What's the longest you've ridden your NH non-stop?

[RussellH]

Please list the age of the bike, time and miles covered.

Me:
1982 NH 450SC 26k miles - rode it for 1hr 10 mins today non-stop - covering only about 35 miles because of all the street lights and stop signs.

I didn't realize I was out there that long and was pleasantly surprised that my 27yo bike kept ticking 

[FAITHBIKER]

I rode mine for about an hour and a half so far...hoping on doing much more this summer, but that's it so far.  The bike is a 1982 750 with about 25k miles.

[detdrbuzzard]

the longest i rode my nighthawk was when i bought it. i'm guessing but around 70 miles from columbiaville back to detroit and the only stop was for gas when i first left the guys house

[happycommuter]

What constitutes a stop: cutting the engine or getting off the bike?  It's possible I've gone a tankful and then refueled without swinging a leg over the bike then continued riding

[RussellH]

That definitely counts, wow, so that must have been a good two to three hours. How many miles on your bike? You seem to ride a lot, how about sharing some stories. Ever have any breakdowns?

[Bumblebee]

What defines nonstop? Riding from gas station to gas station when going from full to reserves? Or single day trips? Or long range rides?

1982 CB650 (It's a mutt between a 650 and 650C) It currently has over 40,000 miles and I've put over 30K of that on myself.

Range from full to reserves = 147 miles. I've ridden nonstop from full until I was deep in reserves more than once. That's about 2.5 - 3.5 hours.

One afternoon I headed to the gas station 4 miles away to refuel. 250ish miles later I made it home then STILL had to go to the gas station. 

Single day or longer trips with multiple fuel stops.
An honest 600+ miles in about 30 hours. I went to the gas station and kinda kept going and going and passed the energizer bunny and kept going and going and going...

IIRC 510 miles and 4 states overnight late last autumn. (Don't ask. Just rest assured that 3-4 inches of snow and ice coated bridges for 200 miles on street tires suck to high hell and then some)

Breakdowns?
#1: It just quit. Just a single minor engine dropout on a bumpy road then miles later it just quit and stayed quit. The nearest civilization was, well, I'd still be walking... It was the main 30A fuse that had a mechanical, non electrical failure. A rear axle cotter pin makes an adequate self rescue non-fuseable fuse under those circumstances.
#2: The battery went from totally reliable to completely dead without warning. My best guess is an internal failure of one of the terminals. Zero volts means the engine will cease firing sparks until it gets power again. Bump starting is not an option. FWIW a turn signal or brake light bulb and a piece of wire makes an excellent emergency voltmeter to chase problems. Luckily a sears was only 2 miles away with the battery I needed at the time.
#3: Not a breakdown as much as some moron deliberately running me off the road. Got up, picked motorcycle up, removed remainder of windscreen, safety check, rode home.

[coffee_brake]

Augusta, GA to Daytona, FL for Bike Week a couple years back, just gas every 170 miles and a lunch break. Because both of my other bikes were out of commission!
Glad I had the smaller bike too, we were camping down miles of sandy dirt road and spent hours in traffic. The other bikes would have been misery.

[DesignFlaw06]

Longest non-stop trip was probably Indianapolis. 300 miles each way. On the way down, we took our time, but on the way back,we were trying to beat the sunset and avoid riding in the dark. Basically one pitstop along the way.

But I frequently ride from full to empty in a single day. Usually 160 miles in about 2 hours.

[ROJ]

When I go out for a ride I try to go for at least 1 hour. Longest was 7 hours, only stops were for fuel for the bike. Roughly 630km (392 miles), took a little over 2 tanks of gas. Purpose was just to ride.

[luckylindy]

  710 miles in 15 hours last summer, from Knoxville, TN to New Boston, TX.  Just stopped for gas, quick snack and pee breaks.  I never slept so well as I did that night.

[RussellH]

Wow, thanks for sharing everyone...

So for those of you (almost everyone here) that ride long distances what tools and supplies do you bring and where do you store it? My bike didn't even come with the factory toolkit though I've been meaning to buy one.

One thing I need is a GPS (my speedo doesn't work) mounted and some way of riding with a CamelBack water reservoir.

[ROJ]

I just ride with the factory tool kit and a camelback backpack either on my back or in the tank bag. And a cell phone, although most places I go it doesn't have signal anyway, but just in case its there.

[Bumblebee]

So for those of you (almost everyone here) that ride long distances what tools and supplies do you bring and where do you store it? My bike didn't even come with the factory toolkit though I've been meaning to buy one.

IMNSHO: Save your money and buy real tools. The factory toolkit is a sick joke at best. Keep it if it's all you have, throw it away otherwise. The steel they use is at least 40% rubber the best I can tell. They'll strip bolt heads faster than you can blink. I tend to leave it on the bike however it's gotta be one heck of a caught with your pants down around ankles dire emergency for me to use it.

Toolkit depends on the trip. At minimum a tool that will get to most if not all main common fasteners. Assorted open/box end wrenches. Correct size screwdrivers. Adjustable wrench. A couple different pliers. Ratchet handle, extensions and sockets as necessary. Show stopper engine failure tools are not bothered with for the most part since that's a trailer grade rescue operation. After the great battery fiasco, I now carry a voltmeter. Pieces of wire. Spare fuses. I'm sure there's something I can't think of at the moment. There's not a lot I can't get into. The little thing is usually in my backpack or strapped to the luggage rack.

