Most liked posts in thread: Dragon Safety

Good points Jim, what we are talking about here is a little give and take. If your riding along and a group catches you and seems to want to get by, give way when you get a chance and if your the one catching up, take the time to let the person ahead to let you by.

Be nice, share the road!!!

 

Lots of folks feel it is justa road & not a race track & we all need to understand this. This leads to confusion & frustration for all involved. Those pull offs work for both parties. If all is right & the stars align the person in front will pull over, if they don't the following car can pull over & wait a bit. That is what I do & it does wonders at lowering your stress levels.

This weekend is going to be crowded, so be patient & understanding. Have fun be safe.

 

In 2007 Xiek and I were the first ones on the scene following a cycle accident. It was 30 minutes before a LEO arrived and nearly 45 before a rescue vehicle came. This is no place to be involved in an accident. There is limited communication and responders are a LONG way away.

 

After midnight except on Saturday Night/Sunday morning, and make it before 7AM.

 

or do what im gonna do...get there a few days before the main event!

 

i go by this time old adage...those of you fellow track junkies know this...slow is smooth, smooth is fast...you dont have to drive like an absolute bat out of hell to get the feeling of speed...take a few runs starting off at a nice measured pace...also it will give you an idea how your suspension is acting and if you need to make any adjustments

 

....and staying in your lane takes more skill to drive well, even at a slower pace. It essentially makes the turns even sharper.

 

Very good thoughts being laid out here.

I've been a motorcyclist for...a long ol' while, and it's been interesting since becoming involved with MINIs how often the same sort of discussions are coming up with a crowd of MINI enthusiasts as occur with sport and sport-touring riders. Both groups pilot vehicles that love twisting, curving roads...it makes sense.

In the motorcycling realm, the core of much of this similar 7/10ths, enjoy the curves safely thought might be traced back to Nick Ienatsch's article "The Pace", originally published in the early nineties. Here's an updated, abridged version:

The Pace - Nick Ienatsch - Motorcyclist magazine

Nick is a long-time motorcycle test rider, and an enthusiast. Sport bike group rides can often get too much adrenaline going combined with too much performance, with tragic results. The main point: enjoy the curves, but *don't* hammer the throttle and brakes on the straights. The curves are the joy of a ride/drive through the woods, so it isn't necessary to accelerate to warp speed, followed by pad-smoking braking in-between each curve. That's not *exactly* the problem at The Dragon...it has so few straights, but the principle applies even for dialing up too much throttle on a corner exit that will put you so out of shape on the next.

One of my favorite Missouri roads is MO-19, with a 37-mile stretch north of Eminence that's pure heaven. It's a blast, posted 55, with corner after corner marked 30-35, and I love running that stretch just staying on 55'ish and maintaining lane control. Its smooth asphalt corners are grin-inducing at that 20-over rate, no one's alarmed, very safe, no one has to "hang off" on their bike to make them happen. Can't wait to try it in my MINI. The point is, doing it this way is what "The Pace" is trying to get at: keep the cornering fun, but avoid the crazy straightline speed / can't see far enough / too much speed for a miscalculation problems that come from race track tactics on public roads.

 

There is a lot of good information in this thread. Everyone needs to remember that we're all there to have fun, and nothing ruins fun like bent metal...or worse.

A little thread hijack here: MO19 is a great road in a MINI. If you decide to head down there, send us a message and maybe we can meet you in the area.

 

Are you and the wife both going to make it this year?

Jim

 

Where's that picture someone made with the wall between the lanes?

That was great!

 

This one



I am thinking about going to the Dragon by way of MO-19 instead of the Interstate, save the I-roads until Tuesday.

 

So long as the creek don't rise again.

 

Great, I look forward to see you both again.

Jim

 

Its all fun and games till someone loses thier MINI. Thats when they stand up and say why was there not any safety meeting. So good job! Sometimes we need a saftey reminder.

 

...ain't cool to cross the line. Say it often.

 

I say we honk at EVERYONE who crosses the line. Even a little.
(I hope AGRanger still has his train horn installed...)

Note also that early morning runs can bring dew AND cold enough conditions that it can be tough to get heat (and traction) into summer tires. That (and a dose of early morning cold meds) cost someone a Mini a few years ago, but some good came of it: He "manned up" and parked the wreck where EVERYONE could see it on Vendor's Row, with a warning label.

Sobering.

 

That's it!

Mo 19 is a fantastic drive, but it will add considerably to your overall drive as once you get down there, there aren't any interstates to take you where you want to go, are there? I suppose at some point you could get to I-40, but you'd have to go way south to get it and then doesn't that go back north quite a bit?

The last time I came back from my daughter's house in Hendersonville, NC I took 64 all the way across to Memphis, and it was a fantastic drive, almost like being on the Dragon most of the way! But it added a day to the drive ultimately.

 

Done! That's a favorite loop of ours, MO-21 out of STL to MO-106 across to Eminence, then MO-19 back to Hermann / MO-94 and some letter roads to get us back home. Fried chicken lunch at that place near Fort Davidson, or in Salem, or wherever. I know my MINI is *eager* to try it out!

Now: just need a calm Saturday or Sunday soon to get this going!

Extra credit: run the MO-19 roller-coaster between Thayer and Winona. Yee haw! 60mph on the Mighty K tops the shocks on the rises, and compresses to the stops on the bottoms when we're two-up. We about died laughing the first time!

 

Surprised that no one has yet referenced the MINIBee MOTD safety tips video...

MINIs on the Dragon - Motoring Safety Tips - YouTube