really good pics i haven't got around to takeing any pics of mine i have a black VT also
Driving the VT on the Tail of the Dragon
5
I was able to get my VT out on US129 on the boarder of TN and NC, also known as the Tail of the Dragon. It is an amazing stretch of road, to say the least. It is a windy mountain road with 318 curves in 11 miles. The road is narrow, and there are rarely any barriers or guard rails keeping you from driving off the mountainside.
Full disclosure: I am not a performance driver. I have never raced, been on a track day, or auto-crossed before.
With that out of the way, the VT handled the Tail of the Dragon quite well. While I didn't push it hard (again, no guard rails...), the stock tires barely made a squeak in the corners. I never felt as if the grip was going to let go, sending me (and my dad) tumbling down the mountain. Since the road is very well paved, I didn't run into the problem of the back end dancing around that we sometimes get on bumpy roads.
The acceleration of the VT made the corners a blast. The VT really responds nicely to stomping down in 2nd gear after a corner. In fact, I spent almost the entire 11 miles in 2nd and 3rd, keeping the engine revving around 4k RPM. There are rare straights were you can get into 4th gear, but the turns come quickly and numerously.
All in all, the Tail is an amazing road to drive. If you find yourself in or near the Smokey Mountains in TN or NC, take a detour to drive it.
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Full disclosure: I am not a performance driver. I have never raced, been on a track day, or auto-crossed before.
With that out of the way, the VT handled the Tail of the Dragon quite well. While I didn't push it hard (again, no guard rails...), the stock tires barely made a squeak in the corners. I never felt as if the grip was going to let go, sending me (and my dad) tumbling down the mountain. Since the road is very well paved, I didn't run into the problem of the back end dancing around that we sometimes get on bumpy roads.
The acceleration of the VT made the corners a blast. The VT really responds nicely to stomping down in 2nd gear after a corner. In fact, I spent almost the entire 11 miles in 2nd and 3rd, keeping the engine revving around 4k RPM. There are rare straights were you can get into 4th gear, but the turns come quickly and numerously.
All in all, the Tail is an amazing road to drive. If you find yourself in or near the Smokey Mountains in TN or NC, take a detour to drive it.
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