[Dave Maher]

I'll post some photos of the days event later but I thought I would post a few photos here as a reality check and reminder to all you for purpose and as a reminder of awareness for safe driving for your next bike run.

On one of my local annual riding events over this past weekend we had a great turn out of over seven hundred bikers in support an annual event to honor the life of a local firefighter who lost his life in a tragic motorcycle accident 4 years ago. The day was filled with warm and sunshine with a great crowd of people on hand from all over the MA area. All of the surrounding towns and state police where there to help out with the escorts and intersections blocking for this large crowd of bikers riding throughout the area towns for our 75 mile run .The riders would then return to its home base arrival to an afternoon for food, drinks,with vendors and two bands on hand to entertain the crowd and biker games and events that would follow.

The front lawns were lined with families of old and young with kids waiving while sitting in their lawn chairs while others just stopped in their tracks to watch this awesome display of bikes pass by.The mood of the day however quickly changed halfway through the run when one of the biker just ahead of me clipped the back end of another bikers causing the two of them to crash down the embankment into the woods. I spent much of the afternoon assisting with help and the recovery of the bikes from the woods. This accident could have been much worst with a chain reaction of a multiply pile up. Both riders were taken away by ambulance with one with some serious injuries but expected to be ok.

I post this only as a reminder of safety awareness and the dangers that can lie within such and event more than ever even on a day that was suppose to meant for a day of riding enjoyment.

I'm sure that many of you can add your own tips for others but I've always kept on hand while while attending such events that my riding awareness skills may be tested before the day ends and my awareness should be increased more than ever due to the conditions of the event. The safer rides might your poker run whereas you are riding in smaller groups but if you do attend such an event with multiply riders such as this there is a few tips you might want to keep in mind.

1. Try to attend an event and ride with your own riding gang that your are familiar with..

2. Ride in a staggered position and allow enough room to the rider in front of you for any sudden or quick maneuvers he or she might have to suddenly make.

3. When riding in this type of formation always assume that these are inexperienced riders and its their first week on a bike and you may have to be prepared to suddenly react to any unexpected move they make at any given time.

4. While keeping a safe distance from the rider in front of you make sure you keep up with the flow of the pack so as to not leave and expose your front line blockers into a position of added danger any longer than they have to be

5. Drinking and driving I would think is a given!

 

[mrbyber]

Good tips Dave.
a few weeks back about 7 of us did a guy day on our bikes.
They had me ride in the front. The reason was they had more experience and they said if I screw up they can react or adjust. Just incase I didn't know all the rules or unwritten rules of riding.
Personally I would feel better in the back so I could see everyone (probably how they felt) and maybe learn a few things by watching.
My point is maybe have more experienced guys in the back who have been in situations and know how there bike will react sliding sideways or locking up the brakes. There experience could save a disaster from happening. Hope that never has to happen.

 

[695]

Dave:
Good post..
We rode with over 1500 bikes at the LA Ride for Kid's and you have to be on your guard at all times..
Large rides tend to be slow and tedious sometimes ensuring safety is key... I missed some of the scenery to ensure safety..

Thanks for the awareness post..
T

 

[LARRYLEGEND]

Hope everything turns for the best for those 2 bikers involved Dave. Yes indeed, you gotta be on point in a large group ride and really watch your distance.

Good tips man!

Larry

 

[woodenhorse]

Never been on a ride with more than 100 bikes.....what happened to the rest of the ride? Did the front of the pack even know what or even that it happened? Glad the two bikers weren't hurt worse.

 

[BlueDragon]

Thanks for the reminder! My husband has ridden most of his life and absolutely loves to ride in a big group. His experience has allowed us to avoid just such accidents in the past when we still rode two up and the guys in front of us collided. I am a relatively new rider and formation riding is still somewhat un-nerving for me...this is exactly why. I also know that no matter what your ridding skills, the unexpected can take you down. Be careful out there!

 

[RedspawnSilver]

Good tips Dave.
a few weeks back about 7 of us did a guy day on our bikes.
They had me ride in the front. The reason was they had more experience and they said if I screw up they can react or adjust. Just incase I didn't know all the rules or unwritten rules of riding.
Personally I would feel better in the back so I could see everyone (probably how they felt) and maybe learn a few things by watching.
My point is maybe have more experienced guys in the back who have been in situations and know how there bike will react sliding sideways or locking up the brakes. There experience could save a disaster from happening. Hope that never has to happen.

