The Real Reason Tail of the Dragon is called Dangerous
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- čas přidán 22. 02. 2024
- The real reason the Tail of the Dragon is called dangerous may not be why you’d expect. Is it the high speeds or the 318 sharp curves in 11 miles? Or is it the tight 2 lane road with jagged rock walls on one side and an unforgiving steep drop off on the other? @DoodleOnAMotorcycle shares some stories and statistics to explore why.
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Cherohala is twisty enough, but the views are amazing. Rode The Dragon at least 6 times, and you are absolutely correct, ride just a shade under you're skill level, and it will be no problem.
yessss
I heard all of the horror stories about how dangerous it is. Myself and a couple family members went this last summer and rode it for about 4 days. Wonderful riding and only dangerous if you make it that way.
You hit the nail on the head!!!! Ride at or below your skill level on the Dragon, watch out for other riders and be ready to pull over. Thanks Doodle!!!!! Be safe and Blessed!!!!
Be ready to pull over for what, the disrespectful irresponsible riders who treat it like their own personal race track and put themselves and everyone else in danger?
be safe!!!
The one time I have been able to ride it was misty and light rain. It was slow and slick! It was totally worth it, though!
same!!! but I'm always slow anyways 😜
This past week, my family and i did the Dragon! In my 2024, Bronco, not knowing what or where we were ! The GPS took us through it from Pigeon Forge to Joyce Kilmer memorial forest! Lol! It was a fun drive, I pulled over a lot for the motorcycles! I realized where I was when I got to the end.
Had a couple of my friends rude the dragon said it was no different than the roads here in WV.
LOL I need to go WV
Rode the Dragon 3x last July. Was great and no issues. Also did Moonshiner 28, Cherahola and did visit Tapico lodge too. Gatlinburg was a nice ride too as well. We stayed at Dragon property rentals too. Awesome. West of Robbinsville N.C. In the Treetops! Fantastic time. Hope to get down there next year. Nice video warning new riders though.😊
Hey Doodle. That area is loaded with nice rides besides TOTD. We ride from Roswell up to Cashiers N.C. all the time. Just about every road in that area is twisty and has nice little towns scattered around.
lived in east TN for YEARS, RARELY traveled there, ONLY when I just HAD to go PAST there............even then, I made that ride FIRST thing in the morning and got the hell OUT of there before Team Squid arrived
We are hopefully heading out that way this summer…I love taking my time and enjoying the scenery…so I’m happy to do the speed limit…especially on a curvy road. :)
Nice!!!
HIgher speed = less time to react. Keep the speed safe. Give yourself time to adjust to situations. Totally agree.
that's right!
Just rode it today and now I’m geeking out on videos.
From the UK here. This looks like a lovely road, and I love the variety of the American countryside. I also like that American roads are nearly always easily wide enough for two cars, so fun can be had safely without worrying about people coming the other way. Often our country roads are like rally stages!
For one thing, the asphalt is not what it used to be. It hasn't been resurfaced in decades, and it is no longer as nice and sticky as in years past. Some old veteran "Dragoneers" are probably low siding their bikes these days when it wouldn't have happened just a few years back..
My best TOTD rides has been on days in January or February.
The people who say it's dangerous aren't wrong, but I won't go there on a normal weekend in July.. The people who say it's overrated.. they're wrong. That's a fun stretch of road if you can catch it and not get caught up behind someone in a car.
There are better roads in the area, but we don't share their names.
I can't count the number of times I've ridden a circle of Cherohala, to Deal's Gap, and down the Chilhowee and home. If you are a beginner, stay away, you are not ready for this, seriously. Never ever place any part of your body across the double, ever. In "edit: late" fall, just don't come after it rains, the decomposing leaves and water on the pavement make it a skating rink on the edges. First time, always come with a rider who has been here or is super experienced in mountain riding, you can actually find people to ride with at the gas station. You could just pipe up wanting to ride with someone and they'll take you, I know I would. Unprepared people that overestimate their ability get very very hurt from one mistake.
