07-24-2016, 01:21 AM
So, the section of US129 called "The Dragon" has about 30,000 vehicles travel over it per month. Motorcycle crashes in the peak months average about 18/month, but the month to month number varies a lot, so let's use the highest monthly number I could find, 30. Now, 1 motorcycle accident per day over any 11 mile stretch is a lot, but the likelihood that an individual rider traveling through this 11 mile stretch will be that one is tiny and that's using the highest monthly crash number and lowest average number of vehicles that I could find. A rider's chance of being in a crash there is really very small. It is reasonable to assume that a rider who stays in his lane, is reasonable experienced, and obeys something close to the posted speed limit reduce their chances of a crash even further.
I believe that there are, indeed, many who treat this road as a race track. I do not know that those people "reject the racetrack"; cannot find any statistics on that. However, if you do not treat it like a racetrack, you will have a fun, challenging, and safe ride over an incredible length of US highway.
I preferred NC28 and Cherohala for the scenery, but I loved "The Dragon" for its the rhythm of its layout.
I believe that there are, indeed, many who treat this road as a race track. I do not know that those people "reject the racetrack"; cannot find any statistics on that. However, if you do not treat it like a racetrack, you will have a fun, challenging, and safe ride over an incredible length of US highway.
I preferred NC28 and Cherohala for the scenery, but I loved "The Dragon" for its the rhythm of its layout.