Route 66 Trip - Anyone done it?

[rastuscat]

Got any recommendations re the Chicago to LA trip?

Who to go with?

Mrs Cat and I looking at it for next Dec.

[Laava]

Route 66 is just a nostalgia trip. Go to the places you fancy going to and forget about doing "66".
Just my opinion, but if you research on google I believe you will find a better holiday and still get to go to many of the places on the old route.
Don,t get me wrong, there is a lot to see, but you can cut out the crap. Check out the grand canyon and Las Vegas for sure. LV surprised me in many ways by being a great place to visit. Even for families with little kids.
Also not that far from utah and salt flats?

[Big Dave]

Got any recommendations re the Chicago to LA trip?

Who to go with?

Mrs Cat and I looking at it for next Dec.

Heavy Duty, my publisher over this side of the ditch, also operate a travel agent specialising in such.

Next one is August, not sure thereafter:

http://www.heavyduty.com.au/heavy-duty-tours/2014-usa-tour-to-sturgis/

info@heavyduty.com.au

[Zedder]

Got any recommendations re the Chicago to LA trip?

Who to go with?

Mrs Cat and I looking at it for next Dec.

I've only done the California segment of it rtc lol. Some guys I worked with over there did the whole route with Eagle tours though, some loved some said, like Laava, do other things.

[Gremlin]

Route 66 is just a nostalgia trip. Go to the places you fancy going to and forget about doing "66".
Wot e sed. You'd do it for "doing 66". Compared to all the other riding I did, the small amount I did was as boring as batshit. Typical roads you'd expect in the USA, straight, flat etc. There is far better riding to be had.

Definitely Grand Canyon, Death Valley is unmatched climate wise (go early because it only gets hotter throughout the day - my BMW topped out at 53 degrees).

[ducatijim]

Got any recommendations re the Chicago to LA trip?

Who to go with?

Mrs Cat and I looking at it for next Dec.

As per previous post its not for everyone. Unless you are into early 'merican motoring things, and maybe have some connection with the 'mother road' or family who lived thru that era, I cant see the point in ruining a grand American adventure by riding that route.
I have travelled over 30,000km in the states and without exception, EVERYWHERE is more stunning, scenic and far better riding than Rt 66.

I would be happy to offer advice if you desire.

The US is a great place to ride and travel, so do go. Jamie.

[babysteps]

PM me if you like, I'm happy to talk to you about my experience there. :-)

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[Jjgres]

66 is broken up, lots of it paved over by newer routes. There's some nice original sections in California and Arizona.

[Smifffy]

Agree with the others. Have done sections of 66 and spoken to others that have done it. A guy at work planned for years to do it in a convertible mustang as the trip of a lifetime and came home disappointed. It's pretty neat for bragging rights, but that's about all. Arizona has some awesome sights to see, and I would really love to ride through Monument Valley when I go back, it was spectacular enough in a car.

[Erelyes]

Henry Cole appeared to have a fairly shit time when he did it on the 'World's greatest motorcycle rides' show. And that was with people researching cool shit for him to do and a support car.

[Blackbird]

A friend of mine from the UK, Gary Francis, rode across the USA in 2010. He has a blog which details his trip but he subsequently wrote a book on his trip which is absolutely stunning in its detail and quality of photography. It really is the benchmark for anyone wanting to travel across the States. This is a link to an overview on his blog: http://www.garysfrance.com/motorcycle-touring/21000-miles-in-the-usa-motorcycle-tour/. I'd strongly recommend getting hold of his book but would be happy to lend you mine for a short while if you want to assess its value.

Cheers,

Geoff

[Zedder]

A friend of mine from the UK, Gary Francis, rode across the USA in 2010. He has a blog which details his trip but he subsequently wrote a book on his trip which is absolutely stunning in its detail and quality of photography. It really is the benchmark for anyone wanting to travel across the States. This is a link to an overview on his blog: http://www.garysfrance.com/motorcycle-touring/21000-miles-in-the-usa-motorcycle-tour/. I'd strongly recommend getting hold of his book but would be happy to lend you mine for a short while if you want to assess its value.

