1) The first thing you want to do is organize the ride. This can be as informal as standing around in a parking lot, or as complicated as a special meeting to hand out maps and cellphone numbers.
2) Remember that riding in a group does not mean you surrender any decision making when it comes to your safety. Ride your own ride, and don't go any faster than you feel comfortable going.
3) When picking your route and the stops you'll make along it, consider the stamina of the group, the experience of all the riders, and the limits of the motorcycles in the group. Remember, these are your friends. If it's going to be a long ride, be sure to have a few break stops along the way.
See below
4) You'll need to communicate while on the ride, so make sure everyone knows the signals you'll use.
5) When creating your formation, it's wise to have your experienced riders at the lead and running sweep. Consider positioning the less experienced riders immediately behind the leader. This allows the front rider to adjust the pace if necessary.
6) Ideally, the sweep rider will have a cellphone to call for help if a motorcycle is disabled, or if there has been an accident.
7) If the goal of the ride is to keep the group together, the leader should only go at the pace of the least experienced rider.
8) While riding, don't fixate on the motorcycle in front of you. Instead, remember your basic training. Look well through the turn to where you want to go.
9) If the group is riding faster than you are comfortable with, let the sweep rider know you're dropping out and ride at your own pace. So you may reach your destination a few seconds behind the others, but you will get there, and that's what's important. Keep in mind, it's all about fun.
10) All riders are also responsible for making sure their motorcycles are mechanically up to the task. Before you even meet up with the group, make sure you've got plenty of fuel in the tank, and you've taken care of all those maintenance issues. Not sure what to check? Use T-CLOCS. You really don't want to be the reason for stopping the group for something mechanical you could have prevented.
11) If it's going to be a large group, consider establishing a buddy system among the riders, or divide the group into smaller five- or seven-rider packs. That way, if something goes wrong, you don't have 25 motorcycles sitting on the side of a busy highway. Also, smaller groups can more easily navigate through city streets.
12) On the road, motorcyclists should have at least a 2-second cushion in front and behind them. If you want to keep the group tight, consider a staggered formation. Leave enough room per lane so each rider can maneuver side-to-side if need be. Avoid side-by-side formations as they shrink your space cushion.
13) Trikes and sidecars should stay in the center of the lane, and should be given the same amount of cushion as if they were a car.
14) As turns get sharper, or as visibility decreases, move back to a single file formation. You'll also want to use single file when entering or exiting a highway, at toll booths, or when roads have a rough or questionable surface.
15) At intersections where you've come to a stop, tighten the formation to side-by-side to take up less space. As the light turns green, or when traffic opens up, the bike on the left proceeds through first.
16) Remember we share the road with many other vehicles, and it's against the law to block an intersection.
17) When parking, try to get the group off the roadway as quickly as possible. If you can, arrange in advance to have pull-through parking at your destination, or at the very least, make sure there is ample parking for your size group.
Want more group-riding tips for your club or group? Order the MSF Guide to Group Riding video at www.msf-usa.org, cost is $15.00 for a video and a handbook.
Any number of riders in a group over 4 or 5 dictates a need for foolproof communications. While signaling described above is important, it must be exercised by each rider so that the message gets through to everyone at the end of the line. The longer the line of riders, the greater the chance of mis-communication, or worse yet, loss of communication altogether. This is often the result of a gap opening up in the line and the space being taken by an automobile and the subsequent loss of visibility. The 'leader' and the 'back door' work best to manage the group safely by using CB radios.
The 'leader' should know the route and abilities of the riders in the group and is responsible for leading the ride. But his right hand man is really his 'back door', the rider at the tail end of the line. The leader may see the need to change lanes to pass slower vehicles or to avoid a road hazard. Ease of making a lane change is the job of the back door rider. The leader will radio back the need to change lane, preferably identifying a lane by its number; the fast lane or extreme left being 'lane #1'. The 'back door' moves over first when the lane is clear, thus blocking the advance of other vehicles in the new lane. When there is enough open lane to accomodate the entire line of riders, the leader then moves over and the rest of the line follows.
