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Every single
second counts in group riding so be on time. Arrive on time
and also with full tank of fuel. Team leader should after
every break alarm twice, first one for “be ready” and second
for the “go” signal. Remember, first signal is for your
preparation of wearing helmet, gloves etc not the second.
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Study more
about your route, rest, fuel stops and hand signals. In group
riding assign a Team Leader and a Tail rider who are
well-versed with riding style, techniques.
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Do not try to
be a hero, make sure you are physically fit for undertaking a
tough ride.
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Check your
bike thoroughly before embarking for the journey. All riders
are also responsible for their motorcycle’s health and should
make sure that they are mechanically up to the task.
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Do a briefing
session a day before riding and Team Leader should assign team
members their position depending on their riding style and
also apprise them about the indications they will be going to
use during the riding.
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Tail rider
should have all the basic requirements like First Aid kit,
Walkie-Talkie or Cell Phone, Complete tool kit for bikes and
if possible also carry a mechanic along with you.
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Do not be
afraid in applying the front brakes, in fact front brake is
doing all the work for effective braking and rear brakes are
doing the job of balancing the bikes.
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Most
important part of the group riding is “Formation”. The
staggered riding formation allows ample space and time for the
riders to react to any hazards. Leader should always ride in
the left and the next rider should be one second behind on the
right side of the leader. Third rider should be on one second
behind on the left side of the second rider, and so on goes
the entire team. Staggering formation give you a two second
gap to the person directly in front of you.
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Staggered
riding formation is also helpful to watch the rider behind
you. If you see the rider falling behind you, slow down so he
can catch you. If the entire teams follow this rule, the group
should be able to maintain a good steady speed without any
pressure to ride too fast to catch up.
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Single file
pattern with two seconds gap to the person directly in front
of you is beneficial at curvy roads, poor road surfaces, poor
visibility and entering and exiting the highways.
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If the
formation is broken, and there is a turn in the route, the
formation does need to stop as close to the turn as possible,
allowing the trailing group to see where you turned. You may
also instruct (prior to the ride in the pre-ride brief) that
the last person in line wait at the corner to guide the rest
back up to the formation.
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In group
riding leave the “who’s fastest competition”.
Attacks, jumps, short-hard
pulls and other race-like riding may be fine for certain
smaller rides but have no place in a group oriented ride.
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If the group
is riding faster than you are comfortable with, let the tail
rider know you're dropping out and ride at your own pace. So
you may reach your destination a few seconds behind the
others, but you will get there, and that's what's important.
Keep in mind, it's all about fun.
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If you are
separated from the group during any traffic signal, do not
panic. Your group has already planned a place for re-grouping.
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In mountains,
when you ride upwards, you can use the rear brake during
turns; that will stabilize the bike. But downward, the rear
brake is of no use; the rear wheel almost carries no weight,
which means it will stop turning very easily when you apply
the rear brake.
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When stopping
at a café or hotel, watch out not to block parked cars, and of
course make sure that the bikes don’t hinder the traffic.
