Topic Approved.

Thank you Aryan Da!!

You are welcome Shiv.

You have mentioned some nice pointers as far as group riding technique is concerned. My main riding experience has always been in fairly small groups of about 6-7 bikes or thereabouts, barring one ride which we had back in the month of August 2007 (or was it 2006? ) when we had quite a large number of bikes, riding to Chail, Himachal Pradesh.

Apart from the pointers that you have mentioned above, I would also like to mention that having a good mental attitude really helps when it comes to riding in groups. It is also advisable if you maintain a fair bit of distance (atleast two bike's worth) between the rider infront of you and your bike. That way, any emergency braking/ panic braking can be handled with ease. Else, it could be a real problem. Another important point to keep in mind is NOT to have a competitive attitude when riding in group. If you are competitive with your fellow riders/ or other road users, then you are really asking for trouble. I hope you understand very well what I mean.

This is one of the most important pointer that I could think of at this moment, although there are many in the list. I would try and mention them eventually.

Yeah Aryan Da, the mental health is I think the most important factor as per you said..... its a very good point as riding in group it requires lot of patience and discipline so getting bugged up is easy in these types of rides...

Secondly, about the formation when we used to ride in a group of 7-8, we always used to ride in diagnol poitions, behind each other, in single formation... as in case of any mishappening, it gives enough space for the rider behind to actually get the hold of the fact.... so the distance in front & behind of the rider and then the space on the left or right hand side it all matters

Very important topic indeed.
In group riding, the lead and the tail carry huge responsibilities.
1. The lead should maintain a decent pace so that other members of the group do not lag behind.
2. Using hand signals to communicate with the fellow group riders behind you is very important.
3. Everyone should check their RVM in every 20/25 seconds to see if the person trailing him/her is there.
4. Overtaking among members is a strict NO NO.
5. Do not blindly follow the person who is leading you. (For example, if you see that the person in front has overtaken a slow moving vehicle, there may not be sufficient space for you to overtake. In these cases it's better if the person in front uses some hand signals to convey whether the person following him should overtake too.)
6. Overtaking from left sides should be avoided as much as possible.
7. Everyone should use indicator while changing lanes.
8. If any rider feels that he needs to stop he should immediately show 'stop' hand signal so that the person following him can stop too.
9. The tail should never cross any other biker from his group. It's entirely his responsibility to check whether everyone is with the group.
10. To draw attention of the rider in front of you, use of dipper and horn is very important.

That's all that came out of my head at this moment.

Pre-flight check

Documents
1.Driving License
2.Registration papers
3.Pollution certificate
4.Insurance papers

Motorcycle Mechanicals
1.Tankful of petrol
2.Engine oil
3.Brake Oil
4.Brake Pad or shoe condition
5.Headlight and other lights (working/focus/intensity)
6.Battery water level
7.Chain condition/tension/lubrication
8.Control cables (throttle/clutch) if run for >10k kms, change and keep older one as contingency spare
9.Tyres [tread/tube condition (how many punctures already??)/inflation pressure]
10.Rear view mirrors (both sides compulsory)
11.General nuts n bolts checked and torqued

Tools and spares
1.Bike tool kit
2.Spark plug
3.Headlight and tail/brake-light bulbs
4.Tube (both front and rear if possible. Otherwise at least rear)

Personal Equipment
1.Clothing as preferred with light woolens to be bolstered by the windproof if need be. Weather can be unpredictable up in the hills and a cold rider is an inattentive rider.
2.Riding jacket or light windproof
3.Full face helmet with clear and clean visor
4.Cotton balaclava (optional but helps keep the helmet tight and sweat free)
5.Gloves
6.Boots, leather, preferably ankle high and with re-enforced toe caps
7.Riding pants or at least thick jeans
8.Rain suit
9.A small flash-light
10.Spare elastic net or bungee cords
11.Duplicate bike/pannier box keys
NO ONE from the group is to OVERTAKE THE LEADERNOT AN EGO TRIPINCIDENT-FREE is the real victory.

