Author Topic: Group riding and passing others (Read 6087 times)

ITSec · « **on:** July 30, 2016, 04:21:09 PM »

Unfortunately, there was another strong example of the dangers associated with following the lead of others in a group that occurred this weekend. In New Brunswick, a group of riders were behind a pickup towing a fifth wheel when one of the riders led the others in attempting a pass of the camper. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/accident-st-basile-motorcycle-rv-1.3701744

What the motorcyclists apparently didn't realize was that the camper was executing a left turn into a campground.

Roughly 20 riders apparently went down; nine were seriously injured and a tenth died.

I'm not a big fan of riding in groups; when I do, the smaller the group is the happier I am. Group riding can (and in this case did) lead riders to follow the leader, acting like a school of fish moving together regardless of what each might see.

If you are riding in a group - or even if moving in a common way with other traffic - please remember to take time to observe, judge, and act for yourself. Your safety is (in the end) your own responsibility.

Lannis · « **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2016, 04:53:05 PM »

I think you're right about the "group-ride" mentality being like a school of fish ... and caused the wreck.

I wonder if the news knows what they're talking about when they said that the riders were members of various gangs like "Hells Angel, Red Devils and Dark Siders". Among a lot of non-riders, which I'm sure includes journalists, ANY motorcyclist is probably a gang member.

Or it could be that the car tires on the bikes of that last group caused the smash? You never know.

Lannis

rodekyll · « **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2016, 05:23:46 PM »

Too bad. It's probably the first time in history that Hell's Angels, Red Devils, and Dark Siders (is that a bike gang or a tire style?) ever got along well enough to ride under one boss. Sad to see it end like that. Also too bad that out of 15 bikes, nobody was capable of riding their own bike -- they were all riding the boss's like he had them on a tow rope. You'd think that about the time the 5th or 6th bike went down, one of the remaining would have thought "Hmmm. They're all dying up there -- maybe this isn't a good idea . . . "

I lost a riding companion once when he was in the lead and pulled the same jackass stunt -- attempting to pass a string of cars that were stopped for the one turning left. As we waited in line, the rest of us watched him go into the driver's side rear door window (rolled up) and not come out.

. . . and I'm guessing that despite the recent "loud pipes' topic, there's 15 out of 15 cases right there where loud pipes contributed only to the mess on the road.

fotoguzzi · « **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2016, 05:33:34 PM »

Quote from: Lannis on July 30, 2016, 04:53:05 PM

I wonder if the news knows what they're talking about when they said that the riders were members of various gangs like "Hells Angel, Red Devils and Dark Siders".
Lannis

I'm sure they don't.. none of them looked like gang bikes and I doubt the Hells Angels would be riding with anyone other than their own.

ITSec · « **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2016, 06:06:09 PM »

Quote from: Lannis on July 30, 2016, 04:53:05 PM

I wonder if the news knows what they're talking about when they said that the riders were members of various gangs like "Hells Angel, Red Devils and Dark Siders". Among a lot of non-riders, which I'm sure includes journalists, ANY motorcyclist is probably a gang member.

Lannis

I deliberately did not mention the question of why the riders were in a group, or make any comment about affiliations, because such matters were A) badly reported on and B) irrelevant to the question of safety in a group ride.

Quebec is home to a very strong Hell's Angels chapter and numerous affiliated groups; they may or may not have been involved in this event. The video clips do show at least one full patch with rocker.

The point remains that each of us, if we choose to ride in a group, must strongly take hold of responsibility for our own decisions about each choice or action during the ride. Surrendering such decisions to others is perhaps the worst decision of all.

rodekyll · « **Reply #5 on:** July 30, 2016, 06:14:16 PM »

amen.

pete roper · « **Reply #6 on:** July 30, 2016, 06:17:36 PM »

There was a similar sort of 'Group Ride' incident just outside Bungendore a few years ago. A mob of Canberra pirates were out on their 'Ride' twenty five or thirty of them I think. They has one of their wives or GF's driving a Land Cruiser flat bed as their 'Support Vehicle'. It had set off before the pack and they caught up with my it. The 'Fearless Leader' instituted an overtaking move on a sweeping, left hand bend with a wall of poplar trees on the left of the road so visibility was impeded both by the Land Cruiser and trees. What the dipshit had failed to notice was the bloke on a GSXR coming the other way.

