Deal's Gap Video @ ZX12R ZONE.com

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DaveInDaytona

Pro
Posts: 1696

posted April 13, 2003 07:28 AM

Deal's Gap Video

Thought you might like this one. It's about 48 MB

ftp://ftp.darkastle.com/gaprun.wmv
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cmy12rgo

Expert Class
Posts: 160

posted April 13, 2003 10:46 AM

Sweet video .....nice curves on the road

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xtremespeed

Expert Class
Posts: 415

posted April 13, 2003 10:51 AM

Cool video Dave. I have often wondered what all the rage was about with Deal Gap. Now I understand. Wish it wasn't so far.

bagster

Zone Head
Posts: 630

posted April 13, 2003 07:28 PM

Looks like an excellent place to tear up some rubber.

I would have preferred a helment cam view though, my extremely stuffed tummy was sloshing back and forth just watching that camera tip from side to side.

Thanks Dave.

frEEk

Administrator
ummm... yeah
Posts: 9660

posted April 14, 2003 10:41 AM

damn, i think it's safe to say they made it thru there faster than i would. i aint touchin those kinds a lean angles. road & scenery very reminiscent of some of the norcal roads.

jonwright

Needs a job
Posts: 2416

posted April 14, 2003 04:06 PM

Edited By: jonwright on 14 Apr 2003 22:09

Now that's straight up ass. Looks good in leather, too.

Yeah, the video is pretty cool, too.

Maybe I'm a little squeamish and the video angle distorts things, but the camera man was a little close for street riding for my tastes. Track, no problem.

But that's just another shot (almost) of fun in Arkansas, my boys. We're the best kept secret in the US, I think - and that's fine with me.

All you Yankee's (not really a pun on masterbating, you think?) can stay up there as far as I'm concerned.

redelk

Moderator
Please... speak to the hand.
Posts: 3212

posted April 14, 2003 06:28 PM

Edited By: redelk on 14 Apr 2003 19:28

Their average speed, including being held up by the truck and the "slow down" right before the Crossroads was just under 43 mph. If they had kept basically the pace from the Overlook (aka "The Wall") to the Crossroads, it would have been closer to a blazing 44, maybe even a 45 mph average.

All things being "perfect", they could have had the chance to get closer to the 50 MPH mark, but that would have been a truly quantum leap. A far harder accomplishment, I assure you, then one would normally imagine. I seriously doubt if they could have broken that barrier riding as a "group". Maybe, but reality puts it closer to "probably not". On a good day (absolutely no traffic), a fairly good rider who's at least a "semi-local" (no one can "memorize" all 318 curves), these speed averages over 40 are not that unheard of. I've seen a 40+ average in traffic with only a few "squidly" moves during the trek (depending on who's the "judge" of "squidly").

For most flat landers and the "riding skill disadvantaged" folks (like myself), a 30~35 MPH average would be admirable. I actually brag about my getting close to a 37 MPH average (36.8@0:15:10). I did that ONCE. Sadly, for myself, I'm still regulated to "poser/wannabe" status, which is just a notch above the soccer mom in the Aerostar van and H-D average, with a regular "average" in the 30~32 MPH range on most of my trips through the Dragon's Tail.

According to TotD, The original "record" timing involved a run from the Overlook to the Crossroads of Time and then back, an 18.6-mile distance. The round trip time was then divided by two. The Deals Gap Riding Society record for an amateur rider was a 22 minute round trip run, which averaged out to 11 minutes (50.7 mph average).

The overall record was 18 minutes, or 9 minutes one-way (62 mph average). These records were set back in the early 1990s when there was little traffic on the Dragon. Some say the first leg was even quicker at an average over 64 mph. Today, with the road patrolled by sheriff and highway patrol, you'd risk severe penalties if you try to beat the records, much less prove how stupid you really were... after your assured death. That "official" record will never be broken unless the road was blocked off to all other traffic and even then, it would be EXTREMELY tough to get even close.

IMHO, if you saw anything above a 40 mph average (under 0:14:00), it would be equal to averaging over 100 mph on a lap of the Isle of Mann. That's going FROM the Wall to the Crossroads. To do it going TO the Wall would be even harder. At least in some folks opinion (subject to "disagreement" by others).

The bottom line is that the Dragon's Tail, in it's current conditions of surface quality (usually good) and traffic flow (usually bad), is NOT the place to prove your "rider prowess". Save for a parkway or better yet, just leave your "qualifying skills" at home. Between the aspects of getting hurt, killed, hurting or killing someone else or getting thrown in jail, versus enjoying some of the greatest roads around at a halfway sane and especially safe rate of speed creates great memories for you... rather then those memories of you after your gone.

If you think I'm kidding, go to the Gap and stop at just about any pullover and look closely at the road area near you. Though both the road and the scenery of the area is almost impossible to beat, unlike other scenic roads, the Dragon is TOTALLY unforgiving. One does not "beat" or "slay" the Dragon. They "survive" it. Even in the middle of the week, it's not uncommon to see 50~100 bikes at the Crossroads. That means they either just got off the Dragon or they are getting ready to get on. The video does not truly illustrate the limited (almost "no") safe opportunities to pass slower vehicles. Especially anything bigger then a bike (i.e. a box truck or a motorhome pulling a boat - both commonly found on the Dragon).

I would give this video 4 "elks" overall. A tad squidly and they lacked an overall smoothness (that I can only dream of), but still a pretty good delivery of what the Gap is like at "speed". Reviewed by a local, odds are that it'd barely rate 3. They were too close to each other and way too much braking. The lead guy wasn't too bad, but if you can even keep a local in sight, you'd swear their brake light was disconnected. It's seems their rules of thumb are something like "one gear and no braking". "Violate" either and you're either holding up folks or your gonna get hurt.

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RAC4IT

Needs a job
Bergie
Posts: 3009

posted April 14, 2003 07:06 PM

damn that is cool, I must go this year

Pro
Posts: 1592

posted April 15, 2003 07:10 AM

Edited By: BA on 15 Apr 2003 08:16

dammit, it isn't working for me!

"cannot find server or DNS error"

I even put the IP address in an FTP program and got there, but didn't see the file. :-/

GreenGlenn

Expert Class
Ron Jeremy's Stunt Double
Posts: 370

posted April 15, 2003 12:21 PM

Try this one, its on my machine at home but it should work - just not real fast.

http://www.wonski.com/movies/gaprun.wmv
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