Why I REFUSE to do Group Rides on Motorcycles
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
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CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:32 Someone Gets Hurt
1:52 Selectivity
3:39 Advantages of Riding Alone
5:39 Disadvantages
7:39 Potential for Distraction
9:39 Potential for Learning
11:57 Final Thoughts 
Приколы
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Why not? What happened?
It's not that I won't ride in a group it's just that I refuse to ride with idiots that have no rider etiquette. Riding in a group of 3 or 4 are thee best
The largest group I've ever ridden in was a group of 2. I'm very happy and comfortable riding by myself.
Same here. 2 coworkers and that was a long time ago.
2 company, but 3's a crowd seems apt for motorcycles too.
Same.
Me too, it's me time
I am most comfortable as a loan wolf been riding for over 25 years .Testosterone and egos always seem to find each other in big group rides especially among the sport bike riders, seen it go sideways way to many times. I enjoy my time on 2 wheels so I prefer solo.
I bought a motorcycle to get away from people, not herd up. I did an Indian event at my local dealer and I hated riding with the group. I saw so many people nearly off themselves because they were too busy playing with the tech and controls instead of just riding.
figuring out the tech can be done before riding, then testing it when it's safe to do so while riding. it's better to be on 2 wheels, than on the ground with a damaged bike
Motorcycles, while having a cool community, are really solo, personal machines. The only thing I want other motorcycles to do while I'm riding is get out of my way
At first whenever I got my bike I got sad because don’t have nobody to ride with. But now I ride by myself and can do whatever I want and don’t care if Im by myself.
Well said. I enjoy going to a bike meet and chatting with like-minded people. However, come to going home time I enjoy the solo experience.
I stopped riding with groups years ago…I’m 45 now and prefer to ride at my own pace
Same, 41 and I mainly ride to chill and relax. Even on a litre bike or something I tend to just cruise around.
I might speed if running late for work or something.
I ride solo. I prefer it that way. When I want to 'make progress' I only have myself to consider, and 'make progress' as and when I see fit.
I ride in groups up to one. Like George Thorogood says: yeah, you know when I ride alone, I prefer to be by myself.
I rode solo for the first year and honed my riding. Recently, i found a group of groms to ride with. We have about 20 people with all kinds of bikes and styles. Groms, Navi, suzuki, harley,Hondas, and others. Smaller bikes take the lead, and less experienced riders take the middle. We always start with short rides so everyone learns the pace and the ride style. Love it.
Less experience should be in front behind the pace setter.
@brianhoppenrath8379 i do agree with a pack of full size bikes. But we ride this way because the groms can't go very fast, it gives the new people security from the front and rear to get comfortable with their ride, and we can help mentor them later if we see mistakes by riding behind them.
@sendit7777 don't ride with groms then, ride with real bikes.
Just got my first bike yesterday after months and months of watching your vids soaking up knowledge. Did my MSF course, and bought gear all before I got my bike. As of right now I’m just riding around my neighborhood just to get a little more practice and feel more comfortable on my bike before I go out into the streets. I’m so glad yourself and others are spreading all this knowledge for us. Love the videos 🙏🏽
TURBO BUSA?
Good luck
@@victorbondar95 I’d be disowned if it wasn’t a turbo busa lol
Please learn in a parking lot for the first week before you hit the streets. You will learn the bike and how not to die and panic in basic situations.
Good luck Rudy 👍
Always let the least experienced rider lead the pack to set the pace and don't tail him or push him to go faster.
I have one primary riding buddy. We both make it clear to anyone else that joins us that pace is not priority. I tell people not to try to keep up if they're newer and I tell the fast guys to run along and I'll catch up at the next stop. Group riding is great when you don't try to stay grouped up. Oxymoron I know, but it's the truth.
Like social riding vs group riding….same but different 😂
As a very beginning motor cyclist I find this video very refreshing.
I'm a highly experienced cyclist and have represented cycling clubs in races and events etc. I started off riding solo for 4 or 5 years and eventually joined a cycling club.
