Dragon's tail is history

[misterbig]

 

For those riders who didn't know, speed dumps are being installed on the infamous Dragon's tail!!! Another American tradition down the drain. West Virginia and western PA. here I come!! Read on.

"...in Tennessee where according to "sources" station WBIR in Knoxville
reported that  "The Tennessee Department of Transportation today announced that will install 99 speed reducers (speed bumps) on US 129  (Known as "The Dragon" by local motorcycle enthusiasts in 2008, including 35 new reducers at "priority areas" identified as trouble spots."

[chornbe]

Goodbye tourism dollars.

[jschmidt]

Not verifiable on their website although there are a number of Dragon stories. Other sources seem to indicate that its a hoax.

[jeremy556]

Not many US Highways with speed bumps on them. This rumor has been going around for years, just with extra vigor lately because of the increased police presence.

If they do, I bet someone will make a run through the dragon with one of these late at night...  

[Boxerdawg]

Not easy getting approval for speed bumps on public roads, even in residential areas.  usually compelling evidence for the safety of pedestrians [esp. kids] is necessary.  129 being a US highway would prove a further hurdle yet.  IMHO this is pure hoax.  Yet one more reason to ride the Cherahola hwy and other equally grin-inducing roads.

[94gixxerod]

You know this will be true when 1,000 attorneys relocate to this area to reap the thousands of law suits that will be filed. Speeds bumps on public roads are a civil attorney's dream!

[Frantik1]

You know this will be true when 1,000 attorneys relocate to this area to reap the thousands of law suits that will be filed. Speeds bumps on public roads are a civil attorney's dream!

+1  Speed bumps would open the DOT to all kinds of liability.

[highside]

You know this will be true when 1,000 attorneys relocate to this area to reap the thousands of law suits that will be filed. Speeds bumps on public roads are a civil attorney's dream!

Considering the rate of accidents on that stretch of road they would be more likely to get sued for doing nothing to "fix" the "problem". There are people who actually use that road as a means of transportation you know, it isn't JUST a race track for motorcycles.

[gforce]

Making a piece of road less safe because of safety concerns is bad judgment and surely will precipitate lawsuits.

But just think of the other ways they could slow riders down less expensively: squirting oil or sand on the road at critical apexes, excavating small potholes in random locations, or just letting the roadway go to hell on its own.  All would accomplish the same thing: to make the roadway just as dangerous, or perhaps far more so, and at a lower speed!  And they'd do it w/o all that pesky and expensive extra asphalt.  What a concept!  

Who knows whether it's true but, if it is, it's just another idiot DOT suit who'll have to kill some innocent people before losing his job.

[highside]

Making a piece of road less safe because of safety concerns is bad judgment and surely will precipitate lawsuits.

Speed bumps are not unsafe at the actual speed limit of the places they will be putting them. They have no obligation whatsoever to make the road accommodating to people who wish to triple that limit.

[gforce]

Speed bumps are not unsafe at the actual speed limit of the places they will be putting them. They have no obligation whatsoever to make the road accommodating to people who wish to triple that limit.

I think it categorically can be said that speed bumps NEVER make a road safer.  They usually are used on very low speed, straight sections of roadway, where the suspension perturbances they create will be less likely to induce loss of control and potentially lethal consequences.  Difficult to imagine how they could have any beneficial effects on tight twisties.

[maddjack]

I'm betting this is a hoax,US129 isn't a local ,township owned road ,so i seriously doubt they would even ask to do that.They could get extra dollars for enforcement though and there is a rumor the road may have sections rebuilt with fewer curves to enhance safety,due to the somewhat heavy traffic on it.

[SWriverstone]

I've never ridden Deal's Gap, and from all I've heard, I have zero desire to. So they can rip up the pavement for all I care—I'll still be a happy rider. (Plenty of other awesome roads to ride!)

Scott

[jeremy556]

I've never ridden Deal's Gap, and from all I've heard, I have zero desire to. So they can rip up the pavement for all I care—I'll still be a happy rider. (Plenty of other awesome roads to ride!)

They can rip up all of your favorite roads for all I care  

[wvrider]

Deal's Gap is way over-rated, not because it isnt a great stretch of twisty road but because it is a "destination"; a tourist site; a "hang" place. I currently choose not to ride down to it for the same reason I dont ride up and down the aisle's at the local mall for twisty fun. Once everyone goes away (OK, 90%) it will be fun again. I doubt speed bumps are being installed since, as others have said, they are only installed on straight sections of roadway...They could get creative and groove the road surface for traction (yeah, thats why we did it). I have seen roads where they are doing that in the curves...makes interesting moments as your tires seek a path they want to follow.

Phil

[photomd]

I've never ridden Deal's Gap, and from all I've heard, I have zero desire to. So they can rip up the pavement for all I care—I'll still be a happy rider. (Plenty of other awesome roads to ride!)

Scott

Scott, your not missing anything. There are plenty of other fun roads, lots of 'em closer to you, IMHO.

I generally only hit it as a cut through on my way to see my parents in KY.

[TuffguyF4i]

This is just a rumor.  

[jerome_oneil]

Oh Noez! Where will you get your t-shirts and stickers now?

[UFO]

You can thank all the Ricky Racers who decided to go there instead of a track day.  Cheap asses.

Sucks for the average rider.

[L8RGYZ67]

Ride your own ride. But don't endanger others.

Everybody has their own definition of too fast... but most of us break the rules some of the time... then whine when someone else breaks a rule that's beyond the rules we allow ourselves to break.