A Ralliart Slays the Dragon
Apr 26, 2011, 07:16 PM
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A Ralliart Slays the Dragon
Hello all, I just got back from a weekend trip down south with a group of friends, and thought I would share my experience. I havent any pics of the car, as it was supposed to be a motorcycle trip, but running the car through US129 proved itself to be the highlight of an awesome weekend. If you don't want to read the while thing, skip to the bolded part.
The trip started on Thursday afternoon, around 5pm. As I waited for my girlfriend to finish work, I made a final inspection of everything before the trip. The bike was securely strapped to the trailer, the hitch was locked in, and the pin in place. This would be the first true test of my homebuilt trailer hitch on the RA, and it was really the onyl variable that worried me. The rear end of the car had more than a noticeable amount of rear-end sag from all the riding gear and luggage in the back seat and trunk, as well as the weight on the hitch. Honestly, I could only fit one finger between the fender and the tire. It didnt really look right, but there wasnt much I could do. We hit the road, and headed for the border. Other than getting used to the trailer bouncing around, and making some quite loud thunks as the parts moved around, the car handled pretty much the same as if I had 3 friends in the back seat. Continuing down the highway for the next 1360km to Robbinsville, NC was anything but an adventure, as it was all just boring interstate. One thing that I did notice: the fuel economy did not seem to suffer at all, despite pulling an 800lb trailer/bike combo, plus probably another 200lb of cargo in the vehicle.
The first hotel was in Gassaway, West Virginia. The driveway to this place was a steep 20% grade from the road. The car had absolutely no issues climbing it, and the SST also gave no grief at all under the load. Going back down the hill the next day, brake response was also nothing different than usual, and throughout the day experienced no fading, even when having to use the brakes for extended periods in the mountain areas of Virginia.
Throughout the drive on Friday morning, we encountered some incredibly neglected sections of highway, which had both car and trailer bouncing around uncomfortably. The car's suspension, despite being so weighted down, held up just fine, as did the hitch. Two of the tie-down straps were severed from the motions of the bike on the trailer, requiring a roadside repair. All went well in the end, getting to our destination in the early evening.
After unloading the bike, my friends and I decided to take a drive up through Deal's Gap to get a feel for the road. Figuring I would be all too bike crazy to think about the car for the rest of the weekend, I decided to see just how well the Ralliart could handle the insane road that is the Dragon.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW: The Dragon (aka the Tail of the Dragon, Deal's Gap), is one of America's most famous riding roads. It is a place that rewards a good handling car, over one with gobs of power. The featured part of the road is only 11 miles long, but has a whopping 318 corners. It is knee-to-knee riding on a bike, and in a car, chaning directions so often, you forget what direction you are actually pointed until you reach the end. To add to the challenge, there is LOTS of elevation change, enough to make Laguna Seca's famed Corkscrew look like an offramp on the 401.But to add to the awesomeness, the pavement condition is pristine! Read up on it at tailofthedragon.com.
The drive to the featured part of the road is a 26km drive North on US129. The speed limit in this section is 90kph, but frequently has corners which caution anywhere from 40kph to 60kph. If this section of road were found here in Ontario, it would be entirely a 60kph road. The car just cruised through this, and it was a brief warm up for the main event. After crossing the river at the base of Cheoah Dam, you make a very tight right up a steep hill, and you are on the Dragon. the marked speed on this road is only 50kph, and it is plenty entertaining to do that, but due to some legal loophole, the actual speed is the state speed limit of 105kph. Unless you are driving an Arial Atom, that speed is damn near impossible, but it leaves a LOT of room for fun. Even still, this short run up to the Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort is only a small hint of the tight tight tight twisties to come. I put the car into sport/manual/tarmac, and put my foot to the floor, followed soon by removing it, and putting it to the floor again for the corner. Lift the brake, turn the wheel 180, then stomp onto the gas, repeat. Repeat. Repeat 318 times!! Most of this road can be done in 2nd gear, between 1200 and 7000 rpm, but I prefer to keep between 200 and 5000, right on the torque peak. Occasionally you need to drop into first, and other times you can grab a quick shift to 3rd. Speaking of quick shifts, the SST transmission was flawless! It shifted so quick, the suspension never unsettled. I had to hesitation to shift in either direction mid corner, and I could keep it right in the fat part of the boost the whole time
This was my first time taking a car on this road, and WOW WAS IT FUN!! The car is reflashed with the GST map and boost pill, but otherwise everything suspension wise is stock. The tires are the General UHP in 225/45-18 from the group buy last year. They have sidewalls that are way too soft for my liking, but they actually had a phenominal amount of grip! At any point if the car started to understeer, you just gave it more gas, the front would hook up, and just rip you around the corner! I never had an issue with the rear end stepping out, and also never an issue staying in my lane. This is very important, as most of the corners are blind on one side, and a steep mountainside and trees on the other. If you had to correct at last second, you would certinaly end up in the trees. By the time I made it to the Overlook (the unofficial end for most people), the brakes were HOT HOT HOT. All you could smell was buring brakes, but in spite of the heavy footed nature of my driving, experienced very minimal fade, and no warping of the rotors. It brought a smile to my face to know I had, for the first time, truly driven this car. And the best part? I had to do it again to get back to the hotel! let me tell you this: the Ralliart is one helluva great car, and I can honestly say that I do not regret choosing this over an Evo. The suspension, while a little softer than the Evo, really doea handle well. And while the narrow wheels do nothing to help the already soft tires, both are easily fixable for much less than the $16K premium for an SST equipped Evo X.
