Riding the "Dragon's Tail".

[NewRider]

Well, Spyder Lovers...

I'm thinking about going to Deal's Gap in 2010...to "ride the Dragon". At my age, 67, there are still some things I'd like to do in life. This is one.

I have a'09 Spyder SE5; have put 1400 miles on it. So, any suggestion for riding the Dragon's Tail SAFELY on a Spyder...would be appreciated.:f_spider:
Thank you!:ani29:

[Spyderjuice]

Same age as you and I rode he Dragon while in Gatlinburg. Just ride at or below the posted speed limits, stay in your lane, and you will be fine. Don't ride above your limits or abilities. :thumbup:

Juice

[dave01]

Same age as you and I rode he Dragon while in Gatlinburg. Just ride at or below the posted speed limits, stay in your lane, and you will be fine. Don't ride above your limits or abilities. :thumbup:

Juice

Ill second this. Dont let the sportbikes push you. I let some of them around me if they want to try it, but mostly ride my own pace. It is an awesome ride, and the roads near there are just as good. Hwy 28 aka hellbender, Warwoman road, Wayah road, just to name a few.

[SpyderWolf]

:agree:

I just rode the Dragon the weekend of September 17, and had a blast. There are actually other roads in the area that have more twists and turns, but the Dragon has all the hype. The Dragon also has the police, where many of the other roads do not. The photographer's posted pictures of me meeting the police in a curve, but I was slow enough that they did not bother me. :) Paying attention to the speed warning signs, such as 15 mph curve ahead, will also keep you out of trouble.

The funny thing about my ride is that the Spyder kept slowing me down on its own. If I started to hear a tire squeal a little, the VSS would start flashing on the dash. If the back tire was slipping, the traction control system would kick in to the point the engine actually acted like a J Brake a few times. I would not rely on these features to get you safely through at a high rate of speed, but did find it very interesting to say the least.

Most important thing is to ride it both ways. It is a totally different ride going up than it is coming back down. :)

I hope you have a great time, along with a safe ride.

[barb36jack31]

If you think the Dragon's Tail is a hoot, Try a tour through the Alps with Beach's Alpine Adventures. Two weeks of intensive riding through some of the most technical riding in the world. Like riding the Dragon all day every day for two weeks. Each night stop at a wonderful hotel on some mountain side and get up the next day and doing it again. I am going in the summer of 2010 for the third time!. Join me.

Web page is Beach's Alpine Adventures.

[SpyderWolf]

That sounds like a truly great adventure. I will now be dreaming of taking a trip like that some day. :thumbup:

[WackyDan]

Eh... You can push the Spyder a bit hard through the turns and the nanny will always keep you in the pocket. I found that out at the rally... I started going a little bit faster until the nanny kicked in, and found a balance between the nanny kicking in a little and helping me through the turn and the nanny helping too much and bogging me down.

I found that it is hard to really break the speed limit on the Dragon with the Spyder... least compared to other bikes. Plenty of pull offs to let the crotch rockets go by.

[retread]

If you want practice for the Tail, head for Brown County, the roads around Nashville will really get you ready! State Road 135 between Nashville and Story is a hoot.

john

[SpyderGirl]

If you do the Tail of the Dragon you should shoot down and do Cherohala Skyway as well. Just keep it under the speed limit on The Dragon, the cops will nail you for sure. They are everywhere down there... besides, you really can't do much over the speed limit, or even close to the speed limit on many parts of The Dragon while on the Spyder. It took me about 20 minutes or so to do the 11 mile stretch. We had a blast though!

Here are photos from the September 22nd ride that I led down to Deals Gap from Pigeon Forge... one with me on the front and the hubby on the back and vice versa.

Oh, and make sure you get pictures from your experience. :)

[Firefly]

Depending on your riding background - I would generally say you need many more miles(1400 now-- right?) on your Spyder before you attempt the Dragon. Upper arm and body strength is important--- and knowing your limits AND how your Spyder reacts is KEY.

While I personally didn't find it nearly as difficult as the hype made it out to be--- it's a pretty tight ride for most of the 11 miles.

I wouldn't ride in a big group of Spyders--- just don't like that .

Forrest did it and he's 77 I think--- but then again he's a really seasoned rider--- puts me to shame for sure and I'm half his age!

The day that Mike and I rode there were 2 accidents (that we know of). One was a sport bike with a younger kid on it--- he was probably okay--- but I couldn't see his bike anywhere---- ambulance showed up after we went by him--- he was on the ground with friends attending to him.

The other accident was further down on the other side of the gap on 28---- a Goldwing trike with a husband and wife went off the edge and down. The driver died on the scene--- and the woman was airlifted out--- not sure what her final outcome was.

The next day a Spyder with 2 riders on it (Burl & Betty) grabbed the edge of the pavement and they were both thrown off. She was okay with some bruises--- he hurt his hip but didn't quite break it.

Just make sure you're safe--- comfortable with your limits--- and have good road conditions....

