The Tail of the Dragon Photo Gallery

The 2007 Kelly Brown R1/R6-forum.com Deals Gap Convention played host to over 300 Yamaha riders at the famed Tail of the Dragon.

Riding with the R1/R6-forum.com boys and gals at Deal’s Gap was a lot of fun.

The pristine beauty of the Smokey Mountains shelter the famed stretch of asphalt known as the Tail of the Dragon.

If you love Yamaha sportbikes, the Deals Gap convention was the place to be.

Take 300-plus Yamaha YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 enthusiasts, stir in 318 tire shredding twists and turns in just 11 knee-dragging miles, add a healthy dose of legendary Smokey Mountain hospitality and you got yourself a recipe for fun.

Twisting, turning, through the never...

Adam takes a ride on the R6.

The Smokey Mountain scenery makes for a beautiful backdrop.

Don't head to the Deals Gap if you don't like leaning.

There are turns of every kind on the Tail of the Dragon.

The Tail of the Dragon is all about quick side-to-side transitions, and this is where the R6 shines like a tourmaline gem.

I spent Friday riding the R6, which has an ideal set-up for the tight and technical first-, second- and third-gear switchbacks that litter the curvy 11-mile route.

The well-marked road meandered smoothly like a river through the unspoiled terrain of the Smokey Mountains

The fellows from Killboy.com were on hand, as they always are at Deals Gap, to snap pics of the riders.

To say the Tail of the Dragon is very technical riding is an understatement.

Does the Dragon live up to its hype? That depends. If continuous non-stop, knee on-the-deck cornering is your forte – than you, my friend, have found your motorcycling Mecca.

The Yamaha R6 was the perfect tool for the job on the Tail of the Dragon.