On the road and especially in the hills, whenever the group stops, no two riders shall stop next to each other, not even for a short chat. Always stop in a single file and as far from the tarmac as is practical.

Keeping in mind the recent negative view prevailing about biker groups, keep a low profile on the road. Disciplined riding, virtually absent retaliatory anger at stupidity/arrogance of other road users and reasonable speeds according to traffic/road conditions will beget respect from others.



Keep your bike in top mechanical condition. A failure 2 days into the tour and in the middle of nowhere is a thoroughly avoidable event. The engine tuning, control cables, brake pads and fluid, tyres, electricals, drive chain and even the frame need periodic checks.

Carry all the relevant documents in original, with a photocopy placed elsewhere. The R/C Book, Pollution certificate and Insurance policy (even the cover note will suffice).

Wear a cotton or silk balaclava before putting on the helmet, whatever the weather. It protects the inside of your helmet from oily perspiration and stops insects from getting into your ears and nose if you need to ride with the visor open. Two thin cotton balaclavas inside a well fitting helmet can see you through the coldest ride.

Maintain a steady fast pace for long stretches. Rushing along for sometime and then stopping every hour will actually reduce the ultimate distance you cover in a given time span. Remember the Hare and the Tortoise!

Ride the long road with the attitude of someone on a holiday. Leave that poisonous urban rush behind. Set a target for the day but don't keep chasing it all day. Relax! You are out for fun.

When in the hills, keep to your side and watch out for gravel, oil, water or pine needles on the inside of blind curves. In winter, during frosting conditions, watch out for the treacherous 'black ice'. Water or even moisture on the road gets frozen into clear ice and it is very-very slippery. This happens even on a bright sunny afternoon on the shady side of the mountain.

If there's a stream flowing across the road, watch for slippery moss covered rocks underneath. Keep the bike upright and avoid sudden direction changes.

Night riding in the hills is, in a sense, safer than during daytime. You can see the approaching vehicle's lights beyond a curve. Also, you are more focused since all you can see is what gets lit up by the headlight. There are no distracting views to see around. Prefer a headlamp that gives a wide beam spread as it enables you to see which way the road goes beyond a curve. A narrow focus beam lets you see straight ahead but not where the road is heading beyond the turn.

Night riding in the plains is a different ball-game. Follow a fast 4 wheeler at a safe distance and use its lights to see ahead. A bike is not the king of the road at night.

Intersections are popular places for spills. Keep that head on the swivel and preferably let another vehicle run interference between you and the cross traffic. Let him take the hit if some moron jumps the light. Any larger vehicle is far better equipped to take on impacts than an exposed motorcyclist.

Passing a bus that has pulled over at a stop, look at the road ahead of its front tyre from under its bumper for brave pedestrians who believe in crossing in front of a parked bus!

With disc brakes common, the increased braking power could get translated into a rear end collision if you brake hard and surprise a tailgating motorist. So watch those mirrors before dropping anchor.

When riding in a strong crosswind, crouch to make yourself as small a target for the wind as possible. Tuck in your arms, narrow your shoulders, bend your back, slide back on the seat to get your head close to the tank and grab the tank with your knees. In short, shrink. And turn into putty. Relax your body and retain a firm yet resilient relationship with the bike. Let your body move a bit with every gust and absorb its energy on its own without shaking up the bike. And watch for sudden changes in the wind force due to static (trees, houses) and moving (cars, trucks, buses) windbreaks. They stop the wind as you pass them and it comes back in force suddenly when you are past them.

Fatigue is one major factor that can result in lax reflexes and diminished ability of the eyes to focus. Rest, if possible. If not, then concentrate on focusing on distant objects to avoid falling into the trap of focusing on 'nothing' in front of you, the 'seeing yet not seeing' syndrome. And keep those eyes moving. Take a short break or a nap when sleepy. Driving drunk or drowsy is the same.

