How many miles ridden annually?

[maximNikenGT]

Decided to take a poll after seeing Bennett survey on motorcyclists. How many miles do you typically ride in a given year?

[kilo3]

5-6k usually a set of tires a year.

[betoney]

Average about 14,000 miles a year.  Due to our crappy NW weather that's about 7-8 months of riding per year.

[whisperquiet]

Over 30,000 miles so far this year and over 34,000 miles in 2021.  I have ridden 20,000+ miles for 17 years straight including this year and my goal is twenty consecutive 20,000 mile riding years.

I am currently down to one motorcycle after selling my Tracer 900 GT in the summer and selling my Tenere 700 last month.  So, I have been piling the miles on my Super Tenere.

 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by whisperquiet

[2and3cylinders]

Before my health issues really crimped my game from 2020 on I averaged 10~15K miles per season the prior 48 years, which since moving here in 81 from San Diego is May through maybe November...and 90% of the miles BION are within only a 300 mile radius!

Though even with 3 surgeries within 12 months since August of 21 and thus this season for me not starting until July, I managed about 5k miles 😞

Cuz I'm semi-tough but certainly have gotten much softer and inflexible, and definitely will never qualify for an Iron Butt.

I hope in another 15 months I'll be back to my old average and do most of it +500 miles from the ranch!

[whisperquiet]

1 hour ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Before my health issues really crimped my game from 2020 on I averaged 10~15K miles per season the prior 48 years, which since moving here in 81 from San Diego is May through maybe November...and 90% of the miles BION are within only a 300 mile radius!

Though even with 3 surgeries within 12 months since August of 21 and thus this season for me not starting until July, I managed about 5k miles 😞

Cuz I'm semi-tough but certainly have gotten much softer and inflexible, and definitely will never qualify for an Iron Butt.

I hope in another 15 months I'll be back to my old average and do most of it +500 miles from the ranch!

Chicagoland metro traffic would knock a lot of miles off of anybody’s riding.  Good luck with the healing process…..takes longer as you age.

[2and3cylinders]

Thanks, tell me about it!

And I've got +6 years on you...

Hard years hanging off the outside of skyscrapers and antenna towers since 80

 

 

[texscottyd]

Interesting range of responses so far… 

I’m averaging about 5,000 miles per year, spread over two (now three) motorcycles.   While I would like to ride significantly more, day-to-day life realities keep the mileage opportunities in check.  

On the plus side, that is 100% pleasure and recreation riding:  Exactly zero commuter miles.   I’ll sneak out occasionally during the work week of a short ride (typically the Speed Twin or now the XR1200), but the majority of my miles comes in 200 - 300 mile bites on the weekend (where the FJ is superb). 

[miweber929]

I used to be all about the miles in my younger, single days where 15,000 or more per year was not uncommon while living in Wisconsin where you loose 4 or 5 months due to winter. But as time has gone on, I’ve gotten married, have other hobbies and work is brutal my miles have dropped off with only minimal commuting because my main work location is starting to become an unsafe place to park anything valuable. 

Now I’m in the 3,000-4,000 a year range spread across several bikes. The way I look at it, however, is now the smiles per mile is a much higher ratio because while I don’t ride as much, when I do ride it’s better quality. Most of the time I’m either taking trips to the Smoky’s or riding two up with my wife who also loves to ride. A lot of times were just puttering around with her on her Metropolitan scooter and me on my Monkey or Navi, grabbing dinner or hitting the neighborhood. Might only be 5 or 6 miles but it’s sometimes better than a day in the saddle  

But I have made a few changes over this last summer where I go for a ride by myself at least once a weekend and bought the Tracer in hopes that traveling becomes easier and more comfortable which it absolutely has. I’m hoping to get back to a 6,000 -7,500 miles per season which I think is the sweet spot. Thing is, though, I bought a Jeep Wrangler at the end of ‘21 and with the top down I can carry a lot more and still get the open air feeling so who knows???

I used to see a lack of miles as something I’d look down on someone for but I get it now. 

Edited December 10, 2022 by miweber929

[betoney]

45 minutes ago, miweber929 said:

15,000 or more per year was not uncommon while living in Wisconsin where you loose 4 or 5 months due to winter.

I'm in the same situation and as strange as it may sound, I kind of like limitations.  The anticipation over winter makes the riding in spring so much sweeter and FINALLY getting to go on a long road trip makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. 

My mindset has always been to take advantage of "riding weather" because its limited here in the PNW, some of our best riding is in the Cascade mountain range and a lot of the mountain passes are closed almost half of the year due to snow, so when they open for riding we really savor the opportunity and between May and October I pack in as much riding as I possibly can.  I often wonder if I had unrestricted access to ride the same area year-around, would I enjoy it as much?

[2and3cylinders]

Not so with me.

I'd rather be riding year round and have missed San Diego every day for the last 42 years!

Now that my youngest lives in Mission Valley and has a spare bedroom, bath and indoor parking space, I'm going to be visiting her as often as possible during the cold months! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[2and3cylinders]

 At least Waterloo is close to the ozarks Babe

 I hate to say it but Arkansas aint too far away

 Crazy state Arkansas

[whisperquiet]

6 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

 At least Waterloo is close to the ozarks Babe

 I hate to say it but Arkansas aint too far away

 Crazy state Arkansas

I live south of St Louis, MO and most of the riding in Missouri south of Interstate 44 is great riding + central and NW Arkansas……..I’ve worn out many a tire in MO and AR👍

[Larz]

11 hours ago, betoney said:

I'm in the same situation and as strange as it may sound, I kind of like limitations.  The anticipation over winter makes the riding in spring so much sweeter and FINALLY getting to go on a long road trip makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. 

My mindset has always been to take advantage of "riding weather" because its limited here in the PNW, some of our best riding is in the Cascade mountain range and a lot of the mountain passes are closed almost half of the year due to snow, so when they open for riding we really savor the opportunity and between May and October I pack in as much riding as I possibly can.  I often wonder if I had unrestricted access to ride the same area year-around, would I enjoy it as much?

Indeed, being able to ride year-round was a dream come true the first couple of years down here in Az, compared to the seasonal nature of motorcycling in North Idaho. Used to go ride Hwy 88 every freakin day; 110' in the Summer or 60' in the Winter, didn't matter. But as the novelty wore off, and health issues from my cancer have gotten worse, well I just don't ride enough anymore. Sure miss some of great riding the PNW has to offer ; we only have a few rides down here that come close. Still any riding is better than none,eh.

[maximNikenGT]

7% of 1898 riders surveyed would put it at 133 riders that put in under 1k miles annually, with 44% of 1898 riders = 835 riders clocking under 3k miles or less annually. 

I too found this surprising because I would have thought riders in UK and Europe would clock in way more scenic miles...could be the cost of petrol is much higher in Europe.