Whilst I enjoyed some rides, many were a hassle. Often the pace didn't match what I was looking for that day. Also, some cyclists were simply either too careless and downright dangerous whilst others were still new to group riding and didn't know the etiquette to help keep everyone safe.
I can only imagine that on motorcycles this is compounded and far more dangerous due to higher speeds and ease that some people can get out of their comfort zones and put themselves and others in danger.
I always think the cool idea and romance of riding in a decent sized group far exceeds the reality.
I don’t mind riding as a group of 2-4 with emotionally mature and patient people that I personally know.
Especially adventure riding off road away from cell service, like you mentioned.
In my younger years, I used to have several friends who ride. We always did a 3-4 group ride. We were also very clear about who leads, and it NEVER changes. We also didn’t like letting random riders join and form a larger group. Not because of stupid reasons like gate keeping or petty crap. We just knew each others riding style, and 1 wrong move could have all of us go down. Group riding is fine, so long as you KNOW each others styles, there’s less chance of shit going south. 🤷♂️
being 75,my riding parameters have tightened quite a bit-i follow an acronym i thought of S.P.R.I.N.G. no speeding,no passengers,no rain,no interstate(urban),no nights,no groups-
I didn't see a 'W', so wheelies are still a go 😉
I'm a safe rider but I must admit, when no cars are around I may hit that throttle a bit.
Interstates are one of the safest roads to ride if you don't tailgate and pay attention. No one can turn in front of you.
@@giovanhagar Yes this is why I really enjoy the highway!
@@TheFirstCause Me too. Interstates (or as we call them here in the UK "Motorways") are my favourite (English spelling) roads, and yes I do sometimes 'make progress' on my ZX14 (ZZR1400 in the UK). I just wish we had Californian weather here in rain-lashed England. We've only had 8 nice days since *June 28th 2023*
Just sell the bike dude
Even in a group ride, drive your own pace to stay safe.
In my opinion you just have to find a small group wherein you all know what you are capable of doing and understand everyone's pace and trust that no one will do a dirty pass on somebody. It's fun!
The last and final time i was in a group ride, someone bumped their front tire onto my rear tire on accident. Dude had a girl in the passenger and both fell off. Thankfully i was able to hang on and stay upright
If I ever do a group ride, I'll be in the front or back. NEVER in between. I don't trust anyone besides my dad in those situations.
Preach on Yamms! I have the exact same mindset. I wake up Sunday mornings, clean the Triumph Street Triple RS and ride a canyon near me alone, simply for the fun and enjoyment of the ride. I purposefully avoid other riders for the very reasons you discussed. Well said.
I’m not into group rides as well. I love the freedom to choose my own ride. Did a group ride a few months ago. And some young squid wrecks his bike & we sit back waiting for a tow truck I’ll stick with my lone wolf road trips. Happy riding. And THANKS YAMMIE.
I commute solo every day so it's fun to meet up with friends on the weekends. Most of them are newer riders who got into motorcycling partially because of me, so I feel responsible for them & want to impart some of my 20+ years of riding experience onto them. But I also really enjoy riding with like-minded people & having fun, even if it's at a much slower pace than I'm used to. We all use the same mesh comm system & I know everyone's riding experience, so I know who to put where in the group to have a fun & safe ride.
I'd like to do a random meetup with strangers just to see how that kind of ride is run, but I'll probably just stick to riding with my mates.
Went on a charity group ride yesterday with 300+ bikes. We were not even a mile into it and just got on a highway when a truck merged in front of some bikes causing one to crash. The 2 riders were hurt and one had to be medevaced. Most of the riders then returned back to the dealership the ride started at.
Was on a big group ride years ago and a dude on a S1000RR couldn’t make a turn and ended up in a corn field. He was ok, then BMW not so much.
300 bikes would be a traffic hazard and should require a police escort.
The only group ride I went on was a honda demo group ride. Everyone was trying new bikes they'd never ride before so it was really chill. Even then someone crashed.
same here. I used to join rides but then I found out that they F around and ride fast and my thing is if you wanna do that, do it in a track. riding outside is supposed to be relaxing and ur supposed to enjoy nature. that's why I ride solo now.
