[Motorcycle.com]

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The best way to solve all these problems is to just ride by yourself, old numero uno. But no man is an island, and group rides are their own special kind of fun. At MO, we definitely do our fair share of group rides. Here’s what we’ve learned about the things most likely to go wrong, and what you can do to ward them off ahead of time.

Read more about the Top 10 Things That Go Wrong On Group Rides at Motorcycle.com.

 

[Bill S]

Not a bad read.:lurk:

 

[Marc11]

I've given up group rides a few years ago. Things were just out of hand. I enjoy riding solo far more these days. Occasionally I'll ride with one other person but that's it for me.

I do miss the banter at stops but it's a trade off.

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[Darbinco]

I'll never get that 5 minutes back....

 

[rikracer99]

WHAT!! Get an extra key for when you are swapping bikes!! that's a thing?!? I'm sorry, you are NOT riding my bike or my old lady. I know I'm kind of an a**hole when it comes to that but that is a rule I've had since the first time I let my neighbor ride my Honda CL100 at 13 yrs old. He brought it back with a broken kick return spring. Of course he never paid to have it fixed either. I cannot imagine letting someone unfamiliar with a K1600 ride it, especially in a "group" ride. I can foresee serious f' ups on that horizon. Explain THAT to the insurance adjuster. I can picture a new Farmer's Insurance commercial with that one. " We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two" Just sayin'
Rick

 

[Brick]

J use to be up for group rides at any chance. Doing CPR on a kid, three weeks before his 21st birthday, two weeks back from his first tour of Afghanistan, for 45 minutes while waiting for the paramedics, is not something I want to do again. As an older guy, id rather not have that feeling of having to look after younger less experienced riders.

There's two or three guys I'll ride with because I trust them. My regular wingman and I have done thousands of miles together. I don't need to check my mirrors because I know exactly where he is without looking. The rest of the time, I'd rather be solo.

 

[Pitts]

Most of that article wasn't about group rides so much as the misadventures that can happen on any ride. I guess the point of it is that a group ride is only as good as it's weakest link (not talking about skill but all the other stuff in the article). OK.

 

[Popeye]

Good article. I'm a movie buff and it immediately made me think of the character Stanley in The Deer Hunter film. Stanley was the unprepared character who went hunting with the group, but forgot to bring all his hunting gear.

 

[jjscsix]

WHAT!! Get an extra key for when you are swapping bikes!! that's a thing?!? I'm sorry, you are NOT riding my bike or my old lady. I know I'm kind of an a**hole when it comes to that but that is a rule I've had since the first time I let my neighbor ride my Honda CL100 at 13 yrs old. He brought it back with a broken kick return spring. Of course he never paid to have it fixed either. I cannot imagine letting someone unfamiliar with a K1600 ride it, especially in a "group" ride. I can foresee serious f' ups on that horizon. Explain THAT to the insurance adjuster. I can picture a new Farmer's Insurance commercial with that one. " We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two" Just sayin'
Rick

So what happened to add your wife to the list? >

 

[ipscman]

There are few riders I trust with my life. Group riding doesn’t allow me to filter out the ones I consider dangerous.

Sorry, I ride with only those people I consider safe and competent. I don’t group ride.

 

[Dmcbiker]

I've ridden with the same 5 to 8 guys for many yr's now, and group ridding is a great way to tour. You are much more viable as a group, you are never alone if a mechanical issue comes up, and once you have many miles under your belt with the same guys you start to sense each others moves. A group ride thru the twisties is an amazing feeling, you soon start to flow as one, and it's a fantastic sight to see, 5 or 8 bikes all moving in unison like a well oiled machine.... But you do have to have a huge amount of trust in your fellow riders. As mentioned above, I won't ride in a group with just anyone, it has to be people I know and trust.
Group riding also requires Everyone to be on there A game, for the entire ride. When you ride this close to each other, one small miss step can have catastrophic effects. I certainly understand the appeal of solo ridding, and I understand the appeal of a group ride as well, it's a just a matter of personal preference.

 

[MotoZen]

Top 10 Things That Go Wrong On Group Rides:

1) you are on a group ride.

Been there done that, no thanks.

 

[68330]

The number of things that can go wrong in a group ride is proportional to the square of the number or riders in the group.

 

[Iamschif]

I agree

I have been riding for 40 years, completed 5 two day camps at Superbike School and countless track days and seminars. I only ride in small groups with people I know are well trained and competent riders.

There are few riders I trust with my life. Group riding doesn’t allow me to filter out the ones I consider dangerous.

Sorry, I ride with only those people I consider safe and competent. I don’t group ride.

 

[squibb]

Good article. I'm a movie buff and it immediately made me think of the character Stanley in The Deer Hunter film. Stanley was the unprepared character who went hunting with the group, but forgot to bring all his hunting gear.

& then................ Wild Hogs.

Group rides best avoided IMHO. Just agree a destination or stop-off point & ride your own road. Leave training the inexperienced to an expert & road racing to the professionals.

However a well managed group can be reasonably safe if a systematic approach is used to keep everyone in check, the second man drop-off ....... Understanding The Drop-off (Marker) System | LONDON ADVANCED MOTORCYCLISTS. Can get a bit tedious TBH.

 

[J-Luv]

I'll be honest, I have ridden in very few group rides. I have done the March of Dimes ride here in KC a couple years back. I believe it is the largest in the nation. But it is different than a group ride. I rode it solo, essentially. We did the route, but there are thousands of bikes that do the route during the day. You can start and stop at your leisure. It isn't a true group ride. More of a community route. And I used to ride with friends, some good riders, some so-so, back in my youth. I still prefer to follow. I never want my pace to challenge another's safe pace. I want my pace to match follower's interest level; I don't want to be bad-mouthed for being too cautious if I thought they needed a break! So leading can be hard to enjoy unless it is with someone I know well. When I rode with groups of friends, I had the best tires and fastest bike. I never had to worry about keeping up. That's probably the case these days, too. If I felt I was getting out over my skis following, I don't have too much ego to be left behind and stay within my safe range. It just never happened, that I remember.

I took a RTE with KCMOSteve a couple weeks back. I just followed him to the burger joint. Had a good time. Both told good stories. It was a spirited ride, nothing crazy. We don't have many challenging twisties around here!! Straight line speed isn't usually challenging for most riders, depending on the bike. But, I am going to the CO ride and BBQ at Darbinco's later this year. I'm looking forward to riding within a group. And I don't know how anybody rides, and nobody knows how I ride. But, I have some confidence that it will go very well since there aren't many young foolish riders on K16's, so I can relax the paranoid 360 deg vision and just ride. I'm looking forward to finding out where my sweet spot is and anticipate spirited riding through sweeping mountain curves. I don't know how large the group(s) will be. I'm assuming, since we all gravitated toward the same riding platform, most will enjoy similar riding experiences. Some may be way out front, and some in the middle, and some who will bring up the rear at a more relaxed pace. I haven't ridden with more than one other bike in the last 4 years. I'm excited and eagerly anticipating being in one of those 3 groups!