Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1382582
Grab The Tail of the Dragon When are you enjoying your motorcycle the most? For some (sadly to say) it is just standing in the garage, looking at your machine with a polish cloth in your hands. For others, it's a flat open road with a full throttle grip, looking for that top speed ...praying you don't hit a coyote! Others are mere cruisers! They don't care where they are going or how long it takes to get there. They're just enjoying the scenery and being put to sleep by the low rumble of their motor. But what about you riders who live for the twisties; leaning over until your floorboards scrape and the sparks are flying? Well, we have just the rider for you! The world famous "Tail of the Dragon" (US Highway 129) is one of the most heavily traveled motorcycle and car enthusiast roads in the United States. It comes with 318 vicious curves in just an 11 mile stretch; located in Robbinsville, North Carolina. You begin the ride (or drive) at Deals Gap on the Tennessee/North Carolina state line and pray that it's not a busy day. It is considered by many as one of the world's most challenging motorcycle rides. Anyone looking for an exciting highway will enjoy this twisting, turning, bending, up and down adventure. Almost needless to say, the Tail of the Dragon is dangerous for a lot of reasons. It has a lot of vicious curves (duh!) and slopes. The unpredictable weather can include heavy rain, and snow is never out of the question. In fact, the sun could be shining one moment, and then suddenly, snow could be falling around the next curve. Furthermore, the popularity of the road makes it unlikely that you will ever have the road to yourself! According to Blount County Sheriff's Office, there were 178 crashes on The Dragon between November 2015 and April 2017. Any road that has its own "Tree of Shame" at the end of the ride, deserves serious respect! At the mouth of the Tail, at Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort , pieces of vehicles that have crashed on the famous strip of highway are hung up for all to see. Tennessee Sheriff and Highway Patrol units routinely patrol the Dragon. At times enforcement is stepped up when a lot of complaints are made. During heavy enforcement, you can expect plain wrappers on the Dragon, speed clocking, road blocks for license/inspection, and numerous marked cars along US129. It is, nevertheless, a must for the serious motorcycle/car enthusiast's bucket list. Take a chance and reach out and grab ahold of the dragons tail for the ride of your life. And be sure to get yourself one of those stickers that declare, "I survived the Tail of the Dragon!" And if you already have that one, consider: "Get in! Shut up! And hold On!" b