The whole mob of sheeple pulled out to follow the fearless leader and the poor bastard on the GSXR had nowhere to go! Several witnesses uninvolved with the 'Group Ride' stated that the fella on the GSXR was plodding along and speed on his part wasn't a factor but as he tried to avoid them the pack of clowns just rode through him. Yes, he was one of two or three fatalities in that incident, there is a stone memorial slightly off the road erected by his widow.

As for the Pirates? Many of them in hospital, several choppers and a fleet of ambulances tied up, road closed for a day, big-money top end Harley baggers strewn like confetti over about an acre and a half! And all because a pack of dingusses don't have a brain cell each!

All the more reason not to ride in a pack! As it is if I'm riding with anyone else it's very easy, you ride yer own ride at yer own pace. The pub at the end of the ride isn't going anywhere. If you get there five minutes later or five hours later who cares? The beer will taste just as good and the ride will of been just as much fun! Much better than spearing off into the scrub trying to stick with someone else or getting involved in the sort of cretinous carnage listed above.

Pete

lucydad · « **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2016, 06:18:16 PM »

In my opinion large motorcycle group riding increases risk dramatically. Wont do it.

Guzzistajohn · « **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2016, 06:32:26 PM »

Riding with a few cats you know and trust can be an absolute blast. But parades of pirates nfw

Lannis · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2016, 07:01:40 PM »

Quote from: ITSec on July 30, 2016, 06:06:09 PM

I deliberately did not mention the question of why the riders were in a group, or make any comment about affiliations ....

I noticed that; that's why I filled in for you.

It's possible that it's relevant, since the whole issue is "group mentality" and that mentality is different for different groups.

It also speaks to the accuracy of the reporting, since sloppiness in one part of the report may indicate sloppiness in others.

In any case, the "group think" danger is well pointed out by this incident. I thought I was going to be burying a friend of mine once over that - we were on our old Brits, and taking a "breakfast ride" to Winterville, Ohio. The restaurant was on the left side of the four-lane undivided road - many of the group had already turned in, and my friend (riding in front of me) was looking for them.

He saw them, and immediately made the left turn regardless of traffic, RIGHT in front of an oncoming car (35 mph zone). I never would have believed that she would have missed him, but a combination of extreme alertness and excellent reactions on her part in hitting the brakes and swerving to her right, and on his part on doing the same, had them both stopped with him leaning against her driver's door and she was looking pretty peeved.

It never would have happened if there wasn't a group involved!

Lannis

Arizona Wayne · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2016, 07:27:19 PM »

About 20 years ago 50 Dutch Guzzi riders were riding in a group in the USA when they came upon a flatbed ruck with firewood on the back. Some firewood started coming off the truck bed and bikers started avoiding the bouncing wood, but 1 rider didn't get so lucky and went down. The rest of the trip(25 days) he spent it in the chase vehicle with his leg in a cast.

After that incident the group of riders staggered out in groups of 3 in case another unexpected danger propped up.

Arizona Wayne · « **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2016, 08:44:55 PM »

Quote from: oldbike54 on July 30, 2016, 08:33:07 PM

Wait ... 50 Dutch Guzzi Riders

Dusty

They rode over here 2 different times in the 90's. I met them both times. They put all their bikes in a ship container and rode over here for 30 days. Nice people, but talking to them you would think the whole world evolved around Holland!

rodekyll · « **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2016, 08:47:27 PM »

Quote from: oldbike54 on July 30, 2016, 08:33:07 PM

Wait ... 50 Dutch Guzzi Riders

Dusty

That's what made it such a tragedy -- it was the entire fleet wot got sunk. They were in dutch thereafter.

