Spyder group riding etiquette

[2dogs]

Now you know why we don't like to drive in groups with other motorcycles/Spyders/trikes. Was in a riding club for several years, and one of the road captains. Seen enough "stupid" to cure me of it.

Don't mind riding with friends, who I am familiar with though.

Yea, us too. We don't ride in groups anymore. Too dam stressful. 1/4 mile separation is my comfort zone. If I can see your brake lights but can't read your license plate, I'm good with that.

[Peacekeeper6]

I have a question for you folks out there in the know. When riding motorcycles in groups, we stagger, with lead rider on the inside closest to the center lane. Then all the other riders stagger for safety reasons. What do you do if a Spyder is in the mix with other motorcycle riders? It is hard to stagger a Spyder because they are so wide. And secondly, if you are riding in a group of all Spyders, what is the safest way to travel? Do you still stagger?

Sounds like a crazy question but I was thinking about this.

I've ridden in stagger formation MANY times on two-wheels. I like keeping a tight formation especially through towns with traffic lights because IF the light turns yellow, no car would dare cross the intersection when a group of "rolling thunder" is still riding through.

Haven't done a group ride with Spyders though. I imagine I'd adopt a more car-like attitude and give others lots more space.

[jcthorne]

We tried that and it caused its own set of problems. You may not think relegating the spyders to the rear of the pack is disrespectful but realize many feel it IS. Doing that causes hard feeling and that results in less than optimum safety in the formation. Having trikes mid formation is not disruptive at all once everyone gets used to it. Southern Cruisers is one of the largest riding clubs in the US, and our local chapter is the largest. We have a good deal of experience with mixed rides and found what does not work and fixed it. Was just trying to give you the benefit of our years of experience and hundreds of thousands of miles doing it. I was actually against this formation myself over the years but learned by example and experience why it works and came around to supporting it.

[jcthorne]

Some people enjoy the discipline of formation riding and do it well and safely. But, I believe most Ryders, particularly relative novices and casual riders, should not attempt close formation riding, for everyone's peace of mind.

No one is speaking of 'close formation' riding. We are talking about group rides and the safest way to accomplish them. We strictly follow the 1 sec 2 sec rule. Not close at all.

[UtahPete]

No one is speaking of 'close formation' riding. We are talking about group rides and the safest way to accomplish them...

I disagree. There have been several references to 'staggered formation' and 'trikes to the rear of 2 wheelers' because of stopping distances; both imply close formation riding.

[SpyderAnn01]

You ride staggered leaving a 2 second minimum gap between you and the rider in front of you. Riding like this gives you a better line of sight and also gives you more space to maneuver quickly if needed. I don’t understand how anyone can argue with that logic and if you do I won’t be riding with you!

[UtahPete]

You ride staggered leaving a 2 second minimum gap between you and the rider in front of you. Riding like this gives you a better line of sight and also gives you more space to maneuver quickly if needed. I don’t understand how anyone can argue with that logic and if you do I won’t be riding with you!

[Lew L]

You ride staggered leaving a 2 second minimum gap between you and the rider in front of you. Riding like this gives you a better line of sight and also gives you more space to maneuver quickly if needed. I don’t understand how anyone can argue with that logic and if you do I won’t be riding with you!

Tight formation in group traveling is for the Blue Angels. I like a bit of space around me. Staggering is fine but leave that 2+ seconds PLEASE. I ,personally, don't mind being a tail gunner. But when I want tear up the Sierra passes--- I prefer a small, spread out group.

Lew L

[ollicat]

Good discussion folks. I know we all ride on lots of different types of roads. Interstates are 10 feet or more wide. But some back roads lanes make only be 6 feet wide. None of this is a problem for two wheels but on a Spyder, there seems to be the need for some grace.

[jcthorne]

You ride staggered leaving a 2 second minimum gap between you and the rider in front of you. Riding like this gives you a better line of sight and also gives you more space to maneuver quickly if needed. I don’t understand how anyone can argue with that logic and if you do I won’t be riding with you!

Thanks. You said it better than I did. I obviously was not making myself clear at all.

[MRH]

I don't think there is a right or wrong way here, but it is a good question and worthy of thought. Different groups handle it differently, and rarely, if ever, has it been about anything other than what makes sense for the group (not being a second class citizen). If everybody is at the same pace, then putting Spyders in back makes sense for a number of reasons - we just don't "fit" the same way that two wheelers fit together. When I'm on rides where we stretch out at our own paces (and regroup at stops), then I find the place where I'm not slowing others down, or being slowed down - often at back of the faster pack of riders.

I think we have to remember that we aren't on two wheels, and that we are far more welcome with riders who ride more traditionally when the additional volume of three wheels doesn't take away from their experience.

[UtahPete]

No one is speaking of 'close formation' riding. We are talking about group rides and the safest way to accomplish them. We strictly follow the 1 sec 2 sec rule. Not close at all.

JC, I think the problem lies with people confusing 'group' riding with 'formation' riding. For many, it's the same thing.

[ARtraveler]

JC, I think the problem lies with people confusing 'group' riding with 'formation' riding. For many, it's the same thing.

I am thinking you are on to something here.

[2dogs]

No one is speaking of 'close formation' riding. We are talking about group rides and the safest way to accomplish them. We strictly follow the 1 sec 2 sec rule. Not close at all.

