In the late eighties I road from Athens Alabama to see My sister at UNC Ashville. Riding all over the place and taking two days to get there, I told her upon arriving that I rode the world's curviest road. It turned out to be the Dragon. My ride was a Honda VF700S Sabre. A good ride for the time. Coming back in 1992 with my Hawk GT, that was a much finer ride. Rode it again a few years back with My 2013 R1200R. I was pretty proud that no one caught up to me. 🤪😅🤣

I had never been there until 2005 when my GPS took me through there going to Blairsville. I was amaze to see the brakelight of a car come on, only to see its headlights 30 seconds later. In 2019 I rode through there on my Harley, scraping floorboards in virtually every turn. I even bought the Killboy photos as mementos.

My wife and I rode the Dragon in July 2020. We are in our low 60's. We have a 2007 Goldwing Trike (go figure). It's a great bike. We came upon this road by chance and decided to give it a try. We stayed in our lane, rode at our skill level, and had a great time. Moved over for those who rode faster. We stayed at the speed limit and were cautious around the curves. It's intense, and even at slower speeds, you need to stay vigilant. You can get into trouble quick if lose concentration. Great ride, highly recommend. We are now off to the next one.

There's lots of roads to ride in Tennessee and North Carolina. The Dragon is awesome. Thanks for the video.

The "Dragon's Tail" was discovered long before the 90's. Me and a half dozen friends with bikes would ride it every Saturday or Sunday from April to October in the in the late 50's til 65.

That young lady had only been piloting her own bike for two months. Those family members she was riding with should have cared enough for her to NOT take her on The Tail Of The Dragon.

@laho6649

4 жыл бұрын

Spot on man

@Hidbgod

4 жыл бұрын

I was there in August, then moved on to Lynchburg. We met a family going the other way who were hitting the Dragon. Father, mother, late teen daughter, all riders, with a young teen girl pillion w dad. I think the mother had around 1 year riding experience and the riding daughter had a coupla months. I was very worried about the ladies so I gave them a bit of advice. Since then I've often wondered how they fared.

@boogersmith535

3 жыл бұрын

And another one bites the dust. Good riddance!

@googoo-gjoob

3 жыл бұрын

or... *at least* had her ride on the back one roundtrip.

@scottbaker9066

Жыл бұрын

She would still have an L in the UK, so a 350cc and go SLOWER for your friends.

Coming down the tail several years ago on my Vulcan, my wife sitting happily behind me, I picked up a good groove and breezed my way down. At some point I asked my wife what she thought, she was asleep

Great video and nice history lesson. It looks like a lot of fun. You just have to watch for the riders and drivers who don’t drive within their limits. Thanks for sharing.

I need to get a Go Pro or something. My commute to work at night here in NH is about the same. One of the back roads I rode at 2:30am w/an impact cataract in my right eye going to the ER because it came on suddenly. Had no other way to get home than on my 79' KZ1000 ST I rode to work. A number of the back roads are 35-40mph. Just ride for the conditions and know your abilities, and your bikes. I took the NH 3 day State course to get my MC Lic 16yrs ago because I hadn't ridden anything since I was a teenager. The Instructors said always pay attention, always plan ahead, never assume. Bought my first "bagger" this year, learning all over again how to ride because it handles totally different from my previous bikes.

6:28 this was some of Killboy’s early work shooting, and also some of my very early work testing frame sliders. Early summer 2002, glad I was able to smile through it!

A great ride, June 2017 for me. Well worth the long, two day ride from home. Nicely done, informative video.

If you have never been, please go. NC is a beautiful place to take your two wheeled friend to explore!

Ron’s Rules is great advice.

There are so many awesome roads leading to the Dragon, that I preferred them much more. Two great roads I've visited often is highway 9 from Chimney Rock to Old Fort/Black Mountain and Jonas Ridge (181) out of Morganton.

@googoo-gjoob

3 жыл бұрын

*NC28* is pretty incredible, too.

@Stclairm1

3 жыл бұрын

@@googoo-gjoob where is that near?

@teaeyedoubleguhur

2 жыл бұрын

I've driven on highway 9 several times: a couple of times with various MINI Clubs and once just taking the scenic route home from Asheville to Greenville, SC

i would add a 7th tip : ride in a lower gear and higher RPM's that way u can just back off the gas when u enter a curve

@johnkramer745

5 жыл бұрын

yes.. however, the throttle control with that needs to be much more precise (lower gears) especially with engine braking (accelerating out of the curve is easy)..

