Your First Motorcycle Group Ride: What You Need to Know Before KSU

There is something pretty incredible about being surrounded by dozens—or sometimes hundreds—of motorcycles when the engines fire, the road captain pulls out and the entire group begins rolling down the highway.

It can also be intimidating as hell the first time you do it.

If you've never ridden in a large motorcycle group before, there are things happening around you that experienced riders barely think about anymore. Road captains, blockers and sweeps are moving through the formation. Hand signals are traveling backward. Riders are changing between staggered and single-file formation. Intersections may be controlled so the group can move through together. Motorcycles may suddenly come roaring past you trying to regain their positions.

Nobody hands you an instruction manual when you arrive.

So we're going to try.

This isn't a rulebook. Motorcycle group rides don't have one. Different clubs, organizations and road captains do things differently. A poker run with 100 motorcycles operates differently from eight friends going for a Saturday ride.

What follows are the common practices you're likely to encounter on a large organized motorcycle ride—and some of the things experienced riders may already expect you to understand.

Not All Group Rides Work the Same Way

A small group of friends may ride together pretty casually. If a traffic light separates the group, the riders ahead may simply slow down or wait farther up the road. Everybody knows the destination and nobody is terribly concerned if the group stretches out occasionally.

Some rides are even more informal. You're given a route or a list of stops and everyone more or less gets there on their own.

Large organized rides are different.

Poker runs, charity rides, memorial rides, club rides and other organized events often attempt to move dozens or hundreds of motorcycles as a single formation. They may use a road captain, blockers and sweeps, along with established hand signals and procedures designed to keep the group together.

Most of this guide is about that kind of ride.

And the first thing you need to understand is that no two are exactly alike.

Your First Group Ride Starts Before KSU

If registration opens at 8:00 and KSU is at 10:00, don't show up at 9:55.

For a new group rider, the best time to arrive is generally when registration begins.

That gives you time to register, pay any ride fee or donation, sign whatever needs signing, get your poker hand or other ride materials, figure out where everything is happening and meet some of the people you're about to ride with.

More importantly, it gives you time to find out how this particular ride is going to operate.

Show up with your motorcycle fueled and ready to go. Get whatever you need from the store beforehand. Take care of the bathroom. Have your gear ready.

Once 75 motorcycles start moving, nobody is stopping the entire ride because you forgot to fill your tank.

And remember:

KSU means Kickstands Up.

It doesn't mean start putting your gloves on.

Find the Road Captain

One of the first people you should identify is the road captain or whoever is leading the ride.

If this is your first large group ride, introduce yourself and tell them.

Seriously.

Don't be embarrassed about being inexperienced and don't try to disappear into the formation hoping nobody notices. The road captain would much rather know about you before the ride begins.

Simply saying:

“This is my first large group ride.”

gives them the opportunity to tell you anything important about the ride, explain where they'd like you positioned and make sure the people running the ride know there's an inexperienced rider in the formation.

Also identify the sweeps riding at or near the rear and the blockers who will be working their way through the group during the ride.

You'll be seeing those people again.

Do Not Miss the Riders' Meeting

Most large organized rides have a riders' meeting roughly 15–20 minutes before KSU.

Be there.

And listen.

This isn't the time to be across the parking lot bullshitting with your buddies.

The riders' meeting is where you'll learn how this ride is being conducted. The road captain may explain the route, stops, formation, hand signals, blockers, sweeps, road conditions and anything unusual you're likely to encounter.

Even experienced group riders should listen because different organizations operate differently.

You don't need to know how every motorcycle group in Washington rides.

You need to know how this one is riding today.

Know Your Hand Signals

On a large ride, hand signals are one of the ways information moves through the formation.

You need to know them.

The important part many new riders don't realize is that receiving the signal isn't the end of your job.

When a signal reaches you, pass it back.

The riders behind you may not be able to see the road captain. In a long formation, information moves from rider to rider.

A signal may warn about a hazard, tell the group to slow down, move into single file or return to staggered formation.

See it. Pass it back. Then act on it.

If you're unfamiliar with motorcycle hand signals, GMRW already has a complete Motorcycle Hand Signals and Symbolisms guide. Learn them before KSU.

Staging: Know Roughly Where You Belong

Large organized rides usually stage the motorcycles before departure.

You probably aren't going to receive a numbered parking space. Pay attention to what everyone else is doing and get yourself into roughly the appropriate area.

New and inexperienced group riders are commonly placed toward the rear of the formation, where experienced sweeps can keep an eye on things.

Trikes and vehicles such as Slingshots are also commonly positioned farther back.

There is a practical reason for that.

Blockers working intersections often have to travel from behind the group all the way back toward the front. Passing a single-file line of motorcycles is considerably easier than passing several wide trikes, which can force the returning blockers farther toward opposing traffic.