Develop peripheral vision, that ability to be aware of what's going on in the far edges of your sight while looking straight ahead. While riding, fix your eyes on the road and traffic ahead and without moving your head, try to monitor the traffic on either side of you. We usually sacrifice side vision when we concentrate on what's ahead.

To cover long distances in a day, the first rule is to keep moving. Don't dawdle over lunch and tea breaks. Minimize your stops by combining tasks. Take a leak, drink water, change your jacket and tighten the luggage in one go. The second rule is to keep the stops short. Maintain a steady fast pace balancing the time gained against the risk factors. At the end of 100 kms, doing 95 instead of 85 makes you gain some 15 odd minutes. Which is about an hour less on a 400km ride. See if it is worth pushing yourself and your bike so close to the limits to gain just an hour in 8 hours of riding.

@ OF sir - That's some really useful information. So many things that i didn't know or didn't think they matter.

My Contribution -

• Be Confident.
• Be Focused
• Don't take a trip if you're in two minds and above all Be optimistic and Enjoy the trip.
• Never feel shy to ask your seniors and experienced people for guidance
• While riding if you feel uncomfortable or dizzy, stop then & there and let some one else(If there is someone pillion) ride.
• Don't try to show off or race with local riders.
• Always wear bright clothing or gear.
• When on hills its mostly very cold out there... But that does not mean - head to the nearest bar !! Beware NO DRINKING..
• When you halt at some place be it a Hotel or a small lodge or whatever...take proper care of your bike's security. carry chains and other locks whatever possible. You go to sleep in a luxurious room but your soul stays with your bike... get up and rush to check even the slightest of sounds.
• While coming back don't be overconfident that 'i have scaled it while going so now its just a cakewalk' - NO its not... After a wonderful trip don't mess it up...
• And... Take photographs and post travelogue in XBhp for other riders to experience your trip and plan for their trips.

@ all seniors and mods - If i am missing something please do the needful..

thanks & regards

RIDE SAFE

Thank you OF Sir for your marvellous input in here.....

Loads of info in this thread! I'll just add my 1 paise..

- Use your common sense!

^ +1... i guess everythings said.
my 2 pncs:
1. in my rides, we have one of the powerful bikes (zma/220) in the rear. we call it 'the ambulance' . he carrys a medical kit, fuel, rope, phone numbers of all riders. if anyone falls back, he stops and helps them out and then continue the journey. and worst cases, he can rush ahead and catchup/stop the leader too (most people cant know their phone's ringing at high speeds).
2. never blindly follow the person in front of you. one of the scariest incidents we had was when the leader took a right turn good enough to skip the oncoming speeding scorpio. but the member behind just followed him blindly. i guess he missed a hit but 1mm! but just to experience this was enough to scare us high.
3. music - if you are riding @40kmph and are on the extreme left then maybe you can listen to some music. but i have seen some morons ripping @100kmph and zig-zagging heavily with their plugs on. for heavens sake, if you wanna die then jump into a well; why risk the life of others too?!

Very informative thread...... very nice points......

its not true..... riding in hills especially during winter n rain requires a little drink...... dnt get yourself drunk..... two pecks are good to keep your body warm n u wont shiver...... this way the handling will improve......


very true...... but if the volume is low so that u can hear the horns of other vehicles, then its perfectly ok...... n cruising at 100 doesnt mean u cant listen to music...... drive sensibly whether thats 120 while listening to songs doesnt matter.....

but above all --- SAFETY FIRST

Different people have different alcohol tolerance levels. There are people who get drunk after even a peck. Hand eye co ordination drastically drops. Therefore, drinking is dangerous while riding in any condition. There are other ways to warm up your body.

it may be the case...... getting drunk in 1 peck ...... n what may be other ways of keeping our body warm ....... that too while riding ......
Hmmmmmmmmm ......

Keep some dry fruits when planning to ride to hills... as their are many who doesnt smoke and drink...so for them it would be good