status of TOTD

[FJRocket]

Back in 2007, it seems there was a major enforcement action on the Dragon. Is that still going on? Are there still 10 - 15 cops waiting for any reason to stop vehicles on the Tail of the Dragon? I know the Dragon is quite a ways from JC, but we were contemplating going over there on Friday. Hopefully Friday isn't as bad as the rest of the weekend.

Also, seems that the last time I was at Townsend (2005), there was a section of the Cherohala(?) that still wasn't finished? Is that section open? Perhaps I'm remembering that incorrectly. Seems I remember seeing a bridge up in the distance, but the road wasn't connected?

Sure would like to know the current poop on the entire area before venturing out. I also know there's plenty to ride in the JC area without having to go that far west. But getting some first or second hand poop on road and trap conditions ("you should avoid XYZ due to lousy road conditions") would be very helpful.

 

[jwilly]

The presence of LEO's on the Dragon isn't what it was a few years ago but they are still keeping pretty close tabs on it for sure. Your best bet if you plan to ride it the Friday of EOM is head out early and beat the sport bike and harley crowd. The more bikes the more LEO's.

The Skyway is completely open and the Eastern end of it was repaved I think last year.

Hope this helps.

JW

 

[beemerdons]

https://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage....0323&po=323 FJRocket, my son Seth (12) and I rode the Tail of the Dragon both ways on Wednesday July 15; we also rode Hell Bender and Cherohala Skyway while in Tennessee.

You can see our ugly mugs in shots #324 thru #329; my boy Seth is hamboning it up making twin thumbs up signage! Ha!!!

We were absolutely astounded that we saw zero law enforcement personnel. I also had heard about the patrols, but on all three routes we never encountered a single marked police vehicle. Perhaps they were unmarked, but unseen by Stanley's!

 

[Intech]

Rode the dragon a year ago. Hit it mid afternoon on a Thurdsday. Only a handfull of bikes at the overlook. Pulled over for a couple groups of zoom-splats. My brother and I hit it after having >500 miles on our ***** for the day, so we really were not all that excited about riding it. We did not see one LEO.

 

[Murph]

I was there 9 days ago ... about 10am on a saturday ... and the only LEOs I saw were a handful parked and hanging around The Tail of The Dragon. Not too many bikes riding the twisties at that time.

About an hour later, riding east to west on the Cherohala, I saw one LEO driving in the opposite direction and he was the only one I saw the entire way.

 

[wheatonFJR]

geezzzzz, one little ol airplane crash and you turn into an FJR poster madman.

Glad to have you back 'Rocket. :clapping:

 

[Brody]

I was there several times this season, I rode the C. Skyway several times-there was no construction and no LEOs when I went thru.

Side note of interest----there is a nice shop in Tellico Plains-----click here

There was a lot of construction of the Dragon.........they were paving the berms in a lot of places. This will make it easy to find a place to pull off the road and wait for slow moving traffic to get on with it.

If they are not already finished with this project, they prob'ly will be by Sept.

I was there almost every day of the week. There is no predicting the crowds. Some week days were worse than some week-ends.

I think the overall traffic will be less in Sept, at least during the week but the place is unpredictable.

There were 2 separate incidents resulting in deaths on one Wed. (one rider got his head removed by an oncoming truck.)

There were rumors of heavy enforcement on the Hell Bender (rt28) but the only LEOs I saw there were at the scene of a bike-sports car collision......sent the bike down over a bank.....they were hauling it up when I went by, (rider seemed OK).

NEVER CROSS THE CENTER LINE & AND ALWAYS BE ALERT FOR THOSE COMING AT YOU WHO MAY!!!

 

[FJRocket]

geezzzzz, one little ol airplane crash and you turn into an FJR poster madman.
Glad to have you back 'Rocket. :clapping:

I was never gone! Just lurking for a long time. You know, after being on these boards for some 5 years, there ain't a whole lot that comes up new. Lots of drivel and jibing. But I still enjoy reading a lot of the threads.

Yeah, hard to believe that I rode less than 100 miles for a whole year! But I was at the airport about 5 days a week, and in the air whenever weather permitted. Now that I have some down time, the good weather will be on two wheels in stead of in the air on three wheels. That is, whenever I can't mooch a plane ride.

