Will the 750 do it?

worry more about your own ass getting sore than the bike.

ms21117 said:

Been thinking about heading out to Sturgis this year..I live in MD...30 hour ride...I have a 2006 Shadow Spirit (750) w/ changed sprockets so it doesn't wine much at high speeds (which is 70 mph for me!) .......anyone taken that long of a ride on a 750? It's in great condition...just wondering if it's too much...any thoughts?

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Endeavour to persevere old boy! Tally ho and chocks awaaaaay!

Hehe

Seriously though, give it a go to see if it will and post back with your adventures

The bike will make it... Get an extra-large gel pad to sit on... enjoy...

It will do it. Rode from Wiesbaden Germany through France to Switzerland, over the Swiss/ Italian Alps to Venice, Italy through the Austria Alps to Salzburg, Austria To Munich, Germany back to Wiesbaden in 7 Days on my 06. Just be sure you check the chain and can lube it and adjust if needed. Otherwise having tow coverage and a cell phone should you need it. Not likely!

I took a trip last summer through the Mountains of WV. It was about 10 hours each way. Bike did great. Factory seat, not so good. I was fine but suffered from numb butt syndrome even hours after getting off. Aftermarket seat would be money well spent on a trip like that.

jack6251 said:

Endeavour to persevere...

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Ah, Lone Watie tells of his trip to Washington DC. Great Jose Wales reference!

Thirty hours is a long time on any seat. I'd second the idea of an upgrade to that (and I've never found my stock seat to be uncomfortable even after several hours of riding). Half way there is not the time to figure out you need a better seat. :wink:

As for the bike, if it has been well maintained it will make the trip. You will know you just road a long way on a smaller motorcycle, but it will definitely make the trip.

Its kinda funny how 750's are now considered too small, not so many years ago 30, ok 30 is a long time but not to me. 750cc was a big bike, Gold Wings were only 1200cc. They were plenty big enough back then and they are plenty big enough now. Folks rode them across country all the time, nothing has changed except the speed limit. You don't have to ride 75mph for hrs on end, slow down and enjoy the ride.

ms21117 said:

Been thinking about heading out to Sturgis this year..I live in MD...30 hour ride...I have a 2006 Shadow Spirit (750) w/ changed sprockets so it doesn't wine much at high speeds (which is 70 mph for me!) .......anyone taken that long of a ride on a 750? It's in great condition...just wondering if it's too much...any thoughts?

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That's how you find out if you can take the ride vs. the bike. Long rides will dictate where you need to make comfort improvements and if you need a different bike for your needs vs spending money on making your 750 into something else.

FISHTALES said:

Its kinda funny how 750's are now considered too small, not so many years ago 30, ok 30 is a long time but not to me. 750cc was a big bike, Gold Wings were only 1200cc. They were plenty big enough back then and they are plenty big enough now. Folks rode them across country all the time, nothing has changed except the speed limit. You don't have to ride 75mph for hrs on end, slow down and enjoy the ride.

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People were tougher back then...

ARH I agree, When I bought my Phantom my brother said "oh you can't ride 2 up on a 750" what a joke!

The bike will do it, the question I have is how young is your body?

You can check the Sturgis threads, but =>
I did 5,400 miles there and back in 2011 on my 98 model
My Baby turned 80,000 on that trip

Now the question that you need to ask, is => "Can I Do it?"

Loaded down with gear, "my Baby didn`t miss a lick"

As ive said many times, my Spirit has hauled over 550 lbs with no issues save for a fairly steep hill once. All i did was downshift. Even starting from a dead stop on the side of the expressway, i got up to speed with little issue.

I don't know if a 750cc bike will be able to make a trip like that, but I can confirm that my Suzuki 250cc two-stroke enduro took me from Ohio to the Yucatan and back some years ago.

Now excuse me while I turn away and guffaw.:mrgreen:

I took my 750 to Colorado year before last. It has a custom foam seat. Took the VTX this year and oh wow, the difference in comfort! Just make sure you stop often and walk around some.

FISHTALES said:

ARH I agree, When I bought my Phantom my brother said "oh you can't ride 2 up on a 750" what a joke!

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You should show him the thousands of people in Africa riding 2 up on 125cc's lol. Everytime I put the news on, there's always someone whizzing by in background 2 to a bike heading somewhere.