Cheers,

Geoff

Both inspiring and reminiscent for me Geoff, much like your blog which thankfully you didn't delete. I still refer to it.

[Blackbird]

Both inspiring and reminiscent for me Geoff, much like your blog which thankfully you didn't delete. I still refer to it.

Gary was in NZ earlier this year, travelling by car this time with his wife. A remarkable guy who is not only passionate about bikes, but followed his dream.

Very kind words thanks Zedder. It won't be there forever though :laugh:

[Zedder]

Gary was in NZ earlier this year, travelling by car this time with his wife. A remarkable guy who is not only passionate about bikes, but followed his dream.

Very kind words thanks Zedder. It won't be there forever though :laugh:

Its potential demise is very understandable given your activities.

Incidently, I was down your way last month and as usual wished the Coromandel Peninsula was much closer. It's such a great place and I'm not a fan of the motorway ride to get there, although, I have been known to go via Kawakawa Bay and the Firth of Thames coastal route.

[Gremlin]

Depending on what you want to do, consider a group which can make things cheaper - I was with this guy: http://www.kiwiken.co.nz/. He's also a KB member, ratast from memory. Just watch out, most of the group used Harleys so I'm probably lucky I wasn't murdered in my sleep, with all the cheap shots I enjoyed :laugh: My 45 odd day trip is also written up in my KB blogs.

Pro tip: Don't go off the reservation exploring a "cool looking road" and up in the approximate area of 127 Hours, drop your bike, and have to tackle some very rough terrain. Finally roll into the planned stop at 2145 (slightly after your planned 1700 arrival) and have everyone wondering where you were. Many made the suggestion a search party needed to be raised - but they had no idea where they should search :innocent:

I look back on it with a lot of humour as I knew at the time, but it wasn't very funny in the midst of it :facepalm:

[longwayfromhome]

Got any recommendations re the Chicago to LA trip?

Who to go with?

Mrs Cat and I looking at it for next Dec.

I did 240k km in the US over 10 years. Been back 5 years. I would be pleased to give you some route advice if you wanted as I only missed Rhode Island and Alaska (I know, the two best bits :laugh:). I would not recommend Rt66 for the reasons already given. The US is God's gift to motorcycling and my recommendation would be for you to enjoy the bounty and not be taken in by the Rt66 saga. If you must, then do sections in the mid-West out from Chicago... where the story is more about the people and places rather than the riding. When you get to the spectacular country out west, there are many different places to go that leave Rt66 for dead.

One other thing... best not to go in December. Latest is September, possibly October. After the leaves fall in mid-October, the land slowly settles in for winter by turning grey, misty and everything closes. People turn inward, not outward. They just had a mild week in Chicago, but things are changing... " Intensifying low pressure is forecast to pass west and north of the region on Wednesday, drawing mild, rainy weather into the Midwest, on howling south winds. Polar air massing across western portions of Canada and the U.S. is then forecast to begin spreading east. By Friday, a large amplitude dip in the jet stream is expected to develop, allowing polar air to reach the Midwest. Temperatures next weekend are forecast to remain well below freezing. " They just had big storms in November that killed a number of people with the freezing rain - not good conditions for riding. I have ridden in 19F - this was OK, but I wouldn't do it day after day and you can only do it if there is no moisture about. Any defrost/refreeze will cause you to be stopped because of ice. Weather is serious in the US, much more so than here.

Jeez, if you could do the canyon country (Grand, Zion, Bryce,Arches, Canyonlands), up to Wyoming (Yellowstone, Beartooth Pass, Chief Joseph Scenic Byway) and then have the pick of Glacier/Banff/Jasper to the north, or Rocky Mountains NP/Gunnison/Santa Fe to the south or Crater lake or the redwoods/Tahoe/Yosemite to the west, finishing with highway 1 from SanFran to LA... wow, there a brilliant 1-2 months - time of your life.

As I said, happy to work with you.