Yea, almost always ride in the back as a beginner, I don't know what those guy's were thinking putting you up front. Being in the back, you get to know the signals and styles of the guy's riding you, without making everybody nervous behind you... First 5 or 10 times out with bigger groups, I rode in the back of them and saw how they drove, reacted, hand signals and everything else involved... Almost like they were making you bait for those items that come up quick around corners or something... lol

 

[Lone Wolf]

Dave: Thanks for the reminder, you are absolutely right when it comes to riding in groups you really have to pay attention. I believe more so than usual. What doubles the trouble is when you are riding in a group where you are not familiar with how the other riders act or what their level of riding experience is.

Thanks Again!

 

[pfeifler85]

Hey check this out! great information on riding in packs and hand signals for newbies to pack riding.

< Riding Etiquette >

 

[RedspawnSilver]

Hey check this out! great information on riding in packs and hand signals for newbies to pack riding.

< Riding Etiquette >

Lol, I like the ticked off one...

 

[Fury10]

Good info. Dave, thanks. Just curious as to the ID of the two women in your first photo; not their names, just thought they might be nurses. We always seem to be there.
And, I was always taught that newbies ride toward the front and faster riders to the rear.

 

[RedspawnSilver]

Good info. Dave, thanks. Just curious as to the ID of the two women in your first photo; not their names, just thought they might be nurses. We always seem to be there.
And, I was always taught that newbies ride toward the front and faster riders to the rear.

Could be that the different parts of the country have different learning methods as well? I was taught to ride in the back by several groups that I rode with when I was first riding, that way I would learn the fundamentals of how to ride, what to look for, hand signals or whatever else was needed. They could always slow down for me and if they are a good riding group, they should be going fairly slow for you anyways as you are a beginner. It's one of those potato/potatoe things...

 

[460brevill]

Thanks for the reminder! My husband has ridden most of his life and absolutely loves to ride in a big group. His experience has allowed us to avoid just such accidents in the past when we still rode two up and the guys in front of us collided. I am a relatively new rider and formation riding is still somewhat un-nerving for me...this is exactly why. I also know that no matter what your ridding skills, the unexpected can take you down. Be careful out there!

those that think they have it whipped are the ones that get whipped.iwatch around me all the time,and i have been riding sinse 1962 on the street.

 

[mc750]

Thanks for the input. I'm a new rider of about 3 years and I have yet to go to any kind of rally. I want to just havent broke the seal yet. Im in Md. and when I went to the rider safety course they said to ride in front of the pack as a new rider as well. I dont understand why, I would be more comfortable in the back of the group too.

 

[CBSIMONSEZ]

i had my first 2 runs this past weekend. The first was to Bear Mtn. 120+ bikes. On the way up i was half way in the group. On the way back i was raking the leaves! We were hitting speeds around 70 MPH .. and my new glasses were causing my eyes to tear.

The very next day i got up and did another police escorted run, where i was 10th in formation in about 80 bikes. Even with the poilce we still had damn 4 wheelers getting into the formation. I think that my experience of truck driving helped out a lot. I preffer riding in a stagered formation, as it allows me to see whats going on in front, and beside me. More space = more time to react.

 

[Smokyboy]

I ride in the God Bless America ride for the veterans every year here and last year there was 2515 bikes. We had a lot of rubber banding on the interstate. At times we were riding 70mph. and other times we were at 15 mph. This is just the nature of the beast as far as a big ride like this with the diversity of bikes and experience levels. Just pay attention to all of your surroundings. I learned the SIPDE method when I took my motorcycle safety course 23 years ago. S=Scan, I=Identify, P=Predict, D=Decide, E=Execute. Back then the course cost $25 for 4 days.

 

[Adirondack_Furian]

Have to disagree with RSS on this one. Riding in the back you always get rubber banded and have to ride hard sometimes to stay with the ride. Always put the new ones up front where they will have less chance of having to ride beyond their skill set to keep up with the ride.

At least that is what we do in our neck of the woods and it seems to work.

 

[PREDATOR]

We put the new guys in the back. But we always have an experienced rider at the very back and very front of the pack. I've done several Military rides and we always have a safety briefing before pushing off. How to ride stagared, hand signals, go into single file when entering a corner, signals for debris in the way, signals for cops up ahead

If you ever ride with a trike, always put them in the back because they use car brakes and tires which will stop faster then a 2 wheeled bike. Don't want them stopping quickly in front of your pack!

Thanks Dave for bringing this up.

 

[CBSIMONSEZ]

whats a trike?

 

[Richard1]

Thanks for the post Dave, keep us updated on how everyone is doing if you can.