Most anyone who is serious about riding motorcycles is aware of the Tail of the Dragon, a fabled piece of two-lane in North Carolina that boasts 318 curves in 11 miles. With those curves you might think it would be a sportsbike riders' paradise. However, having become a mecca for bikers it has also become a heavily patrolled road all who go there, whether on big cruisers like the Kawasaki Vaquero or on hot, nimble rides such as the Suzuki GSX-R600, are well advised to take it slow.
Such are the results of fame and popularity.
The Dragon, however, is not the only super-twisty road around, and the less famous ones are not as crowded. New Mexico State Highway 152 is a prime example. This sweet piece of black-top runs about 56 miles from where it takes off from U.S. 180 at Santa Clara to where it terminates at I-25 near Caballo. Along the way it faithfully follows the contours of the hills and canyons it traverses, and in this country Mother Nature is prone to very erratic topography, which translates into curves. The road finally rises up over 8,178-foot Emory Pass, where it descends steeply to the east.
Leaving Santa Clara, NM 152 is just an easy road through hilly country, nothing extreme in the beginning. In fact, it's not the road at this point that is so interesting as what it passes by. Coming over a rise you are suddenly peering down into the El Chino Mine, a massive open-pit copper mine big enough to swallow a couple mountains. And beyond it, the tailings piles have constructed a comparably sized mesa. It's definitely worth stopping at the view point to gape.
From the mine on to the little community of San Lorenzo the road follows the spine of a steep ridge but is still not exceptionally twisty. The really good stuff starts just past San Lorenzo.
Climbing out of the valley where San Lorenzo sits, NM 152 again follows the spine of a ridge. This is where they guy on that GSX-R600 is really going to have fun. On one side the land rises and on the other it's a long way down, so blasting around these curves it's best not to get over-exuberant. But this is what sportsbikers love.
The road rises and falls, and the curves tighten up. Nearly every turn is marked with signs recommending maximum speeds, and signs urging 10 mph and 15 mph are a lot more common than those suggesting you only slow down to 25 mph or 30 mph. This is where even the sportsbikes had better take it easy.
Cruisers like the guy on that Vaquero are in their element here. No rush, no hurry, just take it nice and easy. Enjoy the scenery. And keep that brake lever covered. Even loping gently along it's easy to enter a corner a bit hotter than you discover is wise.
You know when you're approaching Emory Pass as the road starts heading more steadily upward. At the crest there is a view area that provides spectacular views of where you've been and where you're headed. Then the switchbacks begin down the steep eastern slope. The curves continue as you make you way to the small community of Kingston and then it gets straighter heading on to Hillsboro. Some canyons along the way keep things interesting, however.
Slow it down as you enter Hillsboro, as the local cops like to sit right at the edge of town waiting for the folks who have decided they could finally speed it up a bit. You'll leave town on a few more twisties before the highway finally straightens out as it near the interstate.
Through this ride, at least from San Lorenzo to Kingston, about 27 miles, you've seen hundreds of curves, many of them tight, and you can probably count the number of other vehicles you've seen on two hands. And the only cop on the entire ride was the one in Hillsboro. So sure, if you're out east, go ride the Dragon. But if you're in the west, or headed west, don't pine over what you're missing. Sometimes fame isn't all it's cracked up to be. The road less traveled can be a mighty good alternative.
Such are the results of fame and popularity.
The Dragon, however, is not the only super-twisty road around, and the less famous ones are not as crowded. New Mexico State Highway 152 is a prime example. This sweet piece of black-top runs about 56 miles from where it takes off from U.S. 180 at Santa Clara to where it terminates at I-25 near Caballo. Along the way it faithfully follows the contours of the hills and canyons it traverses, and in this country Mother Nature is prone to very erratic topography, which translates into curves. The road finally rises up over 8,178-foot Emory Pass, where it descends steeply to the east.
Leaving Santa Clara, NM 152 is just an easy road through hilly country, nothing extreme in the beginning. In fact, it's not the road at this point that is so interesting as what it passes by. Coming over a rise you are suddenly peering down into the El Chino Mine, a massive open-pit copper mine big enough to swallow a couple mountains. And beyond it, the tailings piles have constructed a comparably sized mesa. It's definitely worth stopping at the view point to gape.
From the mine on to the little community of San Lorenzo the road follows the spine of a steep ridge but is still not exceptionally twisty. The really good stuff starts just past San Lorenzo.
Climbing out of the valley where San Lorenzo sits, NM 152 again follows the spine of a ridge. This is where they guy on that GSX-R600 is really going to have fun. On one side the land rises and on the other it's a long way down, so blasting around these curves it's best not to get over-exuberant. But this is what sportsbikers love.
The road rises and falls, and the curves tighten up. Nearly every turn is marked with signs recommending maximum speeds, and signs urging 10 mph and 15 mph are a lot more common than those suggesting you only slow down to 25 mph or 30 mph. This is where even the sportsbikes had better take it easy.
Cruisers like the guy on that Vaquero are in their element here. No rush, no hurry, just take it nice and easy. Enjoy the scenery. And keep that brake lever covered. Even loping gently along it's easy to enter a corner a bit hotter than you discover is wise.
You know when you're approaching Emory Pass as the road starts heading more steadily upward. At the crest there is a view area that provides spectacular views of where you've been and where you're headed. Then the switchbacks begin down the steep eastern slope. The curves continue as you make you way to the small community of Kingston and then it gets straighter heading on to Hillsboro. Some canyons along the way keep things interesting, however.
Slow it down as you enter Hillsboro, as the local cops like to sit right at the edge of town waiting for the folks who have decided they could finally speed it up a bit. You'll leave town on a few more twisties before the highway finally straightens out as it near the interstate.
Through this ride, at least from San Lorenzo to Kingston, about 27 miles, you've seen hundreds of curves, many of them tight, and you can probably count the number of other vehicles you've seen on two hands. And the only cop on the entire ride was the one in Hillsboro. So sure, if you're out east, go ride the Dragon. But if you're in the west, or headed west, don't pine over what you're missing. Sometimes fame isn't all it's cracked up to be. The road less traveled can be a mighty good alternative.
