Alone or In A Group
You have to decide if you're going to travel alone or with others. There are advantages and disadvantages to both choices. I like both depending on my mood and who the others may be.
Touring Alone
If you travel alone you can do whatever you want whenever you want. This can be very nice. You also tend to make much better time - high km days are MUCH easier when you're alone. It's also easier to find a place to sleep since you only have to satisfy your own motel or campsite requirements.
On the down side there is no one to talk to on breaks or during meals. If you breakdown you're on your own.
Touring in a Group
In a group there is more security and people to talk to but at the price of lowest common denominator behavior and decision making. The degree to which this is a problem varies with your personality and that of your travel companions. Remember that the IQ of a group is the IQ of the dumbest person in the group divided by the number of people in a group. As a consequence, groups can do some pretty stupid things - things that the individual members would never do on their own.
You will not make as high an average speed in a group as you would alone. This is true for ALL groups regardless of makeup. With a group all stops will take longer. On average planned stops for groups take the planned amount of time plus a minimum of an extra 5 minutes for each bike beyond one. You must also consider the frequency of stops; they need to be frequent enough to prevent fatigue but not often enough to become annoying. Rule of thumb is approximately every 1 ½ hours or 120 kms or so.
Some Rules for Group Touring
Pick your group carefully. If you pick the wrong group you'll be miserable, or they will, or both. The wrong group is one where not all the members follow the same rules. It doesn't matter so much what the rules are just that everyone follows them. If you don't want to follow other peoples' rules, don't ride in a group. There are some rules that apply to all groups. All groups have to have some way of keeping together. There are two common methods.
1.Before you leave a stop decide where the next stop will be so that the group can be reunited if separated.
2.The leaders stop at the next turn and don't leave until the last bike gets there.
There are variations on both these methods but the important thing is that some method is chosen, communicated to all the group's members, and followed by everyone. This is important! If you need to leave the group always tell someone that you're leaving. For long distances, groups of more than four are pretty much unmanageable. If you must travel with more than four bikes break up into smaller groups on the road and plan to meet using rules one or two listed above.
Communications in a Group
When riding in a group communications between bikes can be difficult. If you've got some sort of radio communications then there's no problem except that there's someone talking or singing in your ear. The following is a list of hand signals that some riders use for communicating between motorcyclists. Use them as you see fit. Note that they all require that you take a hand or foot off of the controls and this may not always be a good idea. Obviously (I hope!), all hand signals use the left hand.
Hand Signals For Bike-To-Bike Communications
•Point to tank.
- I need fuel, stop at the next station.
•Point at ground [with either finger or toe].
- Careful, there's something on the road.
(Note that you aren't pointing at the hazard necessarily, as this might not be convenient).
•Hand down, rub fingers together.
- Road is slippery.
•Flash brake lights very rapidly.
- Major watch out! Be prepared to stop QUICK.
•Point at sign.
- Read the sign.
If it's a highway sign with multiple exits listed, hold up the number of fingers corresponding to which exit you
want (e.g. two fingers for the second exit listed).
•Point at another rider, and then pat leg.
- You want that rider to come alongside you (usually so you can talk).
•Pat stomach.
- I'm hungry. We need to stop for food soon.
•Point at another rider, then point to side of road.
- Pull over now.
•Arm out, palm back.
- Stay behind me.
•Arm out, forward waving
- Go past me
•Waving arm in quick downward motion, with palm down and parallel to ground
- Slow down! Often used for bikes traveling in the opposite direction to warn of hazard or police.
•Tap top of helmet, or hand on helmet
- Cop nearby
•Point forward, shrug shoulders
- I don't know where we're going, I probably shouldn't be leading!
•Point at map on tank bag, shrug shoulders.
- I don't know where we're going, I probably shouldn't be leading!
•Little wave to oncoming motorcyclist.
- Aren't motorcycles great?
Finally, when someone gives you a signal, you should nod your head so they know you understand, since they can't see your face very well behind a helmet.
