CROIG started as an acronym for @caferacersofinstagram, an Instagram page that features custom cafe racers and motorcycles. Since its creation, CROIG has worked with different brands and manufacturers to create fun content, campaigns, and events to share with the motorcycle community.
What is the Wango Tango Tour?
The Wango Tango Show and Tour idea first started when I rode with Joe Mielke on the Devil Stone Run last year. We both had purchased 80s Honda Gold Wings for cheap and he encouraged me to just “wing it” and so I did. That weekend, we were referred to as the “Wang Gang” and the bikes got attention from everyone so we decided to try having a custom Gold Wing Show at Sturgis and a month long “Tour” to promote it.
Give us the line-up or itinerary of the Wango Tango Tour…
Joe started in South Dakota and met me in Minnesota. That’s where our photographer and videographer met up with us and from there we went east all the way to Lake George, NY. Then, we rode south, all the way down to Miami, FL, back up through Georgia and West until we were basically directly south of Minnesota. So, that's around 6000 miles in four weeks… on vintage Honda Gold Wings.
What were the highlights of the tour?
I think riding cross country on a motorcycle is one of the best ways to travel. Why? Because you get plenty of alone time while still traveling in the company of friends. The scenery also continues to change and you get to experience the environment with all of your senses.
As for the tour, my favorite part was being able to meet different people from the motorcycle community. When Joe and I decided to organize a show and tour, we didn’t know what kind of reaction we’d get. Turns out everyone was very supportive and excited that we were doing something different and welcoming.We also camped or stayed with friends the entire four weeks except for a few evenings due to weather. Being able to “wing it” and go with the flow made much more memorable experiences.
What were the low points of the tour?
The HEAT. Once we started going south from New York, the weather started to get very humid and hot. We were literally dumping water from the cooler onto ourselves at each stop and the motorcycles ran pretty hot, especially with all the bodywork that kept us from getting any airflow to stay cool. This also caused some issues with our motorcycles which we had to diagnose multiple times on the side of the road.
Also, our support vehicle didn’t have A/C so we had to get that fixed before our crew melted. This caused some delays and changed up our plans but thankfully everything worked out and we were able to complete the entire tour.
Where would you like to go next time?
I think it’d be great to go West next time and down the coast. It’s one of my favorite routes since the scenery changes so drastically. It’d also be great to go in the spring or fall, when it’s not scorching hot.
Any pointers for others looking to take the long way round…
Avoid the heat! Go when the weather is cooler so that your motorcycle runs better and can provide you warmth rather than cook you . It also allows you to gear up safely without sweating through all of your clothes. If you go during the fall, you also get to witness some incredible colors.
How does Ted Nugent fit into this?
Since we were called the “Wang Gang” at an event, I figured Wango Tango was a catchy name for our event when Joe suggested it, even after looking it up in the Urban Dictionary. We’re going to make our own definition once this really pops off.
In four songs, give us a Wango Tango playlist…
Slow Ride - Foghat
Rock’n Me - Steve Miller Band
Lovely Day - Bill Withers
Pusherman - Curtis Mayfield
What’s your favorite way to drink Slow & Low?
On the rocks. This was my favorite after a long day of riding. The canned S&L was even better since we had them already chilled in our cooler.
What’s your favorite whiskey drinking song?
Get Up Offa That Thing - James Brown
For all the true moto heads, give us your most geeky bike critic on how your bikes performed…
Given our setup, I’m stoked we made it back after 4 weeks on the road. I had an ZOOZ electric bike strapped to my Gold Wing and Joe hauled a trailer with his bike strapped to the top of it.
These bikes are often overlooked and seen as a “dad bike” but I think riding one is a flex. They’re very impressive, super comfortable and can carry a lot. What makes it even better is that I bought mine a few weeks before the tour and Joe bought his for only $600. Our hope was to encourage people to ride motorcycles and have fun, the tour showed people that it could also be done without breaking the bank… so snag a Gold Wing up soon before we drive those prices up!
Lastly, Whats next // What else should the S&L world know about the Wango Tango Tour?
It’d be great to take the Wango Tango Show and Tour to different parts of the country so more people can participate. Part of the reason for owning a Gold Wing is to travel distances after all.
We also documented our entire trip and plan to release some footage in the future. Be sure to follow @wangotangoshow on Instagram to see more about our trip and future events!
