Starting mileage for 2013

[CrazyDave]

Originally Posted by wallasan10

There is no such thing as a "meaningless" mile on a motorcycle. Just because someone tells you how many miles they traveled doesn’t mean that they were "just burning gas and holding the bars" any more than a tree that fell in the forest didn’t make any noise simply because you weren’t there to hear it. The OP told us how many miles he traveled and said that his hope is to ride a lot more in the New Year. I take from that that he enjoyed last year enough to want more. He must be doing something right. Did he enjoy his miles more than I enjoyed mine? No way to measure that.

The only thing worse then meaningless miles is trying to defend them.

[davelisowski]

31,533 but i had a nice ride yesterday so i probably put on 50 miles or so...

yes, miles with meaning are important. the memories are more important

[Menhir]

Meh... Highways or Byways. They're all good miles.

I still have more touring miles on my 150cc scooter than I have on my motorcycle. Almost all blue roads. I had no choice. While it can keep up on most highways, it just keeps up and really, it's not what it's designed for. I learned a lot though:
I learned that almost all the good stuff is off the highway.
I learned how to travel light.
I learned how to plan.
And I learned that some of the most miserable times on a trip were the times I most enjoyed describing afterwards, minus the swear words, of course. I guess that's what they call an adventure.

I learned that I didn't always have to travel far...I had missed so much good local stuff from years of driving (car) everywhere on the interslabs. I realized that I could enjoy a weekend in my own state, seeing places and discovering things that I never knew were there.

I still tend to take the blue roads as much as possible, even though my Shadow has no problems on the highways.

But my time to ride is not unlimited.

I had spent too many weekends riding to and from my destination off highway with little time left to actually be there. I found myself cancelling plans for interesting trips, the Adirondacks for example, for that very reason. Also, a lot of my trips involved several hours on roads that I've ridden over and over and over as I got out of Dodge.

I mentioned in my previous post that I was surprised I hadn't put on more miles...but here's the thing:

If it weren't for the highway miles, I wouldn't have had the time to participate in Rolling Thunder this year.

I would have had the time to go the the Roar on the Shore event in Erie, Pa. but I wouldn't have had the spare time to roll into Ohio along the lake road and spend a nice day (and get a free room and dinner ) visiting my sister's house near Cleveland.

My trip to Watkins Glen NY was a combination of both highway and backroads...even then I lucked into the last camping spot left before sunset. If I did all back roads, It would have been a short day there and I wouldn't have had the time to visit a few other sites and take a woodland hike in the Allegheny National Forest on the way back unless I included some highway miles in the trip.

I also took the highways to another event (won't name it) which sucked, big time. I left after and hour or so, but the time I saved getting there allowed me to take a long, leisurely forest/country trip back home...saving the day.

In short, I love the back roads, but the highway miles are good too, allowing me the range to visit even more places and spend more time at them than I would have otherwise. I don't want to wait until after I retire (Only seven more years...tick...tick...tick) to ride to some of the places I want to see. I'd rather be riding highway miles to somewhere rather than sitting at home griping that I didn't have time to go anywhere. I'm sure not gonna fault anyone else for it, either.

So for me, highway miles count.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

[Hondaguy]

One thing I like about putting miles on the bike is it lowers my truck insurance rates to recreational vehicle status.
I realized I could get a discount only this year.

[wallasan10]

Originally Posted by CrazyDave

The only thing worse then meaningless miles is trying to defend them.

Wrong again…presuming to know what’s meaningless and what’s not meaningless for others…that’s worse.

[Dauntae]

Originally Posted by CrazyDave

The only thing worse then meaningless miles is trying to defend them.

WTH is wrong with people, You of all people Dave, Someone is proud of how far they rode and all you can do is call them worthless miles. That is the most disrespect I've seen in a LONG time and you all should be sadly ashamed at the way you treating someone for riding and being proud of it. I just lost respect for many in this thread. I've seen a lot of people do good for some on this forum and then they get all smug about someone else putting on miles and enjoying it. F*^KING pitiful

[Corigan]

Originally Posted by Dauntae

WTH is wrong with people, You of all people Dave, Someone is proud of how far they rode and all you can do is call them worthless miles. That is the most disrespect I've seen in a LONG time and you all should be sadly ashamed at the way you treating someone for riding and being proud of it. I just lost respect for many in this thread. I've seen a lot of people do good for some on this forum and then they get all smug about someone else putting on miles and enjoying it. F*^KING pitiful

+1. Sad isn't it?

