My trip report is at https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php/514969-Denver-to-San-Fran-via-2-Potatoes but I’ve put together a few notes from my trip in June, in particular to help a friend who wants to do Route 66. So I’ve copied them here.
But please note – these are my thoughts from one trip. That trip doesn’t make me an expert. There are lots of people who know lots more than me.
Route 66? If it is because it's a lifelong ambition, and you know what the route is like, then that’s a good reason. If it's because it's the only route that you know - there are lots better. Check other threads on this forum and others such as Adv Rider.
I have based the following R66 comments on threads I’ve read in UKGSer. Issues with R66 are - it's now mostly an Interstate so to make it interesting you'll have to plan a parallel route or keep dropping off onto the old R66. First phase of the road can be flat, straight and dull. In addition, one way hire can be expensive even with dedicated tour companies. However, there’s a lot to look at when Googling Route 66 and it is still motorcycling in the USA. Lots of people have a great time on it, but I have driven some of it and for a bike there is better elsewhere IMHO.
Decide what you want to do. Is it a tour where putting in the miles is the purpose, or is it a trip to see spectacular scenery (National Parks, National Monuments, State Parks)? Or do you want to ride twisty roads through the mountains and do some of the above as well?
How long have you got for the trip? In a 2-week trip you could choose a centre near mountains or Nat Parks and do a circular route; eg San Francisco and do Pacific Coast Highway north, turn right in to the mountains and across to Nevada/Utah, then back via Death Valley etc. Or how about Las Vegas and do a loop of the Grand Canyon with all the Nat Parks. Did that in a car; amazing.
Check out the Eagle Rider website as they publish the routes they use for tours (inc R66) and it’s a good starter for exploring options. NB: locations can be far apart but in lots of States you can cover big miles very easily.
US maps can be crap; however, Butler makes maps for bikers. There are also websites that specialise in recommending routes.
Weather & Altitude. Research what the weather will be like. In the Rockies and Pacific Coast Range in June some roads were only just open from snow, and it had snowed the week before. Mornings were -1C and afternoons were 27C. If you are on R66 going across the Great Plains then side-winds, tornadoes and rain storms can seriously delay you. Given distances involved, a washed-out road can mean a detour of 100s of miles. I was in Bryce Canyon in mid Sept one year and it snowed just as we left. Same with Yellowstone – it is so high up that there can be snow up to June and from September on.
Tourists. In Tourist season, some Nat Parks are thinking of moving to a ticketing system for cars due to excess traffic. There can be massive queues to get in and some towns have full occupancy. Not such an issue maybe if going via R66. NB: it is illegal to filter in most States and the drivers really don't like it! If doing a trip again - without any other constraints I'd like to go in early Sept after (I think) Labour day weekend – which is end of the season. But see weather above!
Money. Compare shipping costs to hire costs. Maybe you could buy a bike – but I wasn’t comfortable with that, so didn’t consider it. Camp? Bed-bug motel? Family run local hotel? Or anonymous chain? I used a mixture.
Have the best medical insurance you can afford.
Animals on the road at dusk and dawn are a serious threat in the country roads.
Stop often, drink lots of water, eat in places that locals use and look crap from the outside, but produce loads of calories on a plate for not a lot of money. And most importantly – TALK TO PEOPLE. The most anti-social people I met were groups of bikers of more than 4 or 5 people. Two bikers together would chat, but the larger the group the more they wanted to stick together and discuss tassels for their Harley or farkles for their BMW.
I had a fantastic time both planning my trip and when on the road. I had a mix of twisties, hairpins, very long straights, and road surfaces that varied from racetrack smooth, to freezing mud, to gravel and dust. I saw rain on the bike once in 2 weeks and that was for 15 minutes. But, there were times when I had stopped to eat and the heavens opened! I was caught by gusty conditions in some canyons and that slowed me down a lot – and put sand all over the road.
I did just over 3000 miles in just under 2 weeks and had 2 days off as well (it's a holiday not an Iron Butt). I gave myself time to stop and look, and/or explore where I was staying. Most I did in a day was about 400 miles. Chatted to 2 guys on Harleys who had done two 600-mile days.