Oh yeah--- make sure and wear a helmet !:D

It's a fun ride-- but so is the Foothills parkway getting there--- along with various other rides...... can't really beat the scenery!

[Tom in NM]

Well, Spyder Lovers...

I'm thinking about going to Deal's Gap in 2010...to "ride the Dragon". At my age, 67, there are still some things I'd like to do in life. This is one.

I have a'09 Spyder SE5; have put 1400 miles on it. So, any suggestion for riding the Dragon's Tail SAFELY on a Spyder...would be appreciated.:f_spider:
Thank you!:ani29:

I am six years younger than you and really enjoy twisty rides. My favorite is about 18 miles of road off the Turquoise Trail that goes to the top of the Sandia Mountain (I think it is about 18 miles long), just East of Albuquerque.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=493&pictureid=5921

I ride this every chance I get. You can see the street view in Google Maps and click your way to the top. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Sandia+Crest+Rd,+Bernalillo,+New+Mexico&vps=2&jsv=178b&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=108.253376,159.785156&ie=UTF8&ct=clnk&cd=1&geocode=FZedGAId5gap-Q&split=0 .

I am not sure how this compares with the Dragon's Tail, but a Spyder will go anywhere a car can. I agree with everyone else, ride to your limits and practice to find out what those are and what you can and cannot do.

Tom

[bjt]

...Just ride at or below the posted speed limits, stay in your lane, and you will be fine. Don't ride above your limits or abilities. :thumbup:

Juice

+1 One other thing is to be extra aware of your surroundings. You can be riding very safely but there is a chance that someone coming up behind you or coming towards you is not. Give yourself enough time, space, etc. to make any necessary defensive moves on the slim chance that you are confronted with an 'out of control' rider.

[NancysToy]

I rode the "Dragon" years ago, before it was popular. I don't even think you could buy a T-shirt back then. Too many crazies on it these days. I wouldn't ride it again on a bet. Frankly, I don't think there is a bad riding road anywhere in the Smokies. Plenty of other "paths less traveled" to choose from. I'd set my sights on riding in the area, but not necessarily this particular stretch of road. Just one geezer's opinion.

[Lamonster]

I was there last week.

It was a great day for a ride so I went for a burger at Deals Gap Sat. and ran into a member here with a really nice 109. biscuitpimp was with his son and his son just had a little mishap at the store on his sportbike. It got away from him somehow but he was fine, just broke a few body parts on the bike.

I left shortly after that and rolled up on a head-on that just happened. There was a guy on a gsxr that was going too fast and crossed into the lane of another guy on a gsxr that had his kid on the back. I'm not sure how it all played out but the guy with the kid rode over the guy who was in his lane.

They both went down but because they had their gear on they were fine. The guy with the kid broke his shifter and that's it. The other guy wasn't going to be needing his so I broke out the tools and swapped it for him.

As you can see the other guys bike didn't fair so well. This was the first time either of these guys had been on the Dragon. They got lucky this time.

http://www.bigbikeriders.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=11&pictureid=549
http://www.bigbikeriders.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=11&pictureid=550
http://www.bigbikeriders.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=11&pictureid=551

[SpyderWolf]

+1 One other thing is to be extra aware of your surroundings. You can be riding very safely but there is a chance that someone coming up behind you or coming towards you is not. Give yourself enough time, space, etc. to make any necessary defensive moves on the slim chance that you are confronted with an 'out of control' rider.

+1

That is a very good point as well. On my first run I only had 1 sport bike come up on me and I moved over in a left turn and waved him on. You also want to stay away from the yellow line as much as possible, in case the other people are not. On the ride back it was smooth sailing with no vehicles in front or behind. On my final pass from Deal's Gap to the Foothills Parkway, I had a sports car that was trying to stay as close to me as possible. I also pulled over and let him go on ahead.

One other thing to be aware of. Watch for the police before you go around somebody else. Even if they wave you on, the THP has been known to give tickets for illegal passing. ;)

[SpyderWolf]

That must have been some hit Lamont!

I am glad to hear the little boy was okay. That had to be very scary for him, and it could have been a whole lot worse as well.

[effgjamis]

Well, Spyder Lovers...

I'm thinking about going to Deal's Gap in 2010...to "ride the Dragon". At my age, 67, there are still some things I'd like to do in life. This is one.

I have a'09 Spyder SE5; have put 1400 miles on it. So, any suggestion for riding the Dragon's Tail SAFELY on a Spyder...would be appreciated.:f_spider:
Thank you!:ani29:


There is not one word above that you should not pay heed to.. All is good advise. Yes, Firefly, I am 77, and not really interested in running the dragon again with a large group. Too many ???? (you make that determination.) However, the ride is great, and be prepared for soreness of hands and arms.
I wish you all the luck, and most of all be safe and ride within your limits and not others.

