Motorcycling lessons learned: #3 Ride your own ride

February 10, 6:00 PMMotorcycle ExaminerKen Bingenheimer

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Have riding buddies, but ride your own ride (Photo by Johnathon Evans)

Riding with friends is one of the really enjoyable things you do with your motorcycle. In fact, for those who buy bikes but just let them sit and gather dust, I suspect that is largely a result of not having riding buddies.

One of the greatest benefits of having riding buddies is that you call each other and say, "Hey--let's go ride!" And so you do, whereas left to yourself, you might easily allow chores and other demands to overrule your impulse to get on the bike.

That said, it's a fact that not all riders have equal riding skills. The natural tendency to stay together on the road as a group can sometimes lead a less-skilled rider to push beyond his comfort zone, trying to keep up. This can lead to disaster.

Ride your own ride

The simple lesson here is that you need to ride your own ride. If your buddy is taking sharp curves at a faster pace than you're comfortable with, don't try to be macho and do the same. Slow down and take the curves at your own speed. You'll catch up later.

Anyone who has ridden for long has their stories of times they failed to follow this bit of guidance. In fact, those experiences are probably part of their schooling in the need to ride your own ride. Who hasn't experienced a moment of powerful anxiety following a buddy into a curve only to wish intensely that you weren't going quite so fast?

At other times, attempting to keep the group together can lead you to try passing in a more reckless manner than you should. Sure, you can count on a good twist of the wrist to rocket you ahead in a flash, but we all make mistakes. I remember one time going up a canyon watching the guy in front of me pull out to make a quick pass on a blind curve, only to have a car come around the other way. I watched in horror, convinced I was about to witness the most terrible thing I'd ever seen. Fortunately it didn't happen but it could not have been closer.

Interestingly, Eric Trow, the riding safety columnist for Rider magazine, touched on this subject of group riding safety and trying too hard to stay close in his February 2009 column. Trow said, in part:

When we ride in groups of motorcycles, it pays to adopt the same rules we apply when we follow any other vehicle. We don't tailgate (right?). . . . Why should following a motorcycle be any different? There is simply no substitute for sufficient space and time to respond.

Ride your own ride. 

Motorcycling lessons learned

#1 - Have riding buddies
#2 - Signal your intentions
#3 - Ride your own ride
#4 - Don't hesitate to ride alone
#5 - Carry proper gear
#6 - Know your bike
#7 - Get training
#8 - Assume you're invisible
#9 - Take your time
#10 - Explore
#11 - Be opportunistic
#12 - Know how to pick up your motorcycle