Tail of the Dragon

[ControlNode]

Hey it's an Ecoboost cruise, not a Focus cruise. Good luck keeping up though. Maybe tow your Ecoboost with your other Ecoboost.

Since we're on a truck forum talking about TotD, what are some nice off road trails in the area for moderate adventures?

Well, that is where I was going to go with the truck idea, a different cruise from the cars, but a common meeting points for dinner and lunches. I remember when my wife and family went out there for the eclipse with the Jeep and son-in-law's WRX and I thought I would do some dirt road driving in the jeep and was at first disappointed to found a very freshly paved "Kudzu Cut-through" that I showed you all a month later with the RS. For the RS it is a great road, just remember people live right on it and be respectful there. Perhaps I could borrow a trailer and bring the RS too. The issues is with the recent events moved off of the cloggers weekend have put them right on a weekend I normally have one of two SCCA events I'm at.

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[Colo_Ranger]

My motorcycle days may be over, but this will be one of the most fun trips I ever had. Tail of the Dragon was a ton of fun.

 

[Fattirz in NC]

I live in Charlotte, NC so the TotD is only a 4 hour drive/ride from home. I’ve been on it a couple of times, first on my ‘00 CBR600F4 with my dad bringing up the rear on his Goldwing… both of us riding at a reasonable pace enjoying the scenery. Second time a few years later with 3 high school buddies who came down from PA to ride in NC. That trip I was on my ‘03 Honda ST1300. Once again we enjoyed the Dragon from Deals Gap to TN and back all riding with self preservation in mind. We stayed at Fontana Village one night and it just so happened to be the same time as an East Coast Z-car meet-up. Hundreds of z-cars up there that weekend!

I started riding dirt bikes in PA at the age of 14 and after college have been a road motorcyclist for 30 years (damn lucky to have survived my 20s when common sense riding wasn’t much of a thought). Sold my ‘03 ST1300 and ‘08 CBR1000RR in ‘17 and am now riding a ‘16 Honda Africa Twin since. Honestly there are so many great country roads in this state, that I rarely crave the Dragon and the baggage that goes along with it.

 

[ChrisCARanger]

I think maybe you're confusing millennials with gen Z (you should google it if you're not familiar). The millennial generation begins in 1980; we had TVs with rabbit ears, phones with cords, and cassette decks in the family Caravan. By the time Google came along we were using it to research our college papers.

? this motorcycle message board is just amazing.

 

[Mirage775]

I've been to The Dragon a couple times between 2018-2020. We were in the Miata everytime we went and in 2018, the whole mountain was fun and enjoyable. It took us 20-25 minutes, to get from the tail to the head, in the Miata, LOL! My Miata wasn't stock and I never got past 30mph in it!

20+ years ago, before it was anything as popular as it is now, some Kawasaki Vulcan cruiser buddies of mine and I were going to make a ride up there, but we never did.

Our ride in 2020 was the last and absolute worse! We're assuming it was because most of the people in the world were not working and apparently had time to go anywhere and drive like asshats! In this pic, I was trying to enjoy the road and these other asshole kids, in Miata's, were up my ass! We tried to pull off several times, but they just waved me back in front of them....

I'd like to take the Ranger up there this year, maybe in April or May on one of those Smokey Mountain Drives groups, with Ferrari's and Lambo's and junk, LOL!?

 

[Langwilliams]

I've never made it down there, I've just driven a few roads in KY an TN. KY route 92 runs from Somerset Ky, to Williamsburg Ky to Pineville Ky an it's one of the twistiest roads I've drive an we did it regularly. Unlike the dragon there's side streets cutting in an driveways along the way.

The HD dealer in London Ky wants to start a scenic ride route there to drum up business but I hadn't been back to hear if they pursued it.

Kolekole pass was pretty twisted too when I lived in Hawaii

 

[ChrisCARanger]

I've been to The Dragon a couple times between 2018-2020. We were in the Miata everytime we went and in 2018, the whole mountain was fun and enjoyable. It took us 20-25 minutes, to get from the tail to the head, in the Miata, LOL! My Miata wasn't stock and I never got past 30mph in it!

20+ years ago, before it was anything as popular as it is now, some Kawasaki Vulcan cruiser buddies of mine and I were going to make a ride up there, but we never did.

Our ride in 2020 was the last and absolute worse! We're assuming it was because most of the people in the world were not working and apparently had time to go anywhere and drive like asshats! In this pic, I was trying to enjoy the road and these other asshole kids, in Miata's, were up my ass! We tried to pull off several times, but they just waved me back in front of them....

I'd like to take the Ranger up there this year, maybe in April or May on one of those Smokey Mountain Drives groups, with Ferrari's and Lambo's and junk, LOL!?

I can't stand that $hit, all they want is content for YouTube.

 

[ControlNode]

I'll just say that at 2am if the moon is bright, I'll fly though that road if there is no other traffic. But, I don't push when I'm behind people or there are people behind me any more. The last time I did a fast group drive there was a few of us together and I was leading in the RS due to having been there several times and having the best headlights that even turn into the corner, well I didn't think I was pushing hard but the BMW behind me could not stay in the lane when he was attempting to pace me, he was sliding way out on corner exits fully into the on coming lane. I was staying in the lane just fine. He should have backed off, but didn't, so now I don't go fast an any group.

Also: there is no video and I didn't time it. I wasn't out to make a competition of it, just wanted to enjoy the driving.

 

[Mirage775]

I can't stand that $hit, all they want is content for YouTube.

Yep, I've seen some videos where bikes hit 70+ mph!!! I'm thinking, "How and why?"... I had a GoPro, but didn't even have it mounted.... I just wanna try it and get some nice "action" shots of my Ranger

 

[jjoinson]

Been on the dragon several times in my Mustang and my brother's GT500. Haven't had the chance to take the Ranger there.... yet.

 

[Mirage775]

Been on the dragon several times in my Mustang and my brother's GT500. Haven't had the chance to take the Ranger there.... yet.

Fellow Alabamian! Just about 2 hours south of me

 

[alan0614]

Driven it several times, a bucket list road for sure. Couple of my rides on the Dragon

 

[wickkid]

I ran the tail of the dragon 3 yrs ago in a M5, what a rush! Seeing the tree of shame at end puts things into perspective.

 

[jjoinson]

Fellow Alabamian! Just about 2 hours south of me

? Hello!!

 

[GitRDone]

The Appalachian trail runs nearby from Tail of Dragon. Town of Hot Springs draws tourists also. Every day all day crotch rockets haul ass up that mtn road and countless crashes. That road is not much different than most other back roads in western NC so I don't get the hype

I agree, I have a cabin in Little Switzerland off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The local highway 226A (which is similar to the Dragon but otherwise pretty unassuming) has been dubbed "The Diamondback" by a local inn looking to draw in more biker$. Unfortunately, the campaign seems to be working.

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