Motorcycle Trip Planning - Electrics at the Dragon 2024

Riding the Dragon

Tail of the Dragon  

Designated US 129, the Tail of the Dragon in Deals Gap, NC boasts 318 curves in 11 miles and is bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest with no intersecting roads or driveways to hamper your travel.

Motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts in eastern USA typically fall into two categories:  They've ridden or driven the Tail of the Dragon or they want to.  

Checking out the bikes

Electrics at the Dragon

Austin Ammarell, owner of eMoto Powersports, has been organizing an event to gather electric motorcyclists for several years called Electrics at the Dragon.  Renting a set of AirBNB houses in Robbinsville, NC, Austin's event allows eMoto enthusiasts to rent a room at very reasonable rates.  The shared common spaces like a garage with plenty of parking and common kitchen and living spaces fosters a sense a camaraderie and telling of riding stories for the attendees.  

EVRider's Bill Bortzfield gives a great video overview of the event on his YouTube channel.  If you don't want to bring your own electric motorcycle or you want to try one out, Austin's eMoto Powersports will rent you one.  

Electrics at the Dragon 2023

Trailering an EV with an EV
I had a chance to take part in last year's event by trailering my bike to a friend's house in Maryville, TN and riding in from there.  Of course, I towed with an EV:  My then brand new 2023 Tesla Model Y.  The group self-organized daily rides on the Foothills Parkway, Cherohala Skyway, and many other nearby "twisties" on the way to Sylva, NC to grab some food and drink while charging before the ride home.

A few of us even had a bear cub encounter while in the Cherohala Skyway and caught it on video.  

Electrics at the Dragon 2024

EatD 2023 Riders 
This year's event promises to be even better with more attendees, more available charging, and rekindling friendships that were forged in prior years.  The Electrics at the Dragon Facebook event page and Messenger feed are already abuzz in planning, reminiscing, and other lively discussion.  If you want to get in on the action, join on that page.

An Epic Road Trip ... Before the Rides

My approach path
Since I recently retired and my wife is unable come along this year, I decided to ditch the trailer and turn this event into a epic motorcycle journey.  That's right, I'm riding my 2022 Zero SR/S down to the event, and in classic motorcycle style, not just in a straight line.  Interstate highway motorcycle tours are boring, so I'm taking the long way through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia before I arrive at the Tail of the Dragon Vacation Rentals AirBNB location.

After years of building friendships with people all over the world, it was time to see if those statements of "Come visit us some time" really held up.   

The Sponge Tour

Sure enough, in what a good friend of mine calls a "sponge tour", many of my friends along the way agreed to host me for a night along the way.

Meaning #3 in Oxford's Dictionary says: "sponge (off/on somebody) (informal) (disapproving) to get money, food, etc. regularly from other people without doing anything for them or offering to pay."  Well actually, I did offer to pay for my electricity and will do my best to reimburse their kindness with a meal.  Hopefully my sunny disposition is payment enough.  

I'll be staying at a few AirBNBs as well, but I'm bringing a tent and sleeping bag in case something goes sideways.  

Follow Along Starting April 11

Day 1 ride
The first segment of the trip will be from my home in Muskegon, MI to a friend's house in Genoa, OH just outside of Toledo.  While that's mainly a "knock out miles" day, I hope to see a few things along the way and figure out the riding to charging cadence.  

Example:  Did you know that the popular Jiffy Baking Mix is made right here in Chelsea, Michigan?  I'll be passing through there on Day 1.

If you want to follow along, click the "Follow" button on the left-hand bar and you'll get notifications of updates.  I will also try to post daily YouTube videos of the ride on our Zero E-Michigan channel so please subscribe there as well.  

Stop Soldier Suicide Fundraiser

As part of this ride, I'm participating in a Facebook Stop Soldier Suicide fundraiser.  If this issue is important to you, please chip in a few dollars to a worthy cause.  I will post my mileage updates on that page as well as this page.


In This Series

  • All posts with 2024 EatD (2024 Electrics at the Dragon) Label
See you on the road!






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