[SpyderGirl]

We had the fortune of having the early morning run on The Dragon before it got really busy. It was on a Tuesday morning so the traffic through there was light. I led a group of 6 Spyders and 1 sport touring bike through The Dragon that morning. The only bike that passed me was the guy on the sport touring bike in my group. I also never had anyone really in front of me or right behind me at any given time.

There are many great roads in the area.... just as good, if not better than The Dragon.

If you do The Dragon, do it early in the day during the week, less traffic so you can take your time making the turns and not have to worry too much about holding up people behind you, having people cross the DY to pass you and little to no traffic coming at you from the other direction. Riding The Dragon is one heck of a work out and is trying... just be alert and take your time.

[dave01]

A little article that our sportbike group follows on our Sunday morning rides. Its become a way of life for a lot of us.

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/flashback/122_0911_the_pace_nick_ienatsch/index.html

[The_Spyderwoman]

There is a great video we watched several times before going to Gatlinburg. I will get back with you on the name but he rode screaming eagle harley he was along with his wife I believe and also had a man with a yellow gold wing as well in the video. The video explains how to take the turns, why to stay in the lanes and not to hug the double yellow line.....any way here's a couple good ones

yellow gold wing;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo)
This is from one of the photographers;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74RQqdUly5U

but watch out there are accidents!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IKSKH8WRNM

:shemademe_smilie:

[NewRider]

My sincere thanks to all of you, who responded. Rest assured, all of your points and suggestions will be acted upon.:2thumbs:

[Smylinacha]

Just ride your own ride - don't let anyone coming up behind try to hurry you in any way. It's not that bad but I did have a few "Oh :cus:" moments - I have realized that I have a problem with heights. We don't have mountains that big in CT - we only have hills.

[WackyDan]

There is not one word above that you should not pay heed to.. All is good advise. Yes, Firefly, I am 77, and not really interested in running the dragon again with a large group. Too many ???? (you make that determination.) However, the ride is great, and be prepared for soreness of hands and arms.
I wish you all the luck, and most of all be safe and ride within your limits and not others.

You just gotta watch out for those ditches that jump out in front of you. :roflblack:

[NewRider]

I have realized that I have a problem with heights. We don't have mountains that big in CT - we only have hills.

Go to my home state of Oregon, sometime. We have serious mountain ranges in most parts of the Beaver State.;)

[cdragut]

If you think the Dragon's Tail is a hoot, Try a tour through the Alps with Beach's Alpine Adventures. Two weeks of intensive riding through some of the most technical riding in the world. Like riding the Dragon all day every day for two weeks. Each night stop at a wonderful hotel on some mountain side and get up the next day and doing it again. I am going in the summer of 2010 for the third time!. Join me.

Web page is Beach's Alpine Adventures.

like they say: "the dragon has 318 curves in 11 miles, we have here in the apls 318 curves EVERY 11 MILES!!!"...

[pauly1]

I am six years younger than you and really enjoy twisty rides. My favorite is about 18 miles of road off the Turquoise Trail that goes to the top of the Sandia Mountain (I think it is about 18 miles long), just East of Albuquerque.


I ride this every chance I get. You can see the street view in Google Maps and click your way to the top. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Sandia+Crest+Rd,+Bernalillo,+New+Mexico&vps=2&jsv=178b&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=108.253376,159.785156&ie=UTF8&ct=clnk&cd=1&geocode=FZedGAId5gap-Q&split=0 .


Tom

I've been on that road with a cage about 15 years ago: a lot more verticle change than US 129, and the view a lot more rewarding when you get to the top.

While in Gatlinburg on Friday, 25-Sep, we drove thru the park heading south to Franklin, NC, then picked up 28 from Franklin thru Highlands, NC, into GA and SC. The ride from Franklin to Highlands was absolutely stunning, with the continuation into SC also very scenic. On the way back to Gatlinburg, we retraced the route back to Franklin and then took US23-W to Patton Rd-N to Wayah Rd-W/N to US19-S - that was hoot. US19-S to NC143/Tallulah Rd to pick up the Cherohala Skyway. By the time we got back to Gatlinburg there was 327 miles behind us. The last 2 miles thru town to the hotel was in bucketsfull of rain - I mean a wall of water greeted us at the edge of town. Oh, well, the first 327 were absolutely memorable.:2thumbs:

Wayne

[spyderwoman]

jimmy and i go to the dragon 3-4 times per year, but not for the dragon, but for all the other great roads in that area and the ironhorse motorcycle resort. this place is awesome for motorcyclists. they have rv sites, cabins, bed and breakfast, a lodge with a huge wall screen tv, pool table, poker table, darts and other games upstairs, a restaurant and a very friendly staff. from there you can take hellbender up to the dragon or you can go through robbinsville to hit the skyway or dragon. it is beautiful this time of year. we are heading up there again oct. 23-26 if anyone wants to join us. the rv sites are booked up but they had plenty of cabins available. they run from $69 per night-$80 per night. or you can rent a house on the moutain behind the resort. check it out sometime when you are in the area again. they have a website.