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[grayghost731]

I  did  Not want to         So  I am just gonna ask...   due to work and kids    and wife       I  can't get out for 3or4 ours for a ride.

so  during the week  I go 20 or 30 miles out and loop back to the house (4 or 5) times a week.  in another thread a guy was saying that that's harder on a bike than
riding a 1,000 mile trip.   Was just wondering?   

[Fired00d]

Don't know about the "distance" factor but have heard that you should get the bike/fluids up to operating temps if you are going to start the bike. That statement was made when the question arises about starting the bike up in the winter when you aren't going to ride it. Getting the fluids up to operating temps burns off condensation/impurities.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[Para Bellum]

X2.

As long as you're riding for more than about 20 minutes, it should be getting up to temp and boiling off the nasty evil corrosion-causing engine-killing by-products of internal combustion processes and reactions.     

[VaEagle]

X3 I agree with Fired00d.......need to run bike long enough to get temps up and burn off condensation etc. and to get the charging system working with higher rpms so hopefully not much running at low speeds or stopped.

[grc]

I  did  Not want to         So  I am just gonna ask...   due to work and kids    and wife       I  can't get out for 3or4 ours for a ride.

so  during the week  I go 20 or 30 miles out and loop back to the house (4 or 5) times a week.  in another thread a guy was saying that that's harder on a bike than
riding a 1,000 mile trip.   Was just wondering?   

Another generalization that you can safely ignore.  In theory you get less engine wear if you start it and never turn it off, since a significant percentage of total wear occurs during startup before you get full lubrication.  I doubt the guys doing 1000 mile trips never stop for fuel or food or rest, so they are also stopping and starting their engines.  What I would suggest is as others have already mentioned, ride far enough to get the drivetrain up to full operating temperatures versus just doing five miles to the local hangout and five miles back home later in the evening.  Twenty miles of normal riding is sufficient unless you like to ride in the dead of winter.  Besides, odds are a Harley engine will fail from design, engineering, and/or poor part quality long before you actually wear it out.

Jerry

[grayghost731]

Thanks Men        just  making  sure.    my  bike is stored from nov-march.  No  winter riding here   

[JCZ]

If you leave after the sun comes up and you're home before the sun goes down....it's a short ride.  Jusayinzall 

[Twolanerider]

Twenty miles of normal riding is sufficient unless you like to ride in the dead of winter.  Besides, odds are a Harley engine will fail from design, engineering, and/or poor part quality long before you actually wear it out.

Jerry

Have to love optimism in all of its flavors!   


Y'know what?  The entire thread is being considered from the wrong perspective.  No matter what small percentage of time before failure to the bike short rides might cause the time before failure of our mental health is shortened considerably more if we don't ride.  So just ride  .