Last Sunday I went on a ride with a couple of guys I know. I usually don't ride with anyone I haven't been around or ridden with for a long time, but since I rode with them before I went. I knew everyone but that 1 guy.

We (5 bikes) roll out and I fell in at the rear, to ride the stripe, just behind the guy I didn't know. Within 1/4 mile, first signal like, first 2 roll through, light turns yellow, and he slams on his brakes moves over to the left. Well I swerved around him through the intersection, motioned to the others, and pulled over and waited. When he caught up, I told him not to pull that **** again, keep up with the group, and roll as 1, to which he said sorry and I will. We roll out and within another mile, his hat blows off and he his brakes like he was avoiding a stalled 18 wheeler. At that point I should have bolted to the front and left him on his own, but NO I waited. Within 20 miles I noticed his bike wabbling and taking curves really slowly. Couple of stop signs and the first 3 roll as one, which I'm doing too, and he hits brakes. First gas stop I asked him what was up and he said his bike wasn't handling well. I checked his air pressure, gave his tires a visual, and checked his bars and neck best I could in a parking lot - no issue I could see. We rolled out and I jumped in front of him only to find him constantly falling back. I saw him wabbling even more. We stopped for lunch and I asked a few questions. Come to find out, while he'd had the Ultra for 2 years, he had put less than 1K on it, and had upgraded from a Honda Rebel.
Turns out the guy was scared to death, worried about the weight of the bike, and freaked out every time we got over 50. The wobble was because he had a DEATH GRIP on the bars.
I tried to explain that to him, advised he get some back road miles and learn his bike, before he attempted a group ride again. About 20 miles later he turned off and headed home. The next 100 miles were really nice,
Last stop before splitting up and heading home I asked how they knew him and found out it was a guy they went to school with and had never ridden with before.

Everyone has to learn, I get that. I really was trying to help the gut and I hope I did. From now on I think I'll at least ask any new faces how long they've been riding, or what their favorite trip was. I definitely won't fall in behind a stranger again.

 

I'm not a fan of group rides for reasons just like this. I ride with 1 friend that I know and trust, hell we swap bikes back and forth, and I ride with my parents occasionally. Everyone has to learn but a group ride isnt the place to learn to ride.

When I first started riding a guy I went to school with was really excited and begged me to come ride with him. This was the first week I had ever been on a motorcycle. Turns out he's with a few other guys all on sport bikes. I rode with them and couldn't keep up obviously. Finally after the first few miles of them hauling *** and me as a noob trying to keep up I realized I was gonna get hurt and I parted ways.

 

I felt you pain right there and you could have stopped. I did read the entire post but....there's always THAT GUY.

 

It always sucks riding with somebody thats either a new rider or simply can't ride. Ive done that last in line behind a guy that wouldn't stay with the group, after a while of that I go around. On the othet hand I ride with a friend that can ride and has had a Harley all his life but drags around everywhere .We went to Big Bend last oct.and the guys he's taken trips with before said they had a nickname for him 'headlight on the horizon '
.I cracked up.

 

Yea. Even after I got ahead of him, I couldn't relax. Looking in the mirror seeing him 1/4 mile or so back, with a line of cars behind him. You know how the SE Texas 2 lanes, with just enough curves to keep anyone from passing are.

 

I certainly do!

 

Yup....I'm with ya too...RARELY ride with someone I don't know, and for the reasons you had. There's a few guys that I've ridden with for years, but mostly I'm by myself.

 

95% of my riding is solo and I like it just fine like that, I get the urge to share there's always this place. Did the buddies, the club and the new friends thing when I first moved out here but it always came down to odd personalities, newbies like you had or mostly peoples riding styles are just too different to deal with.

 

I ride solo unless my sweetie is sitting behind me.

 

Solo with my wife behind me.
I never enjoy group rides, we always peel off before long.
Maybe I ride with a trusted friend from time to time.
Defeats the freedom of being on my motorcycle, to deal with others.