Last weekend, Kara and I found out the hard way that even a moment's distraction can have profound effects on the Dragon. A road like that simply cannot be "slayed" - at best it can be ridden with no harm.

Have fun, but please take it easy, especially if this is your first time on the Dragon or if you've been away. Trust me - the way to end a fun trip like this is not in a rental car or, worse, in an ambulance...



Be safe!

 

YOWZA..that hurts!

Be especially careful if it's rainy down there. All you need is a small pile of wet leaves, and....whooosh..yer done.

FYI, ambulances can take a long time to get to the Dragon.

Please be very, very careful...the Dragon can kill you.

 

The above crash happened on a completely dry morning, with no traffic. No wetness or leaves, just simple physics and a moment of hesitation on the throttle is all it took. We left Robinsville at dawn, and the sport bikes and boat trailers were asleep, so we've nobody to blame for the incident. Add in bikes, cars and people on the pull-outs and the likelihood of a mishap increases ten-fold.

Drive slow and safe, and come home on one piece, and hopefully I'll see you all in May next year....

 

Matt, again, sorry to hear about the accident. It really sucks, and more than anything I am just glad you are okay. And it has been emphasized countless times on these threads that you gotta be safe, and you gotta stay focused. I remember my first time on the Dragon was the Midnight Run at MOTD07. The roads were a little damp still, and yes, it's still dark. I put the windows down, turned the radio off, and got into a zone where I was totally focused on the road, and the curve just ahead, never taking my mind off what I was doing. Focus is the key, because curves come up on you fast.
With that being said, if you focus, and pay attention, anticipating someone around the next bend, you will be fine, and love the road. Show it respect, and it will show you respect. My first time was incredible. MINI_Bee was behind me, and will tell you, I didn't do too bad for my first time, you just gotta focus. I want us all to have a good time, and come home safe with our MINIs in one piece. I don't want to see what happened to Matt and Kara happen next weekend. Let's just be safe!
Thanks Matt, and again, very sorry to hear about the accident, and see the damage. We'll miss the Nano Car!

 

Wow, ImagoX, I feel like crying, seeing your car banged up like that. What are you going to do? Is insurance even going to cover that accident?

 

Matt, my deepest sympathy for your loss. Glad you're okay! (You are okay, aren't you?) Hard to see a MINI in that condition and attitude, but I totally understand how this can happen. The MINI is a driver's car, not a passenger car or a "not paying attention" car. No blame at you, just noting for myself and future reference. Thanks for being brave enough to post, and hope you're back to 2nd Gen motoring in short order! Best wishes! david