I just watched the Gumball Rally (again)
and I got to thinking. In the movie they said the race was 2,900 miles and the average speed was just over 85 mph taking 34 minutes 11 seconds. One day heading north I ran 285 miles through Oregon on a nice two lane where the speed limit was 55. With the help of my V1 I averaged just over 70 mph and that included a few stops for fuel etc, none taking over 5-10 minutes. I really wasn't on a speed run. This wasn’t like running across Nevada on an empty road for a hundred miles or so, there were towns to go by and car and truck traffic. Once I went from Missoula to Bozeman Montana in two hours flat stopping once for maybe 4 minutes. That covered 206 miles but, that was when the speed limit was ‘reasonable and prudent’ during daylight hours.
I miss those days. I passed a highway cop going the other direction and he didn’t even look over at me.
Just think of the overall running speed required to (average) 85 for 34 straight hours across the whole country. The only bike in the movie was a ridiculous KZ 400 2 stroke.
Suppose any of us could get anywhere close to that 34.11 hour time frame? I’ve heard of long distance (LD) riders with auxiliary fuel tanks doing coast to coast runs but, (why) is always my response. It can NOT be enjoyable can it? My azz would not like it one bit! When I had a Corvette roadster I drove thru eight states on a trip with the top down for all but 6 hours of heavy rain on the Oregon coast but, I was sitting comfortably, not holding onto a bike. On a bike, for a day ride or on tour, I usually stop every hour or so to swap out a piece of gum and have a drink and a smoke. I can’t see riding that fast for that long but in my car I might give it a try.
and I got to thinking. In the movie they said the race was 2,900 miles and the average speed was just over 85 mph taking 34 minutes 11 seconds. One day heading north I ran 285 miles through Oregon on a nice two lane where the speed limit was 55. With the help of my V1 I averaged just over 70 mph and that included a few stops for fuel etc, none taking over 5-10 minutes. I really wasn't on a speed run. This wasn’t like running across Nevada on an empty road for a hundred miles or so, there were towns to go by and car and truck traffic. Once I went from Missoula to Bozeman Montana in two hours flat stopping once for maybe 4 minutes. That covered 206 miles but, that was when the speed limit was ‘reasonable and prudent’ during daylight hours. I miss those days. I passed a highway cop going the other direction and he didn’t even look over at me. Just think of the overall running speed required to (average) 85 for 34 straight hours across the whole country. The only bike in the movie was a ridiculous KZ 400 2 stroke. Suppose any of us could get anywhere close to that 34.11 hour time frame? I’ve heard of long distance (LD) riders with auxiliary fuel tanks doing coast to coast runs but, (why) is always my response. It can NOT be enjoyable can it? My azz would not like it one bit! When I had a Corvette roadster I drove thru eight states on a trip with the top down for all but 6 hours of heavy rain on the Oregon coast but, I was sitting comfortably, not holding onto a bike. On a bike, for a day ride or on tour, I usually stop every hour or so to swap out a piece of gum and have a drink and a smoke. I can’t see riding that fast for that long but in my car I might give it a try.
