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Riding motorcycles in a group is one of the best ways to experience the sport. The uniqueness is that while riding is a solo sport and everyone rides their own machine, a group hits the same roads and often ends up with the common bond that team sports require. While I do ride alone at times (especially in the dirt), nothing is more enjoyable then shredding some rubber and sharing the moment with buddies.

I have had great experiences with group rides and as well as logistical nightmares. In my opinion, there are two main questions to answer: What’s the duration of the ride? What are the knowns versus unknowns? Let me explain:

What’s the duration of the ride?
On a one day ride, the group size is really no big deal. No matter how big the group, everyone is probably local. In this case limited special arrangements need to be considered because anyone can simply peel off from the group at any time. Its still important to split up the group into faster and slower riders (remember we are all Humble about our ability) so that everyone keeps their own desired pace.

I have been on organized day rides of a hundred or so and some, believe it or not, have worked very well. Yet somehow, I have been on rides with four people that were complete disasters. The most difficult thing to pull of on a large group ride is meeting and /or rolling on time. This simply boils down to if the roads and riders known. But again, day rides can work with any size.

Group sizing is much more critical on multi-day roads trips where restaurants, hotels, and being a long way from home are involved. Its my opinion that between two and six people makes for the best group size. The ideal size is four for me. Four still allows the group to mix it up with the others, yet is small enough to get one single table at a restaurant. In addition, its not hard to get three others with whom you trust, are Humble, and are Smart.

I also recommend (although no big deal) even numbers as this promotes the ‘buddy system’ of pairs. Pairing up regardless of the size of the group is a good thing for a couple of reasons. The most important being respect for the others’ ride. This means that if your buddy goes down, depending on the situation of course, you hang back with him, but the rest of the group forges ahead…remember we are talking vacation here. This makes selection your riding buddies pretty important. The two-person buddy system makes it easier for gas-stops, food-stops, and lodging as you can alternate the bills for each.

RULE #5: Group size is a numbers game. There is always a chance, no matter how good the rider, that something will go wrong. Whether its mechanical or someone meets Mr. Asphalt, the chance is there. The larger the group size, the larger the chance of misfortune…its cumulative.

What are the knowns versus unknowns?
On a multi-day road trip, there is no reason for everyone not to have a copy of the planned trip map. This would include marked spots for lunch, hotels, and any other major stops. If for whatever reason someone gets away from the group, they will always know where to be that night. While it sucks being split from your group riding solo, there is peace of mind knowing that the time alone is limited…heh - you might enjoy yourself!

The other indispensable piece of paper needed for each rider is a list of the group’s cell phone numbers. I was recently part of a one week trip with fourteen (count ‘em…fourteen) riders with the intent to ride together. Within thirty minutes of leaving our origin, we were broken up into five or so groups. With cell phones, voicemail, and of course a map, we were able to collect a few others and still meet up at the hotel for dinner that night. It turned an absolute nightmare into something that was manageable.

Rule #6: Get everyone maps and cell phone numbers. This info is vital to the success of the ride if people get split up. It takes a little work, but pays off ten-fold if needed.

Another reasonably common occurrence is when two buddies bring their two groups together. This is a great thing as the motorcycle world is a small, tight-knit community. I would still recommend that the two groups ride separately though. The benefit is that the respective groups know what to expect out of their riders (Note: I am talking about…say…two groups of four to six meeting for the first time). If the ability gap is simply too large then break the group up into ‘fast’ and ’slower’ groups, but break it up nonetheless.

Although this has been mentioned in the past, its also a perfect fit here. Consider introducing only one new rider to a group at a time. If you haven’t ridden with him, its more than likely you just met or don’t know each other that well. I’ve met some of the greatest people/riders by the “we’ll have to go for a ride some time” and via motorcycle forums. I have also met people I will never ride with again through the same avenues. Things like rider capability, judgment, and personality are likely not well known prior to the trip. Managing one unknown on a trip - good or bad - is not too difficult, but more than that becomes work. Who wants to work on vacation? Trust me when I say this, but if you are responsible for inviting someone who doesn’t blend, it reflects poorly on your credibility and judgment to introduce other new guys from that point forward.

Rule #7: Don’t experiment with more than one new rider on a multi-day road trip. Too may unknowns that can piss a lot of people off if the person doesn’t play well with others. If so, its ultimately your fault.

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