So in July the wife and I are going to take a trip out to Copperhead lodge for our first long trip, We are coming up from Florida and going to spend 4 nights.

We are used to riding in flat straight pavement here in Florida, so riding in twisties, hills, elevation change is new to us. I've been riding for about 4 years (Softail) and my wife (Sportster) a little less than 2, any advice for us rookies? We are planning on riding the Cherohala Skyway, Gauntlet, etc.

Whether safety, things to not do, must do's, etc

 

Ride your own ride at your pace. If you can go to Maggie valley go to wheels through time. Copperhead has some guided rides also. Have fun and stop and smell all that freash air

 

We,ll be there around July 20th maybe we,ll bump into you. Enjoy,and as PPrdglide said-ride at your pace[always make sure you feel comfortable]. Guided ride may be ok if the group is not too large[I personally don't like to ride in a group of strangers].There is not a bad road down there--I guarantee you,ll go back again once this trip is done.Wheels through time/Cades Cove/ TOTD/Skyway/Gauntlet---to name a few things to not miss,and some good BBQ ----Rocker

 

Beware of orange haired Japanese on crotch rockets with a camera on top of their helmets (tora tora, tora!)

Some of the curves are pretty wicked on the Dragon. Make sure you shift down enough that you are not having to shift in the curve and stay in your lane. The oncoming traffic (motorcycles and cars) can make you shyte your pants.

Moonshine 28 starts at the beginning of the Dragon. IMO this is the best ride in the whole area.

The Skyway is a great ride also and quite a bit more relaxing.

We made the mistake of taking Cades Cove on the bikes. Spent two hours going 5 ft at a time because some bears were in a field. Hot and holding up a 800 lb bike was not fun.

The ride to Helen Ga is fun. Also 64 from Murphy to Franklin and 74 to Maggie Valley are good rides with lots of mountain scenery.

The towns of Blue Ridge and Ellijay in Georgia are good if you are interested in dining and shopping.

 

not an expert...don't play one on tv...
Are you riding up? You will have a gradual increase in hills and curves as you get to the bigger hills. Moreso on secondary roads. That will help you ease into it.

Stay slower or a comfortable speed. Let people around, if you can, and they are pushing you.... riding on your butt. After you get comfortable more speed will come. Just ride your own pace.

As mentioned, braking or shifting in a curve is where many mess up. Shift down and brake before the curve then you want to be holding speed or even a little accelerate in the curve. On a road like Dragon that will mean finish one curve and right into the next in spots. Looking ahead and where you are going.

long downhills, just stay in that lower gear. Brake blinks to keep your speed down. No tachs on your bikes. Mine neither.

Back brakes. More stable. Watch some videos. If cornering in town is no problem, you should be ok. Can't be scared to get your lean on. Feel like you are pushing the bike...not it pushing you.

I was pushing a cruiser hard through the Dragon, hit a rock and my front wheel slipped a bit....yah.... never mind. Slowed way down and eased thru it. Still fun and i am alive.

clouds and altitude can make big temp changes, got rain gear and good layers?
Have a great trip.

 

Thanks everybody for the advice so far, We are riding up, I do have rain gear, and i feel pretty comfortable around corners but i will do a bit of research. Rather be safe than sorry.

 

My friend found a an app for waterfalls seen 13 in 3 days. Had a great time doing that also.

 

You can come up from Copperhead on Hwy 68 to Tellico Plains and turn right onto the Skyway. It's best not to ride the "Dragon" on a weekend as all the crotch rockets and want2be race car drivers are out. Even if you stay on your side of the road, there is no guarantee the folks coming the other way will stay on theirs. Riding it Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday are the safest days to tame the dragon.
Also note that if you ride it North to South, the drop offs on the right side of the road are what kill people who ride beyond their ability. I figure that there is no way I can be faster than a crotch rocket so I have my own pace and stick to it.
The "gauntlet" is a long ride...it's about 77 miles if I remember correctly and I have ridden part of it but not all. There is no way you can ride all the great roads in east Tn in 4 days, as it really takes months and still you can't ride them all. The "Snake" or 421 is another great road to ride but isn't near the Skyway or Dragon.
Enjoy and let us know what you think.
BTW There is NO cell phone service on the dragon at all.

 

Copperhead has a nice bar and restaurant. The food is a good as you can get around Blairsville but not cheep. There's a lot of good riding around north Ga. If you plan to ride the Dragon plan on leaving early in the morning and do it on a mon-friday. If I was going to ride the Dragon and Moonshiner 28 I would stay a little closer.
Billy

 

I have stayed at the Copperhead in Blairsville before, it is a nice place and i would stay again but i felt it was a little too isolated for me.
One night was good for me.
I like to have multiple choices that are open within walking distance for breakfast, lunch and dinner if i am locked into a location for several days.
When i am done riding i just want to park the bike and walk.
You may wish to consider spending 1 night at the Copperhead and then staying 1 night each someplace else.
You really need to consider getting the Mad Maps Scenic Road trips of the Smoky Mountains.
Plan route now because it is easy to get lost in the mountains.
A trip on the Richard Russell highway, Stone pile Gap to Helen, Ga is rather nice from the Lodge for lunch on the river in Helen, Ga just under the bridge along river.
It would be a shame to not ride the Moonshiner 28 from Highlands, NC and see all the waterfalls & ride your bike under Bridal Vail falls, see a dam & ride your bike across Fontana Dam on your way to Deals Gap/Dragon to ride US129 and have lunch at the dragon store/ gas station.
The Cherohala makes for an excellent sky high trip and it has a scenic water fall near the western end with almost zero signage directing you to exit for a mile or two in order to see the falls , a simple lunch on back tiny porch on the river at Tellico Kats Deli makes for a nice stop near the western end of Cherohala.
The only other building for miles is the Harley t-shirt store about a block away.
For an unusual stop there is the worlds largest Ten commandments in Murphy,NC .
If you spent a night in or near Maggie Valley,NC then you could see Wheels Through Time museum (check open hours) and maybe enjoy the best section of the Blue Ridge parkway that is between Cherokee and Asheville with a loop up and back through Hot springs,NC and you might want to check-out the Iron Station Inn located in Hot Springs, NC.
Keep in mind that riding mountain roads is different from flat lands and 100 to 150 miles in one day is a full day for some when doing stops for walks, meals , pictures with many roads being 45 mph or less..
The Map Map of the Smoky Mountains has known loops designated and mixing and matching helps me plan my trips.
For example i did a very similar trip and stayed one night at the Copperhead in Blairsville and had dinner, one night in the Historic Frymont Inn in Bryson City (city is known for road to nowhere) and hotel has dinner/breakfast package *ask about a/c in rooms???, one night in Microtel in Robbinsville (light breakfast included) and one night at Iron station Inn located in Hot springs (they have dinner/bar) and there is one breakfast place a 1/2 block away.
The above would give you a mix of great roads, activities and scenery.
If you have a trailer situation then i can understand your desire for the 4 nights but talk to the owners at the lodge...
A night away in the middle can probably be worked-out and you can still do it all.