Having sad that, I know which forum members I ignore and which ones I actually listen to. YMMV.

I know everyone has the right to an opinion, but sometimes I just wonder if people are coming around to derail threads.

Here is an example: People coming into a person's thread where they ask which is the better full face helmet, A or B. The next thing you know the thread is about helmet laws and how people might be idiots for wearing them.. That isn't what the original poster asked for. Is it the right of the person to express their opinion? Sure.. Is it tacky that people are disregarding the OP's wishes and crapping on their thread? Yup, sure is..

Personally, It looks like some people have dissed this thread and just tried to derail it because they feel that mileage has more to do with the experience than the raw miles. I do agree with them on this, however I think there is more tactful ways to go about things. If you want to discuss the validity of what you feel "meaningless" miles are, maybe that would be better served in a thread dedicated to that discussion and not pooping on some guys thread that just wants to track mileage (which can be useful for tire wear and maintenance schedules).

Who am I though, just another arse with an opinion who is doing what he is complaining about. Sorry to the OP for this rant.

Having said that, I am about to go put another 200 miles on the bike today. Going to go out to a nice park and look at some waterfalls and have fun.

[CrazyDave]

Sorry folks.. meaningless miles is meaningless miles.. ain't my fault you can't deal with that. Meaningless miles is not riding long distances on the super slab so you can make a Patriot ride, meaningless miles is not 500 miles in one day, meaningless miles is what it is.. riding for no other purpose than to wrack on miles simply for the bragging right of wracking on miles..

If you constantly end your day without noting the area you were in, without meeting someone, or without touching your surrondings in a way that leaves an imprint in you.. if all you have to show is a number.. to me it's meaningless.. no point.. might as well have taken the cage..

Disrespect.. nope. Ain't my ride, I don't really care but that doesn't mean I won't call it what it is.

You can sit and say I have no right to judge.. yet funny here ya are judging me for stating it ..interesting. No matter though, again I don't really care. There are those who get it.. and those who never will..and those who will..someday

[gat803]

Originally Posted by Dauntae

WTH is wrong with people

Originally Posted by Corigan

+1. Sad isn't it?

Who am I though, just another arse with an opinion who is doing what he is complaining about. Sorry to the OP for this rant.

I offered an alternate opinion. I didn't attack anyones character, no one did....until you did. You ask a good question. WTH is wrong with people, that they can't share differing opinions without someone attacking the person instead of the argument? It is Fuking pitiful.

At least Corigan, gets it....a little.

I'll defend (or at least explain) my opinion, one more time. If miles are your thing great, have fun. There was a time when I did the same. Riding any where is great. To be riding is the thing.

But I've learned that travel just for travels sake misses a lot of what we travel for. To me, Ironbutt rides are the most ridiculous thing you can do on a motorcycle. Riding a motorcycle 12K miles a year back and forth to work is great, but is it note worthy? You went to work, hurrah! Is it worth bragging about?

I'm just as guilty of this as anyone. Starting a ride report with "I went 250 miles yesterday...." is bragging, regardless of how you try to spin it. We all do it. The rub is, to some people, those miles aren't even a warm up. 10K in a year? One of the touring forums I frequent, routinely sees riders going 40K and more in a year. Every thing is relative to where you're standing and whom you're standing next to. That's why we have these conversations.

My "intent" in posting my opinion, was to get people to think. "Am I missing something? Can I do better? Is there another way to look at this?" It matters not, to me, the answers to these questions. That you thought about it is enough.

Some of you missed this so completely, that any feelings of embarrassment can only be yours.

[ZackDaniels]

Originally Posted by Menhir

Meh... Highways or Byways. They're all good miles.

This. Lot of emotion flowing with accusations and defense of quality of miles. I'm not sure why anybody cares to insult or take offense? Ride on brothers and sisters.

3586 miles to start 2013 on the Max. Got the bike in August with 2161, it needed a bit of TLC, and I needed some getting used to it. In 2012 I have another 500-1000 spread across the 2 Shadows, a Moto Guzzi Norge, a Suzuki Boulevard C50, and the Softail.

Huh... looking back I rode a lot of different bikes in 2012 Most of them where in the 2nd half as I was buried in 80+ hour work weeks for the 1st half.

Most my miles in 2013 should be primarily on the V-Max unless I end up getting a dedicated commuter, and I expect to put over 10k on 2 wheels. Most will be just to/from work assuming a job change works out like I hope it will. For fun I have every intention of riding out to and doing the Tail of the Dragon in May.