North Texas H.O.G....

[AApple]

riders apparently have NO idea where they are when riding in a group. Mama & I went on a short trip Saturday, and got hammered by about 35-40 H.O.G. riders going down the road. The first 7-8 riders were fine, riding staggered, and in their lanes. The rest? Those bastiges were all over the road. Apparently, when riding a Hardly, the safest place to be is right on top of the white lane dividing stripes!!! :sensored: :sensored: :sensored: I dang near knocked a couple of them over with the mirror on the car. I felt like rolling the winder down and just shoving them....that's how close they were. Their entire right sides were in the next lane, forcing the cars(and anyone else) to swerve around them, which caused even more problems with vehicles in the NEXT lane to the right.
The ONLY thing that kept me from bouncin one of them was the fact that they were on two wheels....(well...that, and I'd have to endure the punishment from Mama. :mrgreen

It just t-eed me off so friggin bad. And get this...the whole group was going to a rally to protest the proposed new state law requiring riders and passengers to wear helmets!!! :swoon:

Just another example of a few bad "apples" creating a negative image for the rest of the two-wheel riders.... so, a big ol' Texas

to the North Texas chapter of H.O.G. :cheeky:

 

[dan filipi]

It's riders like that that give motorcycles a bad name, and it's not just Harley riders. The crotch rocket guys can be just as bad or worse.
Every mornings traffic report has at least 2 motorcycles down and usually in the left lanes.

I used to be a GWRRA member but after riding in a group a few times I decided it wasn't for me.
If the ride is not well organized with a set destination, good communication either by radio or hand signals, my experience has been group rides are dangerous.

 

[OldWrench]

One of the things I believe some people riding in a large group gives them a false sense of power, and that seems to me is very dangerous. Remember the movie “Smoky and the Bandit” The truck driver got beat up by a bunch of bikers, they commented he wasn’t much of a fighter or something to that effect. The waitress said “Yea he isn’t much of a driver either, just ran over a bunch of motorcycles.”

We all need to remember we are very vulnerable on a bike, in a group or alone. I try my very hard not to do something to anger a motorist and will gladly give up the right of way or whatever to keep from having an altercation, to me that just makes good sense, and I’m too old to fight with people.

On my commute home (highway 132) I have renamed it the sports bike race track. Any nice day you will find sport bikes running anywhere from 80 to 120 mph, passing over double yellows, and on corners. The other issue is we have a bar in the little town (population 250) of La Grange, a lot of riders (mainly cruisers) hang out there, get drunk then ride home. We have a number of motorcycle fatalities up here each year and most of the time it is single vehicle accidents, excessive speed or DUI. Yes those kinds of things give us a bad name.

 

[lew1701]

I have always had a problem with any group rides with more than 2 or 3 bikes. Seems to me that they are so preoccupied with staying together that they don't pay much attention to anything else. If I am ever riding with other bikes I am always the last one in the formation so I can keep an eye on everyone else. I always assume that everyone else on the road is an idiot (present company excluded ) and it is my job to avoid them.


And don't even get me started on poker runs!!! :beer: :evil:

 

[Five]

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a Harley fan, but by wingers denigrating others habits, we are separating our numbers and this will cause all to lose in the end. Same as hunters vs. shooters. I grew up riding sportbikes and hated the guys on wings, then I started talking to them and we learned from each other. I still hate for a sportbike to be called a "crotch rocket" and I still hate a goldwing that looks like the mothership from Close Encounters of the third kind, but I still respect that we all just riding our ride and together we can make it safer for all of us.

Oh, and group rides aren't my thing either. I've got to know you pretty well to trust you enough to ride that close to you.

 

[Omega Man]

Weekend warriors on Harleys are a dangerous breed.

Of course they own the road, they paid $47,000.00 for it. :smilie_happy:

Oh yeah, no groups over 4 for me.

~O~

 

[Tory]

I used to be a GWRRA member but after riding in a group a few times I decided it wasn't for me.
If the ride is not well organized with a set destination, good communication either by radio or hand signals, my experience has been group rides are dangerous.

As a GWRRA member my wife and I participated with a local chapter untell my wife got hurt and could no longer ride.
Although I am not much of a group rider either,to group this particuler chapter with some of the other groups I have riden with would be wrong.
Aside of the fact they ride to dinners and icecream rather than bars and partys,the rides we participated in where very well planned and comunicated to everybody as well as used there radios and hand signals regularly.
The folks where mostly all very experianced,conservative riders,folllowed the laws closly(like not blowing 20 bikes through a stop sign without stopping,and riding a well spaced stagger)

I have done a few charity rides when many other groups and none compare the the safety conscience of this chapter.

