Ride Safe When Riding With Friends

You and a few friends have all bought motorcycles and now you’re going to be riding together. Peter has that super cool Suzuki Boulevard M109, Joe is on his very hot Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja, Bob has his Yamaha Star Raider, which he loves, and you’re on your very sweet Yamaha FJR1300. The Wild Hogs and Easy Rider have nothing on you, you’re going to be kings of the highway!



Unless you get stupid and end up running into each other and generally creating havoc of a sort you didn’t intend. You laugh? If you don’t all get in sync that’s exactly what might happen.

Look at it this way. You don’t worry about a collision with a vehicle that is nowhere close to you, it’s the ones up close that are a potential hazard. Well, when you’re riding down the road in a group, what vehicles are the closest to you? Your buddies, usually.



Staggered Formation

The first thing you’re going to want to do is agree to ride in staggered formation. This means that you have whoever is in front riding in the left portion of the lane, the next bike an appropriate distance behind and riding in the right portion of the lane, and the third bike again in the left portion. A staggered formation allows maximum visibility and builds in safety-enhancing distance. When you pull up at a stop light you compress to two abreast, side by side, and then take off one by one to reestablish the staggering.



Signals

Unless you have helmet-to-helmet communicators, you’re going to need to agree on some signals. One of the most basic is to hold your hand out, palm down, and move it in a downward motion, to say "slow down." If there is an object in the road ahead the signal is to kick outward with whichever foot is on the side that the object is on. While the leader is usually the one to initiate these signals, anyone can, and following riders should repeat them to pass the information back to the rest of the group.



And then there’s one signal you’re sure to use again and again, where you hold your hand out and clasp and unclasp your fist. This signals to the rider either in front or in back of you that he has left his turn signal on.



There are a variety of other signals that can easily be found via an Internet search. Make sure all your riding buddies are familiar with them and use them.



Leave Space

Sometimes when you’re out on your bikes you’ll be the fastest thing on the road, and in those cases the primary issue with other vehicles is getting past them. However, a lot of the fun of riding is just taking it easy and enjoying the ride. If you have a good-sized group of bikes, it can be very hard for a driver who wants to go faster to get around you all at one pass. Everyone in the group needs to be aware of the need to make it possible for that driver to pass safely or his patience may wear out and he may start doing things that aren’t safe just to get past "these jerks on bikes." And we all know that in an argument between a car and a motorcycle, the car always wins. Always.



It’s up to the last rider in the group to be aware when a car has come up behind and wants to pass, and he should drop back a little to give it space to slip past him and right back into the lane if necessary. Other riders up the line should be paying attention to their mirrors as well and taking similar action to allow the car to leapfrog through the group as necessary.



Dangerous Riders

One of the biggest hazards on the road may, unfortunately, be one of your buddies. Some people refuse to adhere to safety procedures and can be a danger to everyone around them. If talking to them does not work you may find it necessary to separate from the group for your own safety. Each rider will have to make this decision for themselves. Just make sure everyone knows where you’re headed and let them know you’ll catch up with them ahead. Then go ride your own ride.



For Long Island Motorcycles, visit Island Powersports at http://www.IslandPowersports.com or call 516-795-4400. We have rock bottom pricing, outstanding customer service, and knowledgeable staff to satisfy your thirst for fun. Schedule an appointment today to get out and ride!