I don't know about you folks, but to paraphrase George Throrogood (http://www.georgethorogood.com/), I (usually) ride alone -- yeah -- with nobody else. Kinda easy to make a last second decision and apart from signaling, not confuse anyone but yourself.
So when you hook up for a Group Ride, you might want to review and use some of the information available in this thread. Here's some topical reading material on Group Riding:
- Group Riding Tips (from AMA Website) (http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/Riderresc/groupRide.asp)
- Common Hand Signals (also from AMA Website) (http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/Riderresc/groupRideSignals.asp)
- Motorcycle Group Riding Etiquette -- Hand Signals and Riding Rules (http://njmc.org/etiquette/)
The last two links to two separate Hand Signals are they are largely complementary, though the latter offers a unique signal, the favourite of many, the "Ticked Off" signal:
(http://njmc.org/etiquette/sig-Ticked.gif)
Use that signal with care. :) Happy reading and have a safe ride.
(Cross-posted by popular demand from the 2006 Michigan GS500 Meet & Group Ride (http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=28167.msg305284#msg305284) thread Post 50.)
I'm glad you kept the "Ticked Off" signal. :thumb: :laugh:
i agree group riding can be dangerous(the keep up w/ the herd mentality)i prefer alone or no more tha 3 bikes (w/ guys i know and trust who ride on my level and similar eqipment and experience)
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: You've been feisty lately, RedShift! :thumb: :laugh:
MSF has a pretty good video on their site about group riding also.
Hi-res (36 mb,wmv) (http://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/MSF-GroupRide.wmv)
Lo-res (20 mb,wmv) (http://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/MSF-GroupRidelo-res.wmv)
My 2 cents:
I went on a group ride about 3 weekends ago. There were 20-something bikes, only 3 of the guys I had ever met before, 2 of them I had ridden with. All the others were complete strangers. I could guess at the skill levels by the amount of leather they were wearing, and by the number of aftermarket parts on their bikes maybe, but that's it. There was no pre-ride talk at the final meeting place. Off we went, up the hill into the mountains.
Others recall the pace as moderate, but I was definately working to keep up. I was riding way faster than I was comfortable with. I saw none of the pretty scenery, as I was 100% focused on the bike, and the lines on the road. It was fast and awesome. Watching the line of bikes in front of me dive one after another into a corner was awesome. Throttle, shift. Throttle, shift. Throttle, shift. OMG BRAKE SWERVE BRAKE.
10 minutes up the hill, two bikes wrecked. The two guys I knew. I had to swerve and brake to not hit riders laying the road and bikes and parts everywhere. Casualties included a minivan, and a Kawi 636 with just over 600 miles on it. Rider injuries were minor to moderate, and only one of them had to go in the ambulance. Full leather is worth it. So I spent the next few hours waving traffic, talking to highway patrol, watching bikes get towed, and waiting with my friend for someone to come pick him up.
People at the scene including Highway Patrol and the family of the people in the minivan kept making their "goddamnedbikes" comments. At first, I was offended, then I was ashamed. We did cause the accident. I was riding in that group. We damaged ourselves, others property, and made one hell of a traffic jam. I can't speak for the other riders, but I was riding faster than my own pace. I was riding as if the road was my racetrack.
Standing next to the ambulance, I watched tons of riders roll by in less than full gear. I pointed at my leathers and gave the finger to a guy and girl on a gixxer in t-shirts. They probably think I'm nust a gear nazi.
The moral of my story: Ride at your own pace. Leave an escape route. Really. It really happens. Really.
The corner: (bikes were going in the opposite direction of my GS) Highway Patroller measuring where the vehicles were. Notice this corner also has double double yellows cause it is very tight. HP said there is about one wreck a month there, one rider fatility a year.
(http://idisk.mac.com/jenstrona/Public/Pictures/crashcorner.jpg)
Quote from: jen_ on August 18, 2006, 10:28:56 AM
My 2 cents:
I went on a group ride about 3 weekends ago. There were 20-something bikes, only 3 of the guys I had ever met before, 2 of them I had ridden with. All the others were complete strangers. I could guess at the skill levels by the amount of leather they were wearing, and by the number of aftermarket parts on their bikes maybe, but that's it. There was no pre-ride talk at the final meeting place. Off we went, up the hill into the mountains.
