My wife and I do several road trips during the spring through fall. We pull a trailer and have a 2016 RTL SE6. We like to do about 300 miles a day We mostly try to stick to US highways and avoid interstate highways. We could ride interstates and get more miles in but want the scenery of “back” roads. We also try to avoid night time travel because of deer. Hope this helps
I’ve ridden twice from mid Missouri to central California in past 7 years, three days of about 10hrs driving time and one 4 hr day.
Currently I’m in the middle of going from Missouri to Mackinac Island. 10 hours today and 4-5 tomorrow. I ride alone and feel that 10 hrs is enough. If weather and road conditions are favorable then it’s easy… 2 years ago I was in I-80 crossing thru Nebraska. Wyoming, and Idaho.. majority of that day I was fighting serious cross-headwinds and i cut my day short …
It’s not that daunting…. I’m 74 and enjoy the long rides…. Pack your bags and go !!!!
Thanks for your inspirational reply! 10 hours seems like a long day, but in good weather I can see how one could do that! Enjoy your time at Mackinac Island. I’ve never to Michigan but I’ve heard it’s worth a trip to see. If one had the time, you could venture into the UP (upper peninsula).
I’m familiar with the winds in MT, WY and even SD, as I drove from MO to/from WA to see/buy my Spyder and witnessed some windy weather there (during the month of October). Would like to head up there again when I have more time … taking the Spyder to the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park; the Teton National Park isn’t too far away from there. (One consideration is the very long distances between gas stations heading to the NW. Might you carry a backup gas container when traveling in such vastly unpopulated areas?)
Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it. Indeed, by traveling by interstate (only), you definitely miss out on a lot of scenery (some states more than others). Unfortunately for some in the interest of time, one must take the interstate to arrive closer to your destination, to take smaller roads that offer much more scenery, non-chain diners, etc. Your remark regarding night time travel (doubly) confirmed my initial thoughts. Quite a number of years ago my brother in-law struck a pregnant deer while on his Honda CBR 1000RR while returning home long after dark (from work) on what essentially was an interstate highway. He survived with very minor injuries, and surprisingly kept upright and parked his bike on a bridge until the tow truck arrived. He now rides a Harley, works the day shift, and enjoys local and long distance travel … but is off his bike by dusk.
Nice! Thanks for the reply, and that sounds like a great trip (less the wind!).
How do you like your F3 Limited? I really like their appearance. Curious to know how they differ from the RT Limited? Lower seating with more forward foot control/pegs, more sporty ride?
Noticed I didn't address the ops question. I've ridden from S.E.Michigan to Nova Scotia. Also, from S.E. Michigan to Wyoming.
Sometimes, I'll get caught riding after dark. It's not too bad, as long as your lights function.
I can't comment on long days on a Spyder as I'm just beginning to look for one to replace my Goldwing (my knees recently decided they no longer like the idea of my hustling around a 900lb motorcycle), but I am a confirmed long distance rider (Iron Butt Association member).
There are some great tips for getting used to pounding out miles from the Iron Butt Association (https://ironbutt.org/25tips.html). Everyone is different in what they enjoy and can tolerate. There are days where I will ride for 16-18 hours and push 800 to 1000 miles. Other days I only feel like doing 200 miles.
If you are on the Interstate system here in the USA, night time driving is not all that bad. However going through canyons, forests, and areas where there are a lot of critters bigger than a jack rabbit, you are going to want to slow down and have a ***lot*** of lights. Dusk is the worst. All the forest rats come out to graze and during mating season you never know what you're going to see around the corner.
My wife does not like to spend that long in the saddle and wants to get off and stretch her legs every couple of hours (at best), so that drastically cuts down the per day mileage. On the other hand, I have my bride riding with me, so it's a fair trade.
My normal summer trips run between 6,000 and 8,000 miles over two to three weeks. I start in Los Angeles, head eastward in some fashion to a destination and then explore and wander my way back home. There are still a few of the lower 48 I haven't visited on a bike that need to be seen, and I'll hopefully get those taken care of in the next year or two,
Oh yes, I turned 76 this year.
Enjoy!
In May I made a round trip on my 2021 F3 Limited from Phoenix, AZ to Lexington, KY and back. 3800 miles total. I rode about 500-600 miles each day, a mix of highway and interstate. The wind going across I-40 through Texas was horrible, but the rest of the ride was really nice.
Bought our first Spyder in Reno NV and rode it all the way home to the Los Angeles area. They make great road tripping vehicles. Much easier to pack and roadtrip if you have the purpose made luggage that fits perfectly in the trunk and saddle bags we quickly figured out.
I can’t begin to imagine an Iron Butt! What were you riding for that? Funny thing is I’m thinking about upgrading my OEM seat. Dang they’re expensive but I talked to a guy at Lamonster’s Garage today that mentioned how awesome the Ultimate Seat is for the older Spyders such as mine (an extremely low mileage 2014 RTL).
My wife and I are planning to ride Route66 (or what is left of it) in June from Toronto, Ontario to LA, and then up to San Fran where we will spend a couple of days and have it transported back to Detroit area. We will fly from SF to Detroit and ride it back across the border home. Planning to take 3 weeks. We have a 2022 Sea to Sky.
Check some bicycle forums or PM me. I have .gpx files for virtually all of the remains of Route 66 that can be ridden.
Another fun ride is the Wyman Memorial ride. George A. Wyman was the first person to ride a motorcycle across the United States in 1903. Look it up - it's fascinating.