The 'back door' can also see the entire line of riders in front of him and can keep the leader informed of the status of the group. If several riders get caught at a red light, if there is a mechanical breakdown or an accident occurs, the back door lets the leader know so he can slow up or lead the others to the side of the road safely until the entire group is back together again.
The back door stays in the back. If the group is large enough, a 'sweeper' can communicate with riders not equiped with radios who need assistance. The sweeper then tells the nearest radio equiped rider who in turn informs the leader and/or back door of the status.
When riding on roadways with two lanes in one direction, the lane to ride in is usually determined by traffic flow and the frequency of cars entering and exiting the roadway. If very frequent, being in lane #1 (the extreme left or 'fast' lane) may be desired to avoid being hit as drivers accelerate and/or need to change lanes as they enter or exit and aren't looking for you. If the roadway has 3 or more lanes, riding the center lane allows for ease of cars entering and exiting the highway, while at the sametime, leaving the left lane open for others to pass the motorcycle group. Lane changes of a group of motorcyclists should be as infrequent as possible to avoid separation and possible collisions with cars not expecting or knowing the lane change intentions of all of the individual motorcycles.
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THE '2 SECOND RULE'
Usually known as the '3 second rule' for cars...it is the safe distance between two motorcycles where the first bike passes a point in the road and the next bike passes the same point at least '2 seconds' later.
Bikes can stop faster than a car. If you have ever tried the '3 second' rule with your car in New Jersey, you will more than likely see the color of the car in front of you change as it is enough space for a 'NJ/NY/PA drivers' to squeeze in like they see done when watching NASCAR. This is the reason why we use the '2 second rule'...plenty of time for us to stop and too little room for a car to squeeze in. This way the group doesn't get spread out allowing cars in the line, the group gets through traffic lights intact and the communication described above can be seen and doesn't get disrupted. All to make an enjoyable ride possible for everyone.
DEALING WITH TOLLS
Probably more so in New Jersey than any other state you will ride in, (or out of,
but for some reason, not when you ride into NJ...hmmmm) you will deal with paying tolls. Of course, this is only suggested here as an option but something you may want to consider...EZ PASS. You may have a personal problem with what may seem to you to be fangled modern computerization coupled to the electronic banking system, but for the most part, its safe.
The ease of dealing with toll booths while on your bike provides a very strong case against your personal resistance to digital progress. You don't have to make sure you have a couple of bills in an easily accessible pocket at the last roadside stop before an up coming toll booth. Or have to rummage through your pockets for the toll money cause you didn't think about the up coming toll booth. Your bike wobbles down the lane towards the enevitible grease slick as you approach the toll basket or the carbon monoxide stoned toll collector and put your feet down in it. And then you get to start up again and accelerate through it. With EZ-Pass you just slow down and coast through.
ITS QUICK & BEAUTIFUL. Plus you get a free break to stretch while the 'still non-EZ Passers' pay their toll.
(Note: May I suggest the 'license plate mounted' type as opposed to the standard square type usually velcro strip mounted to a car windshield. Just lash it to your front fork with zip ties. Works great and it can be hidden behind your faring if you have one and it will still register with either the booth roof mounted sensors or the newer ground sensors usually found near the base of the traffic light / gate post.)
KNOW THE LAWS OF THE STATES WE RIDE IN
NEW JERSEY
Safety Helmet
Required by law-reflectorization required
State Funded Rider Ed
Available for all eligible applicants
Eye Protection
Required by law for instructional permit holders unless equipped with windscreen
Daytime Use of Headlight
Modulating headlight permitted
Passenger Seat
Required if carrying a passenger
Passenger Footrest
Required if carrying a passenger
Passenger Age Restriction
None
Helmet Speakers
No Restrictions
Periodic Safety Inspection
Required by law
Mirror Left(L) Right(R)
One required by law
Radar Detector
No Restriction
Turn Signals
Not Required
Muffler
No statewide acoustical criteria.
