| Author | Message | ||
     Tedk |
Return to the Dragon: “Lightning” Strikes Twice by Ted K . Maybe I moved to North Carolina for the longer riding season and southern hospitality, or maybe it was to be closer to the Dragon. Whatever my motive was, I can’t help but return to this twisted piece of asphalt. Not once, but twice in one month I have taken the five hour drive down Interstate 40 to unleash my XB9S Lightning on Deals' Gap. I moved to Raleigh from Massachusetts the last weekend of March. On April 2nd I was in lucky room# 13 at the Deals’ Gap Motorcycle resort. I stopped at Wheeler’s Performance on route 129 two miles north of Robbinsville and met Ken Wheeler. Ken was very friendly and pointed me toward some other great roads. You can find all kinds of Dragon merchandise at Wheeler’s and they do repairs on motorcycles. Ken showed me a map full of asphalt spaghetti. “This is my little world...” he told me., “...the locals call them crooked roads”. Joyce Kilmer Road was one of his suggested rides which takes you from 129 to the Cherahola Skyway. Another was Yellow Creek Road which takes you from 129 to route 28. Route 28 is a fun road that takes you back to 129. I took both roads and had a great time, but nothing compares to a blast down the 318 curves in 11 miles on 129. The performance on the XB was flawless on the Dragon. I enjoyed that feeling of being part of the road with no view of the dash or bike unless I looked down. This was the kind of road the Buell was built for. My M2 Cyclone was amazing on the Dragon, but the XB corners so much tighter it was hard to believe. I quickly wore away any chicken strips and put some pavement burns on my riding boots. The adrenaline rush I got far surpasses anything I have experienced on any other road or track. I stopped at the Crossroads of Time to browse the t-shirts and Dragon merchandise. Before I turned in for the night I met a fellow Bueller on an orange X1. He was from Knoxville Tennessee and knew the road well. I slept several hours and awoke at 3:30AM. I was unable to get back to sleep so I did what any other Buell nut would do; I accepted the challenge and mounted the XB in the dark. The stars were so bright and the night air was cold. As I passed the Tennessee border the headlight of the XB pierced thru the darkness and into the trees above. I drove a lot slower but enjoyed every dark corner and felt alive! It was a completely different experience at night, and alone. I stopped at the Overlook and enjoyed the view of the stars. As I started back for the resort I passed a Ford Mustang and thought to myself; “I’m not the only lunatic out here, cool.” I returned to Raleigh the next day to get unpacked and settled. A week later a friend invited me to Gatlinburg Tennessee, 80 miles from the Dragon. I accepted the invitation and eventually contacted Greg Golin in Charlotte North Carolina. I had met Greg up in Massachusetts ,where he was attending school, on an ATC ride. He and some friends would be at the Dragon on Friday, April the 18th. On my way to Deals Gap I stopped at Tilley’s Harley-Davidson/Buell and met Brain Gardner from Statesville, North Carolina. Brian is also an Buell owner and mechanic Unfortunately he could’nt play on the Dragon because he had to work. After meeting Brian and lurking around Tilley’s I was on my way to Gatlinburg, where I unloaded the XB and headed out to meet Greg at Deals’ Gap. When I left Gatlinburg the temperature was around 72 degrees. As I ascended the Smokies on route 441 the temperature plunged! I felt like I was back in New England getting a constant blast of cold air. The view was breath-taking as it took a lot of self control to keep my eyes on the pavement. The mountains were towering from all over and a thick smoky mist blanketed my view at times. Mountain flowers were blooming as small waterfalls cascaded down rocky cliffs. If I had not been on a ride I would have pulled over for a hike and some sight-seeing. I passed thru Cherokee, North Carolina. There is a great museum dedicated to the Native American Indian and lots of attractions to see here. Route 28 is a great stretch of road before you get to 129. A great place to warm up the tires and prepare yourself. I met Greg and friends at the Crossroads of Time and shortly we headed up the hill into Tennessee and back into the Dragons’ lair. There is nothing like being leaned over on your bike with your throttle hand twisting on the gas as you push your foot on the outside peg. The force of gravity tugging on you as you enjoy the rush and focus on your cornering skills. After a couple of runs on the Dragon I get a little tired and loose some focus. Usually I slow down, but there is always that one corner I push myself a little to hard. I felt myself panic when I approached one corner hot and got on the front break to hard. My experience took over as I let off the front brake and muscled the bike down on the left side into the corner. The bike wriggled as I bounced and scraped the left peg off the pavement. I thought I was a gonner but I made it. I was a little shaken but also amazed that I got the peg to the pavement. The Dragon got just a little nibble this time. I don’t want any XB parts on the Tree of Shame. The afternoon went by to quickly and I was back off to Gatlinburg. One last charge thru the Dragon and I was off. Again I managed to scrape the left peg only this time I was in good form. Next time I’ll try to get the right one to match. I took 129 north to Maryville and then caught 321 into Gatlinburg, a different way back. This country is so beautiful and I am proud to ride an American sports bike. I am very thankful to be here and on my Buell. It was a good ride, No it was a great ride. See you on the Dragon! | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
nice, Ted.  FB | ||
| Paulinoz |
Thanks for the write up Ted, I will be there in 6 weeks time and can't sleep now, don't know if it's excitment or this bloke from NYC who rings up at 5:15 am. |
