UH OH , Chieftan content

[oldbike54]

 So the Low Man and I were heading East on RT 66 today when we came upon a small group of MCs pulled to the side of the road . It was part of an tour group traveling East from L.A. to Chitown , a common sight on RT 66 . One Chieftan in the group , ridden by a Portuguese fella , and apparently the clutch had gone kablooie . At least given my limited Spanish and his limited English that was my understanding . Hell , he may have been saying that his klatch had gone on holiday to Catalunya . Still, pretty sure he meant the clutch had gone bye bye . I passed a West bound tour group from the same company about 30 miles farther East followed by a chase trailer , let's hope they dropped off another bike for the guy .

 Oh , forgot to mention , we met up with the rest of the Eastbound group at the Seaba Station MC museum , very nice bunch of Spaniards , Portuguese , and Argentines . Seaba Station is a great place to meet foreign travelers 

  Dusty

[Guzzistajohn]

Interesting how foreigners have more of a fascination with route 66 than the people who live on it. I have to cross it to go to the beer store, I don't get much of a nostalgic feeling going to the Fast and Friendly

[LowRyter]

Dusty and I were doing out best Buzz and Todd impressions when we ran across a couple dozen riders on Rt 66.  The only Indian in the bunch has puked it's clutch while the other riders were on Harleys.  I think it was an Eagle Rider tour from LA to Chicago. 

Just to be clear, Dusty's new buddy was Basque as apart from being Spaniard.



As you can see there was some national pride as displayed by the Portuguese flag.



Yours truly was complimented on his EV, "muy hermoso".  Then we translated the joke how I was a rider and now learning to be a mechanic that drew a laugh.

[oldbike54]

 Actually our Portuguese friend said Low's Guzzi was MUY BONITA  They weren't overly impressed with the cosmetic qualities of my beater Jackal  The Basque gentlemen in the photo is named Inaki . Thanks for the pic John 

  Dusty

[John Ulrich]

Interesting how foreigners have more of a fascination with route 66 than the people who live on it. I have to cross it to go to the beer store, I don't get much of a nostalgic feeling going to the Fast and Friendly

See anything interesting on your trip towards SD today?   

[oldbike54]

See anything interesting on your trip towards SD today?   

 Only his check engine light .

  Dusty

[John Ulrich]

Only his check engine light .

  Dusty

A piece of tape will cover that!   

[Arizona Wayne]

Yeah, more feriners than Americans on Rte.66.  We live on it from the Grand Canyon to Kingman, Az.  1 time my 750 Breva decided to quit running @ a tourist trap 9 miles from our house on 66.  We spent time waiting for the tow truck with a Danish family eating their lunch.  You go to a motel near the National Parks in Arizona in the summer and there are more Europeans/Asians than Americans. If you're on a Moto Guzzi people you don't know in rental cars come up to you and want to know how you got your Guzzi to the States. 

[John Ulrich]

Here's a photo of Frank Mash from the east coast on 180 outside Flagstaff.  Yup, I brake for Guzzi's.  In this case he was already stopped so I did not have to chase him! 

[charlie b]

Yeah, more feriners than Americans on Rte.66.  We live on it from the Grand Canyon to Kingman, Az.  1 time my 750 Breva decided to quit running @ a tourist trap 9 miles from our house on 66.  We spent time waiting for the tow truck with a Danish family eating their lunch.  You go to a motel near the National Parks in Arizona in the summer and there are more Europeans/Asians than Americans. If you're on a Moto Guzzi people you don't know in rental cars come up to you and want to know how you got your Guzzi to the States. 

ROFL

Yep.  Most of my commute is on 66 and my house is one mile from it.  I can't get excited about it, but, there are a lot of people who do.

My brother and I usually take one of our bike trips in Sep.  With kids in school we thought it would be a slack time at national parks and such.  WRONG.  Seems that is the time that all the tour companies book the most foreign tours.  Every hotel booked solid.  Campgrounds packed.  Rental RV's running crazy.  About the only good thing is there are fewer rugrats.

And, yes, many more of them know what a Guzzi is and many of them have owned one.  We also run into a lot of folks who have brought their bikes with them.  Especially Australia.  Not as many from Europe.

[oldbike54]

 The fascination with RT66 for foreign travelers stems from the way it is marketed in other countries . Just like Italian ad agencies promote Rome , or Switzerland portrays the Alps in America , American marketing firms show RT66 as the premier way to see the states . One Spanish couple a few years ago asked me where all of the Native Americans portrayed in the ad brochure were 

  Dusty

[Arizona Wayne]

The fascination with RT66 for foreign travelers stems from the way it is marketed in other countries . Just like Italian ad agencies promote Rome , or Switzerland portrays the Alps in America , American marketing firms show RT66 as the premier way to see the states . One Spanish couple a few years ago asked me where all of the Native Americans portrayed in the ad brochure were 

  Dusty

They're in Arizona, New Mexico, & So. Utah.      The heathens are in Okiehoma. 

[Aaron D.]

They had to ask? Many of the truck stops are run by Navajo in New Mexico and Arizona. Most of the eastern part of 44 in Okie was on one reservation or another.

[oldbike54]

 The aforementioned Spanish couple had started in Chicago and were roughly 1/3 of the way across Oklahoma . They had expected to witness Indian villages and culture in every state . I explained that most of the NAs in Oklahoma lived in houses , and that they would have to seek out Native culture in NM and AZ , as it is mostly contained in the Pueblos . Navajos running truck stops doesn't count , kind of like our Indian casinos in Oklahoma , that ain't culture 

  Dusty

[biking sailor]

They're in Arizona, New Mexico, & So. Utah.      The heathens are in Okiehoma. 

Wayne, I think you got that a bit mixed up.  Us Oklahoma Native Americans are mostly from the Five Civilized Tribes!