Now I am lucky enough to live in Chiang Mai, I do not travel so many km as when I was living in Khon Kaen. There is just so much great riding up here, one day loops, two day loops etc. Never felt the need to do the km just for the sake of it, and it seems a great shame to travel through the lovely scenery and to never see more than the braking and turn in points on each corner.
I remember the first time I did KK to CM. It was in December 2007 and I was riding a VFR800 to visit Yamaha in CM to place an order for a new FJR1300. FJR not yet arrived in Thailand but due early in the New Year. So many KK people warned me about the difficulties of all the mountain ranges one had to cross to reach CM. So I planned a 2 day trip, staying in Pitsanolok over night. Left KK at 6am just getting light, got cold going over Nam Nao, but arrived in Lomsak just before 8am and Pitsanolok by 9.30am. Seen some nice views but missed the dangerous mountains somehow. Would have been silly to spend the night, so pressed on on mainly fast roads to CM. Got to Yamaha, met Khun Tam, ordered the bike, he also rang around and found a buyer for my VFR at a reasonable price, willing to wait for the FJR to arrive. So my first night in CM, less said the better, but a great trip. Next day back to KK, The route about 660km took about 7 hours up and 6 hours back when I knew the roads better, and knew where the fuel stations were, so less worry about running out in places like Nam Nao.
Since that time, I have done the CM KK trip and back more times than I could count, always the fastest trips when riding alone on bikes like the R1 or the S1000RR, the slowest trips on various 250,s, but even on a 250 I have always found it a pleasant day ride.
Sorry about the rambling and have not even answered the OP's question. My longest ride was CM to Rayong on the FZ8, about 950km, maybe a bit further than necessary but got lost trying to avoid the toll roads around BKK. Was thinking about a 2 day trip, but good travel conditions and an early start made it a comfortable ride in less than 10 hours. I have found that on a naked bike speeds up to 150 are comfortable and reasonably economical, above that too much wind and too many fuel stops. So I tend to balance the speed with the distance and make it a good day ride ensuring arrival in good time to get a hotel and avoid the possibility of travelling in the dark.