I'm a new rider in the UK and went on a ride out of 46,000 people a few weeks ago. No crashes, no fucking about, everyone was well behaved.
Was that the Hairy Bikers Dave Myers ride ?
@@Jim-nm1en yeah it was. It was incredible. I'll never experience anything like it again.
I couldn't do that one but did the one in Yorkshire for Dave Myers. 7,000 bikes allegedly. Exact same experience.
Dave would have been proud!!!
Yes but that's the UK, a reasonable country. Here in America, we're all just a bunch of fucktards essentially. I refuse to ride with other people. If I come up on a group I'll chill for a few minutes and either go a different direction or just take off and lose them. I don't trust anyone, especially some of the people I've seen around here.
I did it papa, I passed my msf today! Thanks for inspiring me to get my first bike, can’t wait to take it out this week.
Been lone wolfing forever. Still in one piece and so are all my bikes.
Riding up on slow riders (not slower), I always try to pass to gain my space and separation. What sucks are the guys who refuse to let me pass carefully. Nothing worse than selfish dudes wasting my chance to have a little fun at a faster pace. BS
Rider etiquette is also a big factor. I used to ride with a guy. Whenever I lead through traffic, I would make sure the gap is large enough and safe enough for both of us to get through. Whenever he leads, he would gun through gaps with only enough time for one bike and often do it without warning.
This here is exactly why I don’t like big rides organized by other people whom I don’t know
I ride for me. To pocket my daily stressors and focus/relax on the ride. No social media, no noise (except the wind), no obligations aside from what I set for myself.
I dont do the groups especially with people I dont know because Jimmy knows gotdamn well his belt is worn but Jimmy just has to bring his ass along. So when Jimmy's belt snaps guess who feels obligated to pull over and help Jimmy 😂
I like the way jimmy is thinking…
Jimmy has his head on straight!
It's a double sided blade. New people want to meet people with the same interest. Yet they're new and lack experience and may push themselves to either show off or try to keep up. I think events would probably be the best bet if you wanted to do meet and greets.
100% agree - Stopped group riding years ago - In a group half the people go too slow, half go to fast and of those a lot ride dangerously or just plain badly ...and I agree my bike is my freedom machine, to go where I want, stop where I want to scratch my arse or to look at something interesting...There are good elements of group riding but solo riding far surpasses them!
Yep. I ride by myself. I’ll ride with one other but that’s about it. Over a couple and it turns into a race. Poe-Poe loves those groups too!
I led three groups when I still had my 636. First two were 8 or so riders in a casual/beginner friendly group on some twisty roads with beautiful scenery. Slow pace was established from the start, new group riders had a chance to ride in a casual group, everything was great. Third group were friends of a co-worker looking for a new place to ride. More experienced and expecting more excitement. On the highway, which I find excruciatingly boring, I rode little above the speed limit, but the group wanted to go faster. I sped up a bit and a few kms from the exit, I slowed down and waved for everyone else to do the same. The guys had a route plan/map from google before we met and everyone seemed to know we were exiting, but most did not match my speed approaching the exit. The newer guy they brought along tried to follow a few of the guys through the off ramp and he went straight off the curve. Not terribly badly hurt, but his ride was done and I never led a group ride again.
I can attest to riding with strangers. I am currently recovering from a broken hip. Caused by the other rider not having proper riding etiquette. I'm definitely sticking to riding with people I know and trust, not strangers from now on.
One Hundred Percent Agree. Too dangerous. Someone never sees someone else slowing down and there is an almost or real collision.
I agree, and there's the guy who runs out of gas ⛽ or breaks down 😮
Keep in mind, someday you will be the one who breaks down…
@@JesusAlbertoPinto Maybe so pinto bean , but I won't be in a group
Easy, no need to get salty.
Happy scooting around your house
@@JesusAlbertoPinto Hey pinto bean is back, can you play the bongo drums on a group ride?
I just went on my first bike ride with 30+ bikes. No accidents, I actually liked it ok. Mainly stayed behind the crowd and done, all good. Might do it again, but like you said, a bike meet, just like a car meet, is preferable.