I do agree that group riding is dangerous and even adds a false security,and I prefer riding alone for that reason and others,but I sure wouldnt compare the GWRRA groups,at least not the couple around here,with some of the unorganized crap Ive seen from others.Ive been plain scared on a mooseheart ride once,but thats another story.

I maintain my GWRRA membership for the towing,goldbook and other perks but have shyed away from the chapter life.At least at this point in my life.I dont want to be a part of an organazation,I just want to ride.

 

[scdmarx]

Weekend warriors on Harleys are a dangerous breed.

In a nutshell.

 

[dan filipi]

Tory, I didn't mean to say that GWRRA group rides are bad.
Actually I found them to be the most organized.
I meant to say that group rides in general aren't for me. I should have been more clear.
For the most part, the GWRRA is a very good group, just not for me. There are things I don't like which I won't get into here.

 

[AApple]

As I stated, the first 7-8 riders in this group were fine. The group "leader" was riding properly, and using hand signals to "lead" the other riders, and try to keep everyone safe. Of course, this guy was also wearing headphones...not a headset...real, full sized, Radio Shack Nova Pro-looking honkers!! :mrgreen: I figured later they were prolly a set of those noise canceling jobs....I guess even HE couldn't stand to listen to a heard of HOGs! :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy:
Is was the back half of the group that was apparently just flat out lost, as far as group riding goes....
The largest group I ever rode with was prolly 5-6 of us, and we rode together pretty much every weekend, and enjoyed the heck out of it.

 

[joedrum]

yeah i just like to ride ....this is a switcharoo ....youare only as safe as the next bike is ....bikes ride close regardless rather its a hog or a wing and this is dangerest to say the least ....ive never been one to make a bike a mile long with endless bike syndrome...4-5 ok 10-20 doable more tham that is to much ....but ive been there many times though :mrgreen:

 

[OldWrench]

I do group rides at times but it is a small group of friends and people that are like me, older, and not risk takers. Normally not more than four or five of us, we keep a good separation and generally just do a day ride somewhere.

I got involved with a CMA group for a while and the folks there were really great people but some were a bit scary on the road so I kind of decided not to participate in the rides any longer.

I guess it all boils down to common sense and just trying to stay safe. Most of my riding is commuting to work. What I have found works for me is group meets without the need to ride to the destination together. You have the comradely without the pack ride, I have done a couple of those but ridden with a couple of other people and that really worked for me. I tried a charity ride once, about 400 motorcycles and I will never do that again. However for those who enjoy that sort of thing that is fine.

I personally don’t shun any rider, be it Harley, Sport bike, or whatever. I just love my old wing and the more I ride it the more I like it.

 

[sledge]

I have been in one of these wrecks back in the mid 90's ( In a Parking Lot ) there was 12 or 13 bikes , going through Gatlinburg , this one guy took his 750 Kaw , and was doing donuts in a parking lot....... it got away from him and hit 3 of us in the group. nobody was hurt.... but a lot of scuffs and bumps on the bikes more than the riders. THAT was my last ride with more than 3 or 4 riders . and most of the time me and my wife ride alone .

 

[Tory]

yeah i just like to ride ....this is a switcharoo ....youare only as safe as the next bike is ....bikes ride close regardless rather its a hog or a wing and this is dangerest to say the least ....ive never been one to make a bike a mile long with endless bike syndrome...4-5 ok 10-20 doable more tham that is to much ....but ive been there many times though :mrgreen:

So joe? I can count you out of the 3000 bike ride up to the bridge next august? :smilie_happy:

Tory, I didn't mean to say that GWRRA group rides are bad.
Actually I found them to be the most organized.
I meant to say that group rides in general aren't for me. I should have been more clear.
For the most part, the GWRRA is a very good group, just not for me. There are things I don't like which I won't get into here.

I understand dan,I keep up my GWRRA membership for a couple of reasons,the main one is the 100 mile towing on both bikes and all my cars,especially my daughters who is away to collage.
There is of course a dark political side just like most organazations,I just choose to avoid that part.Im not a good team player anyway.

I do group rides at times but it is a small group of friends and people that are like me, older, and not risk takers. Normally not more than four or five of us, we keep a good separation and generally just do a day ride somewhere.

. I tried a charity ride once, about 400 motorcycles and I will never do that again.

Thats the key right there.Like minds. It helps to know the habits of youre riding pals.
It seems the charity rides are the worse unfortunitly.I think its becuase of the hodge podge.

 

[slabghost]

I ended up following a group over 100 bikes going home from work a couple years ago. They were so arrogant in cutting off cars and trucks and impeding traffic I went to the highway patrol to report them. $20-50k apiece and can't get the group over 40mph on a 4 lane posted for 65mph.