A few minor rules. Every year we have a lot of people tell us that they want to go, only to back out in the end. (These fools don't know what a great time they've missed.) None of us that know what riding the Dragon is about want to get stuck with a $1500 plus bill for lodging. To combat this, we are going to collect a non-refundable $50 deposit from those that say they are going. This money will be used as part of their share of the rental cost. (Put up or shut up.) These funds need to be paid to one of the following individuals by Friday, March 3rd:

Brian Forder
Dan Beirne
Michael Archangel
John O'Dell

(If you have found this website chances are it is because you know one of them. But just in case their contact info can be found by selecting the contact link on the home page.)

This gives you two months to come up with a measly 50 bucks. The last couple of trips, those that really wanted to go put up the $50 deposit. This worked out well and we will be doing the same this trip. Based upon how many pay, we will make our final reservations and decide if we will rent one, two or all three places. If individuals decide later that they want to go it will be decided by the group that has already paid if they can be accommodated with the arrangements that have already been made. Quite a few people have already started to inquire as to when we are going and I expect this year to be the best trip yet.

As far as who comes, we only want "Responsible Riders". It does not matter if you're a beginner or a seasoned track veteran, as long as you're responsible. I hesitate saying this because in the past we have had guys go down. However, while one was a new guy, the other was an experienced rider. So I guess it proves anyone can and probably will make a mistake. While I will probably take lots of pictures, I'm not filming the next Biker Boy movie. We only want riders to go that "KNOW THEIR EXPERIENCE LEVEL AND RIDE ACCORDINGLY"! While you might think that wheelies and stoppies wearing flip flops, shorts and no helmet looks cool here in Florida, The Dragon does not like it and it will BITE YOU! There is a reason the locals call the straight before the first corner "Wheelie Hell". I can't express this enough. Just so we all understand; we don't need anybody who thinks they have something to prove. I don't want this to sound like I'm dogging anyone but when a rider goes down it ruins the rest of that days riding for everybody else. That and it pretty much sucks for the person that went down. Nuff said! On the other hand, if you want to come but have heard stories in the past that it is too dangerous and might have some reservations about it, let me squash that right here. If you ride on Highway 98, you can ride the Dragon. More people get hurt/killed on 98 that do on the Dragon every year. Fact is, the Dragon is so tight and twisty there are very few places to build up enough speed to hurt yourself. That is not to say you don't need to respect it, but if you ride within your limits you'll find that there is no better riding experience to be had. With that being said, below is what Darryl Cannon, aka Killboy, has to say about properly riding the Dragon. You will have to check out his site at home as the base has his site blocked.

Tips on Riding Deal's Gap
By Darryl Cannon

• Stay in your lane - There are so many benefits here I shouldn't even have to justify it. If everyone stays in their lane, we get 22 miles of great riding instead of 11 miles dodging oncoming traffic. Riders who cut lanes, particularly in one of the many spots they don't realize is dangerous, often end up going into a curve too fast or with a bad line...it all goes downhill from there. Flow with the road, it's a nice curvy road, why try to straighten it? If you find yourself repeatedly too close to the yellow and can't seem to stop it, try making a few passes riding as close to the white line as you can. This will make you more comfortable with being in the right half of your lane.

• Check your ego - I'd guess about 90% of the accidents are a result of trying to "keep up" or "stay in front" of other, faster riders. You do know you are not the fastest rider don't you? (no it's not me ;)
  " Check things out on your first run - Road conditions are pretty consistent at the Gap, due to the lack of in-roads, but your first pass should be at a moderate pace to see how things look. If there is some debris in the road, feel free to pull over and clean it up. You will be a hero for life in someone's eyes, and you won't have to worry about tracking that bad spot.

• Lay off the rear brakes - (on the road) Nearly every black skidmark you see is the result of rear brake slides. Sportbikes in particular can stop so well on the front brakes they will easily raise the rear tire off the road. When this happens, if you so much as touch the rear brake lever the rear tire stops spinning and you lose a majority of your rotational stability. It's a bad habit that is complicated by panic. Save the rear brakes for off-roading. (gravel pull offs, etc)

• Lay off the front brakes - (off the road) So many riders have dumped their bike right in front of me while pulling off the road to talk, that I always point my camera at anyone who appears to be pulling off in case they grab a handful of front brake and dump it. Slow down as much as you can before pulling off, and switch to dirtbike mode when you hit the gravel.