ITSec · « **Reply #13 on:** July 31, 2016, 12:21:04 AM »

Quote from: Arizona Wayne on July 30, 2016, 08:44:55 PM

They rode over here 2 different times in the 90's. I met them both times. They put all their bikes in a ship container and rode over here for 30 days. Nice people, but talking to them you would think the whole world evolved around Holland!

Just remember - the Dutch are either tall or insane - or both.

I have met a number of Netherlanders who were (shall we say) insufficiently tall!

Mr Revhead · « **Reply #14 on:** July 31, 2016, 01:56:28 AM »

I often ride in a group. But that doesn't mean a bunch of 20+ bikes moving as one.
There is riding in a group, and then there is riding like a group of tossers. The later seems to be the case here.
Just because you are on a bike, doesn't mean you can ignore traffic rules, such as following distances etc....

PeteS · « **Reply #15 on:** July 31, 2016, 07:12:27 AM »

Harley Dealer Bruce Rossmeyer lost his life this way. Riding in a group to Sturgis he tried to pass a truck pulling a camper making a left turn.
This can happen in any group including sport bike riders. Anytime you focus on the rider in front rather than on the road can lead to trouble.

Pete

John A · « **Reply #16 on:** July 31, 2016, 07:36:57 AM »

Last year I rode with a group of Patriot Guard riders. At a stop some of them would block the cross road and the bunch would roll thru without stopping. It worked well on back roads with no traffic but when they did it on the highway people not only didn't stop but we're generally pissed off if they were paying attention. I won't be riding with that bunch again.

stevet · « **Reply #17 on:** July 31, 2016, 09:07:57 AM »

When you're riding side-by-side holding hands, and wheel to wheel, like a line of kindergarten children obediently following the teacher, stupid stuff like this happens.

Any group with more than two riders, well spaced from each other, is too much for me.

Steve.

Guzzistajohn · « **Reply #18 on:** July 31, 2016, 09:44:41 AM »

Pretty basic rule ignored here.NEVER pass where a the vehicle you are passing has the opportunity to make a left turn. What a bunch of dumb shits

John A · « **Reply #19 on:** July 31, 2016, 09:55:12 AM »

Quote from: Guzzistajohn on July 31, 2016, 09:44:41 AM

Pretty basic rule ignored here.NEVER pass where a the vehicle you are passing has the opportunity to make a left turn. What a bunch of dumb shits

Especially farm equipment that doesn't need a road to turn off on!

Dean Rose · « **Reply #20 on:** July 31, 2016, 10:07:02 AM »

Yeah but the guy in front was going to buy the icecream.

Dean

Guzzistajohn · « **Reply #21 on:** July 31, 2016, 10:42:44 AM »

you made a left turn??????? Didn't you hear my loud pipes?? Didn't you see my armpits in your mirror? You totally &$@ked up my new tattoo

stevet · « **Reply #22 on:** July 31, 2016, 11:18:20 AM »

Motorcycles are just a plague. It's time society gets rid of all of them. At least the loud ones with their unsafe, selfish, disrespectful riders.

Steve.

stevet · « **Reply #23 on:** July 31, 2016, 11:45:41 AM »

Quote from: oldbike54 on July 31, 2016, 11:39:48 AM

Well hell , after 48 years of riding and ignoring every negative comment re motorbiking , "you're gonna die" , "what do you do when it rains" etc , you have convinced me . Selling out tomorrow , never ever gonna ride again , in fact maybe just have my bikes crushed so no one else can ride them

Dusty

Holy smokes, Dusty! Okay, I back away from my comment. Don't crush 'em!

Steve.

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Author Topic: Group riding and passing others (Read 6087 times)

pete roper

lucydad