The drive back down to the hotel was more of the same gas/brake/shift/repeat action, and the log drive out provided ample time for the brakes, tubo, and SST to cool off again. The next two days the car sat still as I rode the bike throughout the Tennesse/North Carolina/Georgia area. I took it for another rip one more time on Sunday night, well after the sun had set, and the bugs had gone. The only light on this road is that provided by your headlamps, and it makes for a wholly terrifying experience. I'll maybe post video of this, pending what it looks like (a friend shot it with a 5DmkII). The next morning, the car saw the Dragon one more time, but this time with the trailer and bike in tow. Again, the torque of this car had zero issues pulling up and around this road
Something I should point out at this time: while the fuel economy of the car was great while towing down the highway, that fun little 80km of hard driving, plus 100km of 100kph cruising, was good for using 40L of fuel. This car, when on the boost, is THIRSTY. Good thing 93 gas was only $0.94/L!!
So that is the trip, and my mini review of the Ralliart. This car is bar far the best I have ever owned, and likely will be for a long time. This durability, and longevity of everything so far has been amazing. The car crossed 100,000km on this trip, and is on stock springs, dampers, wheels, and rotors. The only mods done are in my sig. I simply LOVE this car, and it made more than a fair argument for selling the bike (it still loses that argument, however). If I can encourage anyone to go and visit, then please, take a drive down there to Deal's Gap, and have a great time on some of the best roads you will ever drive on!
EDIT: here is the GPS track of the trip, minus a day to Georgia (forgot to turn on the tracking)
http://www.spotadventures.com/trip/view?trip_id=250869
The trip started on Thursday afternoon, around 5pm. As I waited for my girlfriend to finish work, I made a final inspection of everything before the trip. The bike was securely strapped to the trailer, the hitch was locked in, and the pin in place. This would be the first true test of my homebuilt trailer hitch on the RA, and it was really the onyl variable that worried me. The rear end of the car had more than a noticeable amount of rear-end sag from all the riding gear and luggage in the back seat and trunk, as well as the weight on the hitch. Honestly, I could only fit one finger between the fender and the tire. It didnt really look right, but there wasnt much I could do. We hit the road, and headed for the border. Other than getting used to the trailer bouncing around, and making some quite loud thunks as the parts moved around, the car handled pretty much the same as if I had 3 friends in the back seat. Continuing down the highway for the next 1360km to Robbinsville, NC was anything but an adventure, as it was all just boring interstate. One thing that I did notice: the fuel economy did not seem to suffer at all, despite pulling an 800lb trailer/bike combo, plus probably another 200lb of cargo in the vehicle.
The first hotel was in Gassaway, West Virginia. The driveway to this place was a steep 20% grade from the road. The car had absolutely no issues climbing it, and the SST also gave no grief at all under the load. Going back down the hill the next day, brake response was also nothing different than usual, and throughout the day experienced no fading, even when having to use the brakes for extended periods in the mountain areas of Virginia.
Throughout the drive on Friday morning, we encountered some incredibly neglected sections of highway, which had both car and trailer bouncing around uncomfortably. The car's suspension, despite being so weighted down, held up just fine, as did the hitch. Two of the tie-down straps were severed from the motions of the bike on the trailer, requiring a roadside repair. All went well in the end, getting to our destination in the early evening.
After unloading the bike, my friends and I decided to take a drive up through Deal's Gap to get a feel for the road. Figuring I would be all too bike crazy to think about the car for the rest of the weekend, I decided to see just how well the Ralliart could handle the insane road that is the Dragon.
FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW: The Dragon (aka the Tail of the Dragon, Deal's Gap), is one of America's most famous riding roads. It is a place that rewards a good handling car, over one with gobs of power. The featured part of the road is only 11 miles long, but has a whopping 318 corners. It is knee-to-knee riding on a bike, and in a car, chaning directions so often, you forget what direction you are actually pointed until you reach the end. To add to the challenge, there is LOTS of elevation change, enough to make Laguna Seca's famed Corkscrew look like an offramp on the 401.But to add to the awesomeness, the pavement condition is pristine! Read up on it at tailofthedragon.com.
