The length of stretch you're able to do at a time will be a factor of two things, your endurance and your bike's range. If I'm on a long, multi-day Iron Butt, I'll schedule my stops on average about 110 miles apart. If it were a single-day SS1000, I'd stretch that out closer to 150. However, on my most recent 48-10 I found that sometimes I had a hard time getting to 150 miles on a tank. This surprised me. I didn't expect such poor mileage and I had to stop a bit earlier than planned sometimes. This was partly a factor of faster than anticipated speeds, strong headwinds, and being loaded with gear and carrying a passenger.

 

Everyone is different, and your needs will differ from ride to ride and during the ride (big help there, huh?). My point is with experience you will learn what works for you, and you will learn that sometimes you have good days and some days you will have bad days. Sometimes I can go from tank to tank, and on my bike set up for long distance riding that is 350-400 miles between fuel stops. But to do that I need to be in a rhythm, felling 100%, and have carefully balanced my fluid intake.

To start, I'd say stopping around 100 miles (or perhaps 1/2 tank) for a quick stretch, 5 minutes or less. Take a simple walk around the bike, stretch, etc. Then hop on and ride. At your fuel stop do the same thing after topping off. Stay away from caffeine if possible as these dehydrate you, or at least minimize their intake. Drink water as needed, but remember what goes in must come out and if not sweating it out you'll be stopping. At the half way point take a slightly longer break to loosen up the muscles, and perhaps one at the 3/4 point as well. Key point, the longer you ride the more tired you are. If you keep the stops short you will be done sooner and will be less tired. If you take too long you will be stretching in the 20 hour mark and you will be getting more and more tired and will need more stops to the point you may not finish. In other words, stopping too frequently could be self defeating. For example, if all is going smoothly I can knock out a SS1K in 16-18 hours and feel fine when done, or I can stretch it to 24 hours and feel like death warmed over

Alternatively, you can take your breaks at your fuel stop which is mostly what I do. Gas up, walk inside to grab a bottle of water or use the bathroom, go out and hop on the bike and go. When you START feeling tired, as in the 2nd yawn (allowing for the possibility of the first being due to boredom) find a place to stop and do your walk around but take a little longer. From that point start making more frequent stops as needed.

A great source of info can be found in the very first issue of the IBA Magazine. (Unfortunately no longer in print) Here is a link to that issue, scroll down to page 39 for an article by Don Arthur on Fatigue and Motorcycle Riding. Please note it took a while to load on my laptop

 

I may respectfully disagree, at least in my situation. I just did this, this past September on a big west coast trip total of about 5,500 miles. I used my first day to go for an SS1000, St. Louis to Albuquerque. It let me cover a lot of miles on the first day so I could slow down and spend more time at my destination points. I did do a bit of a shorter day on day two, around 400 miles. On most of my trips I do around 500 mile days though and I did this on a touring bike so it was pretty comfortable. If I tried do it on my Wide Glide, I may have had to taken day two just about completely off. I've done a 700 mile day on the Wide Glide, that happened to be the last day of a trip, and it was pretty tough. I was very sore by the time I got home.

I agree with the other points, though I have only ever did long trips solo, so I don't know if a riding partner would help or hinder me on a long trip.

 

I do the same on trips. Pound out the miles on the first day, but not to the point of utter exhaustion That allows you to slow down for the rest of the trip and builds a cushion if you want to stop and really enjoy something or wait out a rain storm.

There is a reason most Long Distance riders ride solo. One is either frustrated because the other is stopping too much or riding too slow/fast, or the other is pushing themselves to the point where they are unhappy because the other just keeps going.

 

Is there a route around here you like for an attempt? My best idea is to get out to 81 and ride south for about 520 miles and then turn around.

 

Well my next ride will be to Jacksonville FL via San Diego. I am headed to the IBA Banquet on March 15 and figured I'd do a Saddle Sore 5K (5,000 miles in 5 days) on the way

I don't do regular SS1Ks that often, and when I do it is because someone else is planning them and I am just along for the ride. A friend and I took a guy out for his first 2 years ago and we rode down to Hillbilly Hotdogs in WV for a hotdog and then rode home. I have taken I-81 south to Charlotte for BBQ and returned, and have ridden west to Columbus OH and returned. It normally depends on the weather and construction. I prefer the Turnpike and I-70 over I-81 as I-81 seems to have a lot more truck traffic.

If your planning on doing your first then I'll gladly do what I can to help. I am a bit busy and getting busier with some personal commitments and need to start training for the Iron Butt Rally in June

 

 

Our easiest, most direct, city avoiding route is out and back on I 40..... LOTS of trucks

 

This sounds like a good idea just about any time you can swing it.

 

I have EZ Pass so tolls are "free" Or at least I am oblivious to them and don't think about them