route 66

[Earache]

Route 66.The impression i get from most bike riding yanks is that it's a bit dull.
Maybe europeans tend to view R66 as a part of American history and getting off the mainstream.

Probably hit the nail on the head there.

Most of 66 has stuff like this;

Took these pics around the Texas / New Mexico border with a friend from Ireland that rode west with me. He also wanted to see some of 66 but grew bored with it rather quickly. Nothign but bombed out fuel stations, truck stops and motor court style hotels....

West of New Mexico there tends to be a more of these types of places that are still in business. East of New Mexico, not much at all. Even finding the road itself proves difficult and much if it follows interstates. Can't imagine a more boring ride.

 

[mrsroynie]

Took these pics around the Texas / New Mexico border with a friend from Ireland that rode west with me. He also wanted to see some of 66 but grew bored with it rather quickly. Nothign but bombed out fuel stations, truck stops and motor court style hotels....

West of New Mexico there tends to be a more of these types of places that are still in business. East of New Mexico, not much at all. Even finding the road itself proves difficult and much if it follows interstates. Can't imagine a more boring ride.

That's why Roynie and I do it as part of a group. It's all about the people, not the road.

 

[mrsroynie]

It can be done; use a friend's address here in the States (assuming you know someone). Don't know that you need a SS number.

There is a firm that offers insurance to foreigners, I'll see if I can find the info on that and will post it.

You don't need a social security number or an American driving licence, just an address in the state you want to buy the bike in. I helped some Irish friends buy a couple of Harleys in 2007. Insurance wasn't an issue and was much cheaper and more straightforward than it usually is for us shipping foreign-registered bikes. However ...

Since buying their Harleys and registering them in Ireland, these friends of ours shipped their bikes back to the US to join us on our 2009 trip. Rather than going through Motorcycle Express (who used to organise US insurance on behalf of HC Travel), they went back to the same US insurance company that they had used when they bought the bikes. They were able to get a great deal, using a US address and the bike's VIN number. (The guy they bought one of the bikes off is also a friend, and an insurance broker, which may have helped ...)

 

[snakebasket]

US Insurance

Thanks for the insurance helps and hints. I did go into a HD dealer a few years ago and discussed buying a new bike and they were not clear as to how the insurance would work, but I was going to use my hotel address.

Not wanting to sound over cautious, but is the use of a US address strictly legal, in that it will get insurance cover, but if you claim are there implications with not really being at that address. Just worrying about US litigation in the event of a claim.

I have insured in the past with motorcycleexpress and they are great, just expensive! I often ride my friend's bike in Texas and he assures me that I am insured, but you never know until you claim. Has anyone here had to claim for an accident or injury in the US.

BTW start a Route 66 trip at Williams for the Grand Canyon, everything east is just a normal US ride. Just my opinion. I have done many thousands of miles in the US, independantly and on organised trips. I did one with HC Travel and can recommend them for anybody going for the first time. David Grist is the man there and he knows tonnes about the US.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

I have insured in the past with motorcycleexpress and they are great, just expensive! I often ride my friend's bike in Texas and he assures me that I am insured, but you never know until you claim. Has anyone here had to claim for an accident or injury in the US.

.

I've searched the whole thing and Motorcycle express may not be the cheapest but they offer great cover and the back up is excellent.

I would be very wary of buying a bike and supplying an insurance address which isn't strictly cosha. It would be worth being upfront with teh insurance company to see what they would do.

I ride my cousins GS when I go out to California and as far as I'm aware, it's the bike that is covered as long as you are qualified to be on it I was stopped in February by one of California's finest and he was happy with all the documentation Not had to claim though.........

 

[mrsroynie]

Not wanting to sound over cautious, but is the use of a US address strictly legal, in that it will get insurance cover, but if you claim are there implications with not really being at that address. Just worrying about US litigation in the event of a claim.

Roynie wrote off the first bike he bought for our 2001 trip

We used a friend's address in Boston for registration and insurance and Arbella Insurance paid up, no questions asked. And they settled quickly enough that we were able to replace the bike and continue the trip. (We did the whole deal with the bike dealer and the insurance company in Brockton, Mass, before we arrived in the US, and were completely up front about our trip and the address we were using. Likewise, when we had to replace the bike in Texas. Didn't seem to bother them at all. )

One thing with buying a US motor policy, always, always, get the 'Uninsured Driver' cover. If you're hit by anything in the US, Murphy's Law dictates that it will be an uninsured driver.

 

[snakebasket]

Roynie wrote off the first bike he bought for our 2001 trip

We used a friend's address in Boston for registration and insurance and Arbella Insurance paid up, no questions asked. And they settled quickly enough that we were able to replace the bike and continue the trip. (We did the whole deal with the bike dealer and the insurance company in Brockton, Mass, before we arrived in the US, and were completely up front about our trip and the address we were using. Likewise, when we had to replace the bike in Texas. Didn't seem to bother them at all. )

One thing with buying a US motor policy, always, always, get the 'Uninsured Driver' cover. If you're hit by anything in the US, Murphy's Law dictates that it will be an uninsured driver.

Thanks, this is really useful stuff. It's probably a whole lot cheaper to do this than ship, and maybe much less hassle.