When I had first started riding with my cousin, who was an avid Moto Guzzi fan, his family (he, his wife and 18yr old son) would take long motorcycle trips. It would then become a contest who would make the most miles in a day. It first started out, "we made a 500 mile day ". They would discuss how hard the ride was or the weather. Then I heard they made an 800 mile day. Then came the time where they made a 1000 mile day. I listened contently, knowing that one day I would have a chance to attempt my own record. It came after we had restored my Moto Guzzi Eldorado. I left one night at midnight and road to Arizona on the Eldorado. I had been at my cousin's house the previous evening before I left and he couldn't believe I was in Arizona the next evening. I was at a KOA located south of Tucson AZ. Just over 1200 miles. That ended all of the bragging rights he held for the most miles in a day.
During the summer months I would take my vacation time from work to schedule a long motorcycle ride. One summer I headed out to visit my Grandfather who lived in the mountain area of California. I was riding a blue 1000cc Moto Guzzi Mille equipped with Givi bags and trunk, which would make the trip with no issues. I scheduled my first day of riding (Saturday) to make sure I made it from Northern Louisiana (West Monroe) to the west side of New Mexico (Gallup), which was about 1070 miles or 1722 kilometers. I made the first day of the trip just fine, just a little tired when I arrived 16+ hrs later from my home. I awoke the next day to complete the remainder of the 1780 mile trip very sore and exhausted, arriving Sunday evening. It took a couple of days to recover and by Wednesday I was making plans to leave by the weekend, but little did I know fate would change that. Thursday evening came and I received a call @ 9pm from a close friend whose brother had passed away. Gerald was the father of 2 children and had a very devoted wife he was leaving behind in his death from a heart problem. His brother William advised the funeral was Saturday morning at 9am. He asked could I be there for the funeral as Gerald and I were good friends also. I advised his brother I would do my best. I loaded up the Guzzi for the ride, said my goodbyes to my grandparents and headed down the road at about 10pm Pacific time ( midnight central time). I remember riding all night stopping only to grab gas and a cup of something hot to warm up my insides. I went through what seemed to be freezing cold weather near Williams, AZ, must have been the elevation. I put on all the cold weather gear I had packed for the trip, which was very little. I was somewhere in New Mexico at sunrise.
I made my way to west Texas and fell in with a group of 12-15 guys riding Harley's and Harley clones near Amarillo, Texas. We rode together through Amarillo on I-40. Everyone stopped after a few miles for gas on the east side of Amarillo and we started chatting while I was waiting on an open gas pump. They were traveling 500 miles a day, from Mississippi to California, then up the west coast, and then back to Mississippi. They wanted to know where I was riding from? I replied "near Bakersfield, CA". One of them asked how far I had traveled today, which I just replied "from near Bakersfield, CA". They looked kinda astonished. I told them I had to be at a funeral the next morning and still had quite a few miles to make. They seemed to understand the necessity of making the quick trip. I filled the tank, grabbed something to eat on the run and headed out. I found myself at the 24hr mark in the trip, just west of Longview, TX.
Completing the journey, I arrived home close to 3am central standard time. I grabbed a little sleep and made the funeral later that morning at 9am.
It was necessity that drove me to make my longest ride in 24hrs. It was not something I had planned at all. I sat down at a later time and calculated I had ridden 1562 miles in a 24 hour period ( or 2500+ Kilometers). My cousin only asked me once how many miles I traveled that day after he heard about the ride. I don't believe he ever made any attempts to better it.
Please feel free to reply with your longest ride adventure !
Wishing everyone safe riding,
Rde09
During the summer months I would take my vacation time from work to schedule a long motorcycle ride. One summer I headed out to visit my Grandfather who lived in the mountain area of California. I was riding a blue 1000cc Moto Guzzi Mille equipped with Givi bags and trunk, which would make the trip with no issues. I scheduled my first day of riding (Saturday) to make sure I made it from Northern Louisiana (West Monroe) to the west side of New Mexico (Gallup), which was about 1070 miles or 1722 kilometers. I made the first day of the trip just fine, just a little tired when I arrived 16+ hrs later from my home. I awoke the next day to complete the remainder of the 1780 mile trip very sore and exhausted, arriving Sunday evening. It took a couple of days to recover and by Wednesday I was making plans to leave by the weekend, but little did I know fate would change that. Thursday evening came and I received a call @ 9pm from a close friend whose brother had passed away. Gerald was the father of 2 children and had a very devoted wife he was leaving behind in his death from a heart problem. His brother William advised the funeral was Saturday morning at 9am. He asked could I be there for the funeral as Gerald and I were good friends also. I advised his brother I would do my best. I loaded up the Guzzi for the ride, said my goodbyes to my grandparents and headed down the road at about 10pm Pacific time ( midnight central time). I remember riding all night stopping only to grab gas and a cup of something hot to warm up my insides. I went through what seemed to be freezing cold weather near Williams, AZ, must have been the elevation. I put on all the cold weather gear I had packed for the trip, which was very little. I was somewhere in New Mexico at sunrise.
I made my way to west Texas and fell in with a group of 12-15 guys riding Harley's and Harley clones near Amarillo, Texas. We rode together through Amarillo on I-40. Everyone stopped after a few miles for gas on the east side of Amarillo and we started chatting while I was waiting on an open gas pump. They were traveling 500 miles a day, from Mississippi to California, then up the west coast, and then back to Mississippi. They wanted to know where I was riding from? I replied "near Bakersfield, CA". One of them asked how far I had traveled today, which I just replied "from near Bakersfield, CA". They looked kinda astonished. I told them I had to be at a funeral the next morning and still had quite a few miles to make. They seemed to understand the necessity of making the quick trip. I filled the tank, grabbed something to eat on the run and headed out. I found myself at the 24hr mark in the trip, just west of Longview, TX.
Completing the journey, I arrived home close to 3am central standard time. I grabbed a little sleep and made the funeral later that morning at 9am.
It was necessity that drove me to make my longest ride in 24hrs. It was not something I had planned at all. I sat down at a later time and calculated I had ridden 1562 miles in a 24 hour period ( or 2500+ Kilometers). My cousin only asked me once how many miles I traveled that day after he heard about the ride. I don't believe he ever made any attempts to better it.
Please feel free to reply with your longest ride adventure !
Wishing everyone safe riding,
Rde09
Looking back it wasn't that bad. Then rode for around 1 and a half hours to the waterfront before heading home with a broken butt. 