Also pay attention to the organization hosting the ride. An MC or other club may have its own formation at the front.

Don't insert yourself into it.

If you're uncertain where you belong, ask.

Leave the Passenger Home for Your First One

If you've never ridden in a large motorcycle formation before, your first group ride probably isn't the time to bring an inexperienced passenger.

You're going to have enough going on.

You'll be learning to manage spacing, signals, blockers, formation changes and the movement of dozens of motorcycles around you. Adding responsibility for a passenger makes an unfamiliar situation considerably more complicated.

Once you're comfortable riding in groups, passengers are commonplace.

Make sure your passenger understands the hand signals. In fact, one of the most useful things a passenger can do is help pass those signals toward the rear of the formation.

The Group Is a Living Organism

This may be the most important concept in this entire guide.

A large motorcycle formation behaves almost like a living organism.

Acceleration moves backward through it. Braking moves backward through it. Hand signals move backward through it. Gaps open and close. Blockers leave and return. The formation changes shape depending upon traffic and road conditions.

That means your actions affect more than just you.

Maintain a reasonable following distance, but don't unnecessarily stretch the formation. Huge gaps create problems. Cars can enter the formation, blockers have farther to travel and the group becomes increasingly difficult for the road captain and sweeps to manage.

At the same time, don't ride so close that you have no room to react.

The goal isn't a mathematically perfect formation.

It's a predictable one.

Staggered and Single-File Formation

Most large rides spend much of their time in staggered formation.

But staggered formation doesn't mean your motorcycle is nailed to one precise strip of pavement. You're still riding a motorcycle. Potholes, gravel, debris, visibility and road conditions matter.

The road captain may signal single file, particularly through very twisty sections or when the formation needs additional room.

There's another important reason you'll see it:

Blockers need to get back to the front.

After blockers have held an intersection, the group may switch into single file to give them room to pass the formation and regain their positions.

Stay single file until you receive the signal to resume staggered formation.

Don't decide on your own that the blockers are probably finished.

Blockers Are Going to Come Flying Past You

This can be startling the first time.

A blocker who has been sitting at an intersection while 100 motorcycles pass may now need to get all the way back to the front before the next intersection.

They may come past you very quickly and very loudly.

Expect it.

Don't suddenly change your line. Don't accelerate because somebody is passing you. Don't try to race them.

Hold your position and let them work.

It can also be useful to pay attention to how many blockers you've passed while moving through an intersection. Those motorcycles are probably going to be coming back forward shortly.

Intersections, Blockers and the Law

Here's where the reality of motorcycle group riding and the traffic code don't always fit neatly together.

Many large organized rides use blockers at intersections, traffic lights, roundabouts and other locations to keep the formation moving together. You'll encounter the practice on club rides, poker runs, charity rides, veteran rides, firefighter rides, memorial rides and ordinary community rides.

That doesn't automatically give a motorcycle rider legal authority to control an intersection, and participating in a group ride doesn't suspend Washington traffic law.

But we're also not going to pretend the practice doesn't exist.

It does.

If you're considering participating in a large organized formation, find out during the riders' meeting how that group operates and decide before KSU whether you're comfortable participating.

Most importantly, don't suddenly make an unpredictable move simply because something occurs that you weren't expecting. Do what you can to maintain control and avoid creating a second hazard, and if you're uncomfortable with how a ride is being conducted, leave the formation safely when an opportunity allows.

Watch Out for the Slinky

Large motorcycle formations can develop a pronounced accordion—or slinky—effect.

The road captain accelerates and the motorcycles behind accelerate one after another. Farther back, the acceleration can become increasingly pronounced as riders try to maintain the formation.

Then everybody slows.

The effect travels backward again.

This can become especially noticeable when the road captain accelerates away from an intersection and then slows the formation or calls single file so blockers can return to the front.

Don't stare exclusively at the taillight immediately in front of you.

Look through the formation.

If brake lights are coming on two or three motorcycles ahead, something is developing before the motorcycle directly in front of you has necessarily reacted.

Ride the road, watch the traffic and keep awareness of the motorcycles around you.

Corners Still Require You to Ride the Motorcycle

A staggered formation doesn't necessarily become single file every time the road bends.

Many organized groups remain staggered through ordinary corners unless the road captain signals otherwise. On particularly tight or twisty sections, the captain may call single file so riders have greater freedom to position themselves safely.

Whatever the formation, don't become hypnotized by the motorcycle ahead of you.

Ride the road—not their taillight.

If they misjudge a corner, you don't want to duplicate their mistake.

Cars Sometimes Get Into the Formation

It happens.

Large gaps can invite cars into the group. Traffic conditions can put one there despite everybody's best efforts.

Don't appoint yourself the group's traffic-enforcement officer.

Experienced members of the organizing group may handle the situation or create an opportunity for traffic to move out of the formation. As a new rider, your priority is controlling your motorcycle, observing what's happening and following the movement of the group when safe.

If tempers flare between another rider and a driver, don't volunteer yourself for the argument.

You came to ride a motorcycle.

Breakdowns and Crashes Are Different

If a motorcycle breaks down, the entire group generally doesn't need to pile onto the shoulder.

That's one of the reasons sweeps exist.

The sweep will commonly stop with the affected rider and may communicate with the road captain while the rest of the formation continues.

Unless you're instructed otherwise, keep riding.

A crash is different and may result in an all-stop.

If the ride stops, get yourself and your motorcycle somewhere safe. Don't create another accident by stopping in the roadway or blocking emergency access. Render aid if needed and if you're able to do so.

If Somebody Drops a Motorcycle

It happens, particularly in crowded staging areas and parking lots.

If you're standing nearby, help.

But don't turn one fallen motorcycle into a crowd of 30 people blocking everybody else. There will usually be plenty of hands arriving quickly.

Stops, Gas and the Bathroom

Most organized rides aren't tremendously long between stops. Many are around 100 miles or less, while longer rides generally plan fuel stops appropriately.

That's still no excuse to arrive at registration on fumes.

Start with a full tank.

Poker runs frequently stop at restaurants, bars and other destinations. When the ride stops, take care of whatever you need to take care of—including the bathroom.

It may be quite a while before the next opportunity.

You'll also encounter riders having a beer at a restaurant or bar stop on some poker runs. That is part of the environment of many motorcycle events. Riding impaired is another matter entirely.

If that environment makes you uncomfortable, there's nothing wrong with deciding that particular kind of ride isn't for you.

Leaving the Ride

Plans change. Sometimes you need to head home.

The easiest time to leave is generally at one of the scheduled stops. Finish the leg, park with everybody else and head out when you're ready.

Pulling out of the formation unexpectedly while everyone is moving is different.

Remember that sweep rider?

If you suddenly pull onto the shoulder, the sweep may stop with you because that's exactly what they're there to do.

If you're deliberately leaving the ride and don't need assistance, make that clear and wave them on.

Put the Damn Phone Away

A large organized group ride demands your attention.

This isn't the time to answer texts, fiddle with your phone, screw around adjusting a camera or become fascinated with the photographer standing beside the road.

There are motorcycles in front of you, behind you and beside you. Formation changes and signals can happen quickly.

Get the pictures afterward.

You Don't Have to Prove Anything

Some group rides are relaxed.

Some aren't.

Some road captains maintain an easy pace. Others ride considerably harder. Some groups maintain relatively generous spacing. Others ride extremely tight formations. An established MC may ride bar-to-bar at the front.

If you're looking for a ride where every motorcycle operates exactly as it would while riding alone, never exceeds the posted speed limit and is guaranteed to stop independently at every changing traffic signal, many large organized group rides may not be a good fit for you.

That's something worth knowing beforehand.

Likewise, if the pace or formation exceeds your ability, don't try to prove that you belong there.

There will be another ride.

And Don't Be a Know-It-All

Motorcycle culture has plenty of traditions, and different clubs and organizations have their own ways of doing things.

If you're attending somebody else's ride, you're their guest.

Listen to the riders' meeting. Respect the people putting on the event. Follow the road captain's instructions. Don't show up and spend registration explaining how everybody is doing it wrong because another group you once rode with did things differently.

If something about the ride genuinely isn't for you, don't ride it.

That's considerably easier than trying to reorganize 100 bikers in a parking lot.

Your First Group Ride

Your first large motorcycle ride can seem chaotic.

That's because, to some extent, it is.

Dozens of motorcycles are starting, stopping, changing formation, passing signals, moving blockers and responding to traffic while trying to arrive at the same place together.

From the outside it can look like organized mass confusion.

After you've done it a few times, though, you begin to see the rhythm.

You recognize the road captain. You know where the sweeps are. You see a blocker beside the road and already know he's going to be coming past you shortly. A hand goes up three motorcycles ahead and you're ready to pass the signal before it even reaches you. You see brake lights farther up the formation and begin slowing before the accordion reaches you.

Eventually, you're no longer simply riding among a group of motorcycles.

You're riding with the group.

Get there early. Show up fueled and ready. Introduce yourself. Listen to the riders' meeting. Know your hand signals. Pay attention to the people running the ride. Don't ride beyond your abilities.

And enjoy the hell out of it.

Because the first time you look in your mirror and see a seemingly endless line of motorcycles following the same road behind you, you'll understand why people keep coming back.