I agree completely...

 

Thinking about the ride out there. 1710 miles each way from my house in SC. Anyone near here going to hook up with and roll? Thunder beach was my first rally at 400 miles each way. Not a problem doing that distance in a day. I think from the experience I could do 600 a day, maybe a little more.

 

I rode to the '94 rally from Fort Worth on a clapped-out ironhead sportster... piece of cake! If you don't ride there, then you haven't really done Sturgis. (IMHO) As I recall, it's around 1100 miles.

 

Is your truck that much faster than your bike?

 

Probably not but it sure goes farther on a tank of gas!!

 

It's not that it is faster. It's that I can drive for over 12 hours a day in the truck, even not worry about the weather, especially since I will be doing it alone. Once I get to Spokane, WA I will be joining 2 others. We will ride a few less hours per day (bout 10 or so). I'll also have company should a breakdown or issue happen. If you've ever driven or rode from the south to north in Nevada, you'd know you don't see anything for sometimes over 100 miles...

 

I still don't get it. I ride from NC to CO several times a year with just one night out, putting in back to back 800+ miles a day with no problems. I guess it comes down to how much you really like to ride?

 

No it doesn't come down to that, but thanks...

First, I'm used to taking my truck for many hours on end, even overnight to get to my destination. I can get to Spokane overnight from Vegas in the truck as I take a much quicker path (but through miles of nothing). If I wanted to be SAFE on the bike (keep in mind I'm riding alone), I'd take a more populated path which ADDS hours to my trip. I definitely don't want to be stranded with a flat tire or engine issue overnight in the desert over 50 miles away from civilization. If I could ride with others, that would be different. I'd rather get to WA sooner and ride more hours on the north end of the country. Also, I will have 2 other riders with me once I get to WA.

Second, I like to drink beer after a day of riding. I can enjoy 10 hours of riding and still have time to enjoy a few beers afterward. I never ride after drinking as that is just plain wrong. If I get to WA sooner, I can begin that schedule sooner.

 

My suggestion: Ride it. I have an '05XL883 and I rode from Ft. Worth to Sturgis in '07 with my brother and another buddy. we took the back roads and had a great time. Once there, there was such a traffic jam of bikes from dawn to dusk, that we spent one day seeing Mt. Rushmore, the needles and other great roads at 5 - 10 mph. Then we headed on down the road. In 8 days, I rode through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. This year we're going again and not only do I not trailer my bike, I don't carry a lot of baggage either.
Here's a photo of my bike loaded up while on an 8 day trip through 21 states in '08
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2493/...508bd933fe.jpg

 

I think im gonna ship my bike, then fly out there, then pay someone to ride it for me.
That will be a new experience!