First trip to the Tail of the Dragon - Wow

[mjfink420]

Most things that are super hyped are, when you experience them first hand, kind of a let down. This was not one of those things.

Had a mind blowing good day riding, did the Cherohala Skyway from the Murphy area over to the Dragon, and then did an up/down. What a road. I expected it to be twisty, what I didn't expect was it to be smooth, clean, and basically a known race track. It was hot car after hot bike after hot car up there. People on the corners taking pictures. And, shockingly, the few people who were just using it to get from A-B were awesome, the moment I got behind them, they immediately pulled off or waved me by. Huge thank you; would be nice if that etiquette became common on more challenging twisty roads!

I came home and booked a room at the Tapoco lodge for April to go back and do this again, and hopefully spend more time on the Dragon. What a gem of a road. Honestly, the entire area is pretty amazing for motorcycles, but the hype for the Dragon is deserved.

 

[dduelin]

It's one thing to spend a Monday in Feb on TOTD but it's not the same on a Saturday in June...... This time of the year it's not unusual to run it across and maybe back and not see any traffic. That's not the case when the leaves are green.

 

[98lee]

MJ,

Could you please leave a link to the camera system/drone that you used on the first half of the video. That was interesting.

That was the first time I had ever seen a complete video of the Dragon. I guess I was expecting something special as far as the road goes. I didn’t realize just how spoiled I am with the multitude of great roads out here. (West Coast)

 

[mjfink420]

MJ,

Could you please leave a link to the camera system/drone that you used on the first half of the video. That was interesting.

That was the first time I had ever seen a complete video of the Dragon. I guess I was expecting something special as far as the road goes. I didn’t realize just how spoiled I am with the multitude of great roads out here. (West Coast)

Same camera used for both the drone view and view from the handlebars (moved it when I got to the top, obviously). It's an Insta360, pretty cool concept, takes video in a sphere that you reframe after the fact (you decide where to point the camera when you import the footage). To get the drone view (first part of the video) there's a pole coming off the side of the bike (attached to the frame in two spots to get it as secure as possible). The camera was about 2' behind the top case, and about 1' over it for that video.

Amazon.com

They seem really popular now, I saw a few bikes running them during that ride and see them with some regularity when I ride my local roads. Here's a photo from one of the groups up there so you can see what it actually looks like:

PhotoReflect.com | Xtreme Sports Photography - DRAGON Photos - Feb 25th, 24 Sun

Photos from DRAGON Photos - Feb 25th, 24 Sun - Professionally Photographed by Xtreme Sports Photography © 2024

xtremesportsphotography.photoreflect.com

Yeah, you west coast guys have it real good when you get up into the mountains!

It's one thing to spend a Monday in Feb on TOTD but it's not the same on a Saturday in June...... This time of the year it's not unusual to run it across and maybe back and not see any traffic. That's not the case when the leaves are green.

It was actually a Sunday, but I have absolutely no question that you're right. It's all yours in June! I do most of my riding from around September to May; when it gets hot, I typically put the bike up. I can always put on more clothes, but there's only so little you can wear before you get arrested for riding in your boxer shorts. I hate riding when it's 85+, especially roads like The Dragon that are technical; I would have been dripping sweat by the time I finished, just not my idea of a good time; I'm very thankful that most people don't like to ride in the cold!

 

[skibum69]

I've been up it once and down it once on 2 different bikes. I'd go do it again if I were in the neighbourhood.

My 2nd time I was following a local on an R1100 S and he never touched the brakes while still going a fair bit faster than me.

 

[CurveDawg]

Most things that are super hyped are, when you experience them first hand, kind of a let down. This was not one of those things.

Had a mind blowing good day riding, did the Cherohala Skyway from the Murphy area over to the Dragon, and then did an up/down. What a road. I expected it to be twisty, what I didn't expect was it to be smooth, clean, and basically a known race track. It was hot car after hot bike after hot car up there. People on the corners taking pictures. And, shockingly, the few people who were just using it to get from A-B were awesome, the moment I got behind them, they immediately pulled off or waved me by. Huge thank you; would be nice if that etiquette became common on more challenging twisty roads!

I came home and booked a room at the Tapoco lodge for April to go back and do this again, and hopefully spend more time on the Dragon. What a gem of a road. Honestly, the entire area is pretty amazing for motorcycles, but the hype for the Dragon is deserved.

