Anybody drive (or ride) the Dragon for fun?

[Randall53]

I want to second what 10 Ring said in his post above.  It aint been so long ago that i drove the "dragon" pretty regularly.   Be advised that what 10 Ring said is what ya better do if ya want to stay down here in this old world.

Any advanced idiocy or miscalculation (...like meeting an opposing vehicle in the wrong lane can and most likely will be fatal for someone...).  

 

The hillside is steep, the road is narrow, theres no place to go to avoid a head-on crash, and there aint a good way to get to ya if you are hurt or need to be lifted out somehow. Runnin off the road up there will most likely be fatal, especially for small cars and motorcycles.  The THP and the NC State Police used to watch it pretty heavily, and they will punish the foolish.   Remember, up there, the life you save could well be your own.

 

This is a public service message from folks who used to drive this stretch of road regularly.  It is, indeed, a very dangerous and unforgiving place.

 

leroy

 

All of this is very true.  There's a wrecker service in Robbinsville that always seems to have 6 or so bikes in their "corral" and they can tell you many stories of fatalities both on the Skyway and on the Dragon.  I've been there, seen the bikes and listened to the stories.  I know of one person a few years ago on a small cruiser that was riding 2 up with his wife on the Dragon. The cruiser was not speeding and was riding leisurely with a couple of other friends behind on bikes also.  A bike came out of a curve at a high rate of speed, on it's side and sliding towards them.  They had nowhere to go and they caught the bike head on right in the front wheel.  The rider of the crotch rocket had a broken leg, the driver of the cruiser spent 3 weeks in the hospital and his wife spent 2 weeks, but both survived. You can be doing the right thing on the Dragon and still get killed.  It is a very dangerous road.

[GoneBallistic]

Gone Ballastic, I love the skyway. My favorite run is the big loop of 129, skyway, 360, 129. It's great setof roads, but it's real easy to get a fat ticket on the skyway.

BTW, is anyone going to the Dragon Hill Climb event next weekend? http://www.dragonhillclimb.com/general-course-map/
I am leading a club to spectate.

That looks like it will be a lot of fun! I noticed on the website it said "competition licensed drivers". What exactly does that mean? I've been wanting to get into some kind of organized racing but I have absolutely no idea where to start.

[E4 No More]

I drove the Dragon last September in my Boss 302 Mustang. It was great, but I preferred the Diamondback because there was much less traffic and absolutely no Popo.

[peejman]

Some of you guys might like to check in here, if you don't already.  There's routine reports of road conditions and who's where...  http://www.easttnriders.com/forum/index.php

[tercel89]

I will one day when I get my 1985 Ford Mustang SVO !!!!!!!!!!!!

[wareagle]

Anyone planning to race or spectate this weekend's Dragon hillclimb event? If so, what re you driving?

[GoneBallistic]

I wish. Gotta work. :mellow: