There are no hard fast rules for riding in a formation that are written in a motorcycle rider manual that you receive when you decide you want to buy a bike and the information is not delivered to you via telepathy either.  When I took the motorcycle safety course this information was not covered either and I have noticed in my few years of riding that there are many new riders that have no idea how to ride safely in a formation.  This is not only unsafe for them, but for other riders around them so I decided to do some research online to see what other people had to say and bring this information to you.  A lot of the info online is opinionated and I decided I would not bring my own opinion into this article.  Then I realized that was impossible!  Anyway, here it is.

When riding in a group, large or small with new riders, it is safest to ride in a staggered formation.  Riding side by side limits escape routes if a threat arises and is not generally safe when riding with inexperienced riders.  A staggered formation consists of an experienced rider in the lead position at the front of the group on the left hand side of the lane and an experienced rider at the back to watch for stragglers and go for help in the event of an emergency.  The back rider may ride either side of the lane that he/she chooses as there will be no other riders on either side of him/her.  Of course all the other riders ride in between the two.    

The lead rider is responsible to make sure, before starting the ride, that everyone knows where the group is going and where they will be stopping for fuel.  It is also a good idea for the leader to know how many new riders are in the group, place them towards the front of the group so as not to lose them, and use their mirrors throughout the ride to insure that the group is not spilt up. 

It is a good idea to have a “destination informed” rider towards the middle of the group in case the group does get split somehow into two groups and at that point the “destination informed” rider would become the lead of the second group until the first group pulls over to wait on the second.  The lead rider should use hand signals for turning and slowing so that people behind him/her can actually see ahead of time which way the group is going.

The second position of the group should be to the right of the leader on the right side of the same lane and back a little.  The third position would be on the left side of the lane behind the leader with a three second cushion.  To find the three second cushion while riding find something on the side of the road to use as a landmark like a telephone pole or light pole and count three seconds out as the person in front of you passes it.  You should pass that same landmark three seconds after the person in front of you.  The fourth rider would then be on the right of the third rider and three seconds behind the second rider thus creating a “staggered formation”.  It is imperative that each rider stay on their side of the lane not weaving back and forth in the lane as this would cause confusion and become a safety hazard to all riders within the group.

When roads are twisty or narrow, slow into a single file formation for safety and when coming to a stop at lights ride into a “two abreast formation”, side by side, to keep the group tight and not lose people or hold up traffic.  When the light turns green, resume slowly into a “staggered formation” creating a cushion between you and the person in front of you.

Ok, here is where my opinion comes in… when riding in a large group, the group needs to stay together as a whole.  It is easier to do this on side roads that are not highly traveled, but if you are riding to somewhere like Sturgis it would take you forever to get there on side roads!

I used to ride escort for funeral processions and in order to keep the group together we had one person toward the front of the procession ride ahead and actually stop traffic at stop signs and lights when the procession would get off the freeway.  I’m not going to go into how we diverted traffic on the freeway as I feel this would be an unsafe practice for people who are riding in biker garb as opposed to procession escorts who rode police vehicles and wore a uniform.  Anyway, it is a good idea to have ride escorts, or “guides” if you rather, in the front of the group, in the middle of the group and at the back of the group. 

The guide at the front of the group, not the leader, would ride ahead to the light or stop sign and when the signal is “green” that rider would park their bike in the intersection and stop traffic from splitting up the group.  As the group approaches the intersection, the second guide would park their bike behind the first guide’s bike and take over so that the first guide could then ride on to the next signal or stop sign.  Each guide would do this until the whole group is through the intersection.  The lead rider during this time would ride the speed limit or slightly below to keep the group together so that traffic is not sitting there waiting for stragglers and the last guide is not getting honked at and flipped off by “fourwheels” who are being detained from their busy lives going nowhere and in a hurry to get there.  Oops, there goes my opinion again! 

Keep in mind it is possible for these guides to get a ticket for “obstructing traffic”.  While it is tempting to block an intersection so your entire group can go through, it is against the law.  So is leaving from a four-way stop in large bunches. More than two is also a cause for citation.  Ride guides or escorts are not condoned by Biker Information Guide as it is not a legal practice.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for riders to use hand signals when turning or slowing so that riders behind them that are “enjoying the scenery” will see the hand movements and come back from their “mental vacation” and not rear-end the person in front of them.  The same thing goes for all traffic.  People get distracted and are more likely to see hand signals than they are to see your turn signals.

If you need to pass a vehicle in front your group, bikes should pass one at a time pulling far enough in front of the vehicle being passed to allow for the rest of the group to fall behind you and resume the initial speed to keep the cushion in front of the passed vehicle growing for the rest of the group.  Once you have passed the vehicle resume a staggered formation keeping a cushion between you and the rider in front of you.

When riding in a large group on the freeway, keep in mind that other traffic may need to get off the freeway while your group is passing the exit and the other vehicle may panic and ride into the group to exit the freeway.  Always be aware of other vehicles and their intentions.  Not all drivers and or riders that are not in your group have your group’s safety foremost in their minds.  Remember that there are “other” drivers and riders on the road that have a destination also.

Each individual rider is responsible for their own ride.  If you are not comfortable riding in a group or feel in any way unsafe for any reason, fall behind the group and ride about one mile or so behind the group and let the last rider know that you will not be riding within the formation so they do not feel responsible to hold up the group for you.  It is important for this reason, for every rider to pay attention when the lead rider explains the route and fuel stops before the ride begins.  It is “socially acceptable” to leave the group and ride behind it and still be able to meet up with the group at stops and the final destination.  You do not need to explain to anyone why you felt unsafe or that “so-and-so” was making you uncomfortable as this may sometimes put other riders in a defensive mode and cause strife within the group.  Always keep your safety and the safety of others in mind when riding in a group or as an individual rider. 

Ramona