I tried to talk him into a 3 wheeler starting out, but he'd just get pissed saying he'd dealt with his eye for 50+ years and used to ride dirt bikes, so I shut up about it. We've been to the Smoky Mountains twice, Colorado 3 times, Utah and Arkansas a bunch. He's a lot better now, but in the first few years, we couldn't stop without him dropping the bike (panic stops). I'd look back and he'd be rolling down a mountain somewhere.. We'd go pick it up. That damn Heritage can take a licking and keep on ticking !

 

I don't mind group rides if I know the group. My pet pave? That one guy (or gal) who don't understand riding staggered.

 

Hahaha....I know, right!

 

I'm fairly new to riding (5 years, last 3 on my Road King, somewhere around 50k miles total on a bike). I thought it might be cool to ride with a group and have done so a few times - a toy run, a couple of HOG-sponsored rides, some PGR missions. I find that when I ride with a group I end up focusing on staying in my position, watching for brake lights on the bikes ahead, watching my rear view to make sure the bike behind me is not too close, etc. It kills the enjoyment of riding for me.

Last weekend the Indian dealer had a demo day with all the new bikes. They took everyone on a loop with a mix of some back roads and highway. I really wanted to ride all of them, but after the first ride and all of the stupid stuff happening, I just got back on my bike and left.

I did go on a ride with a friend and his wife a couple weeks ago, just his bike and mine. That was OK. He was leading and rode maybe a little faster than I would have alone but nothing stupid.

 

...agree too. May he'll get better with time & practice, maybe not. He just may be too afraid. Riding a motorcycle isn't for everyone even though they want to. Sometimes these type guys maybe better suited on a Lo Rider or Switchback.

 

Ah, the joys of group riding!!!

Many years ago (1975) we had a small group of family members that rode bikes.

We decide to take a "family" Memorial Day weekend trip south , and at the time I was single as was one of my cousins.
My brother, at that time had three step-daughters and they couldn't/wouldn't leave their youngest (under 8 years old) at home alone so I volunteered to take her (on my new Electra-Glide).

At the FIRST fuel stop, just as I stopped and lowered my kickstand, I heard a noise and looked to my left and I saw the headlamp of my (female) cousins 450 Honda laying on the opposite side of the pump island.
She's short, the Honda was too tall for her (she inherited it from her husband) and it had ape-hanger bars and she just couldn't hold it up once she got off-balance, but all was well.
Later in the day, my (same cousin's husband) fouled a plug on his Super-Glide so we pulled to the side of the road and another (male) cousin, also riding a Honda 450, lost his balance and fell up against the guard rail, but again, all was well

At this point, me and my brother. separated from the group and headed towards our Mom's place and the rest of the group headed towards a popular lake/campground for two nights of camping.
We heard later that the two "rookies" (on the Honda 450's) had both dropped their bikes (slow speed) on the dirt, lake road and had taken turns of helping each other picking up their bikes . Again, all was well.

On Sunday morning. the group made it to my Mom's place. and after breakfast we prepared to leave and I told my brother that I still had ice and a 6 pack of beer in my LH saddlebag. (Remember, this was back during the last Century)!
He says "OK. let's ride for a while and if you see a nice place to pull over we'll all have one beer and get rid of them"

I'm in the front (as always), the two male cousins that I always rode with were directly behind me side-by-side, by brother was behind them in the center of the lane, and the two "rookies" were bringing up the rear.
We're on a curvy, two-lane, 55MPH road, running along the river which was on our left side.

I was probably doing 50-55 MPH as I came around a slow curve and approaching a fairly straight piece of road when I spotted a nice pull-off ahead so I turned on my left turn signal and started slowing down and when the one car coming from the opposite direction passed by I crossed over the left lane onto the gravel/dirt surface of the pull-off area.
Just as I felt my rear tire leave the pavement, I heard motorcycles start sliding so I just locked my front brake, braced my bike and hoped for the best!
When the noise stopped, I was actually surprised that everyone was upright an that no one was injured or dead!

My two cousins (on the Super-Glides) had followed me and my brother was ready to follow them until he heard the tires sliding so he "froze" in the middle of his lane while the two "rookies" Honda 450's went sliding (one on either side) of him!
The bike that slid by my brother on the RH side came so close that their mirrors "slapped" and my brothers mirror had swiveled a full turn but neither mirror was cracked or broken.

 

Well considering the "average" Harley rider does 2500 miles a year, you are doing pretty damn well. In Harley years you have about 20 years worth.

 

That's funny. Just trying to make up for lost time, I guess.

 

I can't even imagine going from a Honda rebel to an Ultra.

 

Death Grip can really get the bike wobbling??

I’m going to have to experiment with that... I’m pretty loose so have not dealt with that.

I guess this would be caused by working against the bike too much?