For a motorcycle group ride to be fun and rewarding, it's crucial to consider your safety and the safety of others while riding; to that end, use these tips from Mike Ford Shop in Ham Lake.

As a rider, you may know of motorcycle groups or clubs in your community. Likewise, you may have seen them riding on the highways or around town, conducting fundraising riding events, or participating in motorcycle rallies. So, would you like to join a club and ride in a group? It's no secret that riding with other motorcyclists is a camaraderie-building experience; plus, meeting and making friends with other riders in your community could help you gain more knowledge and experience as a biker. Overall, riding motorcycles in a group can be a fun and enriching experience if the proper steps to ensure the group's safety are taken. If you want to learn essential tips for a safe and successful group ride, read the following post from Mike Ford Shop.

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Follow These Tips to Have a Successful Motorcycle Group Ride

Attend the Pre-Ride Meetings

Biker clubs often hold meetings before each trip to establish the logistics, rules, and details of each riding event or trip. Among all the information shared during these meetings, the most important ins and outs include determining the departure point, the length of the route, the estimated time to ride it, the places where the group can stop for fuel, and more. Now, since ensuring the group's safety is a top priority on every trip, the meetings also serve to practice the driving signals that the group will use to communicate with each other and warn of dangers along the way. All in all, it's imperative to attend the pre-ride meetings. In addition to informing yourself about the planning of each ride, being present during these encounters will allow you to meet like-minded riders in your community, build camaraderie, and have fun with the group.

Memorize Riding Signals

Being a motorcycle rider, you may be familiar with a few riding signals; however, you need to learn, practice, and recognize many more signs to ride in a group, as communication plays an essential role when riding with other motorcyclists. To better understand the importance of communication during a group ride, imagine you find yourself riding with a group of bikers when suddenly, the ride leader realizes an accident obstructing the lane a couple of miles ahead. In such a situation, the wisest thing to do would be to stop the group; hence, the ride leader bends their arm at a 90-degree angle, with the palm open and the fingers pointing toward the ground. Upon noticing the stop signal, the driver behind the leader instantly replicates the gesture, generating a warning chain that reaches the last rider to achieve a complete and safe stop for the entire group. Bearing the above in mind, learn the needed riding signals before the ride. In addition to the stop sign, the most important ones you should practice often include the signal to accelerate, slow down, make a gas stop, and single file.

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Prepare for the Group Ride

This tip may go without saying; however, you would be surprised to know that some riders make the mistake of arriving without enough gas for group rides; likewise, there are instances when some riders come without their motorcycle jacket or gloves. To avoid any trouble, make sure to be well prepared for the ride by checking your motorcycle in advance; that way, you may have enough time to carry out any required repairs if you find any malfunction with your bike's components. On the day of the trip, check your motorcycle one more time to ensure that it has a full tank of fuel, that its tires have the correct pressure, and that its nuts and bolts are tight. Once the pre-trip condition of your motorcycle is optimal, be sure to put on all your protective equipment (helmet, motorcycle jacket, gloves, and sturdy boots), and arrive at the starting point of the trip at least 10 minutes early.

Maintain a Safe Following Distance

Finally, be sure to maintain a safe following distance from the biker before you; this is of utmost importance because each rider needs enough space to maneuver corners, change gears safely, avoid obstacles, and more. Now, to understand this better, imagine the biker in front of you making an emergency stop; in such a case, keeping enough distance could prevent you from impacting them. All in all, make sure you keep a distance of at least 3 seconds during the ride.

Take safer and smoother rides by keeping your motorcycle in good working order; to that end, call Mike Ford Shop at (763) 257-3130 to get the most effective synthetic oil change in Ham Lake. Don't forget to browse AMSOIL's online store to explore the full line of motorcycle oils available!