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Gotta Have it Green Fanatic Official TMS Travel Guide
Joined: December 17, 2012
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 1,356
From: Western NC
Tail of the Dragon has been slain! Wedn Oct 5
We picked out a beautiful day although a bit cool around 60 degrees. Here are a few of the photos. The Gotta Have It Green has so many shades when in the sun. We did the Cherohala Skyway too after the TOTD. I'll make another thread eventually.
Gotta Have it Green Fanatic Official TMS Travel Guide
Joined: December 17, 2012
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 1,356
From: Western NC
Originally Posted by wanted33
Looks great Dave. What a beautiful day it was. Just wondering, are the pictures a reasonable price?
To me they are insanely low. $8 each and sent via e/mail to download onto your computer. The resolution they send is incredible. I had to downsize the 15 MB down into the 400 - 600 kb range for this thread or it would take forever to load. You should see the originals. Man!!
I look forward to that one day. Would love to hear stories from someone with a manual gearbox.
Done the Dragon many times; it's basically 3rd gear the whole time, with some 2nd if you really want to go for it and 4th if you want to take it easier.
Gotta Have it Green Fanatic Official TMS Travel Guide
Joined: December 17, 2012
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 1,356
From: Western NC
Originally Posted by Paris MkVI
That's good info, Kyle, thank you! I want to make that run, hopefully on a perfect top-down fall day.
I had a 5 speed manual in my previous '07 GT/CS on the Dragon. 2nd or 3rd gear the entire 11 miles and 318 curves. I also did it in my old 1995 911 with 6 speed manual, same 2nd or 3rd gear, and both 'topless' of course
Dragon trail very scenic, any videos of anybody driving this road more than "granny" style?
Dragon trail
Originally Posted by NC14GT
I had a 5 speed manual in my previous '07 GT/CS on the Dragon. 2nd or 3rd gear the entire 11 miles and 318 curves. I also did it in my old 1995 911 with 6 speed manual, same 2nd or 3rd gear, and both 'topless' of course
You can push it but it is still a public road and as you saw in the granny video that was a Tennessee Highway Patrol with a car pulled over. Plus you have Blount County Sheriffs and then the NC State cops on the other side. Run what you brung just be careful of whom you meet on the road.
Gotta Have it Green Fanatic Official TMS Travel Guide
Joined: December 17, 2012
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 1,356
From: Western NC
^^^ We have also seen many drivers being pulled over 'on the way' to the TOTD in NC. Car clubs barrelling by at excessive speeds and then we see them all pulled over on the side of the road with several deputies or troopers writing tickets. We even had a checkpoint on the NC side of the Cherohala Skyway one year. No big deal but anyone that's a jerk on these roads is asking for it.
We did a real amateur YT video when we had our Matador X. I got 'on it' a few times but there really is no room to open it up. The beginning and end are the best parts of the video. The driving part may make you seasick.
Thanks for the advice.
Any idea the posted speed limits?
Do they vary? 11 miles, 318 turns, right?
Any stops along the way other than the uniforms?
Timed Road Rally anyone ?
Thanks for the advice.
Any idea the posted speed limits?
Do they vary? 11 miles, 318 turns, right?
Any stops along the way other than the uniforms?
Timed Road Rally anyone ?
Speed limit from end to end on the Dragon is 30 MPH. If you want to play a little run up to the TN line and turn around and go back to the overlook around mile 8 then you know if there are cops then run back to the state line. Only time I run a Radar detector is up there and you shut it down if you hear it go off quickly and hope you were sniffing someone else and not yourself.
I have a friend that at one time was the fastest on 2 wheels up there and they went up a lot at night, you can see headlights a long way off.
I have run a couple times up there with some semi sticky tires, actual numbers of my car up there beating up on a C7 Corvette that was pissed he could not outrun a Mustang and almost cried when he found out it was a V6.
It is a Bike, but not a Granny Run
Thank you for the info.
Wow 30 mph the whole trip....ugh.
Good story of C7 upset, poor guy.
Appreciate the cycle video too.
Wonder, any good stop offs along the route? Putting this on my bucket list.
TIA, JC
Gotta Have it Green Fanatic Official TMS Travel Guide
Joined: December 17, 2012
Posts: 2,552
Likes: 1,356
From: Western NC
If you head over to the Cherohala Skyway as part of the day's loop, there is a tasty pizza place in Vonore TN called Venti. Not expensive either. If you are in the Tellico Plains area on the TN side, Tellico Grains (cute name) has delicious sandwiches. They use a local ham that is really good.