Dragon not so nice guy
Road Captain
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 510
Likes: 83
From: SW Virginia
rude kinda obliterates the question of right or wrong. rude is wrong.
I see pulling over as polite, and tail-gating as rude. he was rude. who, after all, is in such such a phuckin hurry as to ruin everybodys day with offers of violence and threatening postures. People sometimes get dead over silly stuff like this.
I agree about turning back...risky. I've seen very bad things come from rude...burned out bars, a blown up bike shop, bullets. Not nice. Your helmeted "friend" has knees? Just askin' Not much point in hitting his empty head... I wonder if he realized the danger he put himself in. I think not,
where is "dragon"?
I see pulling over as polite, and tail-gating as rude. he was rude. who, after all, is in such such a phuckin hurry as to ruin everybodys day with offers of violence and threatening postures. People sometimes get dead over silly stuff like this.
I agree about turning back...risky. I've seen very bad things come from rude...burned out bars, a blown up bike shop, bullets. Not nice. Your helmeted "friend" has knees? Just askin' Not much point in hitting his empty head... I wonder if he realized the danger he put himself in. I think not,
where is "dragon"?
However let's talk about the Dragon. It is a very curvy section of road in North Carolina. It is visited by tens maybe hundreds of thousands of bikes every year in about a four or five month period. There is a strictly enforced speed limit and the cops will gladly write you a ticket.
For most people who ride the Dragon it is generally understood you should pull over and let faster riders pass. It is not the law to do so it is just understood on the Dragon. If you frequent any other boards you will soon discover that folks who prefer our brand of bikes have a reputation for not allowing others to pass. Again, legally they don't have too, it is just sort of an unwritten rule. It certainly is nothing to fight over.
If you aren't familiar with the road there is a thread on another board that has pictures from the Dragon. There is a photographer named Killboy who takes your picture. He has captured insane numbers of wrecks and screw ups. The thread is called something about "Killboy Failure thread". Anyway read through some of it and you will understand there is a larger dynamic here than some random road.
Personally I won't ride it. I have before early in the morning in the pouring rain and I was the only guy there. I was legitimately riding through. I have also driven it in a car while there to paddle the river. But the cold kept the bikes at bay.
Generally speaking the whole thing is a **** show during the warmer months and it is like one huge parade. Bikes wreck everyday and you learn really fast who can actually ride. But everyone knows this going in.
Last edited by Kayakguy; Jun 17, 2016 at 09:27 AM.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,513
Likes: 116
From: OKC
single lane road, one lane each way. show me a statue that requires a motorcyclist to move to the right in his lane to allow traffic to pass. passer can take the opposing lane, if not marked to do a pass.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,513
Likes: 116
From: OKC
one big reason is, I don't know your *** and have no way of ensuring you're not going to clip me in your attempt to be Ricky Racer. I'll share a lane with my club brothers all day long, and at whatever speed and condition there is. But, I know and trust them. You're insisting that someone move over on a public road so you don't have to mess up your line. On a track day, sure, on a track. On a public road? Not so much. I've been riding a long time. raced road bikes, drag raced, MX raced. Ride in a club. It's not my ability I am concerned with, it is the ******* behind me, wanting my space.....
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 768
Likes: 55
From: chico
Thanks. In S cali there Mulholland drive and Angeles Crest highway - sound similar. A slaughterhouse for bikes on weekends...
Up north hwy 32 and 36, and the coast roads out to Fortuna, as well as inland ones up toward Lassen. not cop free, but nearly so... You can find 10 mph sections of twisties and stretches that'll take whatever you got... YT has both AC and Mul videos...even Jay Leno on his turbine-scoot. Deer, cages, birds, and even the rare bear are serious hazards tho...'specially in N Cali rural
Since I tend to prefer 55 or so, much of the time, I find myself pulling over often... polite. safe.
Post says: "...soon discover that folks who prefer our brand of bikes have a reputation for not allowing others to pass..." I had not noticed this in my N Cali area - Chico/Redding... People are pretty polite on Harleys and also everything else, at least 'round here. I shall keep an eye out for rude, though. These things can be infectious...
North Carolina....long way from my LZ...probably never see it. Pity.
Thanks again... Dragon is good name...
Up north hwy 32 and 36, and the coast roads out to Fortuna, as well as inland ones up toward Lassen. not cop free, but nearly so... You can find 10 mph sections of twisties and stretches that'll take whatever you got... YT has both AC and Mul videos...even Jay Leno on his turbine-scoot. Deer, cages, birds, and even the rare bear are serious hazards tho...'specially in N Cali rural
Since I tend to prefer 55 or so, much of the time, I find myself pulling over often... polite. safe.
Post says: "...soon discover that folks who prefer our brand of bikes have a reputation for not allowing others to pass..." I had not noticed this in my N Cali area - Chico/Redding... People are pretty polite on Harleys and also everything else, at least 'round here. I shall keep an eye out for rude, though. These things can be infectious...