I am a retired Firefighter/Paramedic. I was first on, on a fatality accident. It took the Ambulance an hour to get to us. There was nothing I could do fort the woman, but I did send her husband to the hospital. There was not any cell phone service so someone had to go back to Deals Gap to use the phoned.
oh man... 😰
Plenty of roads like that in WNC/East Tenn. I always tell people to have fun but don't get cocky and act bulletproof. When they ask "why", I always respond with "how is your cell service right now". 90% of the time it's little to nonexistent on our "great mountain roads for driving". You slip off the road and into the woods or into the back/grill of a car you are typically going to lay there bleeding and dying a good while before REAL knowledgeable help arrives.
There are small makeshift memorials all up and down our mountain roads for a reason, and a good many of those are from locals who KNEW the roads somewhat.
To be honest, I'm an adrenaline junkie. I love chucking my car up and down a mountain road. The feeling of pushing my car to its limits makes me feel alive. Even so, even after a crap ton of hours honing my driving skills, I know my skill set and refuse to go beyond them. My advice, before going full send down the dragon, get some practice (which means taking it slow at first and then slowly building up your speed each run). Side note, on that road, I rarely keep track of my speed. My main focus is on the road, how my car is handling through each turn, and the other folks on it.
Cherohala Skyway is one of the most amazing roads ive been on. Im lucky enough to live close, and ride it about once a month now. I've still now steeled myself enough to travel up to the dragon though. thanks for the great info!
jealous!!
nice video and comments, thanks.
I've ridden the Dragon. You nailed it. Ride it alone.
Deals Gap is a great place to ride! I grew up just on the other side of Cherokee. I have ridden the Dragon since the early eighties, but it wasn't as commercialized then and a lot less drama. although I don't live there anymore, I still make several trips to the Dragon each year. But there are other great roads as well: Hwy 28, (a favorite), Cherohala Skyway, Blue Ridge Parkway, Hwy 209, etc. Just enjoy the ride! Save Mach 28 for the track!
Mach 28! yessss
In real life The Dragon is a rural 2 lane state highway, it is not a race track. Locals that are not motorcyclists use the road too. That old pickup truck that is doing 25-35 mph has just as much right being there as you do.
I want to ride that some day. Just a nice chill cruise. I'm too old and too scared to race outside a track. Unrelated: What microphone are you using, your audio quality is great. Cheers!
That's a RODE mic!
That's a really long and polite way off saying "no, it's just crowded with idiots."
LOL
The first time I rode the Dragon was two up, loaded with luggage, on an H-D Heritage. Took about the first dozen switchbacks to get the rhythm of throttle, clutch, shifter, and brake. It's on my bucket list to go back and do it again at least once more.
For an even more challenging road in the area, head over to Maggie Valley, and take US 276 up and over the Blue Ridge Parkway to Brevard, NC.
wow!
Been to 276 quite a few times. There's a very nice one in WV, 250.
it's funny to me because every road in Nova Scotia where i grew up is as heinous or more heinous than the Tail of the Dragon... just endless, twisty roads with a wall of trees. lost some friends on bikes way back before i ever started riding and splattering into a tree at 100+mph always stuck in my head
Absolutely, totally agree with everything you said. I rode it. Don’t outride your abilities. You’ll have a blast.
yup!
I thought Cherahola was the better ride of the two, mostly because the scenery is amazing. As for the Dragon, it’s ok and like you said, as long as you keep your speed down, it isn’t to difficult. If you want a truly challenging ride, take to road into the Sequoias and Kings Canyon. That one will get your attention!
That sign means go faster right.
LOL
Most dangerous conditions for a motorcyclist are intersections and curves. The vast majority of single vehicle accidents involving motorcyclists are simply failing to negotiate a curve. Speed, lack of skill, target fixation, etc are all symptoms, not the disease.
As someone who rides it often, and at speed, my concern has never been about staying within my capabilities, it’s the speed racers who can’t stay within theirs or think it’s a race track and cut the corners crossing over the yellow line (mustard) or running wide on exits.
This past week alone there have been two, that I know of, accidents where someone crossed the mustard and ran into someone else, both VICTIMS were on motorcycles. One idiot was in a car, the other on a three wheel.
When you ride The Dragon, or any other road for that matter, remember these two important rules. PEOPLE ARE STUPID and PEOPLE DON’T CARE.
Keep two wheels down folks, unless you’re rippin’ a wheelie!
