Group Motorcycle Riding Things to Keep in Mind By Nick Tsagaris

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Group Motorcycle Riding Things to Keep in Mind

• Nick Tsagaris

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solo ride

• Nothing can be compared to the ecstasy and
  freedom that come with a solo ride.
• You can control your own speed, you can give all
  your attention to yourself and your ride, draw
  all your motivation from within, choose your
  route and ride the way you want.

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But everything changes when..

• But everything changes when you share the open
  road and your journey with a group of riders.
• Group motorcycling requires a great deal of
  planning, organisation, communication and
  collaboration. There could be risks and
  challenges down the road that every rider in the
  group should be prepared for.
• That said, given below is a list of rules and
  guidelines to keep your group motorcycle riding
  safe and fun.

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Pre-Ride Communications

• You may have talked about the whole plan over the
  phone with the group riders, but it is still
  important to..
• get together to discuss what will be the starting
  point, where you will stop, how long you will
  ride for, how many halts will be there, what
  should be the optimal pace of the ride and other
  crucial factors like hand signals that can ensure
  the safety and success of your ride.

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Decide the Riding Order and Formation

• The group sure needs a leader who will lead the
  group towards the destination and will keep
  his/her eye out for anything ahead that can
  interrupt the ride. Designate someone as leader
  who is skilled and aware of hand signals, traffic
  rules and have the confidence to lead the pack.
• There also needs to be a tail rider who will
  watch out for the entire group and anyone who
  separates from the group during the ride or does
  anything that can put the rest of the group at
  risk.

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• Besides these two riders, the rest of the pack
  can be lined up based on their experience and
  skill.
• It is necessary to decide on a formation before
  you hit the road so that everyone in the group
  knows how much distance they need to maintain
  from each other in order to facilitate
  hassle-free riding.

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Additional Considerations

• If you have a large number of riders in your
  team, it is advisable to form small groups of 5
  or 6 with their designated front and trail
  riders. This way every type of rider including
  the beginners, slow riders, fast riders, asocial
  riders, troublemakers and the experienced ones
  would be able to ride in their own way while
  being in their comfort zone and without getting
  in the way of others.
• Discuss basic rules of safety and proper riding
  such as check mirrors from time to time to check
  if the riders behind you are still there, stop
  when you miss someone in your own group, ride at
  your own pace and dont try to go faster than you
  are comfortable with.

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To Sum Up

• While a solo motorcycle ride is a preferable
  choice amongst many riders, the joy of sharing
  your ride with companions like you is
  incomparable.
• Pay heed to these tips and guidelines while
  looking for other considerations that are not
  mentioned here but can contribute to a safe and
  pleasant group riding experience.

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Nick Tsagaris

• Nick Tsagaris is a motorsports buff with an
  abundance of knowledge of sports cars,
  motorbikes, racing and everything motor sports
  which he shares with people on the web through
  his informational blogs and articles.