What is the Tail of the Dragon?

There are a lot of great places to go ride your motorcycle, but none of them have the same awe, mystery, and ability to put fear into the hearts of riders as the Tail of the Dragon.

If you’ve ridden on two wheels, you’ve probably heard something about the Dragon (also known as Deal’s Gap), or seen an ad in a motorcycle magazine, or maybe a YouTube video of people riding the Dragon. But what exactly is the Tail of the Dragon (TOTD)? US route 129 has existed in some form since 1934 and boarders the Great Smokey Mountains. Around 1981 the 11 mile stretch that links North Carolina with Tennessee, known as Deal’s Gap, developed the nickname “the Tail of the Dragon” because some likened the twisty course to a dragon’s tail; however, some part of that must have come from the malevolent nature of dragons and the propensity for wrecks on the road by out of control autos and motorcycles. The fact is, some crazed lunatic that worked for the state government designed a road that has 318 turns in just 11 miles. That is the big hype and what you see on all the t-shirts, “318 turns in 11 miles” but it fails to talk about the ups and downs. Yes, the entire time you are executing all those turns the road is constantly going up and down like a kiddie rollercoaster. It sounds like a motorcyclist’s dream, right? So why is everyone so afraid of the Dragon? After all, it was designed as a state road, for interstate commerce, and regular Joe’s driving their cars from here to there. Up until 1992 the posted speed limit was 55mph! It’s because when you do a Google search for it the headlines start popping up: “Tail of the dragon wrecks,” “Motorcycle vs. truck on dragon,” “motorcycle wipe out TOTD” and yes, if you click on those links you get some pretty brutal images of motorcycles having a less than fun time on the Tail of the Dragon. So why go?  

Let’s start off answering that question by thinking about you and your bike. Why did you buy it? Was it a sense of personal freedom you get when riding? Is it the control of a machine bending to your will and skill as you turn and accelerate? Is it because going through a turn on your bike is so unlike being in a car where you are fighting the laws of physics instead of acting like you’re part of the equation? It is probably a combination of those things. I know I didn’t buy my motorcycle to go in straight lines. The Tail of the Dragon offers what may be the ultimate in what you own a motorcycle for.

The Dragon has been reduced to 30mph and tractor trailer trucks are now prohibited from driving on it. The sport bikes still try to go through at the highest possible speeds, often earning tickets from the numerous speed traps the Tennessee State Police like to setup on weekends. Because it borders the park, there are no buildings, parking lots, or intersecting roads along its length. This means that it is actually a pleasant drive through the woods and the only traffic you have to worry about is what you can see.

So anyone can ride the Dragon, and if you don’t let anxiety and fear prevent it, you’ll have a great time. First timers typically take it slow and easy, going the posted 30mph. You quickly go through some turns, loosen up, and start to enjoy it. In your mind your saying, “Wow, I’m here, I’m on the Tail of the Dragon, this is what everyone talks about, and it’s cool.” Unfortunately this may cause you to give your bike some more gas, thinking that this isn’t so bad. If you approach a right hand turn that suddenly reveals itself to be far sharper than you anticipated, you may find yourself crossing the double yellow line as your path’s arc is just too great. Crossing the double yellow, or failing to stay on the road, is the biggest cause of accidents on the Tail. If you cross the double yellow and no cars are on the other side, you lower your speed and hope the biker behind you didn’t see your failing; but if there is a car in that lane when you cross, you could be in for a world of hurt. Same with the opposite; driving off the road into the trees. Strangely, when one bike crashes it sometimes takes the bikes following with it. This is mostly because of target fixation; rather than riding your own ride, you blindly follow the bike in front of you. If they take the wrong path, so do you.

On the Montgomery County HOG ride to the Tail of the Dragon, our first time through is always at a slow and steady pace. We stay together as a group, single file. This allows all the riders to get broken in; taking turns, left and right, one after the other while also slowing for dips and gassing up for small hills, mostly staying in 2^nd or 3^rd gear. You might get a little adrenaline drop the first time you scrape your floor boards or foot pegs, but you’ll get used to it (most of the time it’s actually your kickstand since it hangs a few inches lower). We all gather in a parking lot at the end and newly initiated discuss the ride with seasoned veterans. When it is time to make a u-turn and go back through the Dragon, the group leaves in order of how fast you want to ride. This time you may move a little move in your seat; shifting your butt to the left or right in a turn helps keep your center of gravity over the turn so you don’t have to lean your bike over as far. You may also try to brake and gas through the turns a little better. For everyone it’s a different experience, and each time you ride the Dragon you become a little more wary of its ways.

After the group has gone North, u-turned, and come back South through the Dragon, we stop for a great picture in front of the carved Dragon they have at the Deal’s Gap Hotel, which also has about 300 different t-shirts and stickers you can now proudly wear and display as a veteran of this awesome road.  Once you’ve experienced the Dragon, you’ll understand why this has become a Mecca for motorcyclists around the world to come and enjoy.