@griffintaylor3861

2 жыл бұрын

@@johnkramer745 That boils down to learn how to ride the bike before riding a technical ride like this though

i love the area. there is more than just the dragon.

Royal Star Venture was in 2nd gear 9 of the 11 miles. 60 mph b4 Rev Limiter cuts in. & there is plenty of road rash on board bottoms! Thanks for the pics!

I rode "The Dragon" (Deals gap in my time) many times from 1995-2002. Never wrecked but almost ran into a flock of turkeys or some big bird flock, coming out of a corner, they were in the road and took off flying as I accelerated along side of them, scared me to death

Cherahola skyway is a great ride!!!

@googoo-gjoob

3 жыл бұрын

*_fantabulous_*

I really appreciate the mature and responsible perspective that you have to the Tail of the Dragon. Certainly your riding tips are helpful to many! I have slayed the Dragon 2-3 dozen times, mostly 2-up with my wifey onboard. My observation to its' challenges would be that when riding South to North, much more towards the South end, there are some tight bowls that finish with a decreasing radius which is hard to identify. My BMW R1150RT permits full use of the tires so ending those particular bowls you want to hold a little longer before getting on the throttle! I've never been down or off the road there and only once ever in 400K miles. I've been the victim of a hit and run once but didn't break any bones :o)

Very nice documentary. Had always heard about this but didn't know where it was, the history and technicalities of the road. Good watch.

People, just because you have a motorcycle doesn't mean that you can ride the dragon! This is a beautiful place to ride but be informed that on a scale of 1-10 one being easy and 10 being for advanced riders consider this a top ten!

The truck driver should have had his rear trailer carriage all the way forward to shorten the trailer wheelbase as much as possible. It wouldn't effect the overall length of the rig, but it would have made it possible to use less road width in the turns. He was negligent in proceeding along the road when it should have been apparent that it was mathematically impossible for the length of the rig to negotiate the turns without using both lanes. Even with the wheelbase shortened as much as possible, the rig might still have been unable to negotiate without using the whole road.

Fantastic!

It was name before the 90s, by the Deals Gap riding Society.

Excellent, thank you.

I’ve found the corner to watch out for is one of the last corners on the actual resort end of the road. Your almost to the resort it’s a downhill right turn that you first enter no problem but then it tightens up and at a fast pace it can really bite you in the ass. Most of the road is actually pretty easy to go fast on being its so tight your speeds are not so high and easy to correct. Kinda reminds me of picking through a trail on a dirtbike.

Great video! Rode it in May 2020 and plan to be back in May 2021.

Kind of silly to claim that motorcyclists discovered it in the 90's. My dad and brother rode this stretch a lot in the 1970's.

@ruffianotv

6 жыл бұрын

Sara Washington Yeah, I would say it became popular.

@Slayer66037

5 жыл бұрын

And a lil later in the vid says the tree of shame got started in the 80s

@ScooterLee-ei1ep

5 жыл бұрын

@@Slayer66037 it wasnt known across the us until the internet was going strong. And wasn't named the dragon until the 90's

@onementality9781

3 жыл бұрын

He didn't say nobody knew about it nor rode it but they didn't cater to motorcycles then and it got really popular in the 90's for motorcycles

I miss riding bike I need to get another one

Oct 2019- did the Tail in Sept 2019 for first time. So took it slow but still a technical challenging ride.

trailbraking helps alot here. don't ride over your head and use the front brake! headin up in 1 week

Nice video. Would recommend -if you can get there-Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia.

@wollywolly2734

4 жыл бұрын

Feaon and I are all in!!!

I just found your channel and subscribed. I also post motorcycle content I am in Canada. Great video !

A great road and to get photos of yourself riding the Dragon is really cool. With the photographic capabilities these days, the succession of several high speed shots capture you entering a turn and exiting. A really good video about the Dragon here. My three rules - 1. Don't ride like an a$$h0le 2. Don't ride impaired 3. And especially for the Dragon's curves - slow in, fast out.

wow loved the ending

hey that was a cool video , thanks!

Have run deals many times. Great road but be careful, no room for error. If you shoot the apex, there is no room for runoff. This is not a racetrack. But a very nice ride.