I live an hour or so from the Dragon. It is a hoot to ride. I find best times are early mornings mid week. less traffic and less chance of making a donation to the state...either of them. Glad you enjoyed. Question...you had two mounts. The rear was 360 but your return trip was just off the right side of the bike. was it a gimball? the camera stayed level as you made turns. Good video!

 

[98lee]

How is the pole edited out of the footage and why does the distance between the camera and the bike change so much?

 

[kbasa]

How is the pole edited out of the footage and why does the distance between the camera and the bike change so much?

I believe the software automatically removes it.

For the OP, you owe it to yourself to visit NorCal and the west if you liked 129.

 

[83014]

How is the pole edited out of the footage and why does the distance between the camera and the bike change so much?

I have the same setup. The pole(selfie stick) is automatically deleted by the camera software when it stitches the two lens images. Perceived distance can be controlled in post on the computer. I use the insta360 software for initial editing and then create a movie from those files using filmora by wondershare so I can add titles and music and transitions.

Doug

 

[lee]

what I didn't expect was it to be smooth

I noticed in the first part of the video the top box red latch was in the open position and the lid never tried to bounce up.
On the return it looked like the yellow triangle flicked a few times. Was that a traction warning?

 

[mjfink420]

I live an hour or so from the Dragon. It is a hoot to ride. I find best times are early mornings mid week. less traffic and less chance of making a donation to the state...either of them. Glad you enjoyed. Question...you had two mounts. The rear was 360 but your return trip was just off the right side of the bike. was it a gimball? the camera stayed level as you made turns. Good video!

It's just a regular mount with a vibration dampener on it, no gimbal. The Insta360 software has horizon leveling, that's what gives it the "gimbal" effect. You can turn it off if you want to, but I generally like it for that perspective, keeps the video more interesting IMHO.

 

[mjfink420]

I noticed in the first part of the video the top box red latch was in the open position and the lid never tried to bounce up.
On the return it looked like the yellow triangle flicked a few times. Was that a traction warning?

Darn it, I was hoping nobody would notice! Should have known better posting it here. I just forgot to close it. Never popped open, thankfully (I had all my heavier clothes in there!). I realized it when I was moving to the handlebar mount, about 110 miles into the ride!!

Yes, yellow triangle is traction control engaging. If you look all the way to the left of the TFT screen, you'll see the DTC percentage, the harder you push the bike, the more DTC it has to apply. If you put it in first and jam the gas on gravel, it'll jump right to the top trying to keep traction. On that ride, I think I was around 10-20%. 10-20% of what; that I really cannot tell you, but I do know the more slip you get, the higher that number goes.

 

[mjfink420]

How is the pole edited out of the footage and why does the distance between the camera and the bike change so much?

As others have said, the pole automatically gets removed. The distance (and direction) of the camera is all changed when you import the footage. You never need to worry about where the camera is pointing, it's always recording 360 degrees. When you create a video from that footage, you, at that point, decide where you want to point the camera. Totally different workflow, for something where you can't really fool with a camera, it's awesome. If I could have 2 hands free, I'd much rather use a real camera, more control and better resolution in the direction you want to look, but, for something like this, the Insta360 is pretty amazing.

And the software is fun to use, you create "keyframes" where you want to point the camera along the timeline, and then it does panning and zooming to go between the keyframes. That's how sometimes the video seems really zoomed out, other times more zoomed in. Can do really neat shots with it, if you pass a car, you can make it look like you're turning your head to follow the car, stuff like that.

Most new technology is kind of "why". This is not that at all, it's a whole new way to shoot photos and videos; I really enjoy using it and it's let me go from "blah" motorcycle/hiking/climbing footage that I never shared because it was really only interesting to me as a reminder of things I've done to being able to easily capture footage that's enough fun that someone else might actually want to see it.

 

[mjfink420]

I have the same setup. The pole(selfie stick) is automatically deleted by the camera software when it stitches the two lens images. Perceived distance can be controlled in post on the computer. I use the insta360 software for initial editing and then create a movie from those files using filmora by wondershare so I can add titles and music and transitions.

Doug

Doug, QQ, any luck controlling the wind noise? I really don't want to go into a crazy setup with microphones and wires, but the wind noise is terrible coming out of the Insta. I'm thinking of some other way to capture the audio that's not going to create days of work in post, just wondering if you have already been though this and can give me some guidance.

 

[Omega Man]

Darn it, I was hoping nobody would notice! Should have known better posting it here. I just forgot to close it. Never popped open, thankfully (I had all my heavier clothes in there!). I realized it when I was moving to the handlebar mount, about 110 miles into the ride!!