[Theantidote]

my son has been bitchin at me to take him for the route 66 experience after seeing that scottish fella on tv (sorry mind fart and can't remember jack at the mo)
i have just finished the backblocks...gareth (cat lover) and his wife thingo morgan doing mexico, the states, canada and alaska...it all sounded like a really good trip with so much variety in a single day...so i'm sure what ever you decide you'll forge memories for sure...
hei everyone else...keep up the really good feedback...it makes for a good read and future reference for all of us...:woohoo:

[rastuscat]

Have gone off the idea of 66 but looks like a USA trip in about mid 2015.

Is it a better idea to take my own bike? Seems harder than it probably is.

[longwayfromhome]

Have gone off the idea of 66 but looks like a USA trip in about mid 2015.

Is it a better idea to take my own bike? Seems harder than it probably is.

Having warned about the winter, I should warn you about the summer :no: - July and August. I saw 107F on the way to the Grand Canyon a few years ago last week of August... I drained the camelback several times during the day and we were quite listless lying in the pool that night in Kingman, AZ. The heat is pretty extreme (100F+ very regularly in the mountain states during the day) and while many can handle it with suitable hydration, many can't. After a few days of it you can get quite sick, very knocked about, very tired if you aren't careful. Many accidents on bikes are attributed to guys blacking out due to dehydration.

I did ride with a guy who flew a K1200LT from the UK into Philly and back again, he had a blast, but money was no object for him. I would think that the bike will take about $1k each way, so you have to set that off against buying and having to wait around at the end to sell it. RT's are a dime a dozen, but with the new water cooled RT available by then I suspect it would be easy to buy and difficult to sell. California is your best bet. I rented at ~$100/day for a GS/RT/GT from San Jose BMW a few years ago for an extended rental.

[Gremlin]

Have gone off the idea of 66 but looks like a USA trip in about mid 2015.

Is it a better idea to take my own bike? Seems harder than it probably is.
I took my GSA, but then, it was perfectly set up for the trip, and as part of the group above, shipping was NZ$3k return. We got the bikes to Wellington, then crated them and into containers. Kiwi Shipping USA side handled landing, Ken (organiser from link) made sure we filled in appropriate carnets etc. Being part of the group is excellent like that, he told me exactly what he needed from me, where I needed to be etc. He usually does a trip a year, so also keeps dealing with the same people, which makes things all business as usual.

Pros of shipping: You ride your own bike, photos have your own bike in it. It's setup exactly how you like. Foreign plate in a friendly place like the USA makes an excellent starting point (I also put NZ flags each side of the bike just under the screen) for conversation, and I figured drivers would cut me a little slack seeing a foreign plate. Extended trips of multiple weeks (I was there for 6-7 weeks) makes rental expensive. A Hardley for example was around $7500 for the trip ie, more than twice the price of shipping.

Pros of renting: Insurance is inclued in rental (arranging insurance was US$660 I think) and should you have a break down, the rental company sorts you out. With your own bike, you're very much on your own (I hoped reciprocal AA would assist should anything happen). Harley has massive support in the USA. Couple of guys had issues with their rentals, one was mid-trip, and the local dealership boss lent them his personal Harley, saying he'd sort with insurance and caught up with them a day later, their rental in tow and swapped bikes back. The support is impressive.

As for heat, Ken was good like that, plotting a course north from LA into Canada and then back around through the states. Throughout the trip we slowly acclimatised to higher altitude and more heat. It topped out heading through Death Valley, the bike air gauge hitting a maximum of 53 degrees, or 127F. Not recommended though, the suggestion was to leave Las Vegas at 0600, I left at 1100, and went through at pretty much the hottest part of the day. Only time I've ever felt in real danger, as it wasn't about fun, it was about survival. I could feel the dehydration taking effect, and people have died on trips like this in lower temperatures, when you catch the dehydration too late.

Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of heading out of town on the Interstate, you will miss all the good stuff.

[Old Steve]

I've just started reading Mike Hyde's Twisting Throttle America. Mr Throttle can write a good book, seems to have a little bit of Bill Bryson in his blood. I've just got to where he rides over the Rockies on the Going to the Sun road in Montana, bit of a thrill cos I drove over it when we did our OE back in '77.

