Deals Gap/The Dragon



The pictures of this place really don't do it justice. It has 318 turns in only eleven miles! You can see your own tail lights in some of the turns they are so sharp. It is touted as a premier motorcycle resort/run but I saw a lot of miatas and a few sevens there last summer. There were even a few exotics, a Lotus, a Viper, and a Diablo. I ran the Dragon in a supercharged Nissan Frontier. Next summer I will run my GXL when I go with some sportbike pals of mine.





There is an awesome little performance shop in the North Carolina end. It mainly caters to motorcycles but it has has appeal for all. It even has a photo board of some of the metal that has been twisted in the curves of the Dragon. One section has pix of a mangled police cruiser that chased a couple of street bikes through the Dragon.



The Dragon is big in the South East but we saw people from all over the East coast and even well into the West and Canada. One older guy drives his seven down from Ontario every year to run the Dragon. It is truly amazing! Has anyone here heard of it or ran it?

I am heading there this spring with a few RX-7's for a cruise. I cannot wait!!

When are you going? I will be ther in May.

Not sure possibly may. Just want the weather to be good.

its kewl, jusy don't go now. Too many tourists gawking at leaves

The Miata guys from up here go every year.

No ******* wonder why!!! I should head down there when the mazda is fixed! I need tires! I need suspension! I need brakes!! OH MY!!!! https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

Holy ****, that's totaly unreal.

That would suck to grease a civilain looking at leaves! https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...DIR#>/ohmy.png

*looking at leaves*



ziim



*looking at leaves*



ziiiiiiiim



*looking at leaves*



ZIIIIM



*looking at leaves*



ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM



*looking at leaves*



ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM ...SMUCK!!!



*sleeps with the fishes*

smuck?

Canadian for SMACK or SMOOSH.

I see

I only live about 50miles from there and yet I've never bothered to go. We have so many road like that around it just hasn't crossed my mind i guess. There is one road around where i live that has 58 switch backs in under 3 miles https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.png



I would be interested in taking a venture to deal gap some day if it the 7 ever runs again.

But wow, that looks amazing. I've never driven on a road like that. Imagine the demands a car has to put up with just to take that whole course driving on the edge of performance. It seems that the FD was made for such a course. Ohh weeeeeeeee.

that road....is unreal. I'd love to hit that w/my FC.....

i've been there a couple of times, it's really cool. My favorite is the parts tree - anyone who wrecks up there attaches parts of their bike to a big tree by the motel.

Hmm, somehow I just don't find that amusing LOL.

Yeah! That tree looks like some sort of wicked totem pole. It is pinned with gear from riders who have braved the Dragon and lost. You definitely gotta respect it. In that supercharged Nissan frontier, I never made it to 4th gear. I could barely hit 60 MPH in the "straight" stretches. We should make a run there some time for all the East Coast Folx of nopistons.

I am heading there either in May or June with at least 2 other RX-7's we can meet up. I know a dude might be meeting up with us from Baton Rouge.



I am toying with buying a set of Kumho V-700's just for the trip. I know after about 10 turns I will be cursing at my Toyo Proxes. Mazdadrifter might do the same.



I will have in car vid set up too. Possible an outside cam by then too.

A friend of mine slapped a cam corder on the gas tank of his motorcycle and filmed his run. It makes me motion sick to watch it. It is literally knee 2 knee turns. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/blink.png

Come to think of it. That section of the smokey mountains reminds me so much of Japan. I was stationed in Sasebo on the southern island of Kyushuu for almost four years. And the mountains look so much alike. Maybe your FD was made for such a course...

smoosh? you must mean SMASH https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...DIR#>/wink.png

2ndGenerationY, are you reading this? We have some spare time next summer, don't we? https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png



The only question will be what car to bring. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...DIR#>/wink.png

sounds like a roadtrip for the tristate area , ya heard

THat will be my spring break trip this year. That looks awsome.

I found a map.

That's the same map I posted in the last thread about the Dragon. It makes me want to pack up and leave right now. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...DIR#>/wink.png

Ha, that's great. When I read this earlier I pondered in the back of my mind what it would take to talk you into yet another road trip. (Perhaps we should take a trip with each car. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub... )



I don't know if my mind could comprehend. Too much scenery. Dammit, I need to live out of the Midwest for some part of my life! https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...O_DIR#>/11.gif

And then I can attach a piece of each car to that tree. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...DIR#>/wink.png

Here is the link UniqueTII posted last time its more oriented towards 4 wheeled vehicles.





http://www.tailofthedragon.com/

isnt this the real dangerous one where u get clipped by big rigs all the time?

I never saw any big rigs in the three days I was there. Come to think of it I don't think any big rig could fit down those roads. They are mad tight YO!

It's nice to live less than an hour away from there. If you guys do a meet let me know.

Since you live so close maybe you can answer the question floating around now. Is there a lot/any tractor trailer traffic trough the gap?

I've seen pics of several big rigs bottoming out and getting stuck at the dragon.

It appears the only time a rig is on there is when one gets lost. Then the problems begin.



I am really looking foward to heading up there. I plan on driving lots of different roads up there not just the dragons tail.



I will look into lodging nearby there and possibly start a thread about a No pistons meet there. I am going in May or June anyone else that wants to join me is welcome. Look for info soon.



Any suggestions on lodging near there where there are restruants and such would be welcome.



Thanks

Jim.

Make sure you bring the radar detectors. Quite a few friends have gotten tickets on high speed runs through the Dragon. Sweet ass road though.

Is that a 2-way road?