Modern Buddy

Apologies if this has been posted before.

http://www.route66riders.com/
-K

MattGordon has posted a great Rt. 66 ride report on ModernVespa:

http://www.modernvespa.com/forum/topic57196

Lots of pics. Def. worth reading.

This is one of my dream rides. I need to consult some maps of the historic route and alternatives, but it looks like it's merged with big freeways in a few places with no viable alternate route.

ericalm wrote:... but it looks like it's merged with big freeways in a few places with no viable alternate route.

Yeah, we tried to follow as much of the old Route 66 on the 2004 Cannonball, but it was tough going. The longest stretch of the old road we found was in terrible condition, totally washboarded to the point that it shook your fillings out. That was the section that finally destroyed the rear hub on Ron's Lammy. On one section, I tried to follow what appeared to be the original road only to find that the pavement just petered out into the desert. In a couple places, as you correctly note, there's no way to avoid riding out onto the interstate because the alternative road just ends, no matter what the maps say.

The following pic was taken on that stretch of road that just petered out. If you look hard, you can see a little bridge off in the distance. The road ended a couple hundred yards past the bridge. Also, notice the cracks in the road surface including the one right down the center line...

oops

Why is renting a buddy about twice as much as a compact car??

I've rode some 66, great stuff.

ericalm wrote:This is one of my dream rides. I need to consult some maps of the historic route and alternatives, but it looks like it's merged with big freeways in a few places with no viable alternate route.

Wikitravel.org has a good article about the route.

iwabj wrote:Boring 34 sec video. I know its not a Fellini film...

More like an Ingmar Bergman film.

Eric-thanks for the props on my report!

Yes, the Route is intermittently "gone", at times disappearing into the weeds, and at times looking a lot like the interstate, at least in AZ and Ca in my recent experience. The GPS kept prompting us off I-40, only to prompt us back onto it at the end of the off-ramp in order to continue "on" Rte. 66 outside of Kingman. Ultimately I decided to ignore it's instructions choosing to believe my eyes rather than it's prompts. Some interstate travel is indeed unavoidable if you plan on following it closely. We didn't, we made our "stretch" of it our destination, and took other scenic routes to get to it.

None of this was a surprise to me though, and indeed the "best" part of Route 66 at least in AZ was in and around Oatman and Kingman....typifying what I consider the spirit of the old Route 66 is....and I suspect what many others think of it as well.

Don't be discouraged, and if you want to enjoy a portion of the Route in the great southwest....there are still segments of it which have NOT been melded into weeds or a freeway that are still all of what Route 66 means to many. Indeed the road less travelled (now anyway) and very worthy of one's time on a scooter. My advice is to research Mapquest, Google Earth, and AAA etc. beforehand in reference to where you plan to scoot the 'Route.

kawasakifreak77 wrote:Why is renting a buddy about twice as much as a compact car??

My guess is a combination of supply and demand, liability insurance, maintenance (imagine a bunch of folks who have no idea of how to ride just jumping on and doing whatever they want to with no chaperone), and supply and demand .

That's just my guess,

-v

The sexiest thing a woman has ever whispered in my ear... 'Mmm... You smell like an old motorcycle.'