Route 66 AMA Organized Tour
Riding Route 66 is one of the must-dos of motorcycling, and if you have the time and the money, taking it all in during an organized tour is ideal. (We know because we've done it on our own and spent twice as much time as necessary just trying to follow the tracks of the original route and thumbing through our books trying not to miss the landmark sites and stops.) We're fascinated by the idea of participating in one of the AMA's rides along the famous highway. Two tours will depart from Chicago this summer for the 14-day quest within a day of each other. Tour start dates are May 13 and 14. The tour package includes lodging, breakfast and all but one dinner, plus the daily maps, suggested routing and guide. Solo riders with their own bikes are being charged $2785 if they share a room with another guest. For a single room it's $3415 and for couples on one bike the total is $4915.
The AMA is willing to help you with any planning details including bike rental, shipping and air travel, which is helpful because many work-bound riders will want to ship their mount back home or rent for the simplicity. For details on this cool ride or any of the AMA's organized rides check out www.ama-cycle.org or call the director Frank Covucci at (800) AMA-JOIN.
Try an Iron Butt Challenge
Here's a cool way to get your groove on. We're not talking about the flagship Iron Butt event, an 11,000-mile/11-day endurathon, but some of the more doable challenges. The Iron Butt Association recommends starting with a SaddleSore 1000, where you ride-you guessed it-1000 miles in 24 hours. There's also the BunBurner 1500 if you think you can cover 1500 miles in 36 hours. These rides are completely realistic if you plan them out with an overnight and rest stops, and they're fun because if you follow the easy documentation process you'll get a pin and certificate to prove you're hardcore. There are dozens of rides to choose from. Think you can ride from coast to coast in under 100 hours? You want the 1000cc. Do it in less than 50 hours (yikes) and you qualify for a 500cc. Want to loop Lake Michigan? Ride it in 24 hours and you're a Lake Michigan 1000 vet. A Great Lakes Gold requires you to ride around all the lakes in 50 hours. We are excited to try the National Parks Challenge, where riders visit at least 50 official parks or monuments in at least 25 states over a one-year period. That sounds like a reason to live! Or you can get exotic and ride an official ride in a country like South Africa or Finland. There is something for everyone. And hey, even if your version of a bun burner is a ride to the next county, it's worth visiting the IBA Web site for the skills and tips section alone. It's all at www.ironbutt.com.
Hit some Tiny Rally in a Far-Flung Town
Like, what if we all showed up at the Oyster Run in Anacortes, Washington, on September 24? Wouldn't that be a gas? We'd eat 'em out of house and home. There are thousands of runs and small-town events around the country each season, and sometimes they are way more special than the mega events. If you're planning a ride, see what's happening in the towns you'll cross on your way, or plan your trip around some crazy event, like the Judy Garland festival or a backwoods chili cook-off. Try searching www.motorcycleevents.com for actual riding events, or search a town's web site for cool-sounding festivals, like the Craw Dad Festival in Isleton, California. It's not an organized biker event but hundreds of riders make it a destination.
Street Vibrations September 20-24, 2006
We've been meaning to attend this event in Reno, Nevada, for years. It's a biker bash in the cool-climate high country, so tens of thousands of lowlanders head for the Sierra to see what's hot. We'd go to see the customs and vendors, maybe play some slots on the strip, but mostly we'd end up at Street Vibrations because the local riding is so sweet. On the California side of the Sierras you have endless pine-edged twisties and on the Nevada side you have nostalgic curiosities, like the Victorian mining town of Virginia City, site of the famous Comstock Lode. The area is worth a summer trip, with or without the rally. For event news check out www.road-shows.com/street_vibrations. If you want to know more about great riding in the surrounding California Gold Country, pick up our spring issue of Motorcycle Escape magazine, on newsstands now.
Ride South America with Us October 13-28, 2006
It's a crazy idea, sure, but good crazy, right? We're tagging along with endurance riding champion Ron Ayres, who started his own adventure motorcycle touring company, Ayres Adventures. They ride to amazing destinations all over the world. We liked the idea of South America because it's so unscathed. Our ride begins with Iguazu Falls in Brazil as a highlight before it traverses the mountains and rainforest of Bolivia, ending 10 days later at the ancient Inca site of Machu Picchu in Peru. Ride of a lifetime is right! We won't be on cruisers, we'll be on enduro-style bikes, but that doesn't mean the ride will be difficult. Ayres assures us that riders with good street skills can handle anything on the route. This high-end tour is a little pricey though, about $7000, but then you're getting the best accommodations, the coolest stops, the most knowledgeable guides....and US!
Ride for Kids Events
We don't need to explain why it's so great to attend one of these rides to help fund the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. It's one of the best feelings a biking event can bring on, knowing that you've made a difference. Don't miss the ride in your area:
April 23: Albuquerque, NM
April 30: Houston, TX
May 7: Triangle Area, NC
May 7: Los Angeles, CA
June 4: Atlanta, GA
June 4: Richmond, VA
June 11: Cleveland, OH
June 11: San Bernardino, CA
June 18: Pittsburgh, PA
June 24: Knoxville, TN
June 25: San Francisco, CA
June 25: Golden, CO
July 9: South Bend, IN
July 16: Chicagoland, IL
July 16 Utica, NY
July 23: Kansas City, MO
July 23 White Bear Lake, MN
July 29: Marysville, OH
August 6: Madison, WI
August 6: Hudson Valley, NY
August 20: Salt Lake City, UT
August 20: Oxford, MA
August 27: Ann Arbor, MI
August 27: Asheville, NC
September 10: Puget Sound, WA
September 17: Philadelphia, PA
September 17: St. Louis, MO
September 17: Birmingham, AL
September 24: Baltimore, MD
October 1: Sacramento, CA
October 1: Las Vegas, NV
October 8: Dallas, TX
October 15: San Diego, CA
October 15: Phoenix, AZ
October 22: Lafayette, Louisiana
November 5: Sarasota, FL