Alex Gold

If you're riding according to road conditions, it won't be a problem...

"Remember, your speed must allow you to stop within the distance you can see to be clear in relation to the Limit Point of Vision (LPOV). The LPOV is the furthest point ahead at which you have a clear view of the road – where the right and left-hand sides appear to meet.
Ride at a speed that allows you to stop (on your own side of the road) within the distance you can see is clear – the distance between you and the LPOV. This determines how fast you can safely enter a corner. The closer the LPOV, the less time and distance you will have in which to act and therefore the slower you need to go – and vice versa."

from MCN IAM Better Riding Guide: Cornering - | Motorcycle News | Bike News | Motorbike Videos | MCN

johnnyE

Yep Until you've been a twisty Appalachian road its hard to make a accurate assumption as to what you will be able to do when faced with the unexpected.I dont see how driving a truck is going to give you a advantage. We all know there could be a truck on the other side of the corner. Being a truck driver isnt going to make it disappear or open up a lane for you. UNLESS they taught you how to properly dive under a truck in your drivers training.

oldninjadude

joey, So you saw it to huh. I was gonna post up about it too.
Its going to be on again saturday.

The local truck drivers know to avoid the dragon, & also any trucker who got onto it buy mistake.
& that's what it is a big fn mistake. Just as the show says, GPS units are leading unsuspecting truckers to this road thinking they have found a shortcut.
Sometimes a heavily loaded truck will actually get hung-up & will need a wrecker to come pull em free.

Trucks should not be on that road, With 318 corners, Is not just a few that give them trouble,
Its dozens that there on both sides of the road, plus the rear end of the trailer is hanging off over the gutter 6-10 feet.
This leaves NOWHERE to go.

Just think, your going down the Mt, & you meet one of these trucks taking up all the road,
You gotta back up, with no reverse. Your gonna have to get off & push it, or put it in the ditch.
Sometimes there is no ditch, only a 20-60 foot drop.

blazenorange

Noobman.. The fact that u wished that on any 'biker' is pretty bad.. Say that to me.. And I'll come up from behind u.. While u are wearing ur lid.. With it strapped... Reach over and grab te frontal chin portion.. And rip that motherfu€k$r up and back.. While driving ur lower back to my knee.. Don't wish that on anyone.. You may wish one day that u didn't..

Carry on gents!!

Torino

+1

mark72

just watched the clip......that is one extreme road ......be careful guys when riding that.......

liveFAST84

Freakin amazing road! Its on mu bucket list!

TC636

+! OND. Exactly.. That's what i said in my post. Big rigs have no busness on that road. Its gotten a lot better through the years though.
There probably is gps mis-information. And truckers that don't know any better. But there was one trucking company by the name of SWIFT.

And they knowingly new the dangers of the dragon. But they kept sending
their trucks over the dragon. After a lot of pressure they quit sending their trucks that way.
It's not just bikes, its cars also that gets trapped under their trailers.
But like i said, its gotten a whole lot better.
I think people who have never been there, and just seen pics. The pics
don't do it justice. Glad you posted up... cause i knew you been there.

oldninjadude

Iv been going for 10 years now, (this year) Every time there are crashes,
At least one or two wind up in the hospital.

On this years ride, (the forum ride) Iv thought about this & I think we should have a little talk,
go over a few things with the newbies(new to the dragon)

I want us all to get home in one piece, Just like in the video, that first hard right will catch you out.
Iv seen it happen to many times. Sometimes setting at the store you don't hear it,
But minutes later, you see em walking back down the hill, holding an arm or limping.

For me its the next turn, the left after that right, But then there all pretty tuff.
Personally I don't see how some riders can take the blind corners fast enough to drag there knee.
I know some say they can do it going slow, that's something Id like to learn.

N3WMAN

No, I don't drive a truck for a living. That means I know nothing about what we're talking about. So feel free to disregard the following because it does not apply to the all holy truck drivers who can do no wrong, at all, ever.

This has nothing to do with being a responsible rider. You don't need to be speeding or draggin knee to get run over by a truck driving in YOUR lane. If I rode everywhere expecting a truck to be around the next bend in my lane I might as well stay home. While riding or driving you expect the majority of your fellow road users to drive/ride safely and within the law.

So, saying that a bike is at fault for getting run over or hitting a truck who is driving unsafely and against the law is ridiculous. If a truck runs a red light and somebody T-bones him, its their fault for not being able to stop in time? They should have expected him to do that? Your thought process is completely illogical.

Good job on being a "responsible" rider while dodging trucks in the Ozarks because, according to your logic, you would have been at fault if anything bad happened. I really don't see how you can blame yourself for lowsiding on sand though.

I suppose if you had read my previous post you would realize I am not just blaming the trucks. I blame whoever is at fault. When someone gets run over in their own lane by oncoming traffic, they are not at fault.

I did not wish harm on him in any way. He said he is a responsible rider and any responsible rider would be able to stop. I said I would love to watch do it. That way I could learn some new hard braking truck avoidance technique I don't currently know about.

johnnyE

To me being irresponsible on a road like the dragon or any road for that matter is doing something that causes me to cross the yellow line. The exception for me is a straight with a reasonable sight line to make a pass. If you are in a position in which you need to cross the yellow you risk not only your self but others. This is for all motorists. Car, truck or what ever. I think that those trucker going down the dragon should be punish with the end out come of their actions. It only takes the first couple of corners to realize what they have got their selves into, not to mention the warning signs.

Trucker are a important part of our daily lives. Its unfortunate that a lot of hacks give the pros a bad name.

Kawifreak you should ride the road before you comment on it. If you are saying that you are going to go there and ride that rode no faster than 25 to 30 mph its time to trade that ninja in for a vulcan, some caps and some aviators along with a pedi stash.

Yeah what I'm saying is I ride that rode as hard as I can while staying in my lane. If that offends you the dealer ship has a nice scooter or cruiser with your name on it.

davidreaper

I rode the dragon in my 99' Ninja 250 and it was the best ride of my life with my friends, and a great experience when you see people dragging their knees on a goldwing is awesome to