The Moonshiner 28 is a better ride. It actually starts at the deals gap motorcycle resort and goes all the way to south Carolina. Fantastic ride. LOTS of curves!

Hangin Harley parts on the tree of shame, it's a wonder that tree can stand up to the weight!!!😎😎🏍🏍🏍🏍🏍🍺

Went to the dragon in 2018, riding from Mich, ended up going east to avoid rain, we went though W. Virginia and turned S . By the time we got though W.Va. dealing with every curve having gravel from connecting roads, pour road signs , and in general not a clean corner in the state as far as radius is concerned , I found the dragon to be fun , and not the death trap everyone seems to make it out to be, very well maintained, the real death trap was getting out of W.Va. and of course the freeways. try not to ride on interstates but sometimes it's best for short distance. The take from all of this is------ relax, if you're good enough to get there you'll be fine, enjoy !

10:10 Lol watch the guy in the back cross the double yellow and almost eat it xD

@sherrysetliff2502

4 жыл бұрын

Squid Rider yeah idea of what not to do. Noticed that.

1:26 _Cherry-Ola_ Skyway. hahaha

What makes the Dragon difficult is the speed some idiots travel, not the curves. A curve is a curve is a curve, but my experience was different. Almost hit by oncoming traffic, road too narrow, etc. It may be a destination for some people, but I will never return. In Georgia we have State Road 60 from Blue Ridge to US19 (Dahlonega), and it's 62 miles two mountain ranges, and no one has counted the curves. Suches is the midpoint, and the road is wide (as are most in Georgia).

@to-yg1tx

7 жыл бұрын

Northern GA has a lot of really great roads, 180/60 are on the shortlist. Luckily they aren't as well known or travelled as 129. West Virginia has a lot of awesome roads too and is really off the beaten path. The only issue there is the amount of coal-truck traffic and the scarcity of fuel in some areas.

@richardmiller9698

5 жыл бұрын

I've followed people barely doing the speed limit almost run off the road and cross the yellow line.

do not wreck. do not wreck. do not wreck.

Where I'm from this is all of our roads lol

I'll never forget meeting another bike, I was going downhill towards a left. I can look across and see another biker heading down hill towards the same curve, which was a right for him. He's really hauling ass on a sport bike, and I don't want to be outside of him in the other lane in case he runs wide or wipes out and his bike takes me out. Now we are in the corner, and try as I might if he fucks up I'm toast too. That's when I notice he has a chick on the back of his bike, and his damn knee is on the road. I've been to the dragon a half dozen times, but I have never seen a biker go as hard through a curve as that guy and gal. It's something I'll never forget, it was just astonishing. I'm no sissy, and I like to carve corners, but this guy looked like Valentino Rossi and his sister.

@cattleNhay

5 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a typical Swiss rider who was bored with these wide, slow twisties.

Try out the 999 Mai rim corner drive return different way down to Chiang Mai Thailand 😂? 5hrs of challenging death defying exhilarating experiences trying to maximise the speed around the corners without crashing ! My girlfriend on the back did it with her music earphones on , fell asleep held in by the G /forces !

It was awesome - hehe. See you in the hospital.

the problem is some people just want to ride at a safe speed, and some people want to go as fast as they can, and faster.

The local roads there are far more fun than the dragon. Charahalla(sp) skyway was tons of fun with the long sweepers. But i had to check the dragon off the list. So i did and did exactly what he said. STAY WITH IN YOUR LIMITS.

great video , I've done it 26 times and won't go back ..too many people push beyond their skills and make it unpleasent for the rest

@googoo-gjoob

3 жыл бұрын

mid-week, mid-morning its not too bad.

RONS RULES 100% correct do not over ride you abilities.

@touristguy87

5 жыл бұрын

"100% correct do not over ride you abilities." Kinda like saying "don't try to run faster than you can run", isn't it?

5:33 looks like a boat engine cover

Just came back from the dragon

lucky souls who get to ride this. awesome. how is this as compared to the Back of the dragon? i heard the tail is a lot more commercialized now as compared to the BotD. does this have tighter turns as against the BotD? planning to ride the BotD (riding from maryland) and Tail would be an additional 3 hours down south and hence the ask.

guy at 4:35 -- 1 cheek out, head countering that weight shift by being in the middle (classic cornering blunder).. no countersteering.. bike leaned over (best the tires can do i guess).. had it coming... :(

Rode the dragon in October 2020. good time to do it not too much traffic.loved it

@ronniebryant5364

3 жыл бұрын

So you missed the year or you’re from the future.. glad you made it thru ok!

