Joining Up?
- Thread starter jamientrish
- Start date
01dynaglide
Junior Member
For me it depends on the traffic condision, area, and how the person is riding. I have no problem with someone tagging along as long as they do not get to close and are riding with some since about them. I have gotten behind others before but never close and I always watch how they are riding. You can normally tell if you come up behind someone if they are ok with you being there or not. Just don't get to close to them.
Chopper
Senior Member
I would have to say by invite only, I was on a Sunday ride, while stopprd at a red light was invited to ride to a some bikers birthday bash on the spit in Sturart Fla, meet my wife there, good deal. Another time riding from Fairbanks to Anchorage had a bunch of rice rockets pull up and started pacing me, it was like a bunch of big old mosquitoes, very annoying, so I figured if they want to ride with a Harley they will just have to keep up, well radar got me 100+, a very pricey ticket but I was the first to be wrote up which means I was the first to leave, the trooper was busy with them so I was in Anchorage before they were done getting written up, Ha, the ticket was worth every penny. Be careful who you ride with and pick your friends carefully. Only one thing more dangerous then a inexperienced rider, and that's two inexperienced riders. Sometimes it's best to march to the beat you're own drum. That's just me.
Iceman24
Well-Known Member
Like others - guess it depends on the person(s). If you're like me - I'd rather go solo & would wonder why someone's tagging along. If it's for safety reasons (i.e. running through the bad part of town @ night) then partner up b/c there's more safety in #'s. As long as it's "mutual" I'm sure other riders don't mind the company.
shaker
Active Member
I almost always ride alone, so I was a little nervous the first time someone tagged along with me. I always ride left of center, the other guy rode staggered at a safe distance, so it wasn't a problem, but I was concerned about my lack of experience riding with others and not having a shared destination. I doubt I would ever join up with anyone else, but I guess I didn't mind the experience.
Must be a sign of the times! I've grown up the son of an avid biker...my father even owned a biker bar! When we rode on the highways and state routes, Harley riders shared a brotherhood. On road trips, we'd have bikers join up with us and even stop to refuel at rest stops along side of us...that's how it should be! Last I watched the news, there weren't too many cats riding Harleys stalking other bikers...come on man, seriously! Granted I will have awareness, but I'm not going to turn a brother away. Why wave to each other...you never know, the other could be dangerous! That's the difference between real and weekend bikers! Carp out!
BUBBIE
Well-Known Member
PICK A CAPTAIN (he probably already picked himself) then a REAR GUARD..... and second riders to take their place...
Have a meeting of ALL DRIVERS and get STRAIGHT on ROUTE and RULES...
The captain and rear guard are BOSS....
YOU follow their lead and DON't deviate...
If CAPTAIN say 2 STAGGERED(2 fingers) you ride 2 staggered, if he says SINGLE FILE(1 first finger) you ride single file.... Hand jesters are a must!
ALSO,,, KEEPING up with the group is a MUST..... a good road captain will start out and HOLD DOWN on the speed UNTIL he sees that the whole group is along with him... If group is divided (?light), the captain may elect to pull off AS A GROUP and wait for the rest of group to catch up THEN JOIN as a GROUP again.
REMEMBER it is called a GROUP RIDE...
YOU NEVER CHANGE (crisscross) LANES, if some one DROPS OUT,,, the PERSON in the SAME LANE behind that POSITION MOVES UP INTO THE EMPTY POSITION...
MAN this is a lot to explain and I just got started... well you have some good points here... THERE are RULES that can be looked up off the internet and there are many DIFFERENT ways to RIDE as a GROUP but most RULES are FOR SAFETY....
I really liked watching a local chapter of bandits riding together ....
6 abreast side by side (illegal) in a single FREE-WAY lane when traveling to the OLYMPIA Christmas TOY RUN.... NOT a FOOT in front or beside each member....... MOVING in a SMOOTH WAVE of well practice riding... BEAUTIFUL and PRECISE lane changes... THEY WERE PROUD and RODE THAT WAY!...
YOU really have HAD to see it to believe it....
NOUGH is ENOUGH
GO look at some riding rules... HEY GLIDER , DO YOU HAVE SOME ON THIS SIGHT?
signed....BUBBIE
*************************************************************
I went to the ROT rally this last year in TEXAS....WHY DO THEY HAVE the ROT rally AT THE HOTTEST TIME OF THE YEAR?
WITH all the traffic down there in AUSTIN at the ROT rally, I could NEVER feel comfortable RIDING CLOSER than LEGAL distances from the OTHER bikers I was NOT with....(that being impossible)
I DON"T KNOW how I made it out alive? and I call me a EXCELLENT SAVVY RIDER....
At speeds 80+(+) in the 60/65 Zones with all traffic moving that speed (too fast) headed to SAN ANTONIO, was common place and the CAGERS traffic a real DANGER...
I had cagers, changing lanes to pulling in front of me, crossing over to their exit as if I were not there NOR ALLOWED....
BOY DO I LOVE THE SD RALLY..
STURGIS HAS NOTHING LIKE THE TRAFFIC in TEXAS!!! NOTHING(!)
PHEWwwwwwwww
signed....BUBBIE
Last edited by a moderator:
jamientrish
Member
Good stuff all. Guess I'll try and keep that 3-4 second gap and get out of there if the person looks a little scary.