The Dragon's Tail

[mitchell]

Hi all. My harley-owning buddy just did this run with 2 friends and mentioned that my Bullet would probably not have made it. Just wondering if anyone indeed has done this run with a bullet.

[jartist]

Poppycock!

[Lwt Big Cheese]

Hi all. My harley-owning buddy just did this run with 2 friends and mentioned that my Bullet would probably not have made it. Just wondering if anyone indeed has done this run with a bullet.

Says more about your mate that the Enfield. No wonder he bought a Hardley 

[Lwt Big Cheese]

Tried to Google it. Is this a part of it?:

people come to the attraction of 318 curves in 11 miles,

Blimey you'll leave him for dead!!!  Take Arizoni with you he'll love it!!!  I meant Bare! Oh whatever....

[barenekd]

My harley-owning buddy just did this run with 2 friends and mentioned that my Bullet would probably not have made it. Just wondering if anyone indeed has done this run with a bullet.

I don't know what he meant when he said the Bullet wouldn't have made it. A Bullet will pretty much traverse any road in the world, from below sea level to 18,000+ feet.
Having many roads out here in SoCal that are equal to, or better than Dragon's Tail (Deal's Gap), I can assure you that a decently ridden Bullet will blow the doors off a Harley on that road, and most others with any amount of twists in them. I have seen utube clips of that road, and it would be a fun ride, but certainly nothing particularly challenging
Your friend is totally wrong.
Jack has gotten some cards to pass out to Harley riders that says, "You've just been passed by 19HP" We get a lot of people out on Hardleys we could give them to. we just call them "Rolling Chicanes"
Bare

[Arizoni]

Just watched this video of the road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo

Hell, roads like that is what the RE is made for.

I think any Hardly rider that thinks their bike could do better on that road is in for a rude awakening by any competent Royal Enfield rider.

[Lwt Big Cheese]

I've seen that vid before. I didn't realise it was the same place.

Nice riding by the Goldwings.

Odd comments though - as always on YouTube!

Dangerous curves? I thought they looked ideal. Sweeping and not too tight.

BTW I was watching vid about Mulholland Drive the other day. Thee seems to be just a couple of bends that are videoed all the time. Loads of crashes though. I was wondering if the bend tightens up or whether people just got a bit too enthusiastic and panicked? Bottling it half way round seems to be the cause of most crashes. I'll see if I can find a vid to show what I'm talking about.

Like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=ZBgrVI0Dyto

[Lwt Big Cheese]

Oh hang on. My bad. Thrill seekers come from round the world to test their skill and luck against Americas most twisted beast...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K16YnmJN0fc&feature=related

[barenekd]

Mulholland is not a particularly great road from Topanga to just past the Rock Store, then it tightens up into a section called the Snake that has some particularly tight turns as it goes uphill (or down). However most of the crashes take place in the more medium speed sections. I don't really know why, too many squids there that don't know, obviously, what they are doing, I guess. Continuing west past Kanaan-Dume to PCH Mulholland a decent road but a long way from being the best around. There are a lot of other roads that branch off Mulholland that are far more fun. Latigo Canyon is probably the closest to Deal's Gap, except it's uphill (or downhill, depending on which way you're going) with more variable turn radii than Deal's Gap seems to have. It's about the same length. I haven't counted the turns, But there are certainly plenty of them.
With all the other great roads by Malibu, you really would have a long day ahead if you were doing to try to hit all of them.
Of course, we don't have to put up with semis on most of these roads...
Bare

[jartist]

It seems the medium sweeper curves are where the sportbike squids loose it- too much speed. Those guys go SO fast on the sweepers there's no way I can keep up just for lack of horsepower if not my lack of experience besides. Once the curves tighten up the sportbike guys go so slow it's unbearable to be stuck behind them then unless someone happens to have dirtbike experience.

[boggy]

BTW I was watching vid about Mulholland Drive the other day. Thee seems to be just a couple of bends that are videoed all the time. Loads of crashes though.

I think one other possible contributing factor is how heavily filmed that section of road is.  Lots of spectators.  I think it offers up another distraction for riders.  "I have to ride really fast here!" "Got to get low like Valentino!"  I bet people take that corner a bit differently knowing it's a spectator spot.

Just an assumption but I'm willing to bet seeing the crowd gather just adds another variable to all the other known reasons for failing to make that turn.

[barenekd]

There is a section between the Rock Store and Kanan-Dume that the the spectators and photographers gather. The Movie makers are kinda scattered throughout the section. There is an overlook at the top of the grade that attracts big crowds of bikes and Sporty Cars. I saw 7 Lotus Super Sevens up there one day. Jay Leno frequents the Rock Store in a variety of machines, car and bikes. It's a very popular weekend hangout!
And so the squids are there to prove their prowess, so are the cops.
I got stopped farther east on the other side of the Rock Store last year and the cop wanted to see my registration because I hadn't received my tags yet. I don't know where he was hiding, and I can usually spot these guys. But he wasn't in a Black and White, either.
jack and I try to ride over there during the week when the traffic is light and we can pretty much remain unmolested.
I am attaching a map of the area and my favorite Dragon's Tail road. the thing I don't like about the Dragon's tail is the traffic. Man, they get a lot of it, worse than most of the California mountain roads except for the Rim of the World and the Crest, It's a lot worse even than Mulholland. But then it's right close to freeways, etc and people don't use it for travel, which doesn't seem necessarily the case in NC.
Just outside of The photo to the left is where the Ducati crashed. The corner is the last switchback before the lookout.
Bare 

[ridgerunner]

I've ridden the dragon on a 906 Paso, R80GS, and an Electra Glide. The Blue Ridge Parkway and off-shoots like Deals Gap are perfect for the Enfield. Ya just gotta hang it out there and not let your pegs throw you in a ditch!

[barenekd]

Or your Avon Skidmaster Tires.
Bare

[Jack Leis]

Or your Avon Skidmaster Tires.
Bare

Plus One Bare !