I'm someone who wishing for quick meets. Some of my favorite moments was when another bike came up to me at a red light, we exchanged a laugh, road down the same road for a few lights, and then waved each other goodbye and went on our ways. I'll never approach someone else, but I enjoy when people come beside me.
I feel this, I’ve seen far too many videos of people riding in even small groups being far too comfortable messing with each other on the street. Turning off each others bikes, putting them in gear to stall them out etc. does it seem fun sure but the streets are not a place to be messing with each other or getting comfortable. Plus egos inevitably pop out, people go fast for the sake of impressing those around them then someone whose not paying as much attention gets hurt or hurts someone. It also feels like group rides also invite insane car drivers to just be mad and start doing aggressive things. Sure it’s nice to have backup to confront those drivers when you have to but I’d rather just blow past them by myself and get enough separation to avoid a confrontation entirely rather than having one rider getting hot headed and inviting chance.
In my cruiser days, I had a patcher coworker like this (your first few sentences) - I was like, you call this fun? Never rode with him again. I've been doing trackdays since, and most of these freaks want to help you be the best rider you can. I'll stick with them for now. 🙂
Good job, Yammeh. Whatever it is that came upon you to talk about this. I'm glad. Some groups can't figure out why i don't join them all the time is because they crash or do risky stuff and have annoying schedules..and you answered it. Hopefully this goes around and gets to the captains or whoever sets the group rides and that this gives them something to think about.
Imo, 2pax-5pax is the best sweet spot for group riding. You'd have some company but not too much of a company. Also easier to match and manage schedules and expectations the smaller the group is
GOOD TO KNOW, im not alone when it comes to riding alone❤
Did one group ride with about 200 riders. Holding down intersections and all. It was not the image I wanted to be part of. So now I ride solo.
I'm an officer with a riding association of veterans. We practice group riding, the hand signals, how to respond to cars nearby, etc. We have a chapter Road Captain that scouts our routes ahead of time, carries a first aid kit, arranges a chase vehicle in case a bike breaks down, and provides the safety briefing before each ride. I have been on many rides with our association for the last two years and haven't seen anything worse than dropping a heavy bike at 2 mph in a parking lot. We don't screw around on our group rides - no racing, wheelies, crap like that. Expect to get dropped from the ride if you ate doing things like that which make the association look bad or endanger any motorists, especially us.
There can definitely be safety in numbers. I don't ride anywhere but at the very rear of a group ride with strangers (Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, manufacturer's group ride, etc).
Way too much work. Takes the fun out of riding...I'd rather ride alone than deal with all of that.
Sooo hearing you Yammie Noob! After 43 years of riding on the road, it could be me doing the narration for this episode. We'd make great riding buddies, except that we both prefer to ride alone... 😆
Whole reason I want to start riding is for that exact reason; a break away from the monotony of day to day grinds. Plus, I think it will help me along in my personal recovery journey from a different lifestyle.
The flow state is deeply meditative and creates wonderful space for your subconscious to work through the garbage.
It’s tough to find a lunch spot if you have like 10 or 12 people, especially in a small town. With four or less it’s super easy to eat anywhere.
100% with yammie on this. I’ve been riding for over 20 years and the only crash I’ve been in was because I was trying to follow reckless guys on a group ride. Since then I’ve been on other group rides from which I return with an uneasy feeling. I ride by myself or with 1-2 others that I’m very familiar with these days.
Agree 💯 %. The only non-solo rides I do are with my son who knows I’m slow and stays behind me. Even then, his bike is loud and I can hear him in the twisties and I imagine him right on my ass and get stressed, but he’s not it’s just his loud pipes.
I socialize with strangers at gas stations, then move on by myself.
I feel you brother. Keep up the great work you do.
Had a very short ride with a group of 3 strangers and almost immediately became a pissing contest of zooming past one another. I quickly realized "wow I never ride like this, wtf" and pulled off onto a side street and finished the ride on my own. Zero desire to ride with others, to me it's way more fun (and safe) to ride on my own away from the rest of the world for a short time. We all need more "thinking time" for ourselves.