@harryhowell5644

3 жыл бұрын

@@ronniebryant5364 lol

I lived in CA for 32 yrs all of which I rode bikes beginning with a Suzy GS1100E and ending with a Kawi ZX10. I could name a dozen relatively unknown roads in CA that make the T of the D seem ordinary and a hell of a lot more dangerous with its trees and traffic. I'm not belittling the road, its attraction is all just relative. I now live on Table Rock Lake in far southern Missouri, in the Ozarks, with an MT09 and the roads here are delicious. I do still miss CA sweetnesses like Mosquito Ridge and Hwy 36 but the Ozarks have served up delicacies like Hwy 123 and... uh, gonna keep the others secret... don't want the traffic!

Biggest Tip: Use the pull off if there is a faster vehicle behind you. There is no need to ride like a jerk and cause road rage in the people behind you.

blue ridge parkway

Holy shit I own that shirt and never washed it in 8 years because I love the map

@googoo-gjoob

3 жыл бұрын

inside out will reduce damage

The chick.... "my husband rides, his dad, his brothers all ride.....and as a female I felt like I needed to ruin that great time by joining in"

Nice... rode this a few weeks ago on a 19 year old BMW R1100RT .... check out CruznMotorrad.

🌱🌿🌲tree of SHAME🌳🌾

That accident with the trailer was bad, and usually cruiser riders just try to look cool and wear fuk all protection.

Where is the waterfall that he is speaking about in this video??

@sjohnston83

5 жыл бұрын

inflatedmann Bridal Veil Falls. Hwy 28s towards Highlands NC.

That music at 8:32 had me confused like....Sexy Crash Guy? EMT's about to start stripping?

Some signs would help a lot.

@davidstancu2963

4 жыл бұрын

the speed is marked on every corner

You guys can have it! I prefer riding not dying!

wheres the road you can ride under a waterfall im going this summer again

@philbrownleader7222

4 жыл бұрын

Hwy 64, (from 28 Hellbender) towards "the Highlands" past Franklin.

@teaeyedoubleguhur

2 жыл бұрын

@@philbrownleader7222 Is that the same as Dry Falls? Our high school physics class stopped at Dry Falls on our way to Fontana and then to Oak Ridge, TN almost 50 years ago.

Most people are not waiting for you to get to a pullout. People that come to ride should not have to keep pulling over for people who think they own the road. It's never actually safe to pull over except for the large pulloffs. What people think are pulloffs on the road are not big enough or do not have a clear view of the road to pull back out. It works both ways. Deal with it. Whopping 11 mile piece of road on your way across country and somebody wants you to pull over on a blind shoulder of the road because they can't pass a bike doing 35 mph. Lol

@touristguy87

5 жыл бұрын

...ah the famous Sir Should-Not rails against Reality yet again.

@jacobhendrickson8935

5 жыл бұрын

David Phillips we are not allowed to pass. This is very strictly enforced. The pull offs are plenty and seem very safe to me. Common courtesy to get out of the way of someone faster than you

@touristguy87

5 жыл бұрын

@@jacobhendrickson8935 and for them to slow down

@jacobhendrickson8935

5 жыл бұрын

touristguy87 true it does go both ways I agree. I just try to keep a safe distance and hope the slower rider will let me by. It’s not that I can’t blow his doors off,it’s that I don’t want to accidentally spook anyone and run them off the road. So I wait for a few chances to allow me by and then if not given a choice I’ll just go around. So yes it goes both ways in every aspect. Mine being I don’t want to spook you so I’m hoping you will pull off or signal me hey come on by. I’m one of those that don’t get off on pissing anyone off. I would much rather do whatever it takes to make my day and everyone else’s I go by another good day.

they died what they love doing

Hope the biker is ok ... yet, bikers don't slow down ... and I watched 50 bikers go thru a stop sign ... not one stopped .... and yes it's like a funeral procession ... plus .... no cop will ever stop a biker for speeding .... Now the truck couldn't help it cause the curves were sharp ... and there was still room on the side ? to pass safely ... safety first ...