The drive to the featured part of the road is a 26km drive North on US129. The speed limit in this section is 90kph, but frequently has corners which caution anywhere from 40kph to 60kph. If this section of road were found here in Ontario, it would be entirely a 60kph road. The car just cruised through this, and it was a brief warm up for the main event. After crossing the river at the base of Cheoah Dam, you make a very tight right up a steep hill, and you are on the Dragon. the marked speed on this road is only 50kph, and it is plenty entertaining to do that, but due to some legal loophole, the actual speed is the state speed limit of 105kph. Unless you are driving an Arial Atom, that speed is damn near impossible, but it leaves a LOT of room for fun. Even still, this short run up to the Deal's Gap Motorcycle Resort is only a small hint of the tight tight tight twisties to come. I put the car into sport/manual/tarmac, and put my foot to the floor, followed soon by removing it, and putting it to the floor again for the corner. Lift the brake, turn the wheel 180, then stomp onto the gas, repeat. Repeat. Repeat 318 times!! Most of this road can be done in 2nd gear, between 1200 and 7000 rpm, but I prefer to keep between 200 and 5000, right on the torque peak. Occasionally you need to drop into first, and other times you can grab a quick shift to 3rd. Speaking of quick shifts, the SST transmission was flawless! It shifted so quick, the suspension never unsettled. I had to hesitation to shift in either direction mid corner, and I could keep it right in the fat part of the boost the whole time
This was my first time taking a car on this road, and WOW WAS IT FUN!! The car is reflashed with the GST map and boost pill, but otherwise everything suspension wise is stock. The tires are the General UHP in 225/45-18 from the group buy last year. They have sidewalls that are way too soft for my liking, but they actually had a phenominal amount of grip! At any point if the car started to understeer, you just gave it more gas, the front would hook up, and just rip you around the corner! I never had an issue with the rear end stepping out, and also never an issue staying in my lane. This is very important, as most of the corners are blind on one side, and a steep mountainside and trees on the other. If you had to correct at last second, you would certinaly end up in the trees. By the time I made it to the Overlook (the unofficial end for most people), the brakes were HOT HOT HOT. All you could smell was buring brakes, but in spite of the heavy footed nature of my driving, experienced very minimal fade, and no warping of the rotors. It brought a smile to my face to know I had, for the first time, truly driven this car. And the best part? I had to do it again to get back to the hotel! let me tell you this: the Ralliart is one helluva great car, and I can honestly say that I do not regret choosing this over an Evo. The suspension, while a little softer than the Evo, really doea handle well. And while the narrow wheels do nothing to help the already soft tires, both are easily fixable for much less than the $16K premium for an SST equipped Evo X.
The drive back down to the hotel was more of the same gas/brake/shift/repeat action, and the log drive out provided ample time for the brakes, tubo, and SST to cool off again. The next two days the car sat still as I rode the bike throughout the Tennesse/North Carolina/Georgia area. I took it for another rip one more time on Sunday night, well after the sun had set, and the bugs had gone. The only light on this road is that provided by your headlamps, and it makes for a wholly terrifying experience. I'll maybe post video of this, pending what it looks like (a friend shot it with a 5DmkII). The next morning, the car saw the Dragon one more time, but this time with the trailer and bike in tow. Again, the torque of this car had zero issues pulling up and around this road
Something I should point out at this time: while the fuel economy of the car was great while towing down the highway, that fun little 80km of hard driving, plus 100km of 100kph cruising, was good for using 40L of fuel. This car, when on the boost, is THIRSTY. Good thing 93 gas was only $0.94/L!!
So that is the trip, and my mini review of the Ralliart. This car is bar far the best I have ever owned, and likely will be for a long time. This durability, and longevity of everything so far has been amazing. The car crossed 100,000km on this trip, and is on stock springs, dampers, wheels, and rotors. The only mods done are in my sig. I simply LOVE this car, and it made more than a fair argument for selling the bike (it still loses that argument, however). If I can encourage anyone to go and visit, then please, take a drive down there to Deal's Gap, and have a great time on some of the best roads you will ever drive on!
EDIT: here is the GPS track of the trip, minus a day to Georgia (forgot to turn on the tracking)
http://www.spotadventures.com/trip/view?trip_id=250869
Last edited by suprPHREAK; Apr 26, 2011 at 09:53 PM.
Apr 26, 2011, 08:47 PM
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Yeah, it is mostly a commuter car, so the mileage adds up with minimal wear and tear!
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