How many miles

[Aj Mick]

Originally Posted by baloneyskin daddy

I've been riding some sort of 2 wheeled vehicle for over 40 yrs and would have a hard time remembering some of the bikes I 've owned over the yrs let alone have kept an accounting of miles ridden. Yet I continually read posts from inmates that state how many miles they have under their belts. Do riders really do this or is it just a way of boasting? I guess if you only owned a few bikes and kept record of their mileage it's possible but what about dirt riding or riding someone elses bike?

Similarly, more than 50 years on two wheels, starting on bicycles a few years before I first rode a motorcycle in the mid '60s. I had a few road miles behind me on a bicycle before I got my motorcycle licence a couple of weeks after I turned 15.... and quite a few miles since in a largely uninterrupted career on two wheels, on and off road, in about 15 different countries.

Bikes owned? Just eight 100 to 350 cc machines, including the two I still own, and two that were stolen. I have ridden quite a range of other motorcycles though. I picked up my current ride with 90,000 km on the clock in 2003; it has now done over 212,000 km, and looks good for many more. The other I bought in 1985, also second hand. Now deregistered, it is still being used off road by some young fellows back home.

Overall just how many miles.....? Who cares?

A hundred yards off road can bring more variety than a hundred super-slab miles. An hour in the chaos of Asian traffic can produce more drama than a month on the relatively ordered roads of the west.