| Located on U.S. Highway 129 just south of Knoxville is Deal’s Gap, Tennessee, a beautiful and historic site that features one of the great roads for motorcycling. This road is known as the Dragon’s Tail, an eleven-mile stretch of blacktop that contains 318 curves! Last September 24-26, Brian Jackson and the crew from Corbin’s Ride On headed to Deal’s Gap in the Great Smokey Mountains for a Rat Raid! What’s a Rat Raid you may ask? Well, according to those who know what they’re talking about, a Rat Raid is defined as “a gathering of two or more members of the Riders Association of Triumph.” While he was there, Brian spoke with Neil Webster, International Manager of the Riders Association of Triumph. Neil spoke to him about the organization and their events. Neil stated that the association tries to provide special experiences for its members in terms of the locations of the raids, but also concerning the culture that surrounds those locations. Neil also said, “Everyone loves Triumphs, and they are bikes that are meant to be ridden.”
Brian also met with several of the participants in the Rat Raid, including Jeff Moyer. Jeff stated that he loved the mix of people represented at these events. Charles Hill likened the “Dragon’s Tail” to a trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and speaking of the Dragon’s Tail, it was a sight! As we mentioned, this eleven-mile stretch contains 318 curves and offers the sort of challenge that no true rider can refuse. Speaking of bikes (weren’t we?), there were all types of Triumphs! There were sport bikes, cruisers, and classics! Even Brian got in the RAT Raid spirit and had the chance to get his knees in the breeze on Triumph’s newest bike, the Rocket III. This new Triumph is all business with a 2,300 c.c. three-cylinder engine. It also weighs approximately 800 pounds and sports a 240 series rear tire! Now that’s some machine!
All along the Dragon’s Tail there were plenty of places for riders to pull off and relax on a stretch of road that tests the limits of everyone’s riding skills. One group that Brian came upon was sharing their riding experiences, and although some of the guys might have been inclined to stretch the truth a little bit, a good time was shared by the members of the pack! In fact, everyone we encountered had a good time, and we were even told that this Rat Raid was the biggest one yet. September in the Smokey’s was simply beautiful and amazing, and when you throw a Rat Raid into the mix, you can be assured that it will be a time that everyone will remember with a smile. If you would like more information on Rat Raid on the Dragon 2004, give a visit on the web at www.triumphmotorcycles.com. That’s it from Tennessee, so until our next ride, “keep the shiny side up and Ride On!”
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