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Tail of the Dragon

Been there ... to both places

It is a great ride, although, I like the Skyway better than Deal's Gap.

The article seems to be done fairly, but I wonder what the lady in question plans to "do about" the situation -- maybe a toll booth and a "crotch rocket quota?"
 
I find it odd that there are so many accidents on the Skyway. My experience has been that it is a very well designed and well-surfaced road (and very, very heavily patrolled.) The Gap I can understand, almost every corner is blind, the road is narrow and not in the greatest shape, and there is a lot of car/truck traffic. Then there are the hoardes of squids out to "conquor the dragon." I've come across an accident there almost every time I've gone, including 30 seconds into my first time.
 
Biggest problem on the Dragon is traffic. I rode it last summer, and a Dodge Prowler came around a curve about 50 yds in front of my sideways, fishtailing toward me taking both lanes. On the same ride, a semi came around a curve in front of me blocking both lanes, and a local on a crotch rocket passed me on the inside on the second curve of a tight "S". Also passed a Dodge Prowler that had run off the road. People at Deals Gap said most the crotch rockets are local guys who ride it several times a week. The Cherohala Skyway is a nice road, but have read where people suffer target fixation while looking at scenery and run off the road. It actually has more fatalities than the Dragon. Definitely an area to keep your wits about you.
 
Ditto on the semi riding the Gap

I've been there a half dozen times in recent years, and three trips ago, I happened upon a flatbed semi rig about halfway through (from the NC side).

He was cutting the curves close on the right, and at one point, dragged what looked like a dumpload of dirt and rock right out into the roadway in front of me. Fortunately, I was far enough back to respond and avoid trouble.

And on the left side curves, he was trailing the flatbed well into the oncoming lanes. That day was not particularly busy, but I can imagine that had it been a busy weekend, some crotcher could have run under that flatbed on any of a half dozen occasions.

That experience pretty much took the luster off the gap for me.
 
im to the point where im wary of these 'must ride' roads. boasting X curves in Y miles is nice, but when the fine print reads, 'x blind curves in Y miles with Z squids, X+Y weekend-warrior sports car drivers, and commercial truck traffic' methinks thats not a very good MC road.

im a wuss, i love turns, but not blind ones. i like to see what the road is doing and whats up ahead for at least 3 seconds. hard to do on narrow roads in mountains i guess, but it's when i feel im safest and having the most fun. even riding those roads slowly is not that much fun for me (emphasis on for me) because im waiting to go around a corner and find some putz over the yellow line and in my lane.

i recently rode some of texas' best roads, and when i could see ahead, yeah it was great. when i couldnt it was a lot less fun.
 
Sometimes I don't understand journalists. Here's an article that is all about sportbike riders and how they like to go too fast on these roads and then he throws in a comment about how this one guy would like to see the Hells Angels image change. What the hell does Hells Angels have to do with sportbike riders???
 
Ted said:
I find it odd that there are so many accidents on the Skyway. My experience has been that it is a very well designed and well-surfaced road (and very, very heavily patrolled.)

Ted -- the reason is that you can reach extremely high velocities on the "Chero-haul-a".... easily 130mph+ DAMHIKT

In comparison, the Dragon features tighter turns and shorter straights.

During the week, there is far less patrol on both roads, compared to weekends. There is no way I will ride the Dragon on the weekend... not after I got passed on the inside by a KTM supermotard race bike shod with gumball slicks and a rider throwing sparks off his titanium knee pucks.

Enough of that, thankyouverymuch!

Ian
 
I won't repost everything here, but I visited Deal's Gap a few weeks ago and wrote a bit about it here. Feel free to see a few pictures and narrative.

I also shot a video through the entire 11 miles (mounted to the front of a 12GS). A link to an excerpt of it is here (warning--high bandwidth only):

Click here for the 6 min streaming video.
 