I don’t blame you. Too much ego gets dangerous
I agree. Big group rides either someone comes off, someone breaks down or someone doing stupid shit and gets hurt. I dont group rides any more. I actually stopped years ago. Im happy just to ride with a couple of mates, thats it
I've ridden some poker runs in the past but between the check points only a few bikes ride together. No time limits, no hurry! Ends in a BAR B Q w/ prizes for top poker hands! When I used to ride w/ road racers ( MCRA/ WERA)... someone always crashed, the Ducatis called tow trucks, some one rode too slow and got a 100+ ticket!
I used to organise a 2 week holiday ride (usualy in the Alps) on old €500 bikes. Largest group was 18 riders. On the whole I can say it really went well. I have a set of rules and always had a meeting upfront. When we had a large group I would always split them up in groups of 6 riders, just to keep it safe.
When we hit the mountains all the riders go solo at their own pace. On top of the mountainpass we meet again. Going down the mountain this same rule applies to the group. Never had any accidents or problems for over 30000km.
Planning and rules are the key! But otherwise I also prefer to ride alone. For the same reasons as YN!
"I'm not playing when I'm on my bike, this is not a toy" is going to be my new go-to phrase to other riders on the street.
I once rode in a group of four. My buddy and I let the other two know that we generally ride mellow, maybe about 5 over most of the time.
They said no problem, but then proceeded to ride 15 to 20 over. They needed to pull over from time to time so we could catch up. Eventually we just split into 2 and 2 and went separate routes.
I don’t think I will ever ride with more than one other rider again.
I don't know which groups you are riding in, but I ride regularly with groups. If the number of people is too big, we split the group. The route will be shared to all to avoid issues at traffic lights . A few tips: no overtaking, the slower people ride at the front, check your mirrors, if the rider behind you is missing, you slow down or stop. If the group is big enough, positions can be rotated at major crossings. Enjoy the experience!
Amen! I've ridden in groups from 10-thousands, the bigger ones being for charity. BUT.....I agree with you, there's ALWAYS a crash! Just because someone is on a bike DOES NOT mean they know how to ride it, never mind the etiquette. One ride to ground zero we did, 10 bikes came together (3 to hospital) on the interstate 2 miles down the road. 45 minutes later another squeezing by a trailer, broken ankle. Max for me is 5 and people I know and know their skill level. Not riding to get hurt by someone else. I agree with everything you said.
Very good points! I am the same way...I get on my bike to get AWAY from people. It's my personal happy time
After a 120 km ride on secondary highways on the Canadian Prairies last week I met a few dairy farmers on Harleys at a really good coffee shop I frequent. I like riding alone but I love it when I meet interesting people along the way.
Great content. Nice bike, I own a 2017 Desert Sled, love her loads. I ride solo with pleasure and with my bf, because we are chill about it, zero competition, plenty of breaks. Riding is my happy time.
Couldn't agree more. Try to get as few as 6 riders through a coffee and gas stop. It takes an hour. Some idiot always rides beyond their ability and ends up in the ditch. If you want to stop for 30 seconds and take a photo of a great view someone's pissed off . I left a group and rode 5000 miles across Russia alone because I wanted to do what I wanted .The feeling of liberation was unbelievable
The only group riding I do is with my MC. The group leaders go over the rules of the ride with everyone before we take off. It's fun to ride with people you know. I don't go to meetups or organized group rides.
I organized a decent sized group ride thru the woods one time, and I ultimately regretted it. We had a couple new guys trying to keep up with some of us seasoned riders and ended up having to limp a guy and his bike back to the trailhead due to him snapping his wrist because he ran out of talent. So I completely agree. Although I never ride alone in the woods simply for the safety factor, I learned to ride with equal and/or better riders than myself, but I have grown to be quite comfortable being alone on the roadways. Nice vid and good topic, keep em coming!!! ✌️
I’ve been on many group rides of all kinds of sizes (up to hundreds of bikes). It’s fun but you definitely have to be cautious. From the first time, I always got the end destination of where we were going so that I could ride the way I wanted to without feeling pressure to try to ride above my skill level. After a while, on bike nights I would show up to the meet spot and hangout and talk then I would take off either before or after couple minutes after and do my own thing and meet up with the group at the end of the ride. I did that because I started to notice there would be people I hadn’t seen at the rides before that would either cause a wreck, wreck themselves, or just ignored our rules in place to try to make the ride as safe as possible. I would typically be in the back of the group just for my own safety so I didn’t have to constantly be checking behind for other bikes. It was VERY rare I would move up and if I did, it was in a group where I knew everyone and how they rode.
