What is this dragon you speak of? Is it wide enough for a car? I know of "tail of the dragon" that is on the TN/NC border , you talking about the same one?
You'll be in my neck of the woods. The dragon is awesome, but be careful, and do it on a Weekday; the weekends there are chaos these days. You don't want to hang any of your broken parts on the tree of shame. Ping me and maybe we can ride a segment with you, have a beer and some good ole NC barbeque.
Late to the party on this thread. Did the Tail of the Dragon in 2007. Rode from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina to the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco...celebrating life, love and loss. I thought it was a bit of a tourist trap more than an extreme ride. I was more impressed by the biggest ball of twine in Kansas. Don't own a motorcycle anymore, so I envy your journey. Be safe out there
Sounds like a lot of fun! It has been a long time since I have been on a bike, on the road. LONG time. Back in 1985 or thereabouts? Anyway, that is the last time I was on one.
I rode the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap. I'm unaware of these other rides, only the roughly 11 mile stretch of road consisting of literally hundreds of curves, a few hairpin turns also. An extreme form of "twisties" meant to challenge motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts. Sounds great right. Just you, and the road and mile after mile of curves, one after the other, almost no straights to speak of. Well, the reality is, it's crowded. You've got folks on big Honda Goldwings doing the posted speed limit of 30mph and guys on Ducatis or some other crotch rocket wanting to look machismo to their tramp stamped girl friends, doing twice the posted speed limit often times. Granted I did this in August and on the weekend. By about mile 6, I thought, ok, the curves were fun, now this is getting monotonous rolling into and out of curves. No time to enjoy the wonderful scenery, because you've got "Macho" Mike on his crotch rocket riding up your tail pipes, looking to pass you and show up his superior riding skills in the twisties. You get that many bikers in one place, and it starts to suck. Never understood the appeal of Sturgis either, and while on a technical level the Tail of the Dragon is unique to any other stretch of road in America, you never really enjoy it all that much it's more about surviving it really. That's just me. Your mileage may vary.
We went down there twice last year. There are actually several good roads to ride on in that area. I heard the best one is supposed to be the Cherohala Skyway. That was going to be our destination for the second trip but my inlaws laid their bike down going through the dragon on our way to the Cherohala. Its supposed to be a much more scenic ride. Still a curvey road but they are more sweeping curves than the hairpins of the dragon and it's around 40 miles long. Have fun and stay safe!
The curves are relentless, and I was so nervous about bikes coming from the opposite direction straying into my lane, it was nerve racking. By far the most technical ride I've ever experienced. Not for novices. As long as you stay within your comfort level you'll be fine. The issue is the riders who get stupid and end up going off the road and into a tree. oh and there's also regular local traffic on these roads, watch for semi-trucks that often stray into the opposite lane in order to navigate a particularly sharp bend....then there's the pedestrians taking pictures of other riders, and those on horseback...as I say, depending on the day, it can get crowded. I was like, well I did it, won't be back. Some go back 3 or 4 times, once was enough for me. I owned a large displacement motorcycle at the time, and it was a genuine challenge to stay in my lane in some places.
I wasn't there in the Fall season, but isn't this gorgeous scenery of Deals Gap...(not my photo, lifted from google images) The ride Is so technical, you don't even notice the scenery, You need to look where you want to go and there are so many vanishing points on this ride, meaning the corner is tightening, that you are never able to take the optimal line, at best you hold a line based on optimal vision. Law enforcement will be out, and they are cracking down on the tourist trophy type of rider who thinks it's a timed course.
Sounds like fun, but it also sounds like a road you want to ride a few times during the day and get to know it and then wake up super early to have a better chance to both enjoy the scenery and rip it. I have my spots to rip in the tri-state area, but nothing like what this sounds like. I only do cars so I would have to find a better time when it is not jam packed. Cars and bikes trying to rip the same road is a disaster waiting to happen.
Wow now that looks like fun. If they were smart they would hold small events through the year and cash in.
and it is fun, for the first 6 miles or so, then it gets mentally exhausting,. You start longing for any sort of straight away to take a rest Throwing a 1,399cc machine around those curves, watching for pedestrians, for trucks, for cars, for slower riders, getting passed by faster riders. I was wishing it would end.
I think I would be ok, but I don't think I would enjoy it as much because I would be too worried about other people. That curve in the pic would be a dream for me and the M3. A nice and slow graceful drift would be in the cards. I want to do it but I'd have to see when it has less traffic or maybe go as a group and take turns being spotters for oncoming traffic.
Well, I've talked up the thread long enough and said my peace. Best of luck to Jaraxle on the ride. The whole TN/NC border area is chock full of beautiful scenery and twisting roads but the Tail of the Dragon is probably the twistiest. On that particular stretch, please do be careful I'll tell you the biggest menace, and I'll catch grief for this. Yes my fellow rice burners can ride aggressively, but the worst offenders for crossing the double yellow lines and disregarding any notion of holding a line in a curve? Harley riders. These are big cruisers meant for highways, not twisties. No offense to Harley riders, I thnk they are fine machines, beautful really, rolling works of art...but the Tail of the Dragon and Harleys are not a match made in heaven. It's simply incompatible, even the most advanced rider will be challenged to hold a line in their lane without drifting off on or beyond the double yellow. Rice burners (at least the crotch rocket variety) are designed for twists & turns, the rider ergonomics are better suited to allow for steep dives into a curve. Cruisers not so much as a slow, lazy turn in can put you in a very bad position. Anyway, Jaraxle, have fun. It is the most technical ride in the Continental U.S. for sure, if you can safely conquer it, you wont' fiind a more challenging 11 miles of road.
Yeah , just an 04', nothing new but she is a blast. Just put in a new coilovers about a month ago so she is ready to shred. But yeah definitely gotta make that destination one of my next ventures. Maybe get a small group together around September when everyone is back to work and not much vacation going on. Nicer weather too, not too hot.
Had fun...scraped my muffler twice and center stand once. My wife scraped pegs several times...and now wants to run the Dragon on her Hyosung. I was absolutely floored when I waved a bike by...and saw that it was a gray-haired dude on an elderly Sportster! Saw him again at the end...it was an old Ironhead, with Nevada plates. Also saw a dude on a SIlverwing scooter from Florida...and another guy (though I wasn't able to actually find the rider) on a 650 Burgman. We also inadvertently managed to hit the beginning of the 20th annual Miatas at Deal's Gap weekend...I have never seen that many Miatas in one place before!
