The short mileage gang

[Omega Man]

Yep, I put up some short mileage. I dunno, maybe around 4,500 last year. It's short-one of the guys from my club came in 4th in the mileage contest with around half a bazillion-I think. I have a tendency to run errands and a bunch of short hops, some club breakfast rides and yeah a few 100 mile afternoon runs. While it's not the big numbers so many report, and I can only keep track of the mileage by looking at the vehicle inspection reports, it's all good.
As long as your enjoying it, ride on.

[bmwrider88]

Yeah, I'm not a mileage junkie by any means.
Yes, I love to ride, but I have 4 bikes. So they all get my attentions throughout the riding season. IMO it's all good.
Ride as much as you want to, or can.

[35634]

I don't understand the fixation with mileage and mileage contests that permeates the BMW culture. Guess it's the same with chrome and noise on a Harley or scraped pegs on a riceburner. I appreciate distance riding but riding for the sake of spinning the odometer is a sign of some deep mental disturbance

[Paul_F]

I don't understand the fixation with mileage and mileage contests that permeates the BMW culture. Guess it's the same with chrome and noise on a Harley or scraped pegs on a riceburner. I appreciate distance riding but riding for the sake of spinning the odometer is a sign of some deep mental disturbance

I enter the mileage contest and I like to ride, and yes, it is an obsession, but I must always have a reason to ride (and not for the mileage contest). It is not uncommon for me to ride on a trip for three weeks or so and then have the bikes sit for a couple of weeks or more because there is no reason to suit up. Running errands is done in a cage. Getting to my club breakfast meetings are either done on a bicycle or by the car as it such a short ride the bike doesn't even get to operating temperature. Of course, if there is a museum exhibit or a group of friends getting together somewhere, then of course a ride happens. (Of course being retired gives me more time to take off on longer trips.)

[henzilla]

I don't understand the fixation with mileage and mileage contests that permeates the BMW culture. Guess it's the same with chrome and noise on a Harley or scraped pegs on a riceburner. I appreciate distance riding but riding for the sake of spinning the odometer is a sign of some deep mental disturbance

Does the odometer still even work on that K75?

Aren't we all a little mentally disturbed to ride anyways?

[BMW Triumphant]

I'm definitely a fair weather rider. My RT is going to get a Park N Move unit later this week. Right now i have major efforts to get a clear driveway, back the bike out, put the cage back, suit up, go for the ride, and the same in reverse at the end. Ride in an turn around to ride out is coming!

But, i am planning to be riding cross US and back via Canada duing most of June, so this will be my biggest mileage year. Even more if i go to Sedalia...

It is why i bought the RT after all...

[SteveAikens]

I don't understand the fixation with mileage ... I appreciate distance riding but riding for the sake of spinning the odometer is a sign of some deep mental disturbance.

Thank you for your observation of my mental condition - which, by the way - has been 'observed' by others since the 70's.

However, it's not really just 'riding for the sake of spinning the odometer' for most of us that seem to accumulate miles on our bikes. For most of us, when we're not in 'rally mode', we're just like anyone else that rides for the pure enjoyment of the ride. My bike is the most comfortable place on the planet for me. I very rarely ride around town. I prefer to hop on the bike when I can make the time, and actually go somewhere to see friends or just enjoy the ride and the local I've chosen for my destination.

I don't enter mileage contests like the MOA or local club deals. I do enter rallies though.

Those that ride long are really no different that those that ride short/local. The only difference is how long we chose to stay on the bike.

Another quick note - I have a place here in Clovis, NM and a place in Tucson, AZ - 600 miles, doorstep to doorstep. My wife has been in Tucson for some time now. Although I haven't been able to for a while becasue of health issues, riding back and forth every other weekend does accumulate miles.....

[ka5ysy]

I have noticed that when I ride anywhere, the time it takes is longer, and the miles between point-a and point-b seems to have gotten a LOT longer and has way more curves. Anybody else notice that effect

[kantuckid]

I have a lot of hobbies. If I have an "obsession", that's it and thus will never win the mileage contest,but have a lot of fun too. It's about staying busy doing the things I want to do in retirement & not some sort of character defect in others that have fewer hobbies & ride more. E.G., I cannot spend time with family & ride my bikes & I could give others. Spinning the wheels is fun but not all there is for me.

[pffog]

I have noticed that when I ride anywhere, the time it takes is longer, and the miles between point-a and point-b seems to have gotten a LOT longer and has way more curves. Anybody else notice that effect

Exactly, I don't worry so much about mileage, like Beer, I prefer QUALITY to Quantity.

A better judge for me is the amount of tires I go through, and of course whether they are worn out on the side, before the center!


I describe my riding this way, I love to ride, but I hate to travel, on two wheels.

[AKsuited]

No long road trip last season because the daughter invited us to go on a cruise with her family including our newest grandson. That took the only available week off because I work road and bridge construction and can only get one week off.

Before that I had medical problems. One season it was a hernia then hernia repair surgery and recovery, including not being allowed to pick up anything heavier than 25 lbs. My RT is considerably more than that...

Then another season it was surgery for enlarged prostate and a much longer than anticipated recovery from that. It was 6 weeks before I could ride more than 5 miles comfortably.

And every season I am severely limited as to how much time I can take off from work. I have reached my target age to retire so now it's up to me to make that big decision...

I am definitely not a mileage contest person. I also don't see the point of burning gas and tires unless I have a good reason to. A nice road trip is a sufficient reason.

Harry

[EMSimon]

I don't understand the fixation with mileage and mileage contests that permeates the BMW culture.

I share that sentiment. I am not retired and still have to work for a living. Free time is limited. I consider motorcycling a leisure activity and trying to put as many miles on a bike as possible to "compete" in a monitored event is stress, as far as I am concerned. If you roll 40,000 miles onto your odo, that takes approximately 800 hours, at 8 hours riding/day that would mean 100 days of riding.
In addition, I currently have 14 motorcycles and only 4 of them are BMWs. If I get 4,000 miles on the BMWs per year, that will be a lot.
I think the mileage contest was invented by BMW, in order to make sure that the community puts lots of miles on their bikes, so they must buy new ones sooner.
Harley did the same thing years ago through their HOG organisation which heavily promoted distance touring. A new bike every 3-4 years is the result.

[Voni]

Life's like that.

it took me 7 years to ride my first 11,000 miles. It's a long way from that to 11,000 miles in 11 days!

Actually, the only year I rode FOR the miles was 1999 when I wanted to see how far I could ride in six months. Now the sMiles are just that or i don't do them.

Life's like that.

Voni
sMiling

[MANICMECHANIC]

I first really began riding in the '70's during the first gas crunch, primarily to save on gas. What ended up happening is I don't use any less gas, just go further and enjoy it more.

[71243]

When I was younger [pre arthritis] and vacation time was a premium,..I used to ride 500-800 miles p/day on trips...now 250-300. Also rode to commute, earrands,etc. And I used to ride in all sort of weather, now? cold & wet have no appeal..

I believe my highest mile years were upper 20k-lower30k p/year...now? I'm in the 5-8k p/year range.

But!...I still like riding as much as ever,....it's just that we change. My errands for examp. are so usually so close it's not worth dressing properly, & getting the M/C out,..easier to just jump in the truck,...and I really prefer to fully warm the M/C, as opposed to start it ,stop it...etc.