iron Butt Rally. It was the first time I had seen the aux tanks and such, people get pretty creative with them! A couple even modified the stock tank and had them so tall they could about rest their chin on! lol
Best of luck to you! Will you have your SPOT on and link available to watch your progress? Or have they banned that option for this rally as well? I heard there were issues with that and the banned them for the last rally.
-bryan
D-Mac
Distance Rider
Yup. I figure it'll be about 40lbs when full. If that doesn't work out, I'll make some kind of mount for the seat. I can see doing that eventually if I decide I want to keep the cell on the bike all the time.
Here's a good thread on some fuel cell set-ups.
Sport-Touring.Net - Aux-Fuel cells
This rally is encouraging the use of SPOT. They wanted to require it (and make it public) originally, but they've backed off on that (in part because of the recalls on SPOT2). I'm still running a SPOT1 and will probably keep it for now. I'll post the link before the rally starts. They are still allowing public SPOT tracking.
bmccrary
Touring Mod
Yea I have a SPOT1 myself and I doubt I will go to a SPOT2, mine worked fine last season and I dont see a reason to update really.
Have you subscribed to the Iron Butt Magazine? The premire issue just came out and it has a nice right up on aux. tanks, too.
-bryan
Have you subscribed to the Iron Butt Magazine? The premire issue just came out and it has a nice right up on aux. tanks, too.
-bryan
D-Mac
Distance Rider
I've been a "Premium" IBA member for a while, which means I was supposed to get a free issue. For some reason I never did.
I suppose I'll pony up and get a subscription if it looks like they'll keep doing it.
Norbert
crash tested
WHOA DERE COWBOY!!
You went to the Arctic ? :Flash:
With your FZ6? :Flash::Flash:
As in an Epic Adventure of Epic-ness? :Flash::Flash::Flash:
And the Trip report is where.....?
D-Mac
Distance Rider
WHOA DERE COWBOY!!
You went to the Arctic ? :Flash:
With your FZ6? :Flash::Flash:
As in an Epic Adventure of Epic-ness? :Flash::Flash::Flash:
And the Trip report is where.....?
Not exactly Alaska - it was James Bay, Quebec (well within the Arctic watershed and as far north as you can go by road in eastern North America).
There is a ride report here. Sport-Touring.Net - James Bay Madness - The Ride
It was a pretty amazing ride.
