Distance riding

[Alsouthernbelle]

Hello all I am a new rider, have been a passenger for many years but just purchased my first bike last week . I am loving it, I have sat on hundreds of bikes over the years knowing one day I would ride and this was the first bike that said pick me, pick me......lol
Just wanting to get some feed back, someone recently made a statement that the bike I have could not handle a 500 mile day. I have a 2014 Vstar 250, so you riders that have plenty of seat time or more knowledge about bikes then I do please weigh in here!

Thanks.

[JackoftheGreen]

Alisa,

First off, welcome to TMW! We're glad you found us, you won't find a more active, engaged and supportive community of riders anywhere on the net.

As to your question, one thing to keep in mind is that a 500 mile day is a pretty long day of riding even for an experienced rider on a large-displacement bike. Your own stamina may become an issue even before your bike's stamina does, and until you have a realistic view of your own limitations and preferences I'd keep any road trips under about 200 miles to begin.

I've personally never owned a 250cc street bike, and although I often champion the idea of touring on sub-liter bikes a 250 may be a different story. It will depend on a lot of factors, such as the weight of rider, gear, supplies and accessories, the terrain (hilly vs flat, high altitude vs low) and the general condition of the bike, but the truth is running a 250cc at, say, 75% of it's total GVWR for five hours at 70mph is probably not a great idea. On the other hand, a nice 50 or 55mph two-lane back road might not be out of the question and would probably be more fun anyway. (-:

Check back with your dealer or your owners manual for hard numbers on your bike's GVWR, it appears Yamaha hasn't published those numbers.

That's my two cents. The motorcycle community thrives on opinion, though, so I'm sure someone else will be along shorty to add to what I've stated. In the meantime, happy riding and welcome to TMW!

[GS_in_CO]

Only way to know for sure is to work up to it.

I don't think I've ever put in a 500 mile day on any of my bikes and I've owned 2 good ones for long distance.

If it doesn't work out, at least that's a great size for learning on.

[BRUMBEAR]

Thats 1 long day on a duece and a half but I'll wager your gonna let us know if it can be done!!!!
Welcome to the forum

[gsJack]

It can be done Alisa, here's a tale of a young fella who did a 7500 mile trip around the US doing days that long and longer on a Rebel 250.
http://www.pashnit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18512
Never rode a 250 myself but I did quite a few 400-500 mile Interstate days on a GS500 traveling to the mountains to play so you don't have to be a kid to do it, the last one about 10 years ago at age 72.

[Alsouthernbelle]

Thank you everyone for your input.....I am going to work up to it, I will have already taken the riders course before the trip & my husband has a Harley & we have had several trips over the years where we have rode up to 500 miles in a day and some trips we did that for a few days in a row but at that time I was a passenger. I will be with a several ladies on this trip, (no men allowed..lol) and the ride will vary between interstate and back roads. As far as weight on the bike, packed down total weight might be 150 lbs. I am 5'0 so I am short and I do not weigh a lot. I really love this bike at this point, I did not purchase it for long distance riding I still plan on riding as passenger on the longer rides. I am extremely excited to finally be able to ride, just like kissing a lot of frogs to find your prince, I have sat on too many bikes over the years and not one of them felt right until this one.

Thanks again & ride safe my friends!

[dr_bar]

Congrats on your purchase, and welcome to TMW...

A 250 will do pretty much anything you want, in moderation. Long day, with little weight shouldn't be a problem. Short days with close to max GVWR, also shouldn't be a problem. 70mph on the slab, that's where the 250 lacks the power for any extended ride. You'll also find you may be tossed around by vehicle turbulence as well. Jackofthegreen may have the right idea, sticking mostly to the slower highways. The important thing is to make sure your load is secure and won't move. Plain bungee cords won't give you that security. Look for a system that secures at least one end of the cord securely and cinch to that area. Rok Straps are a good example, http://www.rokstraps.com/moto.html

One way a lot of "group rides" handle the load aspect of riding long distances, is to have a chase car and trailer or a truck, that can carry the gear and possibly a broken down bike. A non-rider friend can come for the trip and contribute as well, by driving that vehicle.

Whatever route you take, whatever road traveled, know that there are always friendly people on two wheels to help you out, to talk to, or even just share a ride with...

Doug

[a_hippie]

Hey kiddo.

Good to meet you. I've run a LOT of miles on small bikes over my very long journey. Had a 200CC two cycle back in the 1970's up in Montana. I'd been to Sturgis many times before I turned 16 (license? whatever!). I've also owned a 250 twin. I put many miles on that bike too.

The deal is, it ain't enough bike to keep up with traffic under many conditions. I like a shield, and they take a few more HP to push through the air. BUT, if you are willing, you can gear down and do most roads safely.

The nice thing about those small bikes is the crazy distance each gallon of gas will take you! I averaged 60MPG on the 250CC!

They are lots of fun. Small and light. Easy to maintain except for those nasty spokes.

If I didn't have to work so much, I'd take one coast to coast again for kicks.

I hope you have a lot of crazy fun. Please be safe, we like you!

Let us know how things go!

Regards,
j