Attention Dragon Slayers

[femurphy77]

I just read that Tennessee is going to ban all semi traffic from the Dragon! I haven't had the opportunity yet and I'm ashamed as we go whitewater rafting less than 50 miles away. I guess North Carolina has already shutdown the big rigs from their end.

Tennessee to ban trucks from The Dragon

 

[pute62]

FWIW, I was disappointed when Pendleton shutdown semi traffic on 38 thru town.

 

[Leo]

Having a sweetheart that lived near there allowed me a lot of opportunity for multiple trips up and down the dragons tail. On a sport bike. All at "sporting" velocities. Several pictures taken by killboy. There is little forgiveness there. I was nearly taken out by a 600rr rider who washed out during a drifting hard right on my inside while I was starting to loose the back end trying to accelerate the Kawa out of a hard left drift. (don't those ninja engines feel great at full thottle above 8000 rpms?)
I have physically picked up two cruiser bike jockeys and got them medical help. The reducing radius tight sweepers eat those guys when the primary cover keeps them from leaning enough to make the corner. A tractor trailer cannot drive down that road without stopping traffic, using ALL of both lanes and making a couple of the hair pins from the Tennessee side by dragging the trailer across the ditch on the inside of the hair pin. A cab over city flier with a short trailer is a handful. A conventional with a double sleeper will not make it. I always thought is was supposed to be restricted already.

With a tuned up sport bike, and soft compound road race tires, during the week day mornings before parade type riders get there, it is almost like racing on a track.
Except when dirt and rock debris from the side of the mountain surprises you in the corner, and there is traffic going the other way, and there are no run off areas, and there are no classifications so that slower riders don't become rolling obsticles, and there are no witnesses, and there is no onsite rescue squad, and there is no medical help close by. Well, I guess it is not like racing track. .

 

[femurphy77]

It wasn't that far back in American history that it was quite common for roads like The Dragon to be closed once a year and opened up to a local club for time trials. Chimney Rock Hill Climb was just one of many but alas lawsuits, relatives, busybodies ruined it for all. A guy I used to race with was killed on one a few years before they finally shut it down. They said he had a massive heart attack before the car ever went thru the railing so technically it wasn't the roads fault. There are some GREAT roads out there for those of us so inclined to accelerate early and brake late where turns are concerned but the lack of personal responsibility of those "wannabes" that get injured/killed have ruined it for us all