Maximum Sound Level
No statewide acoustical criteria.
State Insurance Requirements
Compulsory Liability (Minimum Limits)(15/30/5)
Handlebar Height
Handgrips below shoulder height
Rider-Education Waiver
Skill Test
Accept Motorcycle Endorsement From Other States
No
Motorcycles operating two abreast in same lane
Not referenced in Administrative Code or Statutes
Lane Splitting
Not referenced in Administrative Code or Statutes
NEW YORK
Safety Helmet
Required by law-reflectorization required
State Funded Rider Ed
Not Available
Eye Protection
Required by law
Daytime Use of Headlight
Required by law-modulating headlight permitted
Passenger Seat
Required if carrying a passenger
Passenger Footrest
Required if carrying a passenger
Passenger Age Restriction
None
Helmet Speakers
Single earphone only
Periodic Safety Inspection
Required by law
Mirror Left(L) Right(R)
One required by law
Radar Detector
No Restriction
Turn Signals
Required if manufactured in 1985 or after
Muffler
Muffler required; no straight pipes; no removal of baffles; no modification of exhaust system that increases noise beyond exhaust system originally installed. Ref: NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law, Article 9, Section 381
Maximum Sound Level
Maximum Allowable A-Weighted Sound Levels at Speed: 35 mph or less, 82 dB(A); over 35 mph, 86 dB(A), measured at, or adjusted to, a distance of fifty feet from the center of the lane in which the motorcycle is traveling. Ref: NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law, Article 10, Section 386.
State Insurance Requirements
Compulsory Liability (Minimum Limits)(25/50/10) - Minimum limits where death results are 50/100.
Handlebar Height
Handle bars or grips cannot be more than the height of the operator's shoulders
Rider-Education Waiver
Skill Test
Accept Motorcycle Endorsement From Other States
Yes
Motorcycles operating two abreast in same lane
Yes. § 1252. Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic § 1252. Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic. (a) All motorcycles are entitled to full use of a lane and no motor vehicle or motorcycle shall be driven in such a manner as to deprive any motorcycle of the full use of a lane. However, this subsection shall not be construed to prevent motorcycles from being operated two abreast in a single lane.
Lane Splitting
§ 1252. Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic (b) The operator of a motorcycle shall not overtake and pass in the same lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken. (c) No person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.
PENNSYLVANIA
Safety Helmet
(Effective September 4, 2003) Helmet optional for a person 21 years of age or older who either have been licensed to operate a motorcycle for not less than two full calendar years or have completed a motorcycle rider safety course approved by the department or the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. The passenger of a person exempt under this subsection, if the passenger is 21 years of age or older.
State Funded Rider Ed
Available for all eligible applicants
Eye Protection
Required by law
Daytime Use of Headlight
All motorcycles built after 1973 must have their headlights on during the day & night
Passenger Seat
Required if carrying a passenger
Passenger Footrest
Required if carrying a passenger
Passenger Age Restriction
None
Helmet Speakers
To be used for communication purposes only (PA Code Title 75, Chapter 33, Section 3314. Prohibiting use of hearing impairment devices).
Periodic Safety Inspection
Required by law
Mirror Left(L) Right(R)
Two required by law for vehicles manufactured after 4/1/77
Radar Detector
No Restriction
Turn Signals
Not Required
Muffler
Muffler required.
Maximum Sound Level
Pennsylvania Administrative Code Title 67, Part I, Subpart A, Article VII, Chapter 157, Subchapter B, Section 157.11, Paragraph a: Max A-weighted sound levels as measured at 50 feet: 84dBA at 35 mph or less; 88dBA above 35mph.
§ 3523. Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic (b) Overtaking and passing.--The operator of a motorcycle shall not overtake and pass in the same lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken. (c) Operation between lanes or vehicles.--No person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles.
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