Ok, so this post will stay in the FLORIDA forum, I will re-title this, HOW TO GET TO KNOW ANOTHER FLORIDA biker.

A guy called "Pinball" asked to ride with me around the USA/Canada, a 7 wk trip. I said to him, I don't know u from Jack. Let's get together to talk then possibly ride.

When we met, I brought with me 40 questions to get to know someone . (Y'all can find it or something like it on the net. Or email me your address and I will send u the one I used.)

I asked him most of the 40 questions and we had a BLAST BLAST BLAST doing it. Way more fun and not so STUPID as I thought it would be.

His answers were PERFECT!! Just like how I would answer the questions. Things like:
What do you think of the Prez of the USA?
Mountain Cabin or Beach Condo?
What kind of music do you like?
Etc.....

Well, that went freaking GREAT! I got to know him, his likes and dislikes in lighting speed. So we rode together to KW and THAT was excellent!!

We did the ride together and we both LOVED it!!! It was the best best best ride across the USA/Canada I ever did. WICKED BLAST with him and MANY laughs. We have stayed in contact ever since. He is a good ****. Am I allowed to say ****? I am too tired to remember or ****ing care. If I can't say ****, I guess the word **** would not be good either. LOL Oh well. I typed it and it did not auto correct. Maybe there will be an issue when I go to post this..........anyway, getting back to what I was saying.....

When I got together with a few blokes locally at a Boca Motorcycle Riders Group MeetUp ride, I did it again and AGAIN it was WICKED FUN!!!! So much fun, I was asked to bring the list the next time we all got together again.......

It really sounds corny and even stupid but I was VERY surprised it went over REALLY well.

Try it if u like guys and good luck with it.

BuzzCap7

 

sounds like a good idea, but did you gel riding? I like lots of people but some of their riding skills are not what I want to spend an hour with, never mind a few weeks.

 

Excellent question. MOSTLY yes I am happy to say. That was why we rode to KW. To make sure we can gel riding together like that.

One error..........we really did not ride the open highways very much and THAT was an error. If there is a next time, I will ride the open highways.

Pinball lagged waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay behind. Way too far behind for safety reasons.

While we were touring, I asked him several times to stay a LOT closer and why. It fell on deaf ears.

It was a BIG safety issue but the only thing that came up that was regretful. When you look at the numbers of things that could have gone whack-a-doodles, having just one thing that went wrong is pretty FANTASTIC!


I would definitely ride with him again provided he fully recognizes and corrects the lagging behind so far. Heck, so far back, many times I could not even see him. Or he would be out of radio (helmet SENA10) range.

BuzzCap7

 

I dislike riding with people that lag behind. That would make me irritated and take away the enjoyment of a trip. I'm not crazy fast but if I'm leading then the bike behind needs to be 2-3 seconds back. If I'm following I don't want the lead bike doing 10mph under.

 

I don't understand the lagging issue. My buddy and I traveled together quite a bit. We both know where we are going . So sometimes we get apart. We travel mostly back roads . We have never worried about time lines. Never make reservations and just enjoy the ride . If we are on a busy 2 lane road we will ride closer together.

 

UK & PR,

I agree with both of you.

Two seconds off the staggered side is "ideal". On the open highway without traffic, I can see it is not a big deal.

But too far back and thousands of miles away from home base, on long lonely stretches of highway and in the mountains around twisty's, it spells danger. Just the idea I am looking BACKWARD too many time wondering if he is ok. Did his bike die out. Did he hit something? Etc..... 100% unnecessary added danger.

What unnerved me and pissed me off a LOT was when we were in the NW of USA very deep in the woods late in the afternoon on a 2 way highway trying to make up time; he was waaaaay the F back (which is not hard to do since we were mountain side with constant turns) and out of nowhere a deer shot out left to right in front of me.

1) It happened so fast (remember it was a 2 lane mountain road so it is not wide at all) I did not have time to even react to it. No brakes, nothing. My mind was processing the information which takes 1/10 of a second.

2) He was no where in sight.

I was not only in a bit of shock with WTF and Adrenalin pumping away, I was thinking, what if I was HIT? The bike and me could have been easily blown off the road down the step embankment and HE (Pinball) would/could have ridden right by having no idea the deer, bike, and I were down off the road not to be seen by anyone riding along. THIS REALLY PISSED ME OFF!!!

I was truly shaken right up to our stopping ahead for fuel in a hideaway campground deep in never never land.

But he just did not get it.

THIS is 1 error I would NEVER forget and NEVER let happen again.

But when you look at the entire trip with someone I did not know prior to the trip, knowing how many things personality wise and all COULD have gone wrong, the intent of the original post does remain in tact. i.e.: How to get to know someone pretty fast.

Sry for a long read above......it seemed pertinent.

BuzzCap7

 

Another way to look at it would be if he was to close he could have taken both of you out. He could have been also ridding at his comfortable pace. Not everyone rides the same . Biggest reason I won't ride more the with 4 in a group .

 

Did you try following him at his pace?

I'm a terrible speeder and get bored on the long straight flats but following someone more patient's pace helps me sit back, relax and enjoy the cruise.

 

Not really my friend. He had no interest in leading as most people do not. In British Columbia he lead for about a few hours and all went well. But then, I was following him.

Also, I had been around the USA.Canada a LOT and know it better than him plus I have the routes in my GPS.

BuzzCap7