Long trips

[Rookie]

Something's been nagging me lately.

I don't want to take my car to university, so I'm going to sell it come April. This should give me enough money, along with savings, to get a bike and insure it, and then get used to it over summer before taking it to uni. I'm looking at Hornets, SV650s, ER500s, mostly along those lines.

My worry is this; I'm going to have to get the damn thing to the university I end up at. Now this could be anywhere from Brighton (I bloody hope not) to Edinburgh or Glasgow. (Yes please.) So if all goes well, I'm looking at a bloody long trip to get up there, considering I live in Somerset.

Have any of you taken a journey this sort of distance (450 miles or so) on a bike like this? Will an overnight stop be neccessary, or could I make it in one day, stopping for respites every hours or so?

[chris___]

Hmm iv'e not (yet ) done a trip of that length yet but the bike's you mentioned all have up right-ish riding positions so it shouldn't be a problem. 450 miles is still a long way though but you coould probably do it in a day if you set off early and make some stops. Im guessing that the trip would be mostly motorway so its definately worth making stops to stop boredom and getting a numb arse! At the end of the day its up to you whether you spread the trip over 2 days mate, it might be worth as motorways are the most boring things in the world on a bike.
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Yamaha rxs100 > Kawasaki ZZR600 > Kawasaki ZX6R > Honda Hornet 600 > Honda Bros 400 > Suzuki SV650S K2
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[instigator]

God knows how far it is from dartmoor to glasgowish but its about that distance if not a little more. Took about 7 hours I think.

Long journeys are damn easy, just sit at 60-70mph and stop every hour / 100 miles.

People always seem to be scared of distance on bikes. Don't be - Just be prepared.

You sure don't want to go for a hornet if you are planning on long journeys and I don't care what jay12329 says. I'd rather not HAVE to stop every 100 miles but on a hornet you have to. Er5 will do 170 miles to a tank on the motorway if you keep it at 70mph.

[Chriss]

I did 300 miles on a Daytona 600, in around 5 hours. Stopping only for fuel (did it once in 4 hours in the early hours of the morning.)
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[Keen]

I did 450 miles in a day once, its a pretty manageable distance. If I was you I'd try and leave in the morning just after the rush hour traffic has finished, get a chunk of it out of the way, stop for lunch and rest, then get going and you'll be there before it even gets dark. Sounds like a pretty good day to me
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"he who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man"- Dr. Johnson

[Keen]

[vfr800]

Check the bike over, top up oil and coolant, adjust the chain, fill the tank and go.
Every time you stop for fuel is your break time.
It's that easy
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don't take it easy 'ride it like you stole it'

[numark1]

I would say dont do it. I was considering it but then thought fuck that. (going from fleet hampshire to aberdeen university) about 500 miles.

Just go by plane. It's not that expensive, quick and think of how screwed your bike will be. Miles will add up so quickly, it will be worthless in no time.

Maybe when your up there i could cruise down and see you on my jetski, along the north sea.

[Finglonga]

[robboadd]

I have a question about long motorway journeys, surely the tyres will square off doing that amount of distance with little use of any area apart from the middle of the tyre?

[instigator]

[Sparks!]

450 miles isn't that hard.. just jump on and ride...! simple as that really just have your route planned and every time you stop for fuel have a short break/drink etc.. can't see it being bad at all!! It's only on the UK come on! not some big round the world trip

[robboadd]

lol, don't take the piss I thought it was a question which the thread would benefit from.

[Rookie]

Are your tyres made of cork?

I'm going to have to work around what I'm going to do with 'stuff' too. I might just take the hit and get it delivered in boxes via a courier, it would probably only cost £100 or so. Who knows!

[numark1]

[Keen]

[RickHolt]

I'm going to London from Manchester on Friday, probably heading up to the northern clique meet (North East) on sunday, then back home after the meet. I can't wait, everyone keeps saying it's a stupid idea though.

Gotta agree with the people saying "Just do it". No point in overthinking a relatively minor trip.

[Itchy]

[Itchy]

[Itchy]

hold on why not fly there and buy a bike at the location you will study trips home can be done by a flight

[Rookie]

Because chances are I'm going to be doing it twice a year; coming home for summer, working over the summer, and then going back up when term starts again.

I would buy one there, but I don't want to pass my test, leave it for a few months and then hop on a high-powered bike in a busy city. Plus, the waiting would finish me off!

Keen the van isn't really an option; you have to be 21 to rent them. Plus I'm not talking about hoiking the bike up there, just general crap. Which is why I was thinking of a courier; I don't know anyone who'd be willing to spend 20 hours in a van getting my stuff up there!