100% correct! A good friend and I go for rides often. We are able to chat over a helmet-mounted communications system. Great fun with someone with similar riding skills and shoot the bull for several hours.
The only group rides I do are rides with my MC (vests, patches, no diamonds). We have strict guidelines for riding together: stay in formation, stay together, full patches up front, half patches next, prospects and hang-arounds and visitors in the back, with any cars following the pack, assigned riders block traffic as needed, if someone breaks down only one rider stops to keep company unless we have a chase car, no hooliganing, etc
As a result, I’ve never seen anything worse than a dropped bike at a stop light. It’s WILD to me that Yam always sees someone get hurt.
Agreed, I have riden since 74 and roadraced in the late 70's to early 80's and avoided group rides and normally only ride with a friend that I met when racing but now here I sit with a shattered femur 11 weeks out, not able to fully walk yet from a manufacturer group demo ride. I was up front, and someone lagged behind, and I got hit by a rider less bike on one wheel at high speed and the person on that bike had no motorcycle insurance. If I can get back to work and ride my bike again, I will never ride in any type of group. This is the worst injury I have ever sustained in all my years of riding.
Surely, the manufacturer had insurance.
I rarely group ride. When I do, it's only with people who I know are responsible enough to recognize that our lives are in each other's hands.
I’ve ridden with someone one time. I stopped to take in the sights at a popular place where I live, another guy parked with a naked sport bike pulled, we talked, and decided to ride together for a little. I knew this was a bad idea when right before we set out he said “I ride I like don’t give a f*ck.” He wasn’t lying. I stayed with him for about 5-10 minutes and split off to go “home”. I love solo riding. A little music playing and you just forget all the stress at home or work. I’m not saying I wouldn’t do a group ride under the right circumstances, but I don’t have any friends near me that right. What are you gonna do?🤷🏻♂️
There's always the unknown risk of danger in group rides with varying skill levels. But I enjoy them and have met many great people and even learned from better riders, I'm very anti-social and so it's the 1 thing I can do and meet people who are like minded and enjoy the same hobby as me and escape a crappy work life. However as my skills advanced I generally prefer riding with a handful of really solid riders I can trust with the way we ride very spirited generally. There's some advantages riding with a very mixed skill level group that will teach you how to smoothly brake and for emergency situations, for example I've had someone on a BMW S1000RR that jumped in front of me because they thought I was going too slow on the straights but that guy was actually holding me up in the corners to where I have to brake extremely hard because he sucked at cornering entering them 20+mph slower than I would. That's why we always tell everyone to ride their ride but sometimes it's so easy to get stuck in the "keep up with them" mentality when adrenaline is spiking.
This...100% agree. When riders start on about road captains, tail gunners and permission rules (how to request permission to pass a group), I'm completely disengaged. Riding is supposed to be about freedom. Nothing destroys that sense of freedom like have people appointed to affect rules on a group.
We've only done one group ride, and it was just scooters, but even then people were riding irresponsibly and disrespecting other traffic. No thanks. I guess if I want to get crazy, I'll just go to the track where its safer.
Damn dude. You words ring true to me. I ride because I WANT to ride.. now I'll admit probably going 115mph through a 40mph zone on a bone stock SV650 *might* not be smart idea but I will will say I got home in a hell of a hurry to think about it. That and there are zero tracks within hours of me; not happening
Yammie is smart,he is right someone always gets hurt....or sometimes people act differently....in crazy groups
The part about ego and risk factors ring true for sure. At least in my own opinion and from personal experience. I enjoy solo rides much more than group rides because I prefer to ride at my own pace. But I do enjoy and value the company and friendship of others as well. I see far too many ppl get hurt in group rides in the past.