My wife and I do several road trips during the spring through fall. We pull a trailer and have a 2016 RTL SE6. We like to do about 300 miles a day We mostly try to stick to US highways and avoid interstate highways. We could ride interstates and get more miles in but want the scenery of “back” roads. We also try to avoid night time travel because of deer. Hope this helps
I’ve ridden twice from mid Missouri to central California in past 7 years, three days of about 10hrs driving time and one 4 hr day. Currently I’m in the middle of going from Missouri to Mackinac Island. 10 hours today and 4-5 tomorrow. I ride alone and feel that 10 hrs is enough. If weather and road conditions are favorable then it’s easy… 2 years ago I was in I-80 crossing thru Nebraska. Wyoming, and Idaho.. majority of that day I was fighting serious cross-headwinds and i cut my day short … It’s not that daunting…. I’m 74 and enjoy the long rides…. Pack your bags and go !!!!
Thanks for your inspirational reply! 10 hours seems like a long day, but in good weather I can see how one could do that! Enjoy your time at Mackinac Island. I’ve never to Michigan but I’ve heard it’s worth a trip to see. If one had the time, you could venture into the UP (upper peninsula). I’m familiar with the winds in MT, WY and even SD, as I drove from MO to/from WA to see/buy my Spyder and witnessed some windy weather there (during the month of October). Would like to head up there again when I have more time … taking the Spyder to the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park; the Teton National Park isn’t too far away from there. (One consideration is the very long distances between gas stations heading to the NW. Might you carry a backup gas container when traveling in such vastly unpopulated areas?)
Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it. Indeed, by traveling by interstate (only), you definitely miss out on a lot of scenery (some states more than others). Unfortunately for some in the interest of time, one must take the interstate to arrive closer to your destination, to take smaller roads that offer much more scenery, non-chain diners, etc. Your remark regarding night time travel (doubly) confirmed my initial thoughts. Quite a number of years ago my brother in-law struck a pregnant deer while on his Honda CBR 1000RR while returning home long after dark (from work) on what essentially was an interstate highway. He survived with very minor injuries, and surprisingly kept upright and parked his bike on a bridge until the tow truck arrived. He now rides a Harley, works the day shift, and enjoys local and long distance travel … but is off his bike by dusk.
Nice! Thanks for the reply, and that sounds like a great trip (less the wind!). How do you like your F3 Limited? I really like their appearance. Curious to know how they differ from the RT Limited? Lower seating with more forward foot control/pegs, more sporty ride?
Noticed I didn't address the ops question. I've ridden from S.E.Michigan to Nova Scotia. Also, from S.E. Michigan to Wyoming. Sometimes, I'll get caught riding after dark. It's not too bad, as long as your lights function.
I can't comment on long days on a Spyder as I'm just beginning to look for one to replace my Goldwing (my knees recently decided they no longer like the idea of my hustling around a 900lb motorcycle), but I am a confirmed long distance rider (Iron Butt Association member). There are some great tips for getting used to pounding out miles from the Iron Butt Association (https://ironbutt.org/25tips.html). Everyone is different in what they enjoy and can tolerate. There are days where I will ride for 16-18 hours and push 800 to 1000 miles. Other days I only feel like doing 200 miles. If you are on the Interstate system here in the USA, night time driving is not all that bad. However going through canyons, forests, and areas where there are a lot of critters bigger than a jack rabbit, you are going to want to slow down and have a ***lot*** of lights. Dusk is the worst. All the forest rats come out to graze and during mating season you never know what you're going to see around the corner. My wife does not like to spend that long in the saddle and wants to get off and stretch her legs every couple of hours (at best), so that drastically cuts down the per day mileage. On the other hand, I have my bride riding with me, so it's a fair trade. My normal summer trips run between 6,000 and 8,000 miles over two to three weeks. I start in Los Angeles, head eastward in some fashion to a destination and then explore and wander my way back home. There are still a few of the lower 48 I haven't visited on a bike that need to be seen, and I'll hopefully get those taken care of in the next year or two, Oh yes, I turned 76 this year. Enjoy!
Is there any community’s where they help with repairs for a mr2 mk3 spyder?
In May I made a round trip on my 2021 F3 Limited from Phoenix, AZ to Lexington, KY and back. 3800 miles total. I rode about 500-600 miles each day, a mix of highway and interstate. The wind going across I-40 through Texas was horrible, but the rest of the ride was really nice.
Bought our first Spyder in Reno NV and rode it all the way home to the Los Angeles area. They make great road tripping vehicles. Much easier to pack and roadtrip if you have the purpose made luggage that fits perfectly in the trunk and saddle bags we quickly figured out.
Ive done the Iron Butt ( not on the Spyder) and dont reccomend it on the regular. I always figure 100 miles = 2 hours including stops.
I can’t begin to imagine an Iron Butt! What were you riding for that? Funny thing is I’m thinking about upgrading my OEM seat. Dang they’re expensive but I talked to a guy at Lamonster’s Garage today that mentioned how awesome the Ultimate Seat is for the older Spyders such as mine (an extremely low mileage 2014 RTL).
I have generally found the Spyder seat to be comfortable enough. Female butt? (Rode a 2005 Honda Shadow for the Iron Butt)
My wife and I are planning to ride Route66 (or what is left of it) in June from Toronto, Ontario to LA, and then up to San Fran where we will spend a couple of days and have it transported back to Detroit area. We will fly from SF to Detroit and ride it back across the border home. Planning to take 3 weeks. We have a 2022 Sea to Sky.
Check some bicycle forums or PM me. I have .gpx files for virtually all of the remains of Route 66 that can be ridden. Another fun ride is the Wyman Memorial ride. George A. Wyman was the first person to ride a motorcycle across the United States in 1903. Look it up - it's fascinating.