Motorcycles can fall down

Did you know that motorcycles, because they have only two wheels, don't just stand up on their own? Well, it's true! And I have pictures to prove it.

A while back, my best friend Jimmy and I traveled to Townsend, TN to ride our bikes around in the Smoky Mountains. If you haven't visited Townsend, it ain't much of a going thing, which makes it a perfect place to visit the Smokies without having to deal with the crowds that can sometimes impede on your peaceful mountain vacation. Anyway, one morning while we're drying our bikes from the morning dew, a cleaning lady asked us where we are going that day. We actually had no idea. Other bikers will know that feeling, we may not know where we're going, but we know we're going to ride our bikes to get there. After telling the nice cleaning lady of our lack of destination, she mentioned that The Tail of the Dragon was just over the mountain and lots of bikers go there when visiting the Smokies. Well, Jimmy and I both perked up at this bit of information. We both had heard of the Dragon, but neither of us had been there. Let me fill you in on what the Dragon is. It is a road on the NC/TN border that is eleven miles long and has 316 curves. People come from all over the country and even the world, just to ride this road. And it's not just bikers, but sports car enthusiasts also. So...now we have a destination.

Now riding anywhere in this region of the country is a biker's delight. It took about an hour and half of riding beautiful mountain roads to reach the intersection that leads to the Dragon. After making a left turn, we are riding along the shores of a mountain lake and up ahead we see the road disappear into the woods. But, there is sight I will never forget. In a roadside pull off just before entering the woods, an ambulance with a couple of EMTs standing beside it was parked as if waiting for something to happen. Just like that ambulance you see sitting on the sidelines of every football game you've ever attended...it was waiting for someone to need a "ride." That should have been a warning to me.

Now, I had only had this bike for a few months at the time and was still learning how it handled. Up until that point I was feeling good. But after entering the Dragon under the canopy of the forest...things changed a bit. At first it was a great ride, lots of fun curves and great scenery. But slowly the traffic level began to pick up. After a while the first sport bike came right up my butt, insisting that I was in his way. Shortly after I let him pass...here comes a couple more. Then as I round a corner a couple of sports cars came sliding around the corner in the opposite lane. Now!, I'm beginning to pucker, if you know what I mean. You see, sports bikes and cars come here to test their skills and see how fast they can take the 316 curves. I'm on a touring bike...I just want to cruise through the mountains and have a good ride.















Now, one of the biggest mistakes we made was taking this road on a Saturday afternoon. It seemed that every bike and sports car driver had decided to take on the Dragon that day. And that wasn't the only kind of traffic either. There was a bus, yes a big white bus that couldn't even make it around a corner without leaving his lane. And one guy in a BMW decided I was in his way. This guy was so far up my butt, that by watching him in my rear view mirror I could recognize him on the street if I saw him. This, Jimmy said, was one of my other mistakes. What was I doing paying so much attention to the guy behind me...the road in front of me was challenge enough. Yeah well, hind sight(pun intended) is great. So this guy is up my butt, but I'm still just going my speed, trying not to let him rush me. As I go around a curve that I think is a forty five degree turn...to my surprise it's a hairpin curve and I ain't gonna make it. Okay...I have three choices. I can lay it down in the road...remember the BMW behind me? Or I can go down the side of the mountain or I can brake just until I get off the pavement and then lay it down. Which one would you choose?

















Do you remember the BMW up my butt? How many times have you seen a accident and the cars trailing the accident just keep on going? Well, notice this hole never even hit his brakes. If you look up a head in the next curve you can see that he is just trying to catch his buddies....I'm finally out of his way.


















Speaking of my butt....that night it was damn sore after bouncing along the side of the road.


















Can you believe that the only damage to the bike was to the crash bar...which is why bikes have crash bars in the first place. I had a couple of cracked ribs and body bruises, but other than that...a few guys on the side of the road helped me up and then helped me get my bike up and I continued on down the road. Well, at least for a little while. Jimmy was riding in front of me and he didn't even know that I had gone down. At the next pull over I could find I pulled in just to get my breath back. While I was collecting myself, Jimmy had realized that I was no longer behind him. He found me sitting on my bike and when I told him what had happened he didn't believe me until I pointed out my bent crash bar. At the end of the road is Deal's Gap, a little shop with biker gear, souvenirs, refreshments, motel rooms and...The Tree of Shame. The Tree of Shame has many motorcycle parts hanging from it's branches left over from the many "accidents" that happen along the Dragon.

I did slay the Dragon, but it did put up a fight. And no...I left none of my bike's parts hanging from the Tree of Shame.

So see...motorcycles can fall down...unless you pay attention.

Ramble On...