Group motorcycle rides on a nice day are a great way to explore new roads and enjoy the experience of the scenery together, especially if you are in a group of riders that you know well and trust.
There are several tips to keep the group intact and make sure that every single rider is safe in a group ride.
It is a good idea to have a group meeting of all the riders before the ride begins. This helps all the riders to be on the same page and learn the route along with the rest and fuel stops on the ride. The meeting is usually held by the group ride leader who plans the trip in advance. If you can’t make the meeting, be sure to arrive early before the ride takes off to find out details.
The leader and sweep, or tail riders should be very experienced in group rides. The leader sets the pace for the ride and therefore needs to know the skill level of each rider in the group. The leader’s job is to plan ahead and communicate with the other riders. The leader avoids making quick lane changes, stops or turns to protect the rest of the group behind him from accidents. If a rider is missing from the group the leader will stop the entire group safely and go back to look for the missing person.
The sweep rider is in the rear of the group and monitors everyone to deal with a rider that falls or has a mechanical failure on their bike.
A manageable group size is about five to seven riders. If your group is going to be much larger, you may split it into smaller groups, assigning a lead, and sweep rider to each one.
The best and safest riding formation is a staggered pattern where the leader is toward the left side of the lane, followed by the next rider who is toward the right side of the lane and staggered in this manner back to the sweep. A good rule of thumb is to leave about 2 seconds between riders. This protects all riders from accidentally crashing into one another in the event of an obstacle in the road that they swerve around. You also don’t want riders to leave too much space between them or it is an invitation for vehicles to pull into the space and split up the group. Group rides are “safety in numbers” as motorists can see them much better than a lone biker.
When a group is riding in a staggered formation and comes to a corner it promotes maximum visibility for each rider no matter what position they are in. When the group is cornering, each rider selects his track on the road to maneuver the turn, which may look like it’s single file. Then the group reforms in a staggered pattern after the corner is complete. A new rider may not realize that this cornering technique is for safety when he sees the formation differ.
Group bike rides should be a comfortable speed with no quick movements in braking or accelerating. If a rider in front of you stops suddenly, you need time to react and all the riders behind you do too.
The entire motorcycle group should never try to pass a vehicle as a group, but each rider should pass individually. Each rider has to make up their mind if they can see around the vehicle they want to pass and if it is safe for them to do so.
Make sure your gas tank is full when arriving at the starting point of a group ride. This keeps the entire group from making an unscheduled fuel stop. Each rider should have a cell phone so the group can contact each other if a rider goes missing or there is an emergency. One rider in the group should carry a first aid kit and a basic motorcycle tool kit in case either is needed.
So follow safety tips and have fun on group rides. A quote from George Clooney is “I enjoy going on motorcycle trips and stopping in small towns and enjoying drinks with the locals.” Not a bad idea at all.
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