Still looking for locals to post any news on the roads around Johnson City... Speed traps, construction, bad/trouble/dangerous spots, etc..

 

[BikerGeek99]

I know the Dragon is quite a ways from JC, but we were contemplating going over there on Friday. Hopefully Friday isn't as bad as the rest of the weekend.

Mrs. BG and I were thinking of heading there on Friday as well. Maybe we could hook up and head over Friday morning.

 

[vroompuppy]

I've ridden the Cherohala and the Dragon twice in the last 10 days and have only seen a few State Troopers on the Cherohala. As a matter of fact, I saw more 18-wheelers (damnit!) on the Dragon this past Monday than I've ever seen police there over the last 3 months.

Of course FJRocket, if they hear you're comin' their sure to be there waitin......jes sayin'.

 

[Brody]

I've ridden the Cherohala and the Dragon twice in the last 10 days ..............................................

So are they still working on the paved shoulders or is the construction project on 129 finished??

 

[vroompuppy]

So are they still working on the paved shoulders or is the construction project on 129 finished??

I've seen the results of their shoulder paving projects Brody, i.e. more places for LEOs, etc to sit on the side of the road, but no active paving goin' on whilst I was there. The additional pavement also makes it easier for "sightseers" to ease out of the way of the FJR freight train(s) if ya know what I mean.....

 

[SliderR1]

Still looking for locals to post any news on the roads around Johnson City... Speed traps, construction, bad/trouble/dangerous spots, etc..

I haven't reviewed the routes, but I'm sure most people will be riding up to the Shady Valley store at one point or another. Be careful around Shady Valley on 421. In the last couple of years, its been almost as popular as the Dragon, as in the THP being present. Not for sure about this year, haven't been up there as much, but I'd give it a slow pass-thru before making any brisk runs. Last year they were stopping everybody and checking helmets for the DOT rating, checking for the MC endorsement on your license, and that your license plate was mounted 'correctly' (horizontally and not vertically, like some cruiser do). I don't think its that bad this year, but like I said, I haven't been up there much.

Another warning - the Johnson City Police love to patrol I-26 in the City Limits, especially coming from the East (Asheville). The will sit right in the median just past the point where the speed limit drops from 65 to 55 (its in a curve, so by the time you see them, its too late).

Thats the big items I can think of right now...Hopefully I can make it out to meet some of you guys on Friday...

 

[mdisher]

Three weeks ago? pretty much the ONLY cops we saw were on the Cherahola Raceway.

Sneaky *******s too on the side hiding around corners. We ALMOST got popped...

Little to none on the Dragon but we never visited on a weekend day. (On Thursday and Monday).

YMMV

 

[CCook82]

Still looking for locals to post any news on the roads around Johnson City... Speed traps, construction, bad/trouble/dangerous spots, etc..

I haven't reviewed the routes, but I'm sure most people will be riding up to the Shady Valley store at one point or another. Be careful around Shady Valley on 421. In the last couple of years, its been almost as popular as the Dragon, as in the THP being present. Not for sure about this year, haven't been up there as much, but I'd give it a slow pass-thru before making any brisk runs. Last year they were stopping everybody and checking helmets for the DOT rating, checking for the MC endorsement on your license, and that your license plate was mounted 'correctly' (horizontally and not vertically, like some cruiser do). I don't think its that bad this year, but like I said, I haven't been up there much.

Another warning - the Johnson City Police love to patrol I-26 in the City Limits, especially coming from the East (Asheville). The will sit right in the median just past the point where the speed limit drops from 65 to 55 (its in a curve, so by the time you see them, its too late).

Thats the big items I can think of right now...Hopefully I can make it out to meet some of you guys on Friday...

Slider is spot on. For EOM there will be WAY more LEO at the snake 421 Shady Valley area than at Deal's Gap. Shafy Valley just east of Johnson City is very heavily patrolled, especially on the weekends.

Also watch to the south of JC as the stretch through Unicoi County has some really zealous cops headed over toward Hot Springs NC especially 352 in that direction in TN.

The extra enforcement at Shady on 421/133/91 is special grant money for LEO. This is really a zone for citations.

Other than these areas it is reasonable in the area.