[dhgeyer]

For me, and I suspect for many others, the riding position is very important, along with the saddle, vibration and noise from the bike, weather, riding gear, riding experience, knowledge, and habits.

I am in my 60's, and only in moderately good condition at best. However, I do ride a lot, so the motorcycle specific muscles are toned pretty well. I have done 500 mile days on a sport touring bike and been none the worse for wear. I did a 265 mile day on a Honda Rebel, and to my amazement, I felt fine afterward. I have gone 100 miles on other bikes and hurt all over.

For me, the cruiser position is the worst for distance. The feet and arms all forward put all my weight on the saddle, and all the bumps and vibrations go right into my back, which generally doesn't last long. The best position for me, and for most distance riders, is the sport-touring position. Pegs under me, knees bent somewhat, legs carrying some of the weight and acting as shock absorbers, some (but not too much) weight on arms and hands for the most even weight distribution possible.

Proper gear is important. You need either a full face helmet or a tall enough windshield to keep the wind blast off your face. You need to keep most of your skin covered, even if it's with mesh riding gear. If the weather is wet, you need good rain gear to stay dry. If it's hot, you need to find a way to stay covered but cool. A wet T-shirt under your riding jacket is an old trick distance riders use in hot weather, as is a wet kerchief or rag of some kind around your neck.

You need to stay hydrated. And, very important, you need to take frequent breaks. Don't just stop long enough to gas the bike - walk around and stretch. Take an extended break every two or three hours.

You don't want to eat a lot of heavy food before or during a long ride, but you don't want to be uncomfortably hungry either. Just enough fairly light food, in small but regular snacks is the way to go. Did I mention keeping hydrated?

You want to move around on the bike at frequent intervals. Take each hand off one handgrip and turn your upper body around and stretch. Stand on the pegs once in a while. Arch your back and then lean way forward bending your back in the opposite direction. Put your feet on the passenger pegs for a while and lean forward. When stopped at lights or in traffic, take the opportunity to stand and stretch (keeping the bike in first gear in case you need to gun it out of someone's way to avoid being rear-ended).

This is just the barest intro. There are books written on successful distance riding. If you want to tour, or stretch your rides out, reading a couple of those books would be a good investment.

I just got the GZ250, so I don't know what its distance potential is for me. If I ride smart and do my part, I'm pretty sure I can get a couple of hundred miles out of it in a day and enjoy it. Maybe more on a good day. We'll see.