So finally got to go to NC and ride the tail of the dragon earlier this week. Boy was it a trip so ill start at the beginning.

I would like to thank everyone that had tried to help me with a playlist of good songs but I ended up not having time to put them all on my MP3 player and went with whatever I had.

To start I would like to tell everyone who hasnt been on a long distance trip (Mine was from Jacksonville FL to Murphy NC) to plan ahead and know what you are getting into. My trip up to NC was horrible. Well ok not horrible but very uncomfortable. I had all my crap in a full backpack strapped to my back, headphones, and some crappy gloves. I planned on reading the google map that I had printed out a few roads ahead and check it when I stopped. For backup I had Hearos ear plugs and my GPS. If you havent been on a long trip for the love of god buy some nice soft grips or some really good gloves. If you dont have a fairing I would look into one or a full face helmet... I myself road without one and a half helmet the entire trip there and back and the back of my head and neck where killing me. The backpack on my back was a shitty idea. The way back I strapped it down with 4 bungee cords and a towel and it didnt move the entire trip and made a nice backrest. The MP3 player was a good idea as it served as hearing protection but did let some wind noise in.

Anyways moving on to the trip itself it wasnt too bad but it was uncomfortable. My ***** felt like I had been riding a damn horse for 8 hours... which I kinda was. My back was sore from the backpack and helmet. My hands hurt like hell every time I touched the grips. I probably have the most uncomfortable grips ever produced. The fingerless gel gloves I got in NC where great and my throttle adjustment screw helped a lot. I would recommend a throttle lock AND throttle buddy or whatever you call it to anyone making this trip. A good fairing (as said before) and seat would of been a very nice addition but you take what you can get right?

I left at about 0800 and got to NC probably around 1700. I couldnt find where my dad was because his cell went crazy and had no signal. I ended up finding the hotel and we settled in for the night. The next morning we road up to US 129 and as we pulled into a pull off to let some sportbikes go by the worst thing happened... I dropped my baby! Yes for the first time ever riding her... the shiny side met the ground. My dad had pulled off which I didnt really expect and I turned kinda hard to pull along side of him and noticed that the pavement ended right in front of me. I grabbed a handfull of front brake and had the front wheel turned at the same time and down she went. I was surprised that nothing was really scratched or banged up. She landed on the turn signal and brake lever/mirror. It doesnt look bad now with some generic touch up paint.

Well getting there was pretty fun so what about the Dragon herself? It wasnt a bad road but it wasnt what I expected. First of all know your ride and know who is in front or behind you. My dad has a 2010 Street Glide with some deep V&H true dual pipes. I could clearly hear his bike but he rides a little differently than I do. His bike being heaver would logically seem like he would ride in a lower gear and use its weight to slow it down in the turns... that wasnt the case. He rode mostly in 3rd gear and powered through and rarely used his brakes. I was in 2nd and even with the high RPMs and engine braking I would still cost faster and have to use my brakes a lot. So knowing the person and their ride helps. Also his bike has a LOT more clearance than my Bones. I would ride the same line as him and scrape every turn while he never touched the ground.

Surprisingly the sportbikes where alright there. The real jerks on that day where the sport touring guys. They often used both lanes and passed people in turns... plus the huge hard bags stuck out more than they would like to admit to. The cars where usually slower than bikes but tried to get out of the way which was cool. Try not to get distracted or show off for the picture takers by the way. I dug into a turn and ended up slamming my floorboard mount into the ground pretty hard. On another turn I ended up locking up the rear tire and slammed the other mount into the ground and actually felt the bike bounce.... scary **** lol.

The road itself was alright like I said but honestly its not the best on a Harley or anything for that matter unless you know the road like the back of your hand. Too many people and just too sharp of curves. Im not saying its not worth a trip but a great road to try out is Cherohala Skyway. You can get a lot higher speeds and its MUCH MUCH longer than 129. At one point we ended up having 10 or so bikes lined up cruising the road and making some nice noise. It also has passing zones which is very nice. A lot of good turn offs to relax and check out the scenery.

All in all it was a fun trip. My face looks like I stuck my head in an oven for a few hours. Long sleeves are nice or even a jacket. You're in the mountains and valleys so it gets cold and warm fast. If you havent gone dont be worried about a long trip its well worth it and you will have a great story to tell. Im still waiting on a few more pictures from the photographers to show up. When I get them ill post them up and let you guys see for yourselves. I do have some teaser photos for you guys.


Tree of shame





Entering Murphy




I won the burnout contest





My floorboards are a little worn down now.

 

Thanks for the story. Despite the comfort level and all the other little things, it's way cool that you got to do this with your dad. I'm sure it's a memory that neither you or he will forget.

 

Good write up, thanks.

 

Thanks for the article - great, honest account of your recent experience.

Love your bike. How's she handle at highway speeds around 65-75 MPH?

 

The bike handles well no matter what road im on honestly. Ive ridden a extremely light cruiser before this bike and she glides over pretty much any surface and turns just as well as the little cruiser. The mini apes where kind of a pain to get used to but now they're an afterthought. Only trouble I really have with them is when im trying to push the bike uphill... that blows.

 

I soooo want to get my NT down to the Tail.
But I also want to run it in my car as well.

A friend suggested putting the bike in the truck bed and trailoring the car down for a weekend....run them both.

 

Nice story. I haven'y been there yet, but I've been all over WV, and I can say that if I get a chance to go, I'll take the sportbike. The Deuce will do it, sure, but not as much fun in the twisties. (My opinion.) Nice to hear that most people were cool. Yeah, on long rides, things that are just a bit uncomfortable, become painful. My Deuce with the laid back posture and forward controlls is the most comfortable bike in the world - for about 2 hours. Then the back starts to feel it. Long rides = full face helmet (my opinion.) You really learn the value of good gear. In my case I use textile to eliminate the need for rain gear. Ride safe.

 

The whole area is just a Great place to ride...I can see where a Backpack would be very uncomfortable..

 

Actually most all of Appalacia is a good place to ride, especially state or national forests. VA has lots of national forest land in the Blue Ridge area with low traffic (sometimes almost none) that offer alternatives to Deals Racetrack, I mean Gap.

 

I've been a couple times, and I have to say that guys in cars are the most dangerous thing on the tail. Other than crotch rockets laying down to far......cars will be half way in your lane just as you get half way through a blind turn.

Cars can just not handle those turns like bikes can, but no one wants to slow down. My buddy got ran off into ditch the last time we were there trying to avoid a pickup head on.

Word of advice for those that haven't been.....

Stay on the white line (right side of the road) and give plenty of room for oncoming blind traffic.