My sons (on a Road King and Wide Glide) want to leave Atlanta late afternoon (maybe 5pm?) in a couple weeks, stop somewhere for the night and make it to San Antonio by the next evening. I'm up for a challenge, but has anyone experience with that route and how long it really might take? It's just over 1000 miles and online maps say about 17 hours or so, but my experience is that you need to add a few hours to that.

 

How are you going? If you are going via Dallas you will have to deal with the Dallas and Austin traffic. If your dropping down and going through Houston it is more a matter of what time of day you hit the city. I would estimate 20 hours plus any delays for traffic. On a bike you will average about 50 mph due to the increased number of stops you will be making.

 

I went from Kennesaw to Houston in April in 16 1/2 hrs but I took back roads for part of it.

I've made the r/t from Houston to Atl in the cage a few times. My recommendation would be to take I-85 to I-65 and I-10. You could probably make it down around Biloxi (400 mi or so) the first day and then go the rest the next day.

Getting through Houston is a lot better than it used to be now that I-10 is done, at least on the west side but as swestbrook suggests it can still get bad at the wrong time of day.

However, the drive from Baton Rouge to SA on I-10 sucks as the road is flat and straight.

 

I have lived in both Dallas and Houston. Traffic is a bear in both, I would suggest the South route and go through Houston. Just avoid rush hour traffic (about 6-9am and 4-7pm) and you should be fine. I would agree with an earlier post, 50 mph average is about the best to be expected, you can't switch drivers on a scooter.

 

900 miles to my sons house in NW Dallas 'burbs. 15 hours in a cage stopping once for a sit down meal and the rest fast food and pee-breaks(which with my old *** is often)....I'd add a little on a bike but not a lot more I'd think

 

Fellow Riders
I am relatively new to Harley ownership and am contemplating a long distance ride. I have a 2009 FXDC with stock seat. I rode 250 miles the other day and took a break at the midpoint of the trip;but, by the end of the second leg, my butt was hurting.
How far can you typically ride before you have to take a break?
What does "in the cage" mean?
Are there other stock Harley seats that would fit my bike that are more comfortable? such as a Touring seat, Fat Bob, etc.
How do you find the answers to questions like these?
Thanks in advance

 

Cage / car.

 

thanks dbell

 

Blade. I would see if there is a place on the internet to check on interstate construction then plan your route. compair going I-20 to Meridian, Miss. then head down to Slidell where you run into I-10/ I-12 don't plan on going through New Orleans on I-10 go over to Baton Rouge on I-12 and get on I-10 there missing New Orleans. That West Bound traffic coming out of New Orleans has been a bottle neck lately
I think if you can get as far west the first day as possible so you can run the coast on I-10 during the morning hours before the afternoon thunderstorms build up also should be in your consideration. (This is the afternoon thunderstorm season)
Don Enlow (FlyLow)

 

That's a stretch. I wouldn't plan to ride more than 8 hrs a day unless you have lots of distance experience. Also, riding at night poses new dangers of hard to see gator backs and drunk drivers. Add rider fatigue and danger goes up exponentially.