[GinDrinker]

This is probably "old hat" for experienced riders, but some less experienced riders (like myself), especially if they plan to ride with a group, may find this helpful:

http://www.southerncruisers.net/ridingrules.htm


GinDrinker

 

[Burger Bob]

I guess that's why I prefer to ride alone!

Cheers,

Bob

 

[billmeek]

Good link. I read that just before going to the MSF Basic Rider Course. Made for some interesting discussion during class.

 

[chuck807]

Yup! They go over a lot of those rules prior to each group ride... they have to, some people have never ridden in a group before (like me... the first time I rode with them).

 

[pauljo]

Back in the eighties I rode with a Gold Wing Road Rider's Association chapter quite frequently. Same rules. Sometimes it was fun. Sometimes there were just too many potty stops, ice cream stops, hot dog stops. It takes a while to round up everyone and get rolling again when a large group stops somewhere. The poker runs were usually fun, and often done in conjunction with other organized rider groups.

I'm baffled when I see these Harley groups out riding side by side rather than in staggered formation. I was invited join to a Harley run a couple of years ago by someone at work. I looked at the ride itinery. Every stop was a bar. I politely declined the invitation.

With the right group, it can be a lot of fun though. Very different from riding alone or with a friend or two.

 

[chuck807]

With the right group, it can be a lot of fun though. Very different from riding alone or with a friend or two.

You got that right. The Ventura chapter of the SCRC is a great group to ride with. No unnecessary stops, definitely no bar stops, this particular group just loves to ride. They ride every other Sunday (and a few rides in between). A 300-mile ride is not unusual. Anyone in southern California near Ventura county should definitely check out the group.

 

[Jim]

The ABATE runs in late fall, were stops at bars, and I enjoyed them a lot. I plan on doing them a few times a year.

Just because you stop at a bar, dosen't mean you have to have a beer or a drink. Most bars around here serve hot chocolate, coffee, and typical bar food such as chili, etc. Most of the other riders were having a soft drink, which did look a bit odd, around all that leather. You can go at your own pace, with a small group or large group, and don't have to stay with the group you started with. I think it was a good way (for me) to meet other riders. For most it was the 1st time they rode with a Maxi Scooter, and they left with a different point of view. Espically the older riders, some said they wanted to look a bit closer at a Maxi Scooter, because their bodies were getting to that point in life, they wanted more comfort also.

 

[pauljo]

Just because you stop at a bar, dosen't mean you have to have a beer or a drink.

That is true. But if any members of the group do opt to have a beer, I think that compromises the safety of the entire group. I am still not comfortable with that.

 

[billmeek]

One thing you could do is speak to the Ride Captain beforehand and ask the groups policy on drinking during a ride.

 

[minnmax]

Minn-Max Riding Guide

Guidance for group riding is very important both for the safety of those involved and also to clarify each individual's responsibility. Minn-Max uses similar guidance for our rides, which is made available via the web, as a handout at group rides, and is verbal touched on before each group ride.

The link below takes you to a PDF version of the group riding guide we use. It prints out on a single letter size page in size and includes a graphic representation of the 2-sec staggered. Feel free to copy and use it for your own group rides if you like.

Edit: Link fixed.
http://www.maxiscooters.org/files/GrpRide.pdf

 

[billmeek]

Re: Minn-Max Riding Guide

The link below takes you to a PDF version of the group riding guide we use.

Adam,
The link requires signing up to the yahoo groups. Do you have another location that doesn't require signing up just to download the file?

 

[minnmax]

Re: Minn-Max Riding Guide

link requires signing up to the yahoo groups. Do you have another location that doesn't require signing up just to download the file?

Oops! Our YahooGroup messages are open to all, but I forgot that Yahoo itself doesn't allow access to photos or files without being a member of the group. Something about keeping people from using groups as just a storage area.