You don’t have to over-plan but some planning helps and then – just go and do it. I didn’t over-plan, so if I had an off or an incident, I could be flexible.
Hope this helps.
Nemo
But please note – these are my thoughts from one trip. That trip doesn’t make me an expert. There are lots of people who know lots more than me.
Route 66? If it is because it's a lifelong ambition, and you know what the route is like, then that’s a good reason. If it's because it's the only route that you know - there are lots better. Check other threads on this forum and others such as Adv Rider.
I have based the following R66 comments on threads I’ve read in UKGSer. Issues with R66 are - it's now mostly an Interstate so to make it interesting you'll have to plan a parallel route or keep dropping off onto the old R66. First phase of the road can be flat, straight and dull. In addition, one way hire can be expensive even with dedicated tour companies. However, there’s a lot to look at when Googling Route 66 and it is still motorcycling in the USA. Lots of people have a great time on it, but I have driven some of it and for a bike there is better elsewhere IMHO.
Decide what you want to do. Is it a tour where putting in the miles is the purpose, or is it a trip to see spectacular scenery (National Parks, National Monuments, State Parks)? Or do you want to ride twisty roads through the mountains and do some of the above as well?
How long have you got for the trip? In a 2-week trip you could choose a centre near mountains or Nat Parks and do a circular route; eg San Francisco and do Pacific Coast Highway north, turn right in to the mountains and across to Nevada/Utah, then back via Death Valley etc. Or how about Las Vegas and do a loop of the Grand Canyon with all the Nat Parks. Did that in a car; amazing.
Check out the Eagle Rider website as they publish the routes they use for tours (inc R66) and it’s a good starter for exploring options. NB: locations can be far apart but in lots of States you can cover big miles very easily.
US maps can be crap; however, Butler makes maps for bikers. There are also websites that specialise in recommending routes.
Weather & Altitude. Research what the weather will be like. In the Rockies and Pacific Coast Range in June some roads were only just open from snow, and it had snowed the week before. Mornings were -1C and afternoons were 27C. If you are on R66 going across the Great Plains then side-winds, tornadoes and rain storms can seriously delay you. Given distances involved, a washed-out road can mean a detour of 100s of miles. I was in Bryce Canyon in mid Sept one year and it snowed just as we left. Same with Yellowstone – it is so high up that there can be snow up to June and from September on.
Tourists. In Tourist season, some Nat Parks are thinking of moving to a ticketing system for cars due to excess traffic. There can be massive queues to get in and some towns have full occupancy. Not such an issue maybe if going via R66. NB: it is illegal to filter in most States and the drivers really don't like it! If doing a trip again - without any other constraints I'd like to go in early Sept after (I think) Labour day weekend – which is end of the season. But see weather above!
Money. Compare shipping costs to hire costs. Maybe you could buy a bike – but I wasn’t comfortable with that, so didn’t consider it. Camp? Bed-bug motel? Family run local hotel? Or anonymous chain? I used a mixture.
Have the best medical insurance you can afford.
Animals on the road at dusk and dawn are a serious threat in the country roads.
Stop often, drink lots of water, eat in places that locals use and look crap from the outside, but produce loads of calories on a plate for not a lot of money. And most importantly – TALK TO PEOPLE. The most anti-social people I met were groups of bikers of more than 4 or 5 people. Two bikers together would chat, but the larger the group the more they wanted to stick together and discuss tassels for their Harley or farkles for their BMW.
I had a fantastic time both planning my trip and when on the road. I had a mix of twisties, hairpins, very long straights, and road surfaces that varied from racetrack smooth, to freezing mud, to gravel and dust. I saw rain on the bike once in 2 weeks and that was for 15 minutes. But, there were times when I had stopped to eat and the heavens opened! I was caught by gusty conditions in some canyons and that slowed me down a lot – and put sand all over the road.
I did just over 3000 miles in just under 2 weeks and had 2 days off as well (it's a holiday not an Iron Butt). I gave myself time to stop and look, and/or explore where I was staying. Most I did in a day was about 400 miles. Chatted to 2 guys on Harleys who had done two 600-mile days.
You don’t have to over-plan but some planning helps and then – just go and do it. I didn’t over-plan, so if I had an off or an incident, I could be flexible.
Hope this helps.
Nemo