A while ago I wrote that next year it's my turn (with a friend) to organize a road trip. Every year with a couple of friends we go on a road trip with our motorcycles. Sometimes we camp along the way and sometimes we go into hotels or motels (see here). All decides who's organizing the whole trip.
Our plan for next year is finally take some more time off and go riding the famous route 66! We've been talking about it for some time and would be great to be part of the American history.
Going Route 66 with a motorbike is truly the best way to travel this extraordinary stretch of American landscape. If you’re planning to visit the actual Route 66 Harley Davidson store in Tulsa (link), OK, that’s definitely something you can do. However, you’re going to want to keep a few other things in mind.
Harley Davidson And Route 66
There are tons of films out there that illustrate the Route 66 with the Harley Davidson (official site here) experience. However, the most famous film is perhaps still Easy Rider. Even to this day, nothing better illustrates the pure adrenaline-fueled energy that comes with the freedom of the open road. And when you combine that freedom on the open road with a Harley Davidson motorcycle, you’re creating memories that will remain with you for the rest of your life.
Because when you tackle Route 66, you’re not just taking part in a glorious American tradition. As you travel across the many states that make up Route 66, finding famous sites and monuments along the way, you’re building your own singular encounter with the open road. You’re going to have a trip across Route 66 that will be different from any other Route 66 road trip that anyone else has ever taken. This is because you’re the one doing the driving, meeting the people who live and work along the route, and deciding when and where to stop.
This fact is what brings newcomers to the Route 66 experience. Some travel the route only once. Others fly through every year or every few years. It’s hard to imagine a day going by in which someone is not embarking on the Route 66 adventure for the very first time.
If you’re going across Route 66 with a Harley Davidson or any other motorcycle actually for the first time, understand what you’re about to begin. You’re going to see fellow riders, famous sights and stops, lesser known sights and stops, and so much more. You’re going to move across California, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma/Kansas, Texas, Missouri, and Illinois. It’s a great road and although marked quite well you should take a map or GPS with you. Of course taking a map is annoying since you have to stop, find where you are and that in hopefully good weather, let's not even talk about rain and trying to find your route on a map… Using a motorbike GPS device, these motorcycle GPS navs are the best for Harley motorcycles (actually HD recommends the Garmin Zumo 590 LM and Zumo 665 LM) is taking all the problems away so you can enjoy the whole trip without any hassle or getting lost.
As you can probably imagine, covering that kind of ground is going to give you a pretty amazing overview of the many things that define America and American character.
Traveling Route 66
Whether you rent a Harley Davidson, or if you bring one you’ve purchased at some point in your life, going across Route 66 with a Harley Davidson is an experience that any biker who loves to travel should consider. Remember to stop at the museums and other attractions that make up the journey.
You should also keep in mind the various helmet and other laws that can change from one state to the next. Above all, have fun!
