There are many people who feel it is a badge of honor to log a thousand miles in 24 hours on a motorcycle. This can be extremely dangerous.

To do 1000 miles in 24 hours, you have to ride at excessive speeds for long periods of time. At 70 mph consistently, it takes more than 14 hours! High-speed highway riding is always high-risk riding, especially at night. Riding at high speed cuts time and distance to react, even in daylight. At night, by the time something breaks the headlight beam, there is no time to avoid it. This is called “overriding the headlight”. When the object is a deer, a vehicle, or the side of a boxcar, the results are never in the rider’s favor.

If you pause only long enough to refill the tank, you do not take time to mentally refresh yourself or to check your bike. If the only focus is to get back on the road, you become careless. Is there a bubble on your tire, a taillight burned out or the chain loose?

Add natural fatigue and you have a formula for a fatality. (No a Red Bull will not overcome the fatigue) Fatigue impedes judgment and slows reactions. These factors combine to make a deadly and often fatal mix. Is it worth the risk for a little pin?

Ride smart, ride safe and Stay Alive!

Copyright @ 2000 by Jackie Vaughan