If your not an experienced rider save your life don't ride it

People did you notice the scene at the beginning of the video, even grave yards need fences..

Haha I was not surprised at all to see that guy 50 pencing it and going off a turn. Learn how to ride BEFORE you go to the dragon.

The road was discovered in the 90's but there is a tree of shame established in the 80's? Me no understandy.

Corners a yanks biggest nightmare,

I enjoy your story but you need to know more history. I opened up a Long John Silvers in Cherokee in 1976. I would ride 129 from Bryson City to Seymour Tennessee once a week on my bike or drive my car to miss the Smokies traffic. Didn't see anybody on the road most of the time but there was a bit of traffic. I also rode my bike in the early 70"s with my buddies. Just to let you know it was well ridden much earlier than when you arrived. Just saying. But with the attention, I don't go there often on busy weekends> It gets stupid.

@googoo-gjoob

3 жыл бұрын

have you had the pleasure of Parsons Branch?

@randallmiles1596

3 жыл бұрын

If your talking about the one way gravel road from Cades Cove to Hwy 321 ? I have not .

@googoo-gjoob

3 жыл бұрын

@@randallmiles1596 , yes, its a one lane gravel road.... yes it starts at Cades Cove.... but it empties out onto RT129. the _only_ road to do so, i believe. according to maps ive found....they meet at *Parsons curve MP 4.0*

@randallmiles1596

3 жыл бұрын

@@googoo-gjoob thanks man. I'll check it out. It has to empty on 129hwy. My bad.

people die every year driving too fast

whats the speed limit? 5 mph? LOL.

@bobberguy1

3 жыл бұрын

35 mph. And there are many curves a rider can't make at 35 mph.

The police are a problem and so are other tourists. Outside of that, it's fine. Frankly, as some other commenters have said there are other better roads in North GA and VA.

@Hdrunenzi720

7 жыл бұрын

FWIW, Ron, Nancy, Darryl, David and all of the other folks up there are really good people with great hearts. Many props to all those involved in making it a fun destination.

@MrJeff832000

6 жыл бұрын

why are the police a prob and why are the tourists a issue,

@flyingdog1498

6 жыл бұрын

Touists? all you fucking ignorant bikers are the tourists.

@speedsterjohnny7191

6 жыл бұрын

There is usually a heavy Tennessee State Police presence on the weekends when the traffic is heaviest. I got a ticket radar-checked at 46 mph and believe me, it was expensive. I went to school in Maryville (TN) which reduced the cost a little and kept the mark off my license.

@daved1855

5 жыл бұрын

The cops aren't the problem. Its the speeders and inexperienced riders that are the problem.

Looks like a normal road in N.H. Maybe a little over rated?

Meh - Azuza ave 11 miles and 121 turns.

Nice video stretching the truth with the time line...

I do not ride the dragon because people drive like idiots. There is plenty of good riding in the area. I like Deals Gap. The Dragon is not a race track. No body are motorcycle racers.

Bikers are the worst riders at TOTD. Had to knock a guys teeth in for coming at our group bc his whole entire upper body was over the yellow line and blamed my guy for almost hitting him. We stayed in our lanes. We all have go-pros.

@johnkramer745

5 жыл бұрын

yes.. not acceptable but then this is possibly the only road down south east where you can really work on the cornering without paying for it (money i mean, life is another matter) and hence the craziness.. not justified at all though and the whole "pushing the envelope while cornering" is a risk for others majorly. I am a biker btw and stay away from such behavior.

I don't understand people, who love this road. Where from is your love? Are you newbies or are you low speed vehicle riders? Speed limit on TOTD is 30 m/h this is around 48km/h +15 m/h. This is speed for scooter. Where are from your emotions? I don't understand. Our Canadian HWY 511 in Lanark County, Ontario, Canada has 80km/h+ 20 km/h before ticket. This is road speed is our slowest roads speed.

@xIronMikex

3 жыл бұрын

Surprised no one told you by now. Speed limits are a suggestion for many there. Last month I went to try the road and pushed my Sabre hard. I know I hit 60mph at least in some parts but my crash bars hindered me from cornering better. My GoPro caught a few good scrapes from them. I have training on motorcycles so I wanted to use all of what I knew. passed many a people *when I could

Challenging for Americans. Not anyone else with hills. Or a bike that brakes and steers. This is a cringe shit