If you do any routine maintenance on your bike, you'll know what tools you commonly use or are likely to use. Take those.

BTW: I have an etrex legend gps. For now it's in a belt holder and velcroed to the windscreen handlebar support arm. Easy to use there.

[coffee_brake]

Tire plugs!
Always, tire plugs, and a tiny little air pump if there's room.
I've had so many flats from nails that I'd never ever go on another trip across town much less across the state, if I couldn't carry a tire plug kit. Cars, bikes, doesn't matter. If there was a nail or screw dropped within the last 5 years, I am certain to find it with my tire. Heck found a nail in my Concours tire just this morning.

My air pump is an inexpensive bicycle foot pump, but I have a little cigarette lighter hookup bolted to the fender, so I can run an electric one if I want, since they're as small as the foot pumps these days. I don't always carry the foot pump, but I always have a tire plug and the tool to install it!

[RussellH]

IMNSHO: Save your money and buy real tools. The factory toolkit is a sick joke at best. Keep it if it's all you have, throw it away otherwise. The steel they use is at least 40% rubber the best I can tell. They'll strip bolt heads faster than you can blink. I tend to leave it on the bike however it's gotta be one heck of a caught with your pants down around ankles dire emergency for me to use it.

You have mastered the art of making convincing points! I figured for $30 I could toss that toolkit under the seat since it's compact and well thought out despite being poor quality.

I do maintain the bike myself and I'm a toolaholic too but making a compact toolkit for a bike is something I haven't attempted.

Jenn, good point about the tire plugs! I don't have any saddle bags etc so keeping a foot pump is going to be impossible. Without a pump though those tire plugs won't do any good. Maybe a small hand pump but not sure if they can get up in the 15+ psi range without making your arms falls off.

[fishmeister]

They sell nice little compressed air bottle kits with plugs too! one bottle (about the size of your thumb) will get you aired up enough to get to the station. Two will fill you up with more left. Whole deal is about the size of a pack of cigs.http://redrock-distributing-llc.amazonwebstore.com/Plugatire-ATV-Tire-Repair-Inflation-Kit/M/B0013G6PJA.htm?traffic_src=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle

don't forget the metric phillips and slotted bits....

[Deadly]

2002 Nighthawk 750  - 23 hours - 1,170 miles, stopped only for fuel. 

[RussellH]

fishmeister, thanks for the link. I have to say I'm learning so much from you guys as to what's out there in the bike world. Pretty cool.

Based on the review in the link you provided I found this kit which is supposed to be of much better quality:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/4/22/276/4371/ITEM/Genuine-Innovations-Deluxe-Ultraflate-Plus-Kit.aspx?SiteID=CSE_GBase_276&WT.mc_ID=80003&zmam=88421133&zmas=1&zmac=2&zmap=4371

[RussellH]

I don't think I've driven non-stop over 9 hours in a car.

My friend with a brand new BMW K1200S keeps asking me when we're going on a long ride and I keep telling him I don't want to go too far in case my bike breaks down. It's nice to know that our Nighthawks, especially the old ones will keep ticking all day long.

[fishmeister]

Sure hope those non-threaded bottles don't leak....

[happycommuter]

Not to overhype myself, I generally refuel at 80-100 miles.  The longest day was ~360 miles (NJ to Rochester, NY) - a trip that was grueling on a SV650, not bad on the Nighthawk.  I'm really not a distance fiend.
All of my breakdowns have been charging issues.  Alternator died (or the uncharged battery finally discharged, actually)   on the highway, and it's not fun trying to walk the bike across a lan or two of trafffic with no blinkers.  The next summer the connector between the alternator fried out.
1985 CB700SC with ~37K on it.  I have tiny jumper cables and a can of inflate/seal goop meant for motorcycles that I carry when I plan on getting more than an hour from home, and often a small MSR can of gas, as I did actually run out on my last bike.

[Bumblebee]

I figured for $30

For $10 more you can go to sears and buy a basic set of the same tools that are made of all steel and will fit and won't tear up your bolt heads when you use them.

I could toss that toolkit under the seat since it's compact and well thought out despite being poor quality.

There is no such valid term as "despite being poor quality" when you try to turn a wrench. There's nothing worse than depending on a cheap tool for a one time dirt simple fix and having the tool completely strand you where you sit when you could have spent $2 more for a good wrench.

Theory: Those chinese junk tools that are in stock motorcycle tool kits are there because the chinese rejected the quality of them as complete junk and hoped no one would notice.

[coffee_brake]

2002 Nighthawk 750  - 23 hours - 1,170 miles, stopped only for fuel. 

 

[Zugzug]

Tire plugs!
Always, tire plugs, and a tiny little air pump if there's room.

The same tool I never leave home without. I carry a plug kit and one of those little electric pumps that connect to the battery. Your foot pump is probably 5x faster though.

[MrF]

Deadly takes the cake on this one.  That's really impressive.  My longest so far has been 160 some miles from Corpus Christi to San Antonio.  Took about 2.5 hours.