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Advantage Motorcycle Rider Training |
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Riding in groups |
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Suggestions for riding in groups (cont.) 6) Try to ride without using the brakes whenever possible. Consider that every time you dab the brakes, the rider behind has to react to it. He/she might then brake too, and so it ripples back through the group. If you constantly dab for comfort reasons, the rider behind may eventually start to ignore your brake light. Riding without unnecessary use of brakes makes one look further ahead, forces appropriate gear selection, and makes for overall smooth riding. 7) Allow faster riders to overtake by slowing down and pulling over to the left when safe to do so. If a following rider is filling your mirror then chances are he is aggressive or patronising "squid" trying to push you. Do not allow yourself to be pushed into a dangerous situation. 8) Don't "tailgate" slower riders while waiting for an opportunity to overtake. This will unnerve and distract them. Keep a minimum 2 second gap (but preferably more) between you and the bike in front of you. Be equally considerate to drivers of other vehicles that you are waiting to overtake. To a car driver, a motorcycle's headlamp looming in the mirrors can appear quite menacing and may be a distraction from the road ahead - putting everybody in danger. What is more, you don't want them telling their passengers "Look at that idiot on my tail!" 9) As a following rider, make it a rule never to pass a vehicle before the rider in front of you has completed overtaking it. If you do, there will come a time when there is insufficient time and space for the leading rider to successfully overtake and thus he/she may need to filter back in. In this case a following rider may find him/herself either running into the back of the leading bike, or, with no-where to go. Should you, as the rider in front, see someone in this predicament, then move right to the left so as to give that rider a space to fit into next to you. |
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