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Deal's Gap/ The Dragon

wanderer

wanderer

Just passin through
I did the Dragon last spring(2008.) It was a week day, it was "stressful". I'm certainly not trying to discourage anyone from the ride, heck I think any motorcyclist owes themselves the experience to know what all the talk is about.

The only point of this post is to be careful out there and not be surprised by what you may find there.

There are riders on that road trying to improve their "personal best" time. They will pass in double yellow zones, I was passed on an inside right hairpin with oncoming cages. Those that know me are aware I do not ride slowly in twisties. Pay attention and don't get caught up in the race mentality some riders demonstrate while riding this piece of road. Some may try to ride your tail.

Let's all have a great Mountain Magic rally in Tennessee!! :bikes

Yea, I know this sounds like a mother but ... well, ...you certainly can take it or leave it.
 
Last edited:
:banghead I wouldn't want any part of my candy cane in that stack. Magic Mountain, here I come.
 
This is from when I was there last summer. About 20 minutes of video. That's my uncle in front of me on his Harley, my father was behind me on another GS.

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I Agree......!

wanderer said:
I did the Dragon last spring(2008.) It was a week day, it was "stressful". I'm certainly not trying to discourage anyone from the the ride, heck I think any motorcyclist owes themselves the experience to know what all the talk is about.

The only point of this post is to be careful out there and not be surprised but what you may find there.

There are riders on that road trying to improve their "personal best" time. They will pass in double yellow zones, I was passed on an inside right hairpin with oncoming cages. Those that know me are aware I do not ride slowly in twisties. Pay attention and don't get caught up in the race mentality some riders demonstrate while riding this piece of road. Some may try to ride your tail.

Let's all have a great Mountain Magic rally in Tennessee!! :bikes

Yea, I know this sounds like a mother but ... well, ...you certainly can take it or leave it.
Click to expand...

I agree completely. In addition to the sport bikes trying to set records I have seen cruisers plodding along while passing a cigarette back and forth between bikes....on the same road with the squids!

Years ago (you do not need to know how many years) before that stretch of 129 was called the "Dragon" It was a favorite road for my '59 MG and any MC that I had at the time. Now I know of many more that I like more due to less traffic and new scenery.

Go ahead and make the ride. Stop in at Deals Gap store and get a T-shirt. Just watch for the mix of "squids" and the "poser parade"( Cruisers, side by side at about 10 MPH with straight pipes and the usual costumes) . Watch for the police. They are out in droves as a result of the many deaths on that road. I hear and read of these fatal accidents with great dread and sorrow. And, I do not remember these happening to a local rider. It is probably not that local riders are any more skilled but we may be more accustomed to the local roads.

Ride in any direction from the intersection at the top end of the Dragon for some great scenery and fun roads.

I LOVE IT HERE!:dance:whistle
 
There have been 5-6 deaths on motorcycles in the area in the last few weeks. Please be careful. The dragon is not any more complicated then a lot of roads you will find in this area. It is just a lot more traveled and folks forget to ride with focus.

Koop

In the shadow of the dragon
 
I found it hard NOT to focus on the semi coming toward me out of a curve on the WRONG side of the road on Deal's Gap!

Watch out!

Voni
sMiling
 
i may head over there, may not, i'm usually not tempted by things everyone else likes, but i'd like to show my gf. we'll see.
 
Having spent the majority of my life running the twisty roads of the foothills of Colorado, all this hoopla of this road makes me have the opinion that the REST of the roads in this area must be very tame. Now that I've seen the you tube of this road, I just don't get what the big deal is; why people spend so much time timing them selves, and consider it such an oddity?

Having grown up with the likes of Highway 14 Poudre Canyon Road West of Fort Collins to Cameron Pass and Highway 34 Loveland to Estes Park, Highway 36 from Boulder to Nedrerland, all much longer, and just as twisty, I see this little 11 mile blip as nothing much to get excited about!

I will ride it, but with caution of over excited and wreckless motorists! No way see it as a challange!

Is this opinion off base? Please let me know, those who have the first hand knowledge!

Thank you!

Red
 
redclfco said:
Having spent the majority of my life running the twisty roads of the foothills of Colorado, all this hoopla of this road makes me have the opinion that the REST of the roads in this area must be very tame. Now that I've seen the you tube of this road, I just don't get what the big deal is; why people spend so much time timing them selves, and consider it such an oddity?

Having grown up with the likes of Highway 14 Poudre Canyon Road West of Fort Collins to Cameron Pass and Highway 34 Loveland to Estes Park, Highway 36 from Boulder to Nedrerland, all much longer, and just as twisty, I see this little 11 mile blip as nothing much to get excited about!

I will ride it, but with caution of over excited and wreckless motorists! No way see it as a challange!

Is this opinion off base? Please let me know, those who have the first hand knowledge!

Thank you!

Red
Click to expand...

pfft, all those roads out west are boring and straight Dale, duh



 
redclfco said:
that the REST of the roads in this area must be very tame. Now that I've seen the you tube of this road, I just don't get what the big deal is; why people spend so much time timing them selves, and consider it such an oddity?
Click to expand...

When I found The Gap by accident in the early 80's I thought that it was VERY fun. I was also there in the early 90's and saw one sportbike with the lights zip tied on, safety wired, slicks and a quickfill racing tank. Over the years it has kind of developed a reputation of being a super road. I'm sure that there are many riders who go to Deals Gap and don't even realize how good the roads were that took them there or they take the most direct route there just to ride it. It has become more of a social thing and has lost some of the real reason that it IS a great road.


Truth of the matter is that there are MANY roads in WNC that are very fun. There are also twistie raods to avoid due to campers etc. There are some roads that have almost no trafic at all. I personally prefer the roads that are hard to find and have no motorhomes on them.

Sorry I have forgotten where they are :dance:dance:dance

Not really but............

Looking at the map of Eastern TN I think that I'll try to find some new roads there like Pinhook or Slick Fisher road
 
I traveled Hwy 28 heading north out of Franklin, NC in car last year. VERY twisty road. If you are in that area, you might check it out.
 
Yo AZ-J

Oh yea, Az. 666. :rocker Didn't you take the pledge of silence? :deal :brow That's the road I was thinkin' about riding the dragon and thinking .... if they only knew. But it's no dragon it's only 117 miles!
 
wanderer said:
Oh yea, Az. 666. :rocker Didn't you take the pledge of silence? :deal :brow That's the road I was thinkin' about riding the dragon and thinking .... if they only knew. But it's no dragon it's only 117 miles!
Click to expand...

Of pin-hair curves that makes the Dragon look tame! Ever go around the Morenci Mine stretch after Safford? Or back down it, now that's a rush.

:bikes:bolt
 
I've run it both ways all the way to I 10. I like uphill best. I've always stopped and looked down into the mine pit. Talk about a hole in the ground wow! Looks like a view from an airplane. It's cool the way the road opens up as you come out of the mountains and drop down onto the desert floor on the south end. :bikes

I'm heading out TOMORROW for Tennessee. Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! :dance
 
The cat's outta the bag now.....

wanderer said:
Oh yea, Az. 666. :rocker Didn't you take the pledge of silence? :deal :brow That's the road I was thinkin' about riding the dragon and thinking .... if they only knew. But it's no dragon it's only 117 miles!
Click to expand...

It's now on my list.....:)
 
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