Dragon's Tail Pic

Dragons Tail Pic



Maybe somebody can explain to me why Putfile won't let me post a larger pic anymore?

Anyway, thats me trying scoot through the Dragon's Tail. A piece of Highway 129 in the western N.C. Mountains with 318 curves in 11 miles. As you come riding through, the folks from killboy.com take your pic. You can then go to their website and buy your pics for 5 dollars a pop. Darryl and his crew have got a sweet deal going there!

Put your pic in our photo album and transfer it to this thread. For Rocket III pics or for that matter anything motorcycle related please use our photo album. You gotta remember.. I'm the admin here and you're not likely to get in trouble for using our own resouces, that's why we have them...

I'll do a photo post primer sometime this weekend and sticky it... its really not that hard (I know you know how to do it Wilbur... I'm just speaking generally...)

That's got to take some concentration to execute 318 curves in 11 miles. What a ride that must be.:bch:

wilbur-t said:

As you come riding through, the folks from killboy.com take your pic. You can then go to their website and buy your pics for 5 dollars a pop.

Click to expand...

Similar roads aplenty here. Except the guys taking pics here are from killjoy.cop and they charge a lot more than 5 bucks a pic. The only advantage is that you get your pic with a speed reading on it the mail, without having to search their website .

Jamie said:

Similar roads aplenty here. Except the guys taking pics here are from killjoy.cop and they charge a lot more than 5 bucks a pic. The only advantage is that you get your pic with a speed reading on it the mail, without having to search their website .

Click to expand...

ROFLOL.....good one Jamie....:bch:

As soon as I get my training wheels off....... I'm going to try and turn this thing left and right! Actually, I've always had a little hesitation about tight turns and find myself slowing down a gear or two and then goosing it and catching back up with the others. That's the nice thing about the beast.

Jamie......you should post some suggestions on how to corner properly and handle turns and curves in the road. You've probably had more experience at that than anyone I've read about so far. When you start talking about replacing the pegs because they've worn on the pavement..........Yikes! Part of my phobia is the fear of loose gravel, sand or other accoutrement letting my front wheel lose traction and realizing that once again..........gravity has won! I also catch myself trying to lean into a corner instead of pushing on the handle bar on the side I wish to go. At times I find myself pulling on the opposite handle bar instead. Now the most comfortable position is letting my body lean away from the turn and it seems to feel as though I'm more balanced when entering and exiting the curve.

Seriously........ any information you or others can pass along to all of us (especially me) would be greatly appreciated.

PianoMan said:

Seriously........ any information you or others can pass along to all of us (especially me) would be greatly appreciated.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the opportunity to show off:

Look forward to the curve. A joyful encounter. Not a challenge at all. You wanna hug it... and the next one... and all of them ahead...

Some downshifting IS the right thing to do. Gives you TRACTION and the Rocket goes around twisties easier and faster if you can keep the throttle --and thus the torque-- constant or, better yet, open it up a bit. Anything @ 3-4000 rpm's and upstairs, once you're done with the initial , as/if crucially needed, curve entry brakin'.

AND let your body lean towards i.e INSIDE, the curve. Knee out and down as much as you can (think of the asphalt down below, even with the risk of slippery stuff or gravel on it, as an attraction, not as a repellent) . On the Rocket, this is best achieved if you shift/sit as forward as possible on the saddle and swiftly MOVE your body right and left, holding the bar as... LIGHTLY as possible (i.e do not hang on to it). That makes up for natural steering, including some instictive countersteering. Try it, i.e. the knee out trick. You'll find out that the bike leans and steers (you might initially and candidly think it suddenly OVERsteers) itself thru the curve and exits it not only way faster but also way...smoother(as in: more relaxed) .

Your whole body (versus just your brains and arms) is in charge then.


That's the way I have ridden all my bikes. Arguably so, perhaps. The amusing thing , though, is that the Rocket III, unlike HD's and all other cruisers and so-called big dawgs , lends itself to that track-inspired riding style... SO... WELL

Experienced ridin' instructor? Or just forum comedian? YOU tell me once you've tried the former's advice.

Regards from both. Jamie

Nice looking curve carver you got there Wilber-t.I wont caution your recovery because I feel the body will let you know when it's enough.I'm a firm believer in putting on as many miles as I can comfortably cover at any oportunity to discover this place we live in.Came across a new curvy road I can try Jamie's technique,or not, a little too bumpy at mach 3