Funny, I was down that way in 2000 when I did the Smokys and BRP, I saw that road on the map and thought it looked like it would be a fun ride but it was out of my way at the time so passed it up. Back then it wasn't as well known and I didn't hear about about "the tail" till the following year, wish I had done it then when it was so much less traveled. Oh well, just goes to show, never pass up that interesting road or interesting side trip, you never know what opportunities you'll miss!:dunno


RM
 
not after I got passed on the inside by a KTM supermotard race bike shod with gumball slicks and a rider throwing sparks off his titanium knee pucks.

Damn I wish I knew that was you Ian, I would have slowed down for a chat ;)
 
What's it mean?

Visian said:
Ted -- the reason is that you can reach extremely high velocities on the "Chero-haul-a".... easily 130mph+ DAMHIKT

In comparison, the Dragon features tighter turns and shorter straights.

During the week, there is far less patrol on both roads, compared to weekends. There is no way I will ride the Dragon on the weekend... not after I got passed on the inside by a KTM supermotard race bike shod with gumball slicks and a rider throwing sparks off his titanium knee pucks.

Enough of that, thankyouverymuch!

Ian

I give up; what's it mean - DAMHIKT?
 
BTW...

I first rode the Dragon *way* before it was called that... in 1979.

I was on my first long MC trip, having taken a week off from grad school to ride my '76 R90/6 over 400 miles up 441 from Gainesville, FL to the Park.

Found US129 completely by accident. This was the coolest thing I had ever seen and I must have ridden back and forth about 10 times.

Then I headed up that dirt road that leads into the park. Well... it's actually a 1-way road that leads *out* of the park, but I was tired and needed someplace to camp.

Rode it about 5 times more the next morning.

Those were the days, when squids were found in the ocean.

Ian
 
I rode Deal's Gap three days ago (July 29th). I was fortunate to ride it early in the morning on a weekday when there wasn't much traffic.

It was challenging and fun, but I think that there are more enjoyable roads in the area. Unfortunately I did not get to do the Skyway, but I did ride the Foothills Parkway and through the Great Smokey Mts Nat'l Park (traffic!) and the Blue Ridge Parkway (my favorite of the trip).

Thanks for sharing the article, Spider. It's an incredible area of the world to ride in.

Here's a picture of the Deal's Gap Tree of Shame with various bike parts.
 

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Dragon etc,....

Having just come home from my 11000 mile trip by ways of Paonia, Cody and Spokane, I have been on Lolo, Chief Joseph, Beartooth and several other twisties :bliss :bliss . I decided that I should visit the Dragon too as it was sort of on my way back to S Florida.
I found the Cherohala very nice with good road conditions and little traffic. The Dragon is in great shape as Tennessee has repaved the road. I did the Dragon and had a near head on with a squid who though he owned the road .:yow This was on a midweek day. I can't imagine the weekends. Squid overload??.:cry However my experience is that after a while, all those turns become boring. Give me Beartooth or Lolo any day. At least there is more to see than trees, trees and more blind curves. I know that riding is a very personal experience but I found that having done the Dragon once is enough for my lifetime. The area around there is really beautifull so I will return there for the scenery but not for the Dragon.
 
It's OK. There are better roads elsewhere in the country with fewer squids, cops and traffic.

Especially here in California.
 
From a journalist's perspective

Speaking as a retired newspaper editor, if one of my reporters submitted this story to me, I'd toss it back to her with the admonition that it needs focus.
I would also suggest she either delete the Hell's Angels digression - which speaks to a completely different image problem for motorcyclists - or devise a smoother transition to introduce the fact that riders have other image issues besides the squid problem.
There are a lot of interesting facts and observations in the story, but they're poorly organized.
 
boxergrrlie
'75 R90/6 - for sale to a good home
'96 R1100RS

Uh Oh! I see we (airhead riders) are losing another one to the dark side, well maybe not the Dark side (i.e. a, shudder, K bike) but the gray side at least, (an oilhead);)

RM
 
rocketman said:
Uh Oh! I see we (airhead riders) are losing another one to the dark side, well maybe not the Dark side (i.e. a, shudder, K bike) but the gray side at least, (an oilhead);)

RM

How'd I miss that?
 
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