Group Motorcycle Riding

Personally, I'm not a fan of group motorcycle rides. Riding with a bunch of other motorcyclists slows you down, rearranges the rhythm of riding, and gets in the way of the independence that is at the heart of why I ride.

My idea of a large group is three people. I am most happy by myself or with one other rider I know and trust. Nonetheless, I frequently find myself participating in group rides at various events and new-model introductions or in the process of producing the magazine. As a result, I am frequently reminded of the mistakes even good riders sometimes make when put in a group. Riding in a group can pose a variety of safety challenges.

The proximity of other riders, as when you are close to any other vehicle, presents a potential risk. If you wander into each other's zones, you can cause one or both to crash. I have observed riders run onto the shoulder by other riders in their group who overlooked them or wandered off their intended paths while distracted. I have been rear-ended twice by people I was riding with. And I have heard of several riders who were injured when two or more bikes in a group collided. In one case, the lead rider slowed to make a left turn, but the riders following him did not signal and then got on their brakes hard. A rider farther back in the group was taken by surprise when they suddenly jumped on their brakes. He couldn't stop and sideswiped the bike in front of him as he tried to avoid it. One rider had his foot severed by a floorboard.

Ride the Plan

Ideally, you know and trust the people you ride with. However, there has to be a first time for any riding companion. A pre-ride discussion of your plans, preferences, and requirements helps everyone avoid surprises. Talk about a pace, signals, details like fuel stops and routes, and make sure everyone gets to offer something. If you ride with a club, it may have a fairly detailed set of rules for group rides, with procedures for a variety of situations.

On the road, use those signals liberally and be sure that other riders are aware of your intentions so that no one is caught by surprise, which can lead to a collision like the one described above.

The group's leader should signal early and slow gradually. Ideally he knows the route intimately and has a plan to get everyone safely along it without disrupting other traffic. But if it is his first time there, he may get surprised too and have to make a quick decision such as whether to turn abruptly or miss the turn and try to find a way to get everyone turned around safely on down the road.

It's always good to have an experienced rider at the back of the group to ride sweep and attend to those who have problems. He should have a cellphone to call for help.

That's Why they Call Him Scary Harry

If you aren't comfortable with the riders you end up riding with, give yourself plenty of margin until you discover your companions' habits. On one new model group ride, one rider consistently slowed and made lane changes into riders on his right. He didn't turn his head far enough to really see his blind spot and I think his glasses blocked his view. His loud pipes also drowned out the sounds of bikes near him. It wasn't long before this guy had a large buffer zone around him. He compounded the problem by getting upset and denying it when someone tried to point out the problem. He ended up riding -- and eating -- by himself.

If you aren't comfortable with what others in the group do, drop out before it causes trouble. A common problem is a speed differential. Slower riders often feel uncomfortable trying to maintain the pace of faster folks. They shouldn't try to. If the other riders complain that you are slowing them down, tell them to go ahead. You don't need the risk or the tickets. Problems can also arise when some group members have "a couple of beers" at a lunch stop or if they behave recklessly in other ways. Tell them to go ahead or go ahead yourself. Or take a side trip.

If you have an exhaust system that you think saves lives, other riders will probably be pleased if you deploy it at the back of the group, even if it means a loss of protection. Sidecars and trikes are also best at the back of the group or in a group of their own.

Keep It Together

When traveling with friends, you may be mutually dependent. For example, you might have one first-aid kit, one tire-repair kit, one set of good tools, and one cellular phone (to call for aid), each packed on a different bike. In this situation you probably want to stay together. The most certain way to do this is to make each rider responsible for the one behind him or her. If you don't see the rider behind you for a few minutes, signal the rider ahead if possible, then slow down or pull over and wait for the rider(s) behind you. If everyone in the group does this, you can avoid that 100 miles of back-tracking at night in the rain. However, it's still possible to get separated, such as when a rider who has fallen behind turns a different way than those ahead. To help your group get together again, use these three systems:

1. Give everyone an emergency phone number in writing to call (perhaps someone's answering machine which everyone knows the code for) or everyone's cell phone numbers. If you have just a single number, Murphy's Sixth Law of Communication says that phone's battery will be dead when the lost boys try to call it.

2. Agree on the next stop every time you all pause for gas, grub or sightseeing. Be precise, "the first gas station on the west side of town," for example.

3. Make sure everyone knows the evening's destination, preferably in writing.