If you ask past riders to name one day that really sticks with them, this stretch comes up a lot.
The ride from Cherokee, North Carolina, to Columbia, Tennessee is easily one of the most scenic sections of the entire Motorcycle TransAm. It’s the kind of day where you find yourself wanting to look around at everything… and at the same time reminding yourself to keep your eyes on the road because there are so many curves!
You start the morning tucked into the Smoky Mountains, surrounded by cool air, low fog, and that quiet mountain stillness before the day really wakes up. Then the road starts to climb. Long sweepers. Tight curves. Elevation changes that seem to go on forever. Mountain ridgelines opening up to views you didn’t expect. It’s absolutely beautiful. And on a century-old motorcycle, it’s also a real challenge.
These early machines weren’t built for long mountain pulls and constant elevation gain. You feel every hill. You learn your motor’s personality pretty quickly. Throttle control, momentum, picking the right line through corners, and just being patient all start to matter more than speed. It’s the kind of riding that keeps you honest and makes you work for every mile.
Tail of the Dragon
Of course, this day wouldn’t be complete without one of the most famous roads in the country: Deals Gap, better known as the Tail of the Dragon. 318 curves in 11 miles.
It’s tight, technical, and incredibly fun, especially on an antique bike where every corner feels like an event. It’s one of those bucket list roads that most riders have heard about for years, and getting to experience it as part of a cross-country endurance run makes it even more special.
That said, it’s popular for a reason.
Fast cars and modern sport bikes love this stretch, and it can get crowded quickly. If you want to really enjoy it (and not feel rushed or pressured), we strongly suggest hitting the Dragon early in the morning before traffic builds. This isn’t a road for beginners.
A Long, Honest Day
After the mountains, the terrain starts to roll and stretch out into Tennessee. The sharp peaks turn into long hills, open farmland, and miles that seem to drift by a little slower. It’s a longer day in the saddle, and on a 100-year-old machine, you feel it. Heck, on any antique motorcycle, you feel it. But that’s part of what makes this section so memorable.
By the time you roll into Columbia, you’ve climbed mountains, carved through one of the most famous roads in America, and spent a full day asking a vintage motorcycle to do something it was never really designed to do.
Download the PDF below if you want to know the exact route we took!
Photos by: Olivier Touron, Ed Harriger
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Sponsored by: Legends Motorcycles, Sinless Cycles, Competition Distributing, Veritas Vintage, Antique Motorcycle Club of America
