Advice on Route 66 trip

[braeges]

Finally paid the $12 and here I am looking for advice on a dream that I had when I purchased my 83 Venture oh so many years ago. I am planning on doing Route 66 this spring and am in the process of getting the Venture in tip top shape, new Wheel bearings, hoses, filters, carb cleaning and the like. Has anyone done Route 66 and can offer any advice?

With 40K miles on the Venture I am confident that she will make the trip. I guess I'm looking for some real life experience from any other long distance touring riders. way back when BC (before Children) my wife and I did the New York to Florida trip and a couple of NY to North Carolina trips, so we have some touring experience. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[CaptainJoe]

I'v done a few cross countrys (+ 2500 miles "one way")...

 

Make sure your tires will make the entire trip.(or, you'll be at the mercy of stealerships)

 

Change your oil and filter every 3000 miles. Either have a yamaha shop do it, or, do like me, I buy a cheap throwaway low plastic oil container at Advance Auto. That way you can dump your used motor oil off at Advance as most recycle it.. (take your oil and oil filter along).

 

Other than that, check the tires oil & coolant religiously. (Especially important if you hit an object on the road, pull over immediately and check!)

Edited August 29, 2011 by CaptainJoe

[Guest tx2sturgis]

General advice on the RT66 tour:

 

Stay on the old road as much as possible...This is not easy in some states and whole books have been written about it.

 

Try to plan your days so that you end up in moderate sized towns for the night, and stay in small mom-n-pop motels, where you can park the bike near your room. Avoid the large chain motels.

 

Same thing applies to meals. There are many smaller diners where the food is good...avoid the chain restaurants and bigname fast food joints.

 

Three cities along the mid-section of the route all have a vibrant RT66 nightlife culture, which involves motorcycles, music, food, beer, and party-goers...these are Oklahoma City, OK, Amarillo TX, and Albuquerque NM.

 

http://www.welcometobricktown.com/home

 

http://aeve.com/route-66/t02.html

 

http://www.albuquerqueoldtown.com/

 

If you can be in any of these towns on a warm weekend evening, these areas are a must-see.

 

If you want to really ENJOY the route, plan on days less than 300 miles of riding. If you want to TRAVERSE the route, then 500-600 mile days are do-able.

 

And finally, what are your return trip plans? Ride home from Southern California? Ship the bike home? Sell it and hitch-hike back?

 

Here is some general info about traveling the route:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66

 

 

 

Edited August 29, 2011 by tx2sturgis

[RandyR]

Downtown St. Louis has been renovated and the old Union Station is a cultural center. Forest Park and the St. Louis Zoo are must see's as well as the St' Louis Symphony or Muni if you're so inclined. Might as well get your picture taken under the Arch.

 

There are only short strips of the old Route 66 thru Missouri, most of travel will be on I-44. The Merrimac Caverns and Onandoga Cave are worthwhile visiting in Missouri.

 

In Springfield, MO is the mothership of Bass Pro Shop, maybe the biggest sporting goods store in the world. I always stop there. It has its own restaurant inside.

[Condor]

Made a wrong turn out of Victorville Ca and ended up on Rt66 for about 50 miles up toward Mojave. They still had the 66 chevron painted on the road every 10 miles or so. Kinda cool!! Always thought about doing the whole things someday, but those days are slipping away for me.... Very glad I made that wrong turn.....

http://califrt66museum.org/

 

 

http://www.google.com/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://route66.backroadsplanet.com/images/route66map8.gif&sa=X&ei=3JpbTuOeKILmiALHp6GdCQ&ved=0CAUQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNFHOmGMABul0OIuRR_3AzghOZWMGw

[GaryZ]

Tx2Sturgis' recommendations are excellent. I regularly run Route 66 from Oklahoma City to Tulsa and it is a very nice stretch of road. I have a trailer, tools, and a garage if you have trouble near OKC. Let me know when you are passing through and maybe I can join you for a while . . .

[braeges]

CaptainJoe:

Thanks all for the advice! Never thought about doing the oil change on the road, good idea, I was concerned about servicing at a dealer and having to waste a day.

As far as the return trip, my plans are to ride up the coast and see a friend in Vancouver. He has agreed to "store" the bike until the following August when I will fly back and take the bike to Sturgis and then home. right now it's pretty ambitious, but as they say "i ain't getting no younger"! In the event of a major break down, selling the bike would be my last thought, trucking her back home or finding safe storage would be my next best bet. I purchased a "donor" bike from my local Harley dealer so parts availability shouldn't be a huge concern.

Tx2sturgis, Randyr, Condor

Thanks I’ll check out the links. And the advice

GaryZ:

Thanks, will do. I wouldn’t mind meeting up with any Venture rider along the way.

From what I’ve read in these forums it looks like joining up was the right decision. I should have done it years ago!

[rumboogy]

Here are some VALUABLE resources:

 

http://forum.historic66.com/index.php?sid=7990bfe02ab0464bf26f69f0cb3a03c8

 

http://rwarn17588.wordpress.com/

 

http://www.route66university.com/index.php

 

http://www.waymarking.com/wm/search.aspx?f=1&kw=route

 

http://hookedonroute66.com/

 

http://www.route66pulse.com/pages/articledetailsarch.asp?cat=62&art=680&iss=14

 

AND one of the most important...

