Although I am riding solo across India now,  I have not always been a solo rider. In fact when I started going on my motorbike trips I was always a pillion because I did not know how to ride. And although I bought a bike in 2007 until early 2009 I was not confident in riding it even in the neighborhood forget the highways. I loved the time when I used to be one of the gang that turned heads in the country side when we rode in a formation. I have had my share of group rides and I am sure the future has to offer some more. And some of these rides were absolute fun while some others could have been managed better. So here’s me sharing some advice on how a group ride should be planned and executed to create memories that last you a life time.

#1 The wavelength of all the members of the group should match.

My first piece of advice is one of the most difficult to explain. I am not advising that all the people in the group should have similar likes and dislikes or share similar personalities. There is no point riding with a bunch of guys whom you have hardly met before. Similarly riding with someone just because they are your best friends does not make much of a sense either . They may be the best of your friends in your day to day life but they may just not share your passion for riding and exploring and when you make a plan to ride with this bunch its bound to be a disaster.

Likes and dislikes can be different and personalities can be different, yet complimentary.  It’s more about the fact that everyone in the group should be comfortable with each other. There has to be bonding based on passion for travel and motorcycling  which evokes a feeling of trust over their fellow riders as well as on the group as a whole.

#2 Keep an alert eye on your fellow riders

I have always experienced that how much ever one may try to stick to the group and ride together it becomes a difficult task on the highway. Therefore one should always keep their eyes open for their fellow riders. You had a friend who was trailing you but you have not seen him for a while now. Stop and wait for him to turn up. It might be possible he may have had a mechanical failure or a flat tire. At the same time it may also be possible that he overtook you while you were too busy enjoying the sceneries or taking a leak. Mobile phones these days have made it possible to just stop and call to check the whereabouts but while in remote areas the networks might be absent and in such cases it becomes very important to be alert about where your fellow riders are.

Another way to tackle such situations is for the entire group the assemble together after every50-60 km with a target of covering this distance in an  hour or two.

#3 Track and Manage expenses

One of the advantages of having a group ride is it lowers your cost because you end up sharing the expenses. However to make sure it happens, either someone should volunteer or the group should appoint someone to track and manage expenses. All the members in the group can pitch in some amount at the start of the ride which should be managed by the volunteer. Once the group pitches in the amount nobody but the volunteer should pay from the total contribution for lunch, fuel, stay, sight-seeing etc. And once the funds are over or close to over the group can contribute again. This not also helps in manage ng and sharing cost but also ensures that nobody in the group is spending too much or too little or nobody knows how much is being spent and on what.

#4 Share the responsibilities

Since it is a group ride the responsibilities should be shared as well. Many a times it so happens that only one or two guys are doing all the hard work while the rest are enjoying their asses off. Someone in the group is a good photographer, let him click the pictures. Another fellow has good negotiation skill, let him go and bargain with the hotel guy for rooms. Let another one manage expenses while another can plan the day’s ride. Volunteering and sharing responsibilities helps in matching the wavelength that I was talking above.

#5 Personal Identification and Emergency contact details

Irrespective of a solo ride or a group ride I can’t stress the importance of this tip. The same as I said in my tips for riding solo should be noted and shared amongst all fellow riders. While each riders should take care that he has all the necessary documents of his bike, he should also make it a point to note the registration numbers of all the steeds in the group.

Many a times we only have the cell phone numbers of our friends which becomes pretty much useless if you are in a remote area where the mobile phone connectivity is non existent.

#6 Respect the locals and their way of life

It quite often happens that the group is so busy enjoying itself that they end up crossing the line and hurting the sentiments of the locals. Just because you are away from home does not mean you have all the rights to behave like a jerk. When you come back home at 3 in the morning after a bout of drinking with friends you do not wake the neighbors in the apartment up with your loud and unbearable singing. Why do it at the hotel you are staying it? Such irresponsible behavior not only creates a negative impression in the minds of locals, but they also may not be so  welcoming  when you visit them next

Needless to say that along with the above one also needs to take care of the tips for long distance motorcycling that I shared earlier.

If solo ride helps you in knowing yourself, a group ride will help you with the same along with letting you know others. The sense of brotherhood that gets developed in a group ride is hard to explain and nothing comes quite as close as well.

Last updated by Venkat Ganesh at February 28, 2022.