Riding Route 66 and Sturgis – made easy!
Ask any motorcyclist in Australia what’s on their riding bucket list and it’s a fair bet that attending the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally or touring Route 66 is right near the top. There are a number of ways to tick these items off the list, but for newcomers, riding as part of a guided tour is the best and most stress-free option.
Route 66 Tours is an award-winning tour provider, run by Aussies for Aussies, that can put you behind the handlebars for an amazing, immersive, guided experience on historic Route 66 or riding to Sturgis.
Founded in 2008, Route 66 Tours initially offered guided drive tours along Route 66, with motorcycle tours on America’s “Mother Road” following a year later, with their first Sturgis Tour held in 2012.
Route 66 – The Mother Road
First commissioned in 1926, Route 66’s reputation grew in the Great Depression, when millions of Americans ventured west seeking an escape from poverty (The ‘Mother Road’ nickname comes from John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939). Route 66’s fame came in the postwar years, when car ownership boomed and American families travelled west for holidays. The road would be immortalised in film, TV and song during this time.
Although decommissioned in 1985, Route 66 holds an allure that exists to this day, representing “America” to people from all over the world. While highways now bypass many of the small towns that gave Route 66 its character, plenty of reminders of those glory days still exist and around 80 per cent of the old route can still be driven.
Sturgis – Big Fun in the Black Hills
For around 50 weeks of the year, Sturgis is a small, non-descript town on the western edge of South Dakota, but for 10 days in August, it’s a mecca for motorcyclists and a truly mind-blowing experience. First held in 1938, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally sees the town’s population swell from around 6,500 to more than 500,000. In 2015, the 75th Anniversary Rally saw a staggering 1 million plus bikes descend on Sturgis and neighbouring towns!
The attraction with Sturgis, beyond the bikes, biking culture, live music, innumerable vendors and other attractions in town for the event, is the incredible riding that can be enjoyed on the region’s roads.
Pick your Tour
Four different tour options – Spring, Summer, Fall and Express – are conducted by Route 66 Tours along Route 66 annually. The three seasonal tours are 26 nights in length, all travelling from Las Vegas to Chicago and back. The shorter Express Tour is 17 nights and is one way from Las Vegas to Chicago or vice versa.
The Sturgis tour is an extensive 23-night loop ride that also departs from Las Vegas, taking in some epic roads and amazing scenery, while allowing five days in Sturgis to see all that the Rally has to offer.
If you’re wondering why Vegas for the start/end point for these guided rides, when Route 66 runs through to Los Angeles, Dan Azzopardi, lead tour guide for Route 66 Tours, says that Vegas is a more sedate introduction to riding on American roads, but still allows all the character, atmosphere and history of Route 66 to be encountered. It’s also a great jumping off point for the ride north to Sturgis.
“To put new arrivals on a bike and have them deal with LA traffic straight away isn’t a good experience,” Dan says. “Three nights spent in Vegas allows participants to get over jetlag, pick up their hire bike and have a practice run for a day before hitting the route itself.”
Enjoy the Ride
Route 66 Tours plan and book everything in advance for all their riding tours, from the accommodation (all hotels, no camping) to the lunch stops, fuel stops, roadside attractions and the motorcycles used. These are usually current model Harley-Davidsons, but BMWs, Triumphs and other brands are available.
A support van carries everyone’s luggage, as well as a spare bike (if needed), an esky for roadside refreshments, tools, first aid kit and other essentials. With everything organised, all you have to do is enjoy the ride.
“We want you to get the most out of your time while you’re on holiday, so we’re pretty meticulous on the planning,” Dan explains. “We won’t be riding around in circles looking for somewhere to stop for a hamburger!”
That planning means a lot of time between tours is spent researching what hotels, eateries and attractions may be closing - or opening – and what changes may be required for the itinerary and the riding route.
Riding groups for each tour are between 25 and 30 people in most instances and always have lead and sweep riders, with Dan the lead rider on most occasions. If the group’s large enough, like the 80+ that came on the Sturgis 75th Anniversary tour, there’ll be a rider in the middle of the group, too.
Hire bikes are all decorated with Aussie flags, which not only helps prevent tourgoers from getting lost, but also provides a good talking point for locals when parked up.
