Group riding etiquette for a safer ride

June 2, 10:21 PMTampa Motorcycle Lifestyle ExaminerJannice Cameron-Chapital

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Most of you will know this information, but it surprises me every time we ride in a large group of bikers, how many motorcyclists do not know basic road etiquette. The worst thing is a large group with riders zooming in and out of the traffic, speeding ahead or stopping abruptly when there are so many bikes on the road at one time.

In the last month we were a part of a few fund raising rides. The ride itself was extremely scary due to motorcyclists who do not know how to ride in a group.  I guess we take it for granted, if we are used to riding in groups, but for those who do not know, they become a hazard to other riders and can often cause accidents.

Here are a few basic road rules that you should know when riding in a group.  If you follow these basic steps, I can guarantee you will enjoy it even more and have a much safer ride.

There are three "motorcycle" lanes within a road lane.  A  B  C.   Motorcyclists should ride in lane A and C staggered.  By that, I mean, biker 1 should be up front  in lane A and  biker 2 should be two bike lengths behind him in lane C, biker 3 should be 2 bike lengths behind him in lane A and so on.

Ride Captain.  The ride captain rides up front on the left side in lane A.  He looks ahead on the road for a safe ride for his group.  He is the one that will signal to the group any turns, lane changes, problems ahead etc.  He is the eyes and ears of the group.  Pay attention to his signaling.

Tailgunner.  The tailgunner is the last rider in the group.  He looks and pays close attention to the ride captain for direction. If the ride captain indicates to move over to the left or right lanes, the tail gunner will see his indicator and move to the lane first.  Once he has moved over, the ride captain up front will then move and then the rest of the group should follow into the lane that is now safe to move into.

In some cases the tail gunner will stop the traffic behind him to let his group move over the lanes safely.  Stay in your lane and respect the other bikes

If we follow these simple steps when riding in groups your ride will be more enjoyable and much safer.