Riding the speed limit and below your skill level and you won't have any issues..the Cherahola, Rt 28 , Foot Hills Parkway,the Dragon, and the Blue Ridge Parkway all have some tight curves...but ride the speed limit and you're never have a issue on any of those roads...get going too fast and it only takes a few seconds of losing your focus and things can happen quickly...go down there on vacation and enjoy the ride, but ride at the speed limit...enjoy the scenery and enjoy the riding, but do it safely...you're not on a race track.
129 was a great ride before the Internet ruined it........
A bunch of squids went down to ride a very technical road above their skill level.
Poor rider skills cause spills, the throttle goes both ways.
yup
No road in the country is dangerous if you ride or drive it at a blistering speed of 20 mph! The problem is people buy sport bikes, and supercars for a reason. 20mph is not that reason. They will push them to the limit even if it kills them, and sometimes it does. They advertise The Tail of the Dragon as a "difficult road for advanced drivers"! This will definitely attract every adrenaline junky in the country!
If this a state/federal highway that has been laid out according to dot standards and a person with a valid drivers license (and a cup of common sense) that travels at the posted speed limit there should be no reason why this road should be considered dangerous.
Solid advice!
woot woot!
Medevac pad is located at the bottom of the Dragon, though it can take time to extract a body.
There are thousands of miles of twisty mountain roads in the Appalachians. The only thing making this more dangerous than them is the fact that people go there with the intention to do stupid stuff. All those other roads are just locals doing day to day things.
Yea well it’s dangerous when your GPS brings you that route to the caverns from NC and a Semi rounds the corner..only reason we knew to stop was a motorcyclist used his hands to tell us to stop….all caught on the photos they take around each curve lol
The 7 Reasons We Crash*:
Rushing corner entry
Lack of focus
Abruptness
Cold Tires
Overconfidence
Repeating a mistake
Not adjusting to change
(*credit to YCRS)
Hwy 28 is more enjoyable in my opinion. Cherohala is beautiful but curves are pedestrian. It actually gets a little boring.
I’ve been going there since 2002 very first time I rode this road I had to turn around and rot it again it’s a challenge speed limit on that road means nothing to me people who know this road knows that it will kill you in a heartbeat, but I love the challengeuntil I get too old where I have to do the speed limit slow down it’s time for me to say adios
BINGO, so much valuable information here. Not more important than ride with your ability. / PS: you are incredibly pretty 🤍
I rode the dragon last fall and was a little disappointed, it seemed overrated. Glad I did it but there are others much more enjoyable rides!
No matter what your road you're on, if talent is less than ambition, there's going to be a problem.
yup
We going full send
I remember when the speed limit was 55
My gs 850 made its own speed limit on the dragon wife said wasn't going alone and we had a blast. Ground off center stand and right muffler.
Road it a few times myself be ready not for beginners
Howdy
howdy
Doodle why another channel? Did I miss something?
I think they said this channel is a group project between several youtubers.
@RebelCowboysRVs what he said ^
I wonder what is the statistic for men vs women crashes on the Dragon. Common sense and bravado have a lot to do with the results.
I'd like to know that one too 😜
it's the shortage of common sense !!!
Kommt nach Europa in die Alpen, da gibt es Hunderte solche Strecken
There are so many “Inconsiderate Riders” on the TotD. When I was there last there was a group of Grom Riders that were weaving in between everyone. There was a RV towing a car. I did not see the police that were present attempt to do anything to curtail any of that. There were 4 traffic crashes in that stretch that day that I saw. (not witnessed). This year (2024) the NC side will allegedly be shut down so they can “adapt the roadway to new safety precautions in effort to curtail the number of traffic crashes”. I foresee a 25 mph speed limit and radar zones with traffic cameras. The NC DOT website doesn’t mention what they are doing, just that road will be closed starting in May, and is expected to be closed 6-8 weeks. This is part of the Route 143 project.
Pretty sure that is for the repaving project on the Tn side.
@@10ectaco10 Well it’s on the North Carolina DOT website🤷♂️
I have no desire to ride it. It’s just a bunch of slow driving cars and a bunch of bikers who think it’s track day every day.
Pass…
bruh you missing out
Stupid is the biggest reason
My dad and I went once and I have no desire to go back. Folks are too stupid to enjoy it.
why does anyone care what this poser says about motorcycles?
IDK she doesn't even ride, all those trips and u-turns are photoshopped