Route 66 Tours – Route 66 Highlights
For tours on the iconic Route 66, the itinerary laid out by Route 66 Tours includes all the roadside attractions people want to see, like abandoned gas stations, old mom and pop stores, classic American diners and all the souvenir stops and roadside attractions that were created to tempt travellers back when the route was still in use, like the Gemini Giant, Blue Whale of Catoosa and the World’s Largest Rocking Chair, to name a few..
The Route 66 tours are a real nostalgia trip, but also show how diverse America can be – from deserts and high mountains to seemingly endless acres of cornfields and rural scenes that look like they’re from a painting.
As Route 66 is now bypassed or overlaid, traffic is light and the riding’s pretty easy, with heavy traffic only to be found in cities like Santa Fe, St, Louis and Oklahoma City. In some parts, the route is virtually deserted.
“There are times on Route 66 when you won’t see another car or bike coming the other way,” Dan says. “The road is different across all the states, too, and is more winding and twisty in some states than people realise. Riders like those roads the most!”
For more details on the Route 66 Toure, click HERE.
Route 66 Tours – Sturgis Highlights
“The Sturgis tour is really about the scenery and the riding,” Dan says. “The way we get to Sturgis and how we come back is what sets us apart from others.”
With no set path to follow, like there is for Route 66, there’s freedom on a Sturgis tour to alter the itinerary and ensure some of the best riding roads to and from Sturgis are part of the route.
“The roads are great and the scenery’s spectacular. I call it ‘Free Riding’,” Dan adds. “You can ride to the conditions, ride to your own ability and just enjoy the riding.”
The Sturgis Ride takes in some of America’s natural wonders, like Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore and the Devil’s Tower (from Close Encounters of the Third Kind) as well as lesser-known natural attractions, like Bryce Canyon and Beartooth Pass.
From Las Vegas, the itinerary takes riders through Utah and Wyoming before arriving in South Dakota, where accommodation (five nights) for the rally is in the town of Deadwood. This has plenty of Wild West history and is only a short ride from Sturgis, so avoids the hustle and bustle that descends on the town for the rally.
Last year, a run up Colorado’s famous Pikes Peak was added to the Sturgis tour itinerary, which is all part of Route 66 Tours ensuring this ride isthe best experience possible for customers.
For Route 66 Tours’ Sturgis Tour, click HERE.
Come Back for More
Normally, riding Route 66 or visiting Sturgis during the annual rally is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but Route 66 Tours customers have signed up for two, three, four and more tours. There’s even one customer who’s been on eight tours!
The reason for this repeat business is pretty simple, according to Dan: “They had such a good time on the first tour.”
Dan adds that customers also appreciate the way everything is organised, so they can enjoy their holiday without worrying about where they’re going to eat, where to fill up, where to stay the night and so on.
“We take care of all that planning – just come on the tour and it’s all done for you.”
Looking Ahead
Route 66 Tours on Route 66 start from just $8,995 (per person, twin share) for a 17-day Express Tour and from $12,495 (per person, twin share) for one of the 26-day seasonal tours.
In addition to a busy couple of years ahead Route 66 Tours are expecting a lot of interest in tours for the centenary of Route 66 in 2026. This will be a true once-in-a-lifetime experience, with celebrations expected along the entire route.
The 23-day Sturgis tours start at $11,995 (per person, twin share). There’s also a ‘Kool Deadwood Nites’ tour, of 23-nights’ duration and taking in many of the same roads and destinations.
If you’re keen to attend Sturgis but don’t have a motorcycle licence, guided drive tours to the rally with Route 66 Tours are also available.
Find Out More
If this has given you a taste for a Route 66 Tours guided tour, call 1300 760 806 or go to route66tours.com.au for general tour information, testimonials, FAQs and more.
For details on individual tours and to book, go to the following links.
For Route 66 seasonal tours of Route 66, click HERE for the Spring Tour. Click HERE for the Summer Tour. Click HERE for the Autumn Tour.
For Route 66 Tours' Express tour for Route 66, click HERE.
For Route 66 Tours' Sturgis Tour, click HERE.
For Route 66 Tours' Kool Deadwood Nites Tour, click HERE