Others recall the pace as moderate, but I was definately working to keep up. I was riding way faster than I was comfortable with. I saw none of the pretty scenery, as I was 100% focused on the bike, and the lines on the road. It was fast and awesome. Watching the line of bikes in front of me dive one after another into a corner was awesome. Throttle, shift. Throttle, shift. Throttle, shift. OMG BRAKE SWERVE BRAKE.
10 minutes up the hill, two bikes wrecked. The two guys I knew. I had to swerve and brake to not hit riders laying the road and bikes and parts everywhere. Casualties included a minivan, and a Kawi 636 with just over 600 miles on it. Rider injuries were minor to moderate, and only one of them had to go in the ambulance. Full leather is worth it. So I spent the next few hours waving traffic, talking to highway patrol, watching bikes get towed, and waiting with my friend for someone to come pick him up.
People at the scene including Highway Patrol and the family of the people in the minivan kept making their "goddamnedbikes" comments. At first, I was offended, then I was ashamed. We did cause the accident. I was riding in that group. We damaged ourselves, others property, and made one hell of a traffic jam. I can't speak for the other riders, but I was riding faster than my own pace. I was riding as if the road was my racetrack.
Standing next to the ambulance, I watched tons of riders roll by in less than full gear. I pointed at my leathers and gave the finger to a guy and girl on a gixxer in t-shirts. They probably think I'm nust a gear nazi.
The moral of my story: Ride at your own pace. Leave an escape route. Really. It really happens. Really.
The corner: (bikes were going in the opposite direction of my GS) Highway Patroller measuring where the vehicles were. Notice this corner also has double double yellows cause it is very tight. HP said there is about one wreck a month there, one rider fatility a year.
(http://idisk.mac.com/jenstrona/Public/Pictures/crashcorner.jpg)
Where was this at?
I've done several group rides in the last year including a couple of longish ones over a few days. Although we talked things through it still took a bit of getting used to, you soon spot other rider bad habits and doubtless they spot yours but after a while you can iron these things out and it gets better. On the ride five of us did into Luxembourg & Germany, four had sat-nav which helps a lot as you do need to give the group a bit of room. If you all know where you plan to end the day you don't worry that much about getting seperated which makes things easier. On one long thrash of about 500+ miles in a day through France the guy who was supposed to be leading would slow up as soon has he had overtaken something which was unnerving for me as No2 as it gave me nowhere to go other than to overtake him, sitting next to someone on a French Autoroute is NOT a great idea. When I ride with him now I make sure I'm in front or hang well back but the more you do it the better you get.
Riding with a large group can be very ify as someone always seems to get competetive and that always leads to grief aspecially if you don't know them or their skills.
Quote from: jen_ on August 18, 2006, 10:28:56 AM
.. I was riding way faster than I was comfortable with.
... and the expected outcome was?? :cry:
All of the links in this thread are dead.
^^^^ X2
Here is some more recent watching material that might be useful for group rides.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8zKQv2dc-cM#!
The links are dead :sad:
Quote from: RedShift on July 12, 2006, 06:17:45 PM
I don't know about you folks, but to paraphrase George Throrogood (http://www.georgethorogood.com/), I (usually) ride alone -- yeah -- with nobody else. Kinda easy to make a last second decision and apart from signaling, not confuse anyone but yourself.
So when you hook up for a Group Ride, you might want to review and use some of the information available in this thread. Here's some topical reading material on Group Riding:
- Group Riding Tips (from AMA Website) (http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/Riderresc/groupRide.asp)
- Common Hand Signals (also from AMA Website) (http://www.amadirectlink.com/roadride/Riderresc/groupRideSignals.asp)
- Motorcycle Group Riding Etiquette -- Hand Signals and Riding Rules (http://njmc.org/etiquette/)
The last two links to two separate Hand Signals are they are largely complementary, though the latter offers a unique signal, the favourite of many, the "Ticked Off" signal:
(http://njmc.org/etiquette/sig-Ticked.gif)
Use that signal with care. :) Happy reading and have a safe ride.
(Cross-posted by popular demand from the 2006 Michigan GS500 Meet & Group Ride (http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=28167.msg305284#msg305284) thread Post 50.)