In my neck-of-the-woods, we have a secondary highway that leads from the interstate to some high desert open country. That secondary hwy goes through a 20 mile twisty canyon region that follows a river. It's not uncommon to hear on the news of several bikes going down on that hwy because one of them crashed and the others couldn't avoid hitting them. That's group riding, and the 1 sec 2 sec or 10 sec rule doesn't mean a thing if you aren't paying attention.

[BoilerAnimal]

I've seen my share of groups where they obviously thought the 2 second rule meant 2 FEET!

[thereverend]

O stagger, just single file, much safer

[obiwanbill]

I ride staggered with Friends or small groups of Patriot Guard. I gave up on Legion/VFW rides...no disrespect, but they want to stop every 45 min at a Post to drink for an hour. By the third post many a weaving all over their lane. Last 2 charity runs, there were too many on crotch rockets, hot dawging it, passing on left or showing off by driving in the opposite lane. I usually ride staggered with small groups of Patriot Guard or alone or with friends that are safety minded.

[acdcking12]

I am not a slow rider at all, and prefer to be at the back. I have always preferred that. Only time I like to be the lead bike is when we are riding a long distance. Lets say from KS to Colorado and such. That is because I have cruise, and can easily maintain my speed. A friend and his wife will follow because he has no cruise and his speed varies so much, it drives me crazy.

So I lead in that instance.

[Raven]

I used to do a lot of charity rides and some were better than others. The rubber band effect and dumb riders is why I don't do them often any more.
Didn't mine riding behind Spyders, just rode to the left of my lane and let the guy behind me stagger to the right.
Gave him more room and I could see around the trike.

[Wahrsuul]

The only "group" rides I've done on the Spyder were the "big" Veterans runs here in Dec. Over a hundred bikes usually. They line up by arrival, with Spyders, Trikes of all kinds and even a few Slingshots. No one seems to have any problems with it. There's another big ride coming in June that looks to be the same.

Even when riding alone I "stagger" - I try to keep the tires out of the oil line as much as possible.

When I was riding two wheels, we'd usually want the guy with cruise control up front even if it was a trike.

Keep your distance and it shouldn't matter who's riding what in what position.

[2dogs]

I've played/exercised my skills with the 2-second rule a lot. And at my age, it just ain't enough time/distance to make me feel comfortable. Particularly with my wife on board and we ride 2up quite often. I prefer one 1-second for every year I've been alive to stay alive. LOL Well, not that many maybe, but I like more than 2 seconds. If you've ever experienced a chink or strip of broken tire fly out from under the trailer of the semi you're following, and I think most riders have had that happen, you'd like more than 2-seconds to get away from it. I'm just say'n, the older we get.........

[Peter Aawen]

I've played/exercised my skills with the 2-second rule a lot. And at my age, it just ain't enough time/distance to make me feel comfortable. Particularly with my wife on board and we ride 2up quite often. I prefer one 1-second for every year I've been alive to stay alive. LOL Well, not that many maybe, but I like more than 2 seconds. If you've ever experienced a chink or strip of broken tire fly out from under the trailer of the semi you're following, and I think most riders have had that happen, you'd like more than 2-seconds to get away from it. I'm just say'n, the older we get.........

Yeah, that '2 second Following Rule' is really the Minimum Safe Following Distance....

Once it gets to the stage your body might occasionally take a wee tad longer to respond to the signal from your brain to jump on the brake/swerve/evade by whatever means necessary (& that stage eventually comes to all of us who live long enough! ) it pays to stretch your following distance out a little bit longer.... Most of our Oz Rider Safety Courses have been upgraded to reflect this and now recommend using 'the 2 to 5 second' or sometimes just 'the 5 second' Following Rule!

[K80Shooter]

I ride staggered with Friends or small groups of Patriot Guard. I gave up on Legion/VFW rides...no disrespect, but they want to stop every 45 min at a Post to drink for an hour. By the third post many a weaving all over their lane. Last 2 charity runs, there were too many on crotch rockets, hot dawging it, passing on left or showing off by driving in the opposite lane. I usually ride staggered with small groups of Patriot Guard or alone or with friends that are safety minded.

I just did my 1st and last ride with a group from the local VFW. You are spot on with the way they ride and stop, the only thing that I will add is that they also try to outrun everyone else.

[RickWB]

We did a one day group ride this past weekend. All were Spyders (12 of them). We travelled in single file, about 2 seconds apart minimum. Front, centre and rear riders had comms. If we had to stop at a traffic light, we would bunch up, taking one entire lane to enable the entire group to get through on the green light. If in a congested area, and got separated, we would be in communications with the leader. We all didn't have comms until recently, and that made a great difference in safety and security.

[UtahPete]

I have a question for you folks out there in the know. When riding motorcycles in groups, we stagger, with lead rider on the inside closest to the center lane. Then all the other riders stagger for safety reasons. What do you do if a Spyder is in the mix with other motorcycle riders? It is hard to stagger a Spyder because they are so wide. And secondly, if you are riding in a group of all Spyders, what is the safest way to travel? Do you still stagger?

Sounds like a crazy question but I was thinking about this.

There's a big difference between etiquette and protocols I think. You seem to be referring to protocols, if I read it correctly.