North Carolina....long way from my LZ...probably never see it. Pity.
Thanks again... Dragon is good name...
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 44,896
Likes: 29,873
From: PNW
Post says: "...soon discover that folks who prefer our brand of bikes have a reputation for not allowing others to pass..." I had not noticed this in my N Cali area - Chico/Redding... People are pretty polite on Harleys and also everything else, at least 'round here. I shall keep an eye out for rude, though. These things can be infectious...
As for us, we all wear doo-rags and fingerless gloves while polishing our bikes in front of the bar.
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 61
Likes: 14
From: East of the Dragon
It appears that some who have an opinion on this have never ridden the Tail of the Dragon and I didn't see a detailed description so this is bit deceptive.
It is a public state hwy (129).
It is a 2 lane road almost exclusively with double yellow lines- there is no clear line of sight and maybe one place where you can see to pass on the left.
What some are missing is that there are short lanes on the right (Pull overs) for slower traffic that allows you to continue but let's the faster vehicles behind you move ahead.
No one is asking anyone to stop or get on the shoulder to let others by.
I am with for people staying in her comfort zone but the pull overs are there so people don't end up leading a parade.
Respect and manners work both ways. Most events are a combination of errors. This one had two and either one could have solved it but neither one did.
It is a public state hwy (129).
It is a 2 lane road almost exclusively with double yellow lines- there is no clear line of sight and maybe one place where you can see to pass on the left.
What some are missing is that there are short lanes on the right (Pull overs) for slower traffic that allows you to continue but let's the faster vehicles behind you move ahead.
No one is asking anyone to stop or get on the shoulder to let others by.
I am with for people staying in her comfort zone but the pull overs are there so people don't end up leading a parade.
Respect and manners work both ways. Most events are a combination of errors. This one had two and either one could have solved it but neither one did.
Last edited by L2RmyHD; Jun 17, 2016 at 10:43 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,286
Likes: 3,429
From: Idaho Panhandle
I call bullshit on pulling over on a curvy road to let some speed freak pass. The speed freak should have pulled over, waited until he had a clear road, pulled out just ahead of a big lumbering RV and had that piece of road to himself. Instead he chose to ride the bumper, and for what, 1/4 mile before he stuffed his head up the next vehicles *******. You want a private road, ride it at 4:30 AM.
He'd done that to me, I'll take that challenge on. "Go ahead, make my day."
He'd done that to me, I'll take that challenge on. "Go ahead, make my day."
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,899
Likes: 127
From: Chandler, Arizona
one big reason is, I don't know your *** and have no way of ensuring you're not going to clip me in your attempt to be Ricky Racer. I'll share a lane with my club brothers all day long, and at whatever speed and condition there is. But, I know and trust them. You're insisting that someone move over on a public road so you don't have to mess up your line. On a track day, sure, on a track. On a public road? Not so much. I've been riding a long time. raced road bikes, drag raced, MX raced. Ride in a club. It's not my ability I am concerned with, it is the ******* behind me, wanting my space.....
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 61
Likes: 14
From: East of the Dragon
I call bullshit on pulling over on a curvy road to let some speed freak pass. The speed freak should have pulled over, waited until he had a clear road, pulled out just ahead of a big lumbering RV and had that piece of road to himself. Instead he chose to ride the bumper, and for what, 1/4 mile before he stuffed his head up the next vehicles *******. You want a private road, ride it at 4:30 AM.
He'd done that to me, I'll take that challenge on. "Go ahead, make my day."
He'd done that to me, I'll take that challenge on. "Go ahead, make my day."
People not respecting others is what started this thread.
you might want to go to youtube and watch the crotch rockets and porshes coming out of curves trying for 100 mph and imagine others doing 25 mph- all together at the same time.
You cannot wait for a 1/4 mile or any mile. You are just in the stream of vehicles until you get to the end. youtube it and see it for yourself. Also, understand that the exact same thing is happening in the other lane and stupid people do cross the double yellow line. There is no line of sight, just curves and trees almost the entire 12 miles.
it is rare to see an RV or truck.
You might have a different opinion once you actually do it a time or two.
Fast bikes cannot pull over and wait for a few minutes, it is continuous stream of traffic most of the time, to do so just means they get behind more slow folks. Riding this is a lot like your bike becoming a part of a roller coaster ride, kind of stuck to the one ahead and the one behind except everyone is going a different speed.
This is why there are so many accidents/day and why everyone needs to have respect for the other.
When the slow ones ahead of you let you by, and you let those behind pass you, then everyone wins. simple as that.
that is why they put pull overs every couple of miles so everyone continues on at their own pace.
Last edited by L2RmyHD; Jun 17, 2016 at 11:02 AM. Reason: `