Crossing the line when you have good sight lines and noones oncoming ... just not good form.

Crossing the line when other vehicles and bikes are oncoming?

Incompetent
Irresponsible
and potentially
Deadly

Imagine being in your own lane in that circumstance. Too bad we don't know who that asshole is. He's the guy that needs to be tarred and feathered.

I may be wrong on this, but it's my understanding that the road is so tight & winding that 18-wheelers take up the whole road on some of the tighter turns.

Yet another reason to be very attentive while heading through the gap.

Either that or have your life insurance paid up and perhaps maxed out so at least you make your widow happy.

Old or Bold...

Interestingly, this is a vehicle crossing the double yellows taking the PERFECT line for that corner ... His back wheels are right at the apex! And he's only carrying marginally more cargo than the guy on the GS ...

I've never been to the Gap, and the more I read about it, the less I want to go there. I'll stick to the 'road less traveled'.

Looks like a late apex to me. :dunno

Why the fuck are 18-wheelers allowed on the road if they can't negotiate the turns without illegally crossing over into oncoming traffic on blind turns?

People need to put an end to that shit. Make them go the long way.

Well, it's not that dangerous if the trucker encounters some thoughtful, attentive motorists coming from the other direction who can appreciate that he's just doing his job (and a particularly stressful one at that). It's going to be pretty ugly though if he encounters some pseudo-racer types who's only concern seems to be getting a knee down on a public road & "winning" the Dragon.

Sheesh, now I sound like one of those nanny types…that's not my intention. I'm all for keeping up a spirited pace on the streets, but hopefully this thread will illuminate some potential concerns. Just keep in mind the variety of obstacles you may encounter around the corner & leave some room to maneuver & come to a complete stop if need be. If you aren't prepared to deal with unexpected road conditions, track days are a great option for letting it all hang out with relatively minimal consequences. I love bombing the back roads at high speeds too, but I gotta share those same roads with mud-slinging tractors, grain-dripping farm trucks, and the general lane-straddling slowpokes. To pretend I'm the only guy out there is unrealistic & asking for trouble.

You are correct, but just don't go quite far enough.:nod

An 18-wheeler would take up at least some of the other lane on almost every turn of the 318 turns/11 miles that are marketed as the Tail of the Dragon. And the driver would have had to negotiate a whole lot of curvy road just to get to the start of those 11 miles, especially on the NC side.:evil :deal

On a whole lotta buncha the corners, an 18-wheeler would take up most of the other lane. Look at that truck photo posted in this thread (the rig with "Think Safety" written on the trailer:lol3 ). The tractor had to have been completely in the other lane just before the photo was taken.:eek1 That turn is probably somewhere in the middle of the tightness scale for that stretch of road, and there are lots of corners like it.:nod

On quite a few of the turns up there, an 18-wheeler would take up both lanes from whiteline to whiteline and then some, taking up any and all usable space. And trucks do sometimes get hung up on turns there.:nod

A look through the killboy site will show you some of the truck issues.

Deals Gap: "It's a death trap, it's a suicide wrap. You'd better get out while you're young.":lol3

Ride safely,
Chris

If it's illegal to cross the double yellow (it is) then it's illegal for them to be on that road. Be a man and take a stand. Go the long way around.

Where's firefly with his shaming language?

Hardly. That video shows at least 10 instances where the sightline is dramatically less than the stopping time of the motorbike. One stalled truck, tree, crash scene in the corner, and buddy becomes a statistic.

What's the damn problem wtih riding at a speed that is within one's braking zone and sight line?

Edit: trackdays... they have a purpose.

Semi trucks on the dragon are a well known problem. Some of them are drivers not familiar with the area get routed on to the Dragon without knowing what they're getting into- just following their GPS or written directions. Others have been warned off but think they can make it anyway. Lots of fun- see http://www.tailofthedragon.com/dragon_trucks.html .

+1

I know from experience that you see the Killboy van/banner and go 'HEY! There he is!!' and all of a sudden, yer screwin up. :nod Bout lost my line in that corner. :bluduh Got my head back around it quick enough.

The next few photogs were ignored.

I was riding my GS-Adv towards Gaspipe's house when I went thru and I don't think I'll go back. Too many f-tards riding over their heads and/or riding Hardleys. I stuck it in 3rd gear and would catch the Hardleys in front of me every corner and lose em in the straights as they hammered on the throttle. Roll on, catch the Hardleys in a corner, roll off, roll back on, repeat for 11 miles. :baldy

M

This rider is just lucky he didn't meet himself coming the other way.