Going The Distance On Your Motorcycle

by Ron Ayalon⁽³⁾
Petwebdesigner Inc.

Have you ever taken a really long trip on your motorcycle? I’m not talking a measly 2,000 miles or anything like that. I’m talking 6,000 or 7,000 or even 10,000 miles. Serious distance. Well, in the name of sport, these sorts of long rides are becoming more and more popular--with the added wrinkle that the people doing them are putting in all those miles in a very short time.

Of course, the granddaddy of the lot is the Iron Butt Association. The starting point for the Iron Butt is to ride your bike 1,000 miles in one day. Do that and document it and you’re a lifetime member of the association. Then maybe you’ll want to tackle some of the group’s serious events.

The Iron Butt Rally is something held every other year and riders set out to cover a minimum of 9,000 miles over 11 days. If you’re actually competing, rather than simply hoping to finish, you want to hit all the checkpoints and accumulate the most points. You’re free to choose your own route and you can earn extra points by going out of your way to hit other optional checkpoints.

Putting those kinds of miles on the bike you better believe the selection of motorcycles is of major concern. Touring bikes such as the Kawasaki Concours 14 are popular because spending serious time in the saddle is what they’re designed for. Considerable fuel capacity is also important, which is another thing the Connie offers. The Yamaha FJR1300 is another popular long-distance bike.

Another long-distance challenge is the ALCAN 5000. This nine-day Alaska and Canada event covers something close to 5,000 miles, although the longest, in 1990, ran for 6,300 miles. Competitors race in teams and cars participate in addition to motorcycles. The ALCAN 5000 is not a race, but rather, a rally. Points are added to your total if you are early or late arriving at a checkpoint. He with the fewest points wins. It’s not about speed, it’s about planning and timing.

The Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge is a very different animal. Run for the first time in 2010, as a once-only event, it has come back for a second running in 2011. In last year’s race the rider began in Key West, FL, and rode to Homer, AK. That’s approximately 8,500 miles. It was a winner-take-all event with a prize of $500,000. The winner made the ride in just a hair over eight days.

For 2011, the starting point is San Diego, the route crosses through all 48 contiguous states, and the final destination is Nova Scotia. This year’s event is not a winner-take-all like last year. The top finishers will share a portion of the pot while the first place finisher will win by far the largest portion. Of course, there is considerable controversy surrounding the Hoka Hey, starting with the fact that road racing is illegal in all 50 states. With a sizeable pot for the winner, and the winner being the first to hit all the checkpoints and reach the finish line, this looks very much like a road race.

Then there was another event very similar to the Hoka Hey that had been announced but which has now been postponed for a year. The Guts and Glory Rally Across America was set to start in Los Angeles and spend 11 days covering more than 9,000 miles across the entire country. A grand prize of $100,000 had been announced. The plug was pulled on this year’s Guts and Glory Rally when the organizers of the Hoka Hey threatened to file a lawsuit against it as an unauthorized copycat event. The organizers promise to be back next year once the legal issues are resolved.

For New York Motorcycles, visit Island Powersports at www.IslandPowersports.comor call 516-795-4400. We have rock bottom pricing, outstanding customer service, and knowledgeable staff to satisfy your thirst for fun. Schedule an appointment today to get out and ride!

Article submitted Sunday, June 26, 2011 & read 1 times.

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