bikes for long road trips

[bradley33]

Anyone seasoned bikers here? What is a 450km bike ride like? I have only ridden dirt bikes ages ago casually. Was considering getting something cheap to get me between two towns about 5 hours apart on inland QLD roads(sealed) every couple of weekends. Save some costs versus taking the car, ( fuel. tires, wear and tear etc). The ride would be 4pm-9pm-ish so some night riding involved. Viable financially, impractical, impossible, unsafe? Id like to get a bike anyway for casual use, which stimulated this idea as well.

[bladeracer]

Anyone seasoned bikers here? What is a 450km bike ride like? I have only ridden dirt bikes ages ago casually. Was considering getting something cheap to get me between two towns about 5 hours apart on inland QLD roads(sealed) every couple of weekends. Save some costs versus taking the car, ( fuel. tires, wear and tear etc). The ride would be 4pm-9pm-ish so some night riding involved. Viable financially, impractical, impossible, unsafe? Id like to get a bike anyway for casual use, which stimulated this idea as well.

450km is nothing, that's four hours at highway speed, but you'll probably make a fuel stop.
I think it mainly depends on what you're used to. I've done 22 and 30 hours straight on the Fireblade, and did 24hr rides twice on the old CB1100F. Perth to Albany and back is only about eight-hours, but you need a fuel stop each way unless you carry extra. The Fireblade gave me more than 30kpl at highway speed, with extra fuel I had almost 1000km range.

For long stretches you want a throttle lock so you can rest your hand. Use a tank bag so you can lay against it to rest your arms and wrists. Carry a couple of army blankets and every time you stop for fuel stack them differently on your seat, this changes the angles of your back, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. If you carry extra fuel you aren't tied to making fuel stops at towns, just ride until you're empty, stop and have a wee and a Mars Bar while refilling the tank and carry on.

For night you really want decent headlights, and if you're well up North I would avoid night riding due to animals. In the Northwest lots of the highway is unfenced and you will come across cows in the floodways, your lights don't hit them until you're on your way down into them, which is generally too late to do anything about it. A guy was driving back to Perth from racing in Darwin a couple months ago and hit a cow, in daylight.

[Lazarus]

I've been fantasising of late about getting a new bike, it's not even remotely practical for me but what fantasies ever are?

Given my ultimate choice and a b-double full of cash it would be the new Ducati Multistrada V4S Adventure Rally.
An 1160cc Granturismo 90° V4 making 170hp, every techno-wheeny gadget in existence, inappropriateiy good looking and from the gazillion review videos I've drooled over, truly spectacular on and off road.

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[Oldbloke]

I doubt it's worth it for the savings. But depends what your driving I guess.
My I30 uses 5ltr per 100km. Not a lot.

Rego + insurance + servicing in my case almost 2k per car. But from memory rego is cheap for bikes.

Do it because you like riding.

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P.S. If the limit is 100kph you will only average about 85kph.

[Lazarus]

I doubt it's worth it for the savings. But depends what your driving I guess.
My I30 uses 5ltr per 100km. Not a lot.

Rego + insurance + servicing in my case almost 2k per car. But from memory rego is cheap for bikes.

Do it because you like riding.

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P.S. If the limit is 100kph you will only average about 85kph.

You're right about rego fees for bikes OB, very cheap, the killer is the 3rd party component.
Last bike I registered was a long time ago, rego was ~$35, greenslip was over $500

On fuel, from 2lt/100km for a runabout to 6 for a superbike

[bladeracer]

You're right about rego fees for bikes OB, very cheap, the killer is the 3rd party component.
Last bike I registered was a long time ago, rego was ~$35, greenslip was over $500

On fuel, from 2lt/100km for a runabout to 6 for a superbike

What's a greenslip?

I still have lots of bikes but only one remains registered, mainly for Rose's brother to ride occasionally.
My 1988 GPX250R rego is $381.55 per year - in WA.
I've never insured my bikes.

[Lazarus]

In NSW that's the compulsory 3rd party insurance component of registration.
I just ran the online calculator, and for someone like me it's $415.85

[bladeracer]

In NSW that's the compulsory 3rd party insurance component of registration.
I just ran the online calculator, and for someone like me it's $415.85

Okay, just read the rego, the insurance is $259.18, plus GST of $25.92, plus insurance duty of $28.50. $313.60 total for the compulsory 3rd party.

[Blr243]

I went from bris to charlieville once and back home again next day .. 90 per cent of it was daytime riding. 650 Dr Suzuki trail bike ... I can’t remember it being terribly uncomfortable... but no more. Too many bloody Roos even daytime u just never know when a stupid one is gun a cross the road and send u grinding along

[Lazarus]

As you were, Ducati has just lost me.

For $10,000 LESS one can get the Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Explorer.

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https://youtu.be/FPJLF70YlsA

[GQshayne]

Seasoned biker, and there is no way I would be doing it in prime roo time.

As for costs compared to the car, I doubt you would ever recover the difference the bike and its expenses cost. The cost of tyres and chain and sprockets come up much quickwer than car stuff does. Bike tyres do about 13-15000 km before needing replacement and cost about $600 a pair.

I have two road bikes, and enjoy them both, but would not be doing what you suggest.

[MontyShooter]

1250GSA here and I wouldn't ride at night either. Just a matter of time if you do it frequently. As to saving money it's a bit like reloading. Sounds good in theory but it can be a money pit like most hobbies.
Having said all that I have several bikes and probably told myself I'd save money too. Bikes are fun. Fun stuff costs money.

[Billo]

The state of the roads in NSW makes even thinking of riding depressing, I'm a big believer that night time riding is just too dangerous and not worth the risk.

[Lazarus]

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[bradley33]

Thanks guys, I really no have no great interest in riding again, this was literally a cost saving idea. Might look around for a smaller basher to make the drive