Tail of the Dragon

bosco659

bosco659

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Just got back from the Tail of the Dragon (Deals Gap) after spending the weekend there with my friends from the Toyota Supra club. I was quite surprised how few bikes were there this past weekend. There were a bunch of BMW guys there as well as a showing of HD’s, but there was a noticeable absence of interesting vintage bikes. The bikes in the picture are owned by a group from Colombia (now living in South Carolina).

We stayed at our regular spot, Fontana Village, NC, then stayed and additional two nights in Pigeon Forge, TN. We rented a yurt 🛖 and it was a great choice. Cool structure with all the modern amenities and at a fraction of the price of a hotel. Did the tourist thing and spent one day at Dollywood - had a great time there. Total trip was 3,000 km.

Once I got back (this afternoon), I finished decorating my garage!

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A friend drove his ‘88 Supra to the Tail of the Dragon and on the way home got a flat tire. No problem because he had the original spare. Tire was over 36 years old 😬, but got him home. Not recommended but when your options are limited, you have to do what you gotta do.
 
Mailman said:
Sounds like you had a great time! That Yurt was an interesting choice.
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Yes my wife stumbled onto it while searching for accommodations in Pigeon Forge. Way less costly than a hotel. Very comfortable. Very well equipped. A/C; full kitchen; lift with skylight; washer / dryer; tv; internet; hot tub; bbq; huge wrap around deck……. Highly recommended.
 
bosco659 said:
Just got back from the Tail of the Dragon (Deals Gap) after spending the weekend there with my friends from the Toyota Supra club. I was quite surprised how few bikes were there this past weekend. There were a bunch of BMW guys there as well as a showing of HD’s, but there was a noticeable absence of interesting vintage bikes. The bikes in the picture are owned by a group from Colombia (now living in South Carolina).

We stayed at our regular spot, Fontana Village, NC, then stayed and additional two nights in Pigeon Forge, TN. We rented a yurt 🛖 and it was a great choice. Cool structure with all the modern amenities and at a fraction of the price of a hotel. Did the tourist thing and spent one day at Dollywood - had a great time there. Total trip was 3,000 km.

Once I got back (this afternoon), I finished decorating my garage!

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We currently have a 32ft trailer that family stays in when visiting, but a 24ft Yurt is on our list of things to build over the next few years and ditch the trailer. They are quite impressive.
 
The Tail is a lovely piece of road but for all the legends and fame, it is only about 12 miles long.

If you ride it like Kenny Roberts or Mike Hailwood, you'll be done in about 15-18 minutes and if you ride a little more sane, you will take about 24-30 minutes.

The other thing to note is that there are other roads in the same area that are just as nice without having to joust with every kook driving a Miata or riding a Yamaha R1.....
 
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MaxPete said:
The Tail is a lovely piece of road but for all the legends and fame, it is only about 12 miles long.

If you ride it like Kenny Rogers or Mike Hailwood, you'll be done in about 15-18 minutes and if you ride a little more sane, you will take about 24-30 minutes.

The other thing to note is that there are other roads in the same area that are just as nice without having to joust with every kook driving a Miata or riding a Yamaha R1.....
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I ride like Kenny Roberts when Kenny was 3 years old.
 
MaxPete said:
The Tail is a lovely piece of road but for all the legends and fame, it is only about 12 miles long.

If you ride it like Kenny Rogers or Mike Hailwood, you'll be done in about 15-18 minutes and if you ride a little more sane, you will take about 24-30 minutes.

The other thing to note is that there are other roads in the same area that are just as nice without having to joust with every kook driving a Miata or riding a Yamaha R1.....
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There’s a “crazy” guy who claims he rides it in under 10 minutes! Insane - he shouldn’t have a licence.

I’ve been there at least 7X and driving into the village where we stay and back out again is enough for me. The real excitement is the first time you drive it.

We regularly stay at a place called Fontana Village. It’s a great place for larger groups yo congregate. It’s in NC, 10-11 miles from the start / finish line of the Tail of the Dragon (Deals Gap). When we decided to extend our stay at Pigeon Forge, TN, we drove there on the Foothills Parkway. I enjoyed that drive much more. Lots of long, sweeping curves, less traffic and nice scenery. There’s also the Cherohala Skyway that we didn’t tour this trip. That would be a great road to ride the bike on.
 
I get up there a few times each year and most of the time I don't even ride it. I look on it now as a "novelty". The weekends are too crowded and the Tenn State boys too observant. Best time to go is during the week. There are just too many other roads in the area that are more scenic and fun to ride.
 
bosco659 said:
There’s also the Cherohala Skyway that we didn’t tour this trip
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That’s about #1 in my book. 28 from The Dragon, all the way to Walhalla, SC is an all day thriller. On the return, throw in Warwoman Road and some US64 to really spice it up.

I’ve gravitated away from the area due to the huge increase in traffic. As I lived there for 10 years it’s a lot of BTDT. I attended the Vintage Yamaha Rally about 19 years in a row and played a part in creating what it is today. http://vintageyamaharally.com

OTOH, I have no traffic issues exploring Mississippi. I’m just three hours from crooked roads in the Ozarks. :bike:
 
RC4MAN said:
Not familiar with US64, but north GA has lots of great riding, my favorite is GA60 from Dahlonega up to Morganton
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I lived 5 miles from Dahlonega for 10 years. I love that place. I’ve ridden just about everything North Georgia has to offer. It has some of the best motorcycling roads the world has to offer.
These days, I see billboards advertising Dahlonega all over the Southeast. Too many people ruin it for me. Since we moved in 2019, I believe Lumpkin County population has increased by 5,000!
 
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