Tail of the Dragon | Page 6 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Tail of the Dragon

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BigEvilDoer said:
We have a pretty serious "vetting" before taking anyone along... track experience is key. Only 1 guy doesn't ride track, but he does 25000+ km per year and is a seriously skilled rider. He keeps up pretty darn well indeed.

Any time we take a new guy along, everyone has to meet each other and see about a fit.

Worst situation we had was 2 guys who didn't see eye to eye, but were civil and still had fun. If the trip was another week longer, it would have gotten ugly. But for a week, all was good.

One other thing -- arrange similarly minded people in rental houses etc. We also do a "food rotation". Instead of having 6 guys trying to fight over the kitchen at supper time, 1 guy cooks each night for everyone. Make up an email/whatsapp/bbm group to sort out who is cooking what on what night. Nothign worse than 5 days of pasta or burgers in a row.
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I got a really nice picture of you at the Dragon....
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What a great photo. Such vivid colour I mean. It really captures the essence of how the rider feels in the moment.
 
smergy said:
What a great photo. Such vivid colour I mean. It really captures the essence of how the rider feels in the moment.
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As in "Low Resolution Proof"?
 
smergy said:
What a great photo. Such vivid colour I mean. It really captures the essence of how the rider feels in the moment.
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You’re right. The photographer really does capture a lot - you can almost see what the rider likes and doesn’t like. For instance, the rider clearly dislikes a reliable, gas-powered motorcycle and instead opts for a diesel powered John Deere. It also appears that this rider likes the back door.


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had no idea the niken was so huge
 
ScorpionT16 said:
woah, 20! How do manage riding with so many people, from breaks to fuel? Alone, I'm more than I can handle ?
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Last trip we had 15 riders. All gas/food Stops were predetermined. We had 3 groups, fast group, normal group and slow group. Everyone followed the route and schedule. We never had any problems, in addition to the best riding routes, the company of 15 friends was the highlight of our trip. That is the reason we are doing it again in 2020.
 
BigEvilDoer said:
Only way I can see that working is by breaking it down into groups no larger than 5-6.
Otherwise, it's WAIT! I have to pee! Or I'm not done eating yet, WAIT! I don't know what I want to order, WAIT!
We go down with a group of 6. That's it. And they're all good riders with track experience so we're not waiting around for the group to catch up on our rides.
Make sure groups are all similar skill level to reduce chance of being split up or people riding above their own skill level.
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I plan the route in advance keeping in mind everyone gas mileage, food choices and physical limits. We never had any problem, if a particular rider is taking time, a buddy will stick with him and they join us at the next stop. Everyone must carry proper riding gear, phone with roaming, Bluetooth, some sort of GPS, rain gear, CAA, Travel insurance, Medical endorsement on their Motorcycle insurance etc.
There was one rider who took off just before an exit, he was able to join us at the next stop. By the Grace of God, 15 riders left Toronto and 15 Brothers came back Safe and Sound.
 
C109Knight said:
I plan the route in advance keeping in mind everyone gas mileage, food choices and physical limits. We never had any problem, if a particular rider is taking time, a buddy will stick with him and they join us at the next stop. Everyone must carry proper riding gear, phone with roaming, Bluetooth, some sort of GPS, rain gear, CAA, Travel insurance, Medical endorsement on their Motorcycle insurance etc.
There was one rider who took off just before an exit, he was able to join us at the next stop. By the Grace of God, 15 riders left Toronto and 15 Brothers came back Safe and Sound.
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Sounds like they have a great organizer/coordinator!
It really makes all the difference when someone is willing to take the time and energy to be so planful. Trying to coordinate adults for recreational sports is hard enough, let alone having to worry about all the other personal preferences, limitations etc.

Good for you @C109Knight - they’re lucky to have you!

Rob
 
I hate the Tail of the Dragon.
I went many years ago. Turn 2 bit me.
I covered most of the tree of shame with my bike.
I practically left the entire bike on the tree.
 
Low rider said:
I hate the Tail of the Dragon.
I went many years ago. Turn 2 bit me.
I covered most of the tree of shame with my bike.
I practically left the entire bike on the tree.
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Sorry to hear that. My first ride on any technical road is at 50% of my riding ability, with 100% concentration....Subsequent runs are fun. I have been lucky till now....
 
I feel the same way about 129. Both times that i have been there, i have had oncoming traffic in my lane. There are a lot of roads with a lot less traffic (idiots) down there. And of course there is always track.
Imho, bragging about getting rid of chicken strips and wearing out sliders on public highways, is just stupid.
 
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... and doing burnouts, those are totally stupid.
 
Atleast you made it to the Dragon, I crashed this summer in Virginia, just minutes from the BRP and Tail, that was my goal, didn't happen, next year, when one fails, get up and try again.
 
Anyone going down to the dragon next year..do NOT miss the Back of the Dragon. Honestly, having done both now I enjoyed the Back of the Dragon way more. It's just like the dragon, but 3 times longer with 1/8'th the amount of traffic. Best 45 minutes of my entire riding season, followed closely by Iron Mountain Road in South Dakota.
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