slower paced rides

[Velox]

I always thought the thing about motorcycling was to enjoy it. Some of the best fun I've had on bikes has been on small bikes.

I think it's rather sad if the message that comes across to beginner riders is that if they don't have a big bike they're only "going through the motions".

There is a lot more to motorcycling than seeing who can go fastest through the corners.

Small bikes can be just as much fun as big bikes, Cruisers can be just as much fun as sports bikes.

The whole motorcyling thing should not be how fast you go but how much fun you have.

Preach it brother!!!
I've always been a bit worried that when I get a bigger bike I won't need to rip through the gears so much and play with the the bike's limits because I'll just be relying on its power. So I'm glad I've had my little bub for a good few years because it's made me test what it can do and work out how to milk what I can out of it. And I just love it anyway. Go 250s!!! I think people need to remember (in this thread) that you do have to kick a 250 in the guts to make it do what a bigger bike just does normally! So people aren't always being reckless when they 'boot it on' a 250. But yeah in saying that - got to remember to definitely ride within their limits too.
It's all about self-control and skill nothing to do with cc rating.

[adamww]

As a newbie myslef I believe you have to go at your own pace.
I had my little GN250 for 11 months before I found my new 600 cc bike, and when I ride with others I'm always last, but I don't mind.
I'm still getting used to it and have a blast while doing so. I don't understand why people feel they need to keep up with the leader, even when on a bigger bike. I am on a 600 for the last couple of weeks and I found myself going slower in corners on it than I would on my GN.
I agree its all about having fun.

[zooter]

My stong opinion on this matter:

I say to you that if someone doesnt have the restraint to control their impules on a bike they shouldnt be riding, and will be dead soon enough if they do ride, whether it is with a group or on their own.

It is not the duty of the site to organise people into rides strictly based on speed. The rides that are organised here can be quick, but that is usually stated in discussion before the ride starts. If there is someone/a group of people who are significantly slower, in my experience, the faster guys do wait at intersections and make sure people are going in the right direction.

Blaming a death/serious injury on this site smacks of modern attitudes to accidents - Find someone else to blame. It wan't my fault. I wasn't specifically made aware that the road was wet.

To all those types:

Get a fucking life.

You have made no case for doing nothing about the current situation. I'm not pinning responsibility for anyone's accident on this site. I have suggested the organisation could be improved at a sitewide level however I have nothing to do with these group rides personally so I have left it open for others to get on with it.
Since nobody has done anthing perhaps I'll start another thread on it and watch the fur fly. Back to work now.

[Drunken Monkey]

Be wary that basing your suitability for KB rides simply on speed may not be wisest thing to do either.

Cue babble:

There have been several posts like 'how fast do you ride?' which are typically followed up with some figure like '120 on the open road'. I can assure most readers that there are several riders here who could stick to 99 on the open road and still lead you to disaster if you try and keep up with them in the twisties.

Outright speed is far from my biggest concern on a big KB ride. Inexperience in group rides has (at least) 2 forms: Handling skills - one's ability to handle the bike at appropriate speed (probably includes hazard awareness as well), and Group riding skills - the ability to read others in the group, know your position and not ride in such a way to confuse other group riders.

There are even some quick/experienced riders there that don't seem to ride well in a group. They seem to struggle with the notion of 'staggered' riding, and, although strictly speaking I realise you are not generally responsible for the person behind you, they ride like there's no-one behind them (keeping smooth lines isn't just for the racetrack).

Over the last couple of years I have experienced a range of these situations. I've been on very fast rides with small groups of experienced people and had no problems. I've also been on big rides at much slower paces that have ended in a few bits of broken plastic. Big groups can look impressive, but obviously chances of an 'off' are increased (pure numbers).

Unfortunately the only way to get to know the riding styles of others is to ride with them and learn. This means there'll always be newbies. However, if like skilled people keep together , they can spend a bit more time learning the habits of people with similar abilities. Learn some safe group riding skills in small groups first, then move up to bigger groups. Get to know your fellow rider, their 'riding personality' and how you should react/interact with them. This should prepare you for a big ride better than improving your outright handling ability.

Hmmm, I do have more to say on this subject, but I need to get back to work...

[Milky]

You have made no case for doing nothing about the current situation. I'm not pinning responsibility for anyone's accident on this site. I have suggested the organisation could be improved at a sitewide level however I have nothing to do with these group rides personally so I have left it open for others to get on with it.
Since nobody has done anthing perhaps I'll start another thread on it and watch the fur fly. Back to work now.

I suggest KB needs to get its shit together and takes some responsibility for organising the rides into appropriate subgroups so that nobody is riding outside their intentions and abilities

Am I the only one to see a teensy weeny little bit of a connection there??

The present situation is working just fine, as I tried to point out. There are slow rides organised, and the responsibilities of all on those rides are clear enough. However, if the rides are specifically categorised as fast or slow within the site, there is a much stronger case for redress should the ride happen to go outside those boundaries. Semantics maybe, but a key distinction nonetheless.