Yes, yellow triangle is traction control engaging. If you look all the way to the left of the TFT screen, you'll see the DTC percentage, the harder you push the bike, the more DTC it has to apply. If you put it in first and jam the gas on gravel, it'll jump right to the top trying to keep traction. On that ride, I think I was around 10-20%. 10-20% of what; that I really cannot tell you, but I do know the more slip you get, the higher that number goes.

Lee doesn’t miss much!
OM

 

[lee]

Darn it, I was hoping nobody would notice! Should have known better posting it here. I just forgot to close it.

I have the smaller 30 liter BMW box with the same latch on my RS. One time I took off without latching it and later down the road when hitting a good bump, over the intercom Debbie said she saw the lid open a little and close.
I forgot to look at the left side of the TFT. After seeing the yellow flicker I kept looking at that part of the screen.

 

[83014]

Doug, QQ, any luck controlling the wind noise? I really don't want to go into a crazy setup with microphones and wires, but the wind noise is terrible coming out of the Insta. I'm thinking of some other way to capture the audio that's not going to create days of work in post, just wondering if you have already been though this and can give me some guidance.

With filmora, I can mute the noise and add music, if desired. We had a 9 day trip on a rented 1250GS around Ireland last spring. I kept my 360 stick mounted to the left handlebar. I retracted the stick to reach the on/off on the camera. There’s not much more to do than that. I spent a lot of time in post, first selecting the view and saving the clips to assemble as a momento. I ended up with a 45 minute video after a few days of learning. Filmora is an easy way to make your own video. Since I used copyright music, it’s not available for public use, but it’s just for us and tolerant friends and family.

One part that I’m happy with is a 3 minute section through Conors Pass with perfectly timed view forward and rear in a split screen. The stabilization is amazing. I also found that in post, if I zoomed in, the perceived speed was more realistic and distortion was reduced.

On a non-motorcycle use, I mounted the camera to a 10’ pipe and flew around the yard. The pipe disappeared.

Doug

 

[mjfink420]

With filmora, I can mute the noise and add music, if desired. We had a 9 day trip on a rented 1250GS around Ireland last spring. I kept my 360 stick mounted to the left handlebar. I retracted the stick to reach the on/off on the camera. There’s not much more to do than that. I spent a lot of time in post, first selecting the view and saving the clips to assemble as a momento. I ended up with a 45 minute video after a few days of learning. Filmora is an easy way to make your own video. Since I used copyright music, it’s not available for public use, but it’s just for us and tolerant friends and family.

One part that I’m happy with is a 3 minute section through Conors Pass with perfectly timed view forward and rear in a split screen. The stabilization is amazing. I also found that in post, if I zoomed in, the perceived speed was more realistic and distortion was reduced.

On a non-motorcycle use, I mounted the camera to a 10’ pipe and flew around the yard. The pipe disappeared.

Doug

I can mute the audio in Resolve, but I really want to get the sound of the engine rather than use music. I love the roar of that inline 4, it just sounds so mean!

I'll keep working on it, everytime I want to edit another video I have to go for a ride; tough duty, right??

 

[83014]

I controlled the volume with the software so that I have some video that starts with engine sound and then brought other sound, usually music, into the video. Big learning curve but it’s amazing what one can do with filmora.

Doug

 

[mjfink420]

I controlled the volume with the software so that I have some video that starts with engine sound and then brought other sound, usually music, into the video. Big learning curve but it’s amazing what one can do with filmora.

Doug

Same thing with Resolve. The rabbit hole goes so deep when you get into video; there are just so many ways to do things and so many different functions and features of a modern video editor, it's just a "wow" as you start to wade in. Gives you a heck of an appreciation for what they do in Hollywood every day, it's not nearly as easy one might expect.

Just to give an example, when you want to go from one clip to another, it's called (in Resolve anyway), a transition. Most people think of it as a fade out/in.

OK, which transition, there are 100 of them. Wipes; shapes, iris, fade, fade to color.
Now, out of the 100 options, we pick a simple wipe.
Then the next option blizzard.
How fast; which direction, a linear speed or should it speed up/down as it plays? Oh, none of those? OK, here's a graph, draw the curve you'd like for how the transition should come in and out. What color should we use? Want to fade the edge of the transition? How much?
Oh, you have text up? Should that transition too? Same transition or should we run 2 at the same time.
Oh, there's an audio track? How would you like to transition that? At the same time as the video transition? Want to mix another track in?

It's just like "OMG". I just wanted to put two files together please!!