Few of us are heading up there from SC Saturday. Anyone else spent much time up there? Figured we would trailer them to Asheville then get a good 400 miles or so of riding going up there, running the gap, then coming back to the trailers. Come back on Sunday.

Im told that by the time you get to the end of the dragon youll actually be pretty worn out from all the turns. Any truth to that?

7/10/2006 7:48:11 PM

I drove that shit in a ford explorer and it tired me the fuck out.

7/10/2006 8:46:09 PM

I went there in April and must have gone both directions of the gap like 5 times. This was in an rx-7, not a bike. It is mentally very tiring, and you need to really be on point because if you aren't, you'll die.

Go to the gas station at the beginning of the Dragon and look at the photos posted on the bulletin board of all the road rash.

7/11/2006 12:38:06 AM

what is everyone riding

7/11/2006 12:39:29 AM

It's a fun road, but be careful on weekends, lots of idiots up there. It's a lot more enjoyable on weekdays. Watch the center line as well, they've had helicopters watching it recently and pull you over based on your gear at the ends of the Dragon if you pass the center line. Also as a piece of advice, make sure your bike is totally legal. Mirrors (at least one on the left), plate mounted normally not on a swingarm, turn signals, etc.

Have a good time, I'd love to join ya but my little sister is coming up to visit. Gotta teach her to drive the S2000 properly on Saturday since she wants to AutoX it Sunday. And no, the Dragon is not the proper place to teach her

7/11/2006 7:28:05 AM

Deal's Gap is a blast

just don't do this like I did:

7/11/2006 8:29:51 AM

Did you put anything on the Tree of Shame, Duke? For that matter, did it exist way back when you did that?

7/11/2006 9:36:30 AM

I camped out this spring at the motorcycle lodge at deals gap and must have run the gap at least 15 times both ways (2005 FZ6). Make sure and ride the Cherehola Skyway and Foothills Parkway as well, both are great rides. It was my first trip up there (been riding about 9 months) and I was with six experienced riders. The biggest and best piece of advice you'll ever get, (anyone up there will tell you this) is "RIDE WITHIN YOUR LIMITS". There are a lot of places that you could easily get killed by crossing the double yellow. One of our riders crossed the doulbe yellow on his way to the gap, on US 129 in Georgia, on his 2005 gixxer and met a F-150 head on. Had to be flown out in a helicopter with multiple broken bones and a punctured lung.

As far as being worn out. I doubt it. You'll be mentally worn out when you reach the top but if you hang out a bit and talk with other riders for a few minutes, you'll be so excited and ready to run it again that you wont know what to do with yourself.

One more thing, watch out for other cars and riders who are riding beyond their limits b/c its very easy to go wide on one of those curves and before you know it WHACK!, your ass is grass.

7/11/2006 12:47:25 PM

i saw a few fixable farings on the tree of shame.

7/11/2006 1:32:59 PM

I'd love to do that.

7/11/2006 4:34:32 PM

sounds lika good time

7/11/2006 4:46:02 PM

Quote :

"Did you put anything on the Tree of Shame, Duke? For that matter, did it exist way back when you did that? "

oh yeah, that thing's been there a while. my motel room was actually right behind it...bad luck, probably.

and yeah, i put a mirror on it. i was so disgusted that i didn't feel like pulling any of the other mangled up stuff from the bike at the time.



it was a weird thing...i'd made about 6 runs through the Gap earlier in the day, going pretty much full tilt (dragging pretty much everything short of the exhaust canister, and getting into triple digit speeds in at least 2 different places). finally, i said "Self, you need to back it off a notch or two, or you are going to eventually wreck."

well, wouldn't you know, on the next run, when i finally eased up to an aggressive but sane pace, the ass end of my GSX-R just shot out from under me in the middle of a left-hander. i still don't know why. there was no sand or gravel there, and i wasn't even dragging footpegs (and i wasn't really gassing it very hard)

7/11/2006 5:14:16 PM

There are four of us heading up there. Three on sport bikes, another on a VTX1800. Right now the plan is to ditch the trailers and what not in Weaverville (my dads house) and ride the 100 or so miles to the gap, run it as many time as we can take and crash at one of the hotels. Two of the guys I am going with have been there multiple times. One in particular is likely to take it much faster than I am willing to do.

Myself I am driving an 04 CBR600rr, stock. Should be fun.

7/11/2006 9:03:44 PM

the tree was created in the 80's by harley riders.

7/11/2006 9:21:59 PM

Couple more days. Bikes all washed up and ready to go. I have been dying to get away from all the straight ass roads down in SC, miss the mountains.

7/12/2006 7:29:09 PM

i'd go, but im leaving for asia this weekend

7/12/2006 7:49:48 PM

Have fun man, take pics and let us know how it went

Be careful though, the Mitsubishi 3000GT/Dodge Stealth group is gonna be there, along with a bunch of other DSMs. Depending on how well they're organized, car clubs can be scary. The Prelude group that showed up two years ago during one of our annual S2000 events had a high ricer percentage and had 6 cars wreck, most of them showing off and trying to do stupid stuff.

7/13/2006 8:20:59 AM