[Lups]

Originally Posted by Powerslide

Yep - driving that road at night when it is pitch dark in the middle of nowhere ought to get the job done No lack of excitement there!

I'm so in. If you want to wait till I get my own, we can provide these boys the pictures of the crash.

[Ehwnnc]

Its amazing. i have been there many times. Watch for cops is all i have to say. Trucks are not an issue anymore they used to be

[ASBSECU E93]

I lived in Asheville area for over 10 years, and would frequently drive that particular stretch of Hwy - I highly recommend a road trip to the Dragon. It must be treated with respect as another user posted. Would not advise going in the peak of leaf season (Late Sept-Oct)...the "lookers" will make the drive miserable!

Another great drive in the area is the road to Highlands...can't drive it like the Dragon, but the scenery is spectacular (Dry Falls and Cullasaja Falls).

[ddk632]

Originally Posted by Powerslide

I'm thinking about driving home from PCD on US Hwy 129 - the infamous "Tail of the Dragon." How many people on here have done that - what were your thoughts for better or for worse? Would you do it again?

The website for that road shows a ton of trucks jackknifed on the road, about to tip over, collisions between trucks and motorcycles/cars - so the road itself looks cool but don't want my new baby to be damaged before it even sees my driveway?

I did exactly this, and can highly recommend to do it. Picked up the X6M, drove to Asheville, on to Robbinsville, and then did the Dragon, and took I75 from Tennessee all the way down to South Florida.

Here's my PCD/Tail of the Dragon thread with some pics .. it's actually the same one in my signature:
http://www.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=794084

Here's the full set of photos from the PCD.. It's an awesome experience..
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidk...7632564633041/

I did this in January 2013. There was NO ONE on the roads. Granted, I had to get through rain, snow, and ice to get there, but it cleared up and we were able to enjoy the Dragon on dry tarmac, and it was literally deserted.

I would say for the scenic and experience aspect, do it no matter what at least once. If you want to time it properly, as others have mentioned and you already learned, it can get busy with trucks, cars, and bikes during the peak season.

Therefore the enjoyment of the curves will vary depending on the timing of your PCD.

For me, living in SoFla where the roads are all straight and sucky, I wanted to give my X6M the break-in she deserved on some awesome roads. Any future PCD for me will include a trip through the Dragon without question. Totally worth it. It's beautiful up there.


Driving the Dragon by ddk632, on Flickr

[quiksi]

I drove it in December 2010 while bringing my car home from PCD - temps were close to freezing and the car was brand new so I didn't push it much, but it's a very scenic and entertaining road.

traffic was light for me as well, early evening on a weekday I believe

[1fastdoc]

Drove it last fall in my M3 along with a buddy in his Audi. It rained heavily the night before, which helped keep the bike traffic down.

Tail was fun but I rarely got out of 2nd gear.

Cherohala Skyway was a lot more fun. If we came upon traffic we'd just stop in the road with a good view of the road behind us and wait 5 minutes. Then we'd get on it until we caught up. After that we just went and intentionally got lost on some of the twistier roads.

We drove over 200 miles that morning. Absolute most fun I've had behind the wheel and that includes an HPDE event and M school.

BTW, avatar pic is on Tail

[Billup]

Tail is fun, we always planned a yearly trip from Detroit with a bunch of guys. People crossing double yellows was the biggest concern, but other than that it was always a good time.

I agree with @1fastdoc Cherohala Skyway is more fun IMO. Definitely worth going to multiple times.

[hd2000fxdl]

Originally Posted by Powerslide

I'm thinking about driving home from PCD on US Hwy 129 - the infamous "Tail of the Dragon." How many people on here have done that - what were your thoughts for better or for worse? Would you do it again?

The website for that road shows a ton of trucks jackknifed on the road, about to tip over, collisions between trucks and motorcycles/cars - so the road itself looks cool but don't want my new baby to be damaged before it even sees my driveway?

Don't do it on a weekend or around a holiday, but it's a great rode for car's, bikes and even our X's..

Harry

[Powerslide]

Originally Posted by hd2000fxdl

Don't do it on a weekend or around a holiday, but it's a great rode for car's, bikes and even our X's..

Harry

So was it your experience that the trucks have not been as bad in last few years as before?

[hd2000fxdl]

Originally Posted by Powerslide

So was it your experience that the trucks have not been as bad in last few years as before?

It's been a few years so I can' really say, Last time I was there I was on my old 68 rigid Chop with 12 over narrow springer with only a rear drum brake. Think Fred Flinston had better stopping power than I did so I pushed it only as much as the bike I was on would allow so I wasn't running up on vehicles over and over like I would on my Ultra or faster bikes.

I did the adrenaline thing on bikes in the past, these day, I enyoy the ride, I don't bounce like I used to, now I'll still fly the heck out of my Hang Gliders but have calmed down with most other things, but roads like those it is still tempting.

Harry