[Scootereno]

I was invited to ride to the mountains Sunday with some riders I have never rode with before. I had met Vic the 67 year old man but not Hanni the blonde hottie from Austria. 8) They are very interesting fun to hang out with.
When we (ChilliP and me) arrived on our scooters to see a FJR and Ninja 1100 waiting on us I was intrigued. They vaguely told us the destination and then said just follow us. Sounds like fun until we left the sub-division. Then it was a balls out run for the hills jumping from lane to lane and never in the right lane for the up coming turn and at speeds twice or more the limit and racing through every late yellow light turning red. Whew! I was exhausted. Not my idea of a Sunday ride to the mountains for sure. We ate at a great hole in the wall Cajun restaurant and decided we would take separate routes back for "convenience" sake.
Now I guess if I would have known a little more about them before hand we would have just met up there for lunch and then rode around up there. You see Hanni Races her Ninja and Vic is a competitive Alpha male that doesn't want to finish second. But 80mph in a 35mph zone is basically dangerous and dumb in my book. :?
Thankfully their were no cops to ticket us, it was a very nice sunny day, and the ride back was much more enjoyable! :thumbup:

 

[Daboo]

I've ridden with riders like that before...once. In my case, it was easy. They were riding cruisers and when the straights came up, they opened the throttle. I stayed closer to the speed limit and caught them on every corner. With an FJR and Ninja, that wouldn't happen.

When in a ride with people I don't know, I like to take a position at the rear so I can see them in front of me. If they want to speed, fine. I'll stick closer to the speed limit and they can wait for me when they get where we're going. The last thing I want to do, is to try explaining to my wife and kids how we have several hundred dollars less to spend now each year because Dad just got a speeding ticket and my insurance is going up. Or with the speeds they were going, my bike is impounded and Dad lost his license.

I'm assuming one of them was the group ride "leader". If so, they were doing a really lousy job of it. I make sure everyone on a ride I lead knows that we aren't going to be riding more than 5 mph over the speed limit, or at whatever the traffic flow is. If we come to a light, and part of the group doesn't make it, I want them to know they don't have to run the light. I'll pull over where it is safe and wait for them. Everyone knows the route and destination so if we did get split up, no one gets lost. One thing I don't want to do, is make anyone feel like they have to ride outside of their comfort zone.

And since I wouldn't expect to pay their speeding ticket costs, I wouldn't put them in a position to get one.

Chris

 

[cliffyk]

Years ago my wife and I road with a few "poker runs" here in NE Florida, she on her 883 sporty and I on my trusty old Vulcan 1500, but quickly gave it up as they were all cannonball runs from one bar to another, with antics similar to what you describe. I never have ridden like that.

I think the Alpha male has the better excuse, being a jerk is a psychiatric disorder--the hottie "roadracer" should know that public roads are not racetracks...

 

[Scootereno]

I've ridden with riders like that before...once. In my case, it was easy. They were riding cruisers and when the straights came up, they opened the throttle. I stayed closer to the speed limit and caught them on every corner. With an FJR and Ninja, that wouldn't happen.

When in a ride with people I don't know, I like to take a position at the rear so I can see them in front of me. If they want to speed, fine. I'll stick closer to the speed limit and they can wait for me when they get where we're going.

Chris

I agree and did end up dropping back and brought up the rear when I saw Maria struggling with the pace....and she is usually the spirited one riding.

Cliff- the Hottie (Hanni) actually tried to slow the pace eventually but no one but the Alpha (Vic) knew exactly where we were going.

 

[Just Me]

A ride like that lead by a former professional racer leading and with someone in back with orders to "push em" caused two accidents in one weekend and the leader boasting that there have been 5 accidents on rides he has lead cost me and the insurance company dearly. Oh, those little yellow signs with numbers such as "35"? We were told that minimum speed should be double the speed posted but when the cop arrived we were to insist that the speed posted was max speed. Max speed would be speed limit plus 5mph. Never knew before that 65mph (speed limit) and 85mph was only 5mph difference. NEVER AGAIN!

 

[rut3556]

Another reason I don't ride in "groups". :wink:

 

[DandyDoug]

Another reason I don't ride in "groups". :wink:

Ahmen :thumbup:

 

[Derrill]

The group I ride with on day runs and and a few over nigters are all late 60's to early 70's of age. We ride no more than 3 mph over the posted straighaways, but we do charge the curves. Fastest riders in front slower riders in the rear. The front group will wate for the rear group on the straits.

 

[Desert Rat]

Another reason I don't ride in "groups". :wink:

Biggest group I've ridden with is my brother on his Honda ST1100 and my son on his Victory Vision 8Ball . Being the oldest I get to be in front. :wink:

 

[Rusty J]

Depends on the group.

I've seen some very well-managed ones, and some that depended more on luck than management skill.

If I'm leading a group (as I have on occasion, typically 3-6 scooters), I make sure I brief the route ahead of time, don't outrun the group, and provide for opportunities to regroup if the pack gets split by traffic, lights, or technically-challenging roads. The goal is to get everyone to the destination safely and in good spirits (and on time, if there's a deadline), and back home again. The bottom line, for me, is that I'm not in front because I'm the most awesome rider, I'm in front because I know a good way to get to where we're going.

I've been left behind as sweep rider before (sometimes with a bunch of other riders also left behind...) it's not particularly pleasant, but much better than having a blown stop light turn into a blue-light special, and infinitely better than the results of someone riding beyond their skills or their bike's limits.

 

[Scootereno]

Amen Rusty! :thumbup:
The only large group rides I do are with the PGR or my annual Memorial day ride with The American Legion Riders.
http://rideforamerica.org/

 

[ducati14]

Expensive lesson, call it a tuition fee

I don't really do group rides - at least no so far - and am leery of them for many of the reasons mentioned here.

I did hook up with a couple at a gas station one time on my way to Toronto. They were from Ontario and I from Manitoba. They were speeding on some bike or other and I was attempting to keep up to them on my 750 Four. Well some cop was hiding in the bush and nailed them and when the flashing lights came on ahead they pulled over and I did too.

It was a bonehead move on my part (I realized too late). I should have kept on going like I never knew them - a plausible argument because my plates were from another province than theirs and by the time he had written them up I would have been many miles away. And worse than ever, the cop nailed me for a slightly different infraction than they were cited for and mine was more expensive!

Maybe the lesson learned was worth the price of the ticket because I never made that mistake again.

 

[lillsui]

We always learn something new on a journey.

 

[Don in Pa]

Surely I can't be the only one here reading all of this and wondering one thing..........why didn't you get a picture of Hanni the hottie from Austria for us;-)

 

[Skunkhome]

The guys at the rear are always going to be riding faster than the riders at the front. We always put the newest riders in the front behind the leader. The first few positions in a ride can be real snoopers because a good leader always accelerates slowly to minimize the slinky and bull whip effect on those at the back. The most experienced riders need to be at the rear if you want to progress smoothly. I only ride with CMA nowadays and my local chapter observes the speed limits.

 

[David Wilett]

Thanks to all who responded and your words of wisdom to Scootereno's thread.

 

[mikeyMarine]

never ride away from your brains, and decline any future invites from someone who has, any time anywhere, yhou can always stop riding with them and go on your own, if they ask why, be honest, you may save someone some physical misery