How to ride the Interstate

[wfooshee]

Driving back from Virgina last week, encountered a plug in traffic, and once eventually past, handed the cell phone to the missus and said "take a pic."

This is 4 bikes riding two-by-two, side-by-side, with maybe a bike and a half of following room to the second pair. The total footprint for the 4 of them was bigger than a car, but certainly smaller than a school bus. They're riding nearly on the stripes on either side of the lane, maybe they think that's how you give your partner "swerve room." The handlebars are over the stripes! Oh, yeah, they were in the left lane doing 5 under the limit! Completely and totally unaware of the stackup behind them.

 

[Big-D]

That type of riding was probably responsible for the 26 bikes that went down a couple weeks ago.

 

[Old Michael]

If you'd been on your FJR, could you have resisted "splitting" them?

...at speed?

 

[Grumpy]

You know it's not just the Hardleys. Last Tuesday I started up one of my favorite, twisty 2 lane roads to "the Parkway" only to encounter 4 wings all-in-a-row.....two with trailers. Speed limit is 35 mph and they were all the way up to 25 mph for 4 miles......I didn't know those big "mothers" would go so slowly......of course at that speed they wobbled all over the road. If it were a single vehicle there were any number of places where it would have been possible to pass.......but not with 4-in-a-row. Finally,....... a straight........would they move to the right side of the road to make it easier for someone to pass.....No way. I had to wonder if they knew how to use the mirrors to see if anyone was behind them? Got to cut them some slack though as they were from way down south where the roads are straight as an arrow and I'll bet they'd never seen curves before? However, it was highly irritating.

 

[Geezer]

I see a lot of cruisers riding in groups right along the lane lines. I guess if you never lean it over your head doesn't cross the line.

 

[k7lvo]

If you'd been on your FJR, could you have resisted "splitting" them?...at speed?

Well-l-l-l,,, prob'ly... But I did have some fun the other day: :innocent: I came up on a couple (that's two(2) for the McD's clerks...) of cruisers the other day. They were running about 50 on the open freeway and the pipes were barking like they were pulling a hill. The gal on the back had a beanie helmet that was only held on by the long - it was floating an inch or so off her head. :helmetsmiley: I smoothly motored by - 25-30 mph faster... :bye:

Made me feel so good that I rode another 500 miles that day! :grin:

 

[fjrrider]

Ahh..........but you gotta love the sound of asphalt being ripped up off the highway!! :fans:

 

[BrunDog]

Formation flying... Looks cool. Is stupid.

-BD

 

[Toecutter]

If you'd been on your FJR, could you have resisted "splitting" them?...at speed?

...on one wheel? At that speed, I could probably get up behind them, grab second....

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Oh, yeah, they were in the left lane doing 5 under the limit! Completely and totally unaware of the stackup behind them.

They are aware. They don't care. Part of the narcissism.

 

[jeremyr62]

Oh, yeah, they were in the left lane doing 5 under the limit! Completely and totally unaware of the stackup behind them.

They are aware. They don't care. Part of the narcissism.

Same in Europe I'm afraid. Me and a friend were on our annual tear around Provence trip. I was on a GSX-R750, he on the thou. We came across a a group of about 10 rufty tufty types on Hardlys. No problem I thought, usual convention here is when you spot an obviously faster bike you always let them pass. Well these boys obviously didn't take too kindly to our lack of respect and made it as difficult as possible for us to overtake. Needless to say we did pass them but we had to ride far more agressively than should have been necessary. If they choose to ride tractors that's fine by me, but they could at least have some regard for others. ******s the lot of em.

 

[greywolf]

Normally group rides are in the slow lane, and while these guys are a bit too wide , the staggered formation is one recommended by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation , and the DMV . (https://www.msf-usa.org/ ). Most responsible riders keep the groups to no more than 7 or 8 .

I've run across groups riding too slow and with too many folks in a group, it's dangerous and ill advised , especially on twisties .

Darwinian selection will take care of all the morons on the road eventually.

 

[wfooshee]

You know it's not just the Hardleys. Last Tuesday I started up one of my favorite, twisty 2 lane roads to "the Parkway" only to encounter 4 wings all-in-a-row.....two with trailers. Speed limit is 35 mph and they were all the way up to 25 mph for 4 miles......I didn't know those big "mothers" would go so slowly......of course at that speed they wobbled all over the road. If it were a single vehicle there were any number of places where it would have been possible to pass.......but not with 4-in-a-row. Finally,....... a straight........would they move to the right side of the road to make it easier for someone to pass.....No way. I had to wonder if they knew how to use the mirrors to see if anyone was behind them? Got to cut them some slack though as they were from way down south where the roads are straight as an arrow and I'll bet they'd never seen curves before? However, it was highly irritating.

At least half the 'Wings on the road are upgrades from Hardleys. Same guys, bigger bikes.

I didn't get a picture, but the helmet comment reminded me of another one I saw earlier that same day. One guy on a Harley, open-face helmet, but fastened so loosely there was air under the lid and the bottoms of his ears were showing! Big parachute had to be a pain in the neck to ride with!

 

[nofreeride]

the staggered formation is one recommended by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation , and the DMV . (https://www.msf-usa.org/ ).

The staggered formation described recommends a 2-second following distance to the bike in front of you that is on your side of the lane. None of the bikes should ride parallel to each other as these guys tend to like to do.

 

[MotorToad]

Once upon a time I was on a group ride (sporty types, but professionals and not squidly) and we were held up for freaking ever by a group of HDs. When we finally got passed I was agitated and expressed it with subtle hand gestures. (Okay, so it was both hands.) When we got gas one of my friends said he was worried I'd piss them off and they'd come beat us up or something (I guess he's afraid of dentists). Me: "WTF are they going to do? catch us? Not very likely!"

 

[happyPuppy]

I cannot stand when a cruiser comes to a stop at an intersection next to me. I was crossing a 4 lane highway going left to right onto another road of 4 lanes going right to left. As soon as it was clear I went, and Mr. cruiser went too. I have to assume what lane he is gong into as I have the inside track and am merging into #1 , but there is no way to know for sure their intent as they like to share the lane. It forced me to hammer it a bit and make sure I was close to the double yellow, which is not the best spot to be. I was right Mr.cruiser was in #1 too just to my right, and I got the hell away from the fool.

 

[Fred W]

... the staggered formation is one recommended by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation , and the DMV . (https://www.msf-usa.org/ ).

Correct. Staggered is fine. That means the bikes are not directly beside each other on the road.

These guys were running directly side by side, two rows deep, based on the original post.

I see the cruiser guys riding in this ******** parade formation all the time around here.

While it is legal (I don't know why) it is not safe and is not endorsed by anyone with half a brain.

 

[DaveFJR]

I'm fairly certain that riding side by side in the same lane is illegal in Virginia.

Except for Rolling Thunder I wouldn't ride next to another biker in the same lane; they could screw up & crash taking you with them.

 

[Toecutter]

I see the cruiser guys riding in this ******** parade formation all the time around here. While it is legal (I don't know why) it is not safe and is not endorsed by anyone with half a brain.

How can it be legal for two bikes to share a lane and not a bike and a car?