• Lay off the shifting - I run most of the Gap in 2 gears, shifting very rarely. Try sticking to one gear until you are very comfortable and just concentrate on being smooth.
  " Fast sections do not last - Many of the problem corners where everyone seems to pile up, are sharp turns at the end of a fast section. Until you have things memorized, and let's be realistic, that's a LOT of memorizing, take it easy on the fast stuff. One more reason to stick with one gear.

• Pass wisely - There are many safe passing spots, don't rush it. Follow the slower vehicle for a mile or so and if they don't pull over, wait for a safe spot and get it done quickly. Remember that there is probably a sharp turn ahead so don't get carried away by the moment and blow the next turn.
  " Group Passing - If you are riding as a group, even just 2, make it understood that lead bikes will wait for trailing bikes after passing. There should be no reason for a backmarker to push a bad pass just to stay with his friends. Hang back after you get around the slower vehicle and make sure everyone is back together.

• Group Cruising - Spread out. If you are cruising through and you know others will be coming up behind your group, make it easier on them to work their way through by giving them space between bikes. It's nearly impossible to pass a tight group of 4 or more bikes safely, but some riders will try to force a pass on that whole group and it causes accidents, which brings out the cops and ruins things for everyone. You are all going to the same place - there are no roads to turn off onto. You won't get lost if you back off a few feet, I promise. ;-)

• Watch for signals - If you see someone motioning for you to slow down or pull over, do it immediately. Mack truck bumpers are not very forgiving to motorcycles or squishy humans. =)

• Give signals - If you know there is a road hazard behind you, motion for other riders to slow down by pressing down with your open palm. If you want to warn others of a speed trap, pat the top of your helmet. If you see a semi heading into the Gap, try to get in front and warn people. I usually ride very close to the center line, even ON the center line, and motion for people to pull off the road by pointing at their shoulder of the road. Try to stay about 2 turns ahead of the rig...just far enough for a person to slow down, but not so long that they think you were crazy and take back off only to meet the truck around the next bend. Also watch your temperature. Try to use a higher gear and coast as much as you can to keep your bike cool.

• Slow down as you near the ends - Speeding up to the crowd at the Overlook or the Store only impresses the types no one is trying to impress. These places are crowded, and dangerous by design. At the Overlook, the parking area on one side of the road is a blind pull out, at the Store you have Hwy 28 joining onto 129, and a parking lot full of bikes and people distracting everyone. Also, the cops like to hang out at the Overlook and clock people as they come speeding around the last bend. The road opens up and it's very inviting to speed. Familiarize yourself with the indicators before each end. Generally we ease off after crossing the state line into NC heading toward the Store, and the last sharp left heading toward the Overlook. There is a yellow/black Curvy Road sign just before the Overlook...the only one between the state line and the Overlook. One other benefit of taking it easy near the end is that it allows your brakes to cool a little. Hammering the brakes right up to the last 10 feet, then parking your bike can very well cause brake rotor warping. The callipers are super hot, and they sit on one spot of the rotor, keeping that spot very hot while the rest of the rotor cools. This difference in heat is what causes warping. Needless to say, stoppies for the crowd just before you park are hell on your rotors.

Be Warned: Precedence has been set in the past with the riders who went down that is now our Dragon tradition. You go down on the Dragon; you buy the groups dinner that night. (Don't ride faster than your Mastercard can handle).

Lastly, this is not a trip for only sport bike riders. Motorcycles of all makes and models make the trip to the Dragon from all over the world. If you want to bring a cruiser or anything else that's fine, you are welcome to come. We only ask you to read the previous paragraphs. I keep hearing a lot of guys saying my bike is not made for it or some such crap, but every time we go up to the Dragon, I see the same kinds of bikes. If you're serious about your motorcycle, you need to consider this trip. Additionally, those of you on, shall I say, more "comfortable bikes", can take advantage of several other roads in the area that guys on sport bikes have a hard time getting to.