Anyway, here is a different place to get the file. I will fix the link in the first post as well.
http://www.maxiscooters.org/files/GrpRide.pdf

 

[billmeek]

Thanks Adam.

 

[Pinwheel]

In our chapter of the southern cruisers, we do things differently from most in our area.
For new members or new riders, we have a New Rider's Ride. It must be attended before anyone can attend the big chapter ride. They go over all the rules and everything before hitting the road.
And on the chapter rides, we break down into groups of 10. Leaving 5 - 10 minutes apart. Now if we are at the last gas stop before our lunch appointment and it is just a straight shot to the location, we will all saddle up and ride in one large group. However it tends to anger people in cages as a mile of bikes go by. We have only done that 2 times in over a year though.
Some chapters say ours is too strict and structured. Works for us, so we are happy.
Drinking in our group during a chapter ride is not incouraged. For the safety of the others we ask they it wait until after the ride is over.

 

[billmeek]

However it tends to anger people in cages as a mile of bikes go by.

:shock: Personally, I'd like to see that.

 

[Pinwheel]

However it tends to anger people in cages as a mile of bikes go by.

:shock: Personally, I'd like to see that.

What see the people in there cars shaking there heads and cussing? Or the mile of bikes?

 

[billmeek]

BOTH!

 

[DonRich90]

In our chapter of the southern cruisers, we do things differently from most in our area.
For new members or new riders, we have a New Rider's Ride. It must be attended before anyone can attend the big chapter ride. They go over all the rules and everything before hitting the road.

Now that's a good idea! Do they also try to determine a new rider's skill level to see if he/she can operate the bike well enough so as not to cause the other riders problems or be a safety hazard to others in the group?
To me, that's just as important or even more important than knowing the group riding rules. That's the reason I don't ride in groups with people I don't know or take demo rides (in a group) at rallies. It's really scarey to think the rider ahead of you or behind you might have just gotten their motorcycle license yesterday. :shock:
Don

 

[Pinwheel]

Now that's a good idea! Do they also try to determine a new rider's skill level to see if he/she can operate the bike well enough so as not to cause the other riders problems or be a safety hazard to others in the group?
To me, that's just as important or even more important than knowing the group riding rules. That's the reason I don't ride in groups with people I don't know or take demo rides (in a group) at rallies. It's really scarey to think the rider ahead of you or behind you might have just gotten their motorcycle license yesterday. :shock:
Don

Yes, they prefer you have some ride time in and feel comfortable with your abilities on the bike before you even take the new ride. If for some reason they feel someone is not ready for the group ride, they will be spoken to and incouraged to ride the new members ride a couple more times or see about riding with others to get use to the group riding and then ride the New Ride again.
Since I never felt comfortable on the Volusia, I have yet to go on the ride. However next month I will be going and on the Burgman.

 

[minnmax]

I applaud the idea the idea of a new Rider's Ride. It does sound like the scale of the chapter of the Southern Cruisers mentioned nearly requires additional considerations such as the new Rider's Ride and significant spacing between groups. The local chapter of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) of which I belong takes similar steps.

In the past Minn-Max has encourage others to take time to become comfortable with their solo ability and their machine prior to even considering joining us on a group ride. We also make sure our first ride of the season is a shorter, slower, route so that everyone can get re-acquainted with the nuances of group riding. So far this has worked well for us.

To date our scale has been small enough not to worry too much about the "mile of bikes" issue. Still, we are getting large enough that we will need to consider breaking up into two or three smaller groups on our more well attended runs. Pleases me to no end that this even has to be considered. After all we are a maxiscooter only group, so it is reflection of just how popular these machines are getting.

On a related note...
As I mentioned, I'm also a member of the GWRRA even though I ride an Burgman 650. As a whole and certainly at the local chapter they seem delighted to have folks on maxiscooters riding with them, even if it is primarily a Gold Wing club. Pinwheel, I'm curious to what's your take on how the Southern Cruisers feel about having big scoots in their midst?