The Dragon on 9/28 and 9/29

[charlieg]

OK, so I finally did it. I met my buddy from the Atlanta area up in Franklin. We rode the Cherohala over to Tellico Plains (GREAT Ride!)

Then came back on 129 through the Dragon and then down 28 to Fontana Village where we spent the night. I must say that it was pretty fun although the first run was too crowded and I didn't really get a feel for it at any speed. I ran it a couple of times the next morning without many others on the road and it was a much more exhilarating. I am still no speed demon like some of you guys...

I agree with many of you (I think that I've heard it said before amongst this group) that there are plenty of other rides closer and less crowded and just as fun, if not more so but it is nice to have the experience so I know what everyone else is talking about.

[Bob]

Nice report Charlie. And yes, we do have many roads around here just as nice as the Dragon, but still its kinda fun to make that annual pilgrimage to the "Mecca", lol. People watching is the part I enjoy the most, though.

[Ed]

Posting from Cherokee, made two runs through Deal's this afternoon. Two riders went down while we we there; one got pretty banged up, and went out via air ambulance... gotta keep your head on straight out there!

Made four runs up/down Blood Mountain this morning... now THAT is a freaking blast.

[Bob]

Posting from Cherokee, made two runs through Deal's this afternoon. Two riders went down while we we there; one got pretty banged up, and went out via air ambulance... gotta keep your head on straight out there!

Made four runs up/down Blood Mountain this morning... now THAT is a freaking blast.

Oh, so you've defected to Georgia, huh? They got a few good roads, I like Wolf Pen Gap Rd.

[Ed]

We ran Wolf Pen Gap this morning as well... GA60 also has some nice stretches. Think 180 was another road with some decent curves, dumps out right near TWO. Tapico Road and 28 are faves too.

btw Both Hayabusas were on PR3s, Bob... seemed to have lots of dry grip, but both guys said the rears were getting greasy when pushed the full length of Deal's. I'd think the 'busa is heavier than your bike, though and of course has ~100+ ft-lbs torque.

[Brick]

All of those roads are great... but like the rest of the world... there are too many people now. When I first rode Seal's Gap back in the early 80's it was empty compared to now! Still a lot of fun! Would like to run those roads again on those old "Super bikes" I had back then.
I agree Blood Mtn is a hoot!


Brick

[Bob]

We ran Wolf Pen Gap this morning as well... GA60 also has some nice stretches. Think 180 was another road with some decent curves, dumps out right near TWO. Tapico Road and 28 are faves too.

btw Both Hayabusas were on PR3s, Bob... seemed to have lots of dry grip, but both guys said the rears were getting greasy when pushed the full length of Deal's. I'd think the 'busa is heavier than your bike, though and of course has ~100+ ft-lbs torque.

Wolf Pen Gap IS 180. Brick, isn't that where the MSTA guy was killed last year? A couple miles from TWO?

[Brick]

Yes Rock Rhoads was killed a few miles from TWO... Just as the really twisty part starts. This was on GA180 known as Wolf Pen Gap.


Brick

[Ed]

Worst part of all- WE got blamed because NCDOT forgot to paint a passing zone!



B*stards.

.

[Bob]

Oh crap. Was it a US highway? Which one? Was he hiding or just happened along at the right (wrong) time?

[Ed]

On highway 19, in the Nantahala- NCSP rolled into view just as we were completing the pass; clean and safe (and maybe doing 35 mph) but The Yoke of The Law caught 2/3rds of us in The Act. It was a marked Explorer, we knew we were dead meat if he turned around Hell of it was that just a few hundred yards after we saw him there was a legal passing zone.

Must have been a barracks somewhere nearby in the Nantahala- within a minute there was another NCSP Explorer backing him up, plus one of the Dodge Chargers so they were expecting trouble... the trooper said he was thinking they might have to chase us to Tennessee The trooper was a sargeant, and a decent guy (no lecture, no ball-busting)... I think he was relieved to see Old Guys, and might have let us go with a scolding if not for the other Instruments of The Law on-scene.

That was early on the ride (literally, just after 8AM) so we cooled it down for a little while... I've made that same over-the-double pass a thousand times or more, and this is the first time I've been nailed so whatchagonna do; will be somewhat less inclined to "go for it" with the often marginal/dumb passes we execute each week on COFSTA rides, though and will say that right up front... $50 fine for "overtaking" with $188 of 'court costs', time will tell if my insurance company piles on to get their pound of flesh off my ass but I'm doubting it'll take 'em long.

[Bob]

Bummer. The odds are quite small that this will happen but higher on US highways like 19. In some states, the solid stripe is a "recommendation" and signs say 'pass with care'--PA & VT I think, possibly others. Which is how it *should be, since the ability to make a safe pass varies just a LITTLE between motorcycles and semi-trucks, for instance. lol The same applies for posted corner speeds.

Not sure what you meant by the "marginal/dumb" passes that "we" make every week....? Yes I pass on the stripe but only when I am sure I can safely execute it, evidenced by the fact I am sitting here typing this. I have a low threshold for self-preservation.

Probably not ever gonna get caught passing a car doing 25 thru the s-turns going up NC80; it's gonna happen on a wide open stretch like US19 after doing a perfectly safe pass. Was that down beside the river I assume?

[Ed]

Not sure what you meant by the "marginal/dumb" passes that "we" make every week....? Yes I pass on the stripe but only when I am sure I can safely execute it, evidenced by the fact I am sitting here typing this.

:smiles:

Was that down beside the river I assume?

Yep... we'd crawled along behind that car at well under the limit for what seemed an eternity, waiting for a decent chance to leapfrog around; the driver was clearly unhappy about us being there, but skipped numerous chances to let us past. According to the trooper we were "speeding" too, but I think that meant doing 35.01 mph in a 35 zone.

[Bob]

According to the trooper we were "speeding" too, but I think that meant doing 35.01 mph in a 35 zone.

Maybe you're lucky he got you *just after you passed; if you had made the pass before you encountered him, you'd probably have been doing no-tellin-what MPH.