I'd love to ride across the States one day, but wouldn't do Rt66, I'd like to ride further north and go over the Going to the Sun road again. Head west and north a bit after Chicago, there's lots of little towns we dropped in on that I'd like to ride through, Butte (big hole there), Bozeman, Helena, Missoula, Spokane.

[Murray]

I've always wanted to follow the route done in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Book by Robert Persig more on philosopy than actual riding and a Tough read - but sounds a really good trip!!

[Kickaha]

Book by Robert Persig more on philosopy than actual riding and a Tough read
Tought read? I would have said fucking rubbish read

[skinman]

Couple of people worth talking to are: Noddy (organises the Beach Hop) go to the website. He does a tour most years.
Roger & Dawn Kemp. I think they have a Bike custom shop in Te Kauwhata, they go on shopping trips over there. Propably easiest to get hold of them on F Book or through your work contacts. Have a great trip

[Laava]

Tought read? I would have said fucking rubbish read

Yep, one of the few books that was too fucking boring for me to concentrate on! Yawn!

[Smifffy]

Have gone off the idea of 66 but looks like a USA trip in about mid 2015.

Is it a better idea to take my own bike? Seems harder than it probably is.

It could pay to do a wee section of 66 so that:


You can say you've done it.
You can see for yourself that it's not worth following all the way.
You won't regret not doing it for the rest of your life.

[Zedder]

It could pay to do a wee section of 66 so that:


You can say you've done it.
You can see for yourself that it's not worth following all the way.
You won't regret not doing it for the rest of your life.


Lol, a guy I knew had a "wee section" of it displayed in his lounge as a conversation piece.

[Old Steve]

Lol, a guy I knew had a "wee section" of it displayed in his lounge as a conversation piece.

And that's probably why the surface is so bad and in other places it's been sealed over - people keep nicking it!

[Zedder]

And that's probably why the surface is so bad and in other places it's been sealed over - people keep nicking it!

Nope, he was part of the road gang that used to patch the roads up.

[merv]

We did a different take on it and travelled the Arizona part of Route 66 (said to be the most original) between Flagstaff and Kingman in January in the middle of Winter in 2011. We didn't go by bike but did it by RAV4 instead. The snow lying about at high altitude is classic but that disappears as you head towards Kingman. Here's some examples of a few pics at that time of the year.

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[merv]

Here's a few more pics. I'm on a hotel computer here and it doesn't seem to let me create a new line with the enter key so they end up stuck straight after the text. Okay jumped on another PC and the keyboard is better now so I've tidied them up.

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[merv]

Here's the last few for ya.

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[scumdog]

We did a different take on it and travelled the Arizona part of Route 66 (said to be the most original) between Flagstaff and Kingman in January in the middle of Winter in 2011. We didn't go by bike but did it by RAV4 instead. The snow lying about at high altitude is classic but that disappears as you head towards Kingman. Here's some examples of a few pics at that time of the year.


Did that area in mid-summer, crikey it gets warm!!:crazy:

[merv]

Did that area in mid-summer, crikey it gets warm!!:crazy:

Yeah crazy is right coz in the winter it's the opposite. Slightly off 66 the other way towards Monument Valley we hit a low temp shown on the dash of the RAV4 of -18 C or 2 deg F.

[superjackal]

My uncle just got back from Route 66 over 2 weeks in a rented Corvette Z06. Absoluting raving about it. It's a must apparently.

[BIG DOUG]

Oh man we stayed in kingman just across from that sign on the building,got trashed in our hotel and staggered to the bar next door and stumbled out of there at 7am,but what we found there was about 10 restored denver mullins choppers at a panel shop and also a chopped caddy car which has found its way to new zealand.I will go back one day awesome bit of country.

[shafty]

I rode Route 66 a in 2011, really enjoyed it, I've got a pretty detailed Ride Report on here

I agree there are better rides in the US, but if your dream is the Mother Road, just do it!

Shafty

[rastuscat]

I rode Route 66 a in 2011, really enjoyed it, I've got a pretty detailed Ride Report on here

I agree there are better rides in the US, but if your dream is the Mother Road, just do it!

Shafty

Roger.

Oooeeerrrrr, sounds rude.