LIFE

WATCH: What's it like to ride 'The Dragon'

Jack D Lail
News Sentinel

“The Dragon,” a stretch of U.S. 129 from one side of the Tennessee-North Carolina state line to the other, is called one of America’s great roads for motorcyclist and sports car enthusiasts.

The North Carolina end of "The Dragon" at Deals Gap.

Why? Also called, “the Tail of the Dragon” or “The Dragon’s Tail,” it is a mountainous 11-mile stretch of pavement with 318 curves with steep drop-offs by the edge of the pavement.

Joe Ball, with a GoPro camera on his helmet, ready to ride "The Dragon."

So what’s it like to ride? Watch our video.

We asked Knoxville area motorcyclist Joe Ball to stick a GoPro video camera on his helmet and ride his Harley-Davidson on a recent warm fall morning from Blount County part way to the end of the “Dragon” at Deals Gap, North Carolina.

Tail of the Dragon, 'the best ride in North America'

“It’s a technical challenging road,” said Ball, who has ridden the route many times. “So people want to come from all over the country, and some of them come from different parts of the world, just to rent a bike and ride the ‘Dragon.’”

Some get more than they bargained for. There is a “tree of shame” at the Deals Gap end of the trail with various parts of battered motorcycles. Fatalities along the road are not uncommon.

"Tree of Shame" at Deals Gap, North Carolina, on "The Dragon."

“It can be pretty daunting to a beginning motorcyclists," Ball said. "The thing is you just go there and you ride you’re own ride; don’t worry on what’s behind you; focus on what’s in front of you; stay in your lane and you won’t have any problem."

A fanciful "Dragon" at Deals Gap, North Carolina.