In the 1970s group rideouts that I joined in with were normally done at the pace of the slowest and less experienced riders plus we all kept checking on the riders behind in case anyone had any sort of problem .
I will ride with a group of folks that I know, but are mostly 35-40+ yrs old, with several women on Can AM's fun group, no ego no drama. That's the key!
I'm with you, dude. For exactly the same reasons.
I enjoy the solo ride. Ride at my own pace, don't have to worry where anyone else is or taking a wrong turn. Although a buddy of mine has just got his license so probably ride with him to help build his confidence
I was rear ended by another rider during a group ride. He was on a cbr1000 and was weaving through traffic and hit me at 120. Luckily both of us survived. He lost a leg and I had some road rash.
I hate riding in a group
Im one of the sport bike guys I tell everyone to ride your own ride.
First thing my instructor taught me was “It’s YOUR bike. Don’t let anyone tell you how to ride it.” I never forgot that. I used to ride sport bikes a lot, switched to nakeds as I got older, but always solo.
We did a group ride on bicycles last year and the amount of shenanigans that happened got a few of us some hefty tickets!
I have done multi-day touring in the mountains on my own for years, totally zen. Garmin InReach is always with me. When I do tour with people, it’s been the same two guys for close to 20 years.
I like both solo riding and grouprides, the guys I ride with are friends I been riding with for many years, so we all know how to avoid stupid stuff on the road
I'm 33, and have never ridden with a group. I won't mind to do so, however I haven't yet. It's not a big deal to me because I'm literally the only one with a motorcycle in my immediate family or friends lol.
I ride with a few mates. A few of us ride at our own pace. One guy likes to get on it, so he'll go for a blast out front and then pull over and wait. We have one golden rule which is no lane sharing whatsoever and all passing must be done outside of the lane of the bike that you're passing. We all know where we're going when we leave to go somewhere so there's never any panic or need to play catch up if the group gets out of sight occasionally. Safe group riding is all about good communications and respect.
... first piece of riding advice when I bought my first motorcycle was this ... "side by side ... suicide". after spending half my life in traffic, why would I want to voluntarily put myself in a motorcycle traffic jam? the joy of riding is being free to go where and when you want ... plus I really like to keep my body in one piece. trust my judgement and keeps the ride simple
I had two other riders form up on me. We talked at a stoplight, so they thought I was their buddy. It was a two-lane road, so I had one guy to my right and the other behind. The truck in front of me decided that it was time to turn left and started slowing down. I was going to move to the right lane, but one of my new "friends" was blocking me, so I had to get on the brakes. Well, "friend" number two was behind me and couldn't stop his bike all that fast. Luckily, the truck started turning and gave me just enough room to full-throttle past and avoid getting rear-ended. I left those two idiots behind so they wouldn't block me again.
5 is the limit. Anything over that I've been involved in, somebody wrecked
When I was in high school several friends of mine and myself rode Yamaha RD350's and 400's and we rode in groups of 3 to 5 and we had a blast. Mulholland was basically our backyard(actually one of my friends lived on that road) so we did a lot of middle of night riding in the summer when there was less traffic and you could see if cars were coming around blind corners by seeing headlight beams. I'm sure most of the people who lived up there hated us as you could hear the 2 strokes for miles. When I see these large groups rides I always cringe and it seems like they like to taunt the police when doing so.
There's a REALLY big difference between a group of 2-8 people who ride with a bunch of understood rules, and a big group of strangers.
A big group of strangers is AWFUL.
But, a SMALL group of riders who will ride their own ride, who will be respectful? That's wonderful.
I much prefer riding alone, I can just head out whenever I want, to wherever I want and I don’t have to wait on others
Thanks again for helping me out in my time of need yall! See you around 🏍️
Our group.. south florida riders club..usually 6 to 8 riders meets every sunday for day rides..mature riders and very safe and organized..but like you said less freedom and a little boring..😅