 

The MP3 Playlist for Route 66

http://rwarn17588.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/ultimate-route-66-music-playlist/

 

Feel free to ask me any questions...I have done PARTS of it 5 times (Springfield all the way west to Needles, CA).

 

Wally

[RedRider]

Another alternative for oil changes - take filters but stop at Walmart for the oil. Buy a cheap aluminum turkey roasting pan to drain into. Take the used oil into the auto bay at Walmart and they will dump it. Throw away the turkey pan.

 

Have a great trip.

 

If it works into your trip, stop at the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, NM (just across the TX border). They have a garage for each room.

 

RR

[braeges]

Thanks, the only disadvantage of the Walmart idea is that my wife will want to shop!

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Another alternative for oil changes - take filters but stop at Walmart for the oil. Buy a cheap aluminum turkey roasting pan to drain into. Take the used oil into the auto bay at Walmart and they will dump it. Throw away the turkey pan.

 

Have a great trip.

 

If it works into your trip, stop at the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, NM (just across the TX border). They have a garage for each room.

 

RR

 

 

You can even buy the filter there...these work on the 2nd gen...I dont know if they will fit on the earlier models.

 

Supertech ST7317 or ST6607

 

[RedRider]

You can even buy the filter there...these work on the 2nd gen...I dont know if they will fit on the earlier models.

 

Supertech ST7317 or ST6607

 

 

I believe the 1st gen use a cartridge filter instead of a spin on. However, for the 2nd gen, you are absolutely right.

 

RR

[dmoff1698]

Braeges,

 

My son, mmoffitt on here, just made the first half of your trip, Chicago to Santa Fe.

He did tons of research, maped out each day, and all the points of intrest. Also has some interesting tips and comments.

 

Send him a PM i'm sure he will share what he found and give you his resources. He's not on here all the time like some, but he will answer.

 

I know there was some parts of 66 that were pretty challenging you may want to avoid.

[bikerjohn]

I am planning sometimes next year on doing a Route 66 ride I live in texas maybe a few could start up North and we could meet along the way. I have the route planned from TX to Cali.

[bongobobny]

Unfortunately Route 66 isn't like it used to be back in the 50's and 60's but still an experience anyway. Let me know when you do it and we might want to ride along part of the way.

 

Come riding with us WNY riders and pick up a few tips from us, from what to pack to what to check out before leaving. If you need any parts contact me, I still have lots of 1st gen parts I'm giving away. My phone number is in my profile or drop a PM...

[pa_don]

I was on & off 66 (was traveling mostly I40 due to limited time), passing through OK, TX & NM. Make sure you stop at the old tourist sites wherever you can along your route (Big Texan Steak House, Cadillac Ranch, Lucille’s Gas Station, Lucille’s Roadhouse Restaurant, etc), and visit the Rte 66 Museum in Clinton, OK (was a nice stop on a hot day!). Make sure you stay a night in one of the old motels like the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, NM or the Historic Rte 66 Motel (really nice owner who's working on revamping the motel).

Like others have said, lots of info available on line. Parts of the original Mother Road are hard to find and don't always connect through today so be careful mapping out the route. Plan on maintenance while on the trip (oil, tires, etc). Leave plenty of time to wonder along as you visit some great American adventures like "LIVE RATTLE SNAKES!" and Alma, AR - Spinach Capital of the World!

pa_don

[camos]

Didn't notice this in the previous posts so thought it might be of interest.

 

Google Maps Route 66 created by the National Parks Service.

[Digger]

Here is a link to the tips for long distance trips: http://www.ironbutt.com/tech/aowprintout.cfm

One of the most important tips is to stay hydrated, even if it's not hot the wind across your skin dehydrates you which will increase your mental and physical fatigue factor

[Kurt Behm]

and spent my last night in Williams Arizona. It's an old Rt #66 town and now sits on

Rt #40 which has paved over much of old Rt #66.

 

The town is still pretty authentic with a great Trainyard, and many stores, shops, and hotels

that are a tribute to that bygone era. Try McGillicuddy'd for dinner.

 

On the ride from Williams to Las Vegas I took the detour at Seligman (to Kingman) on old

Rt #66. It was a little touristy (but #66 always was) but did provide a neat look back as to what once was. #66 merges back into #40 at Kingman, but for the hour I was on it, it was a very interesting ride.

 

I hadn't been on this part of #66 since 1990 and it was nice to see most of the old hotels and restaurants preserved or in some state of renovation.

 

Have a great ride.

 

Kurt

[braeges]

Thanks for the recommendations! As soon as the snow fly’s here in Western New York I’ll be sitting down with the books and plotting the hope to see’s. My wife complains that I schedule too tightly and I have promised to “take it easy” on this trip and not ride to a tight schedule. The more information I can get on the route the easier it will be to plan out the next day’s ride.