September 13, 2025

Shaking off the Rust

The weekend of 9/12/2025 – 9/14/2025 I rode a fantastic weekend trip up in the North Carolina / Tennessee mountains and rode the Tail of the Dragon (and several other roads).

It was a bit sketchy and rusty in the mountains as this was my first real ride of any kind in two years!  Since the conclusion of my USA Midwest 2023 trip on September 16, 2023, I had only ridden about 200 miles, 200 miles in two years!

  Shortly after the USA Midwest 2023 trip I had began working two jobs and simply had no time for, well pretty much anything.  I quit my second job in late June 2025.

So, naturally after only riding for about 200 miles in two years, I logically concluded the first road trip would be Tail of the Dragon, a highly technical road in the North Carolia / Tennessee mountains.  I must admit that indeed, I felt rusty and took the pace even slower than I normally ride.  However, it was still fun, and the scenery was amazing (though admittedly I really was not paying attention to the scenery while riding).

As the day progressed I rode several other mountain roads, and became more comfortable in the saddle.

Tail of the Dragon – US Highway 129

U.S. Highway 129’s “Tail of the Dragon” is a bucket-list ribbon of asphalt that feels like it was engineered by motorcycle gods with a wicked sense of humor—in the best way. Packed with 318 curves in just 11 miles along the Tennessee–North Carolina border, it delivers relentless switchbacks, tight hairpins, and smooth sweepers that keep you fully engaged from first turn to last. The road snakes through dense forest with no intersecting roads or driveways, so it’s pure, uninterrupted riding—just you, your bike, and a rhythm of lean angles that’ll have your tires whispering and your grin plastered inside your helmet. Add iconic photo stops, a strong rider community vibe, and nearby roads like the Cherohala Skyway for dessert, and the Dragon becomes less a road and more a rite of passage.

Unfortunately, what is not uncommon on the Tail of the Dragon (and some of the other roads in the area) I did come upon what looked to be a serious motorcycle accident.  I prayed that the rider was going to be ok.  Sadly, this was not the only accident I would see today but the only one on the Dragon I saw.  Reportedly, there were 3 more accidents on the Dragon later in the day. 

The most important advice I have heard and would have to agree with about riding the Tail of the Dragon is to ride your ride.  Meaning ride at a speed in which you feel comfortable and in control.  There are several areas to pull off and let traffic by (as seen in my video).  I did this often as already stated, I rode this pretty slow (even for my standards) as I was feeling very rusty and Dexter was not doing the best on this day (a little underpowered and lots of sputtering during decelerations).  Still, it was a blast and no major issues with Dexter.

The Tail of the Dragon is worth riding and does qualify as a bucket list ride.  I would recommend a weekday over a weekend but as seen, it is still fun even on a Saturday.

Would I ride the Dragon again?

Yes, I will probably ride the Tail of the Dragon again at some point.  I would have preferred not to have been there on a Saturday when there is allot more traffic and hence higher risk of an incident.  Also, the region has other roads that arguably are better rides than the Dragon (better scenery, sweeping curves along with technical riding and far less traffic and lower risk).  I am curious as to what the ride experience will be like on Bruce, my new 2025 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special.  At the time of this ride, Dexter was nearly 21 years old and showing his age in many respects (I had owned Dexter for 8 of his 20 years at this point).  Bruce, my ’25 Pan America, weighs about 300 pounds less than Dexter, has a quantum leap in power, handling, braking, suspension, rider assist technology, and the list goes on.  I think riding the Dragon on Bruce would be a radically different experience (I think better….)

Dexter – 2005 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic

 In case people are unaware, Dexter was a 2005 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic beast weighing nearly 1000 pounds not loaded.  Dexter was a bike where the phrase “I don’t rush.  I arrive” fits.  This is not to hate on Dexter; I loved that bike and hated trading it in (didn’t have the extra space and it just made sense to move on). 

This trip into the North Carolina / Tennessee mountains would be my last touring trip on Dexter.  The last ride (not including the ride to Atlanta Harley-Davidson for trade-in) was on October 7^th, 2025, where my wife (DeAndra) and I rode from Douglasville, GA to Newnan, GA and back for lunch.  Dexter was traded in on October 17^th, 2025.

I will have to make a separate post comparing and contrasting the two motorcycles at some point.