KB rides, the ride or the rider?

[chickenfunkstar]

Recently there seems to have been a bit of drama regarding all the crashing on KB rides. I've even seen a couple of posts which say that the rides are poorly orgainsed.

I don't really think that the rides / organisation of rides themselves have anything to do with the crashes at all. At the end of the day its the rider who chooses his own pace, regardless of the pace of those riding in the same group.

Sure i've had the occasional moment on a KB ride, but no more frequently than when i'm riding by myself. I don't think that i've got a higher chance of crashing when i'm riding with others from KB.

It just seems a shame when the rides themselves are criticised, as well as the people who took time to organised them. I always appreciate the efforts of those who do take the time to organise events. My riding has improved heaps, just from learing from those who are more experianced.

At the end of the day, surely each rider must be responsible for their own riding.

Apologies if this sounds a bit vauge, I am after all a commerece student.

Thoughts?

[Karma]

It's the rider... you have to take responsibility for your own actions.

[emaN]

At the end of the day, surely each rider must be responsible for their own riding.

Thoughts?

your thoughts seem to be inline with my thoughts

[MidnightMike]

Its definately the rider. Most of them may be pressured into trying to keep up, causing this sort of thing.

[Devil]

If only people did, once in a while (take responsibility for their actions.)

I prefer to stick to private rides 90% of the time.

[inlinefour]

but I dont think its a good idea to tarr all with the one brush. Shit happens all the time, its just as a whole, we are all finding out about it. Take it as the wake up call it needs to be and take it easy everytime you go riding. No rush to die eh?

[yungatart]

No crashes on KB rides down here-but then we are all mature sensible riders! Seriously tho, it is up to the individual to ride at a pace they are comfortable with. When I ride with MSTRS, he on his GXXer 1100, me on my 250, he lets me set the pace that I am happy to ride at. I blame too much testosterone and not enough care.

[deathstar]

completely the riders fault, i haven't been on a KB ride yet but i know the pressures of trying to keep up with weasel on my gn when we head out and you start to take risks you wouldn't take on your own just to keep up

[bugjuice]

this topic has been covered a thousand times, and it ain't gonna die.
It's the rider of the bike. Always has been, always will be. That's the be all and end all. Who ever organizes it shouldn't wear the responsibility of crap like that. They have enough to do.

It's half the reason why I don't organise rides anymore anyway

[buellbabe]

Yep! you gotta take responsibilty for yr own riding and be aware of others around ya. I did my first KB ride on Sat and thoroughly enjoyed it, there was a mixture of guys and gals and each of us rode at the speed we were comfortable with, NO PROBS.

[madboy]

It probably looks like I organise a heap of rides, simply because I'm the one posting about the TRTNR rides in Wgtn each Thurs night in summer. But the reality is, I don't decide the route, I don't decide the pace, I'm not the one at the front, and seldom am I the one at the back. The GROUP decides. And as with any group, the more dominant personalities have the most say.

I know of one bin on these rides, an unnamed very experienced rider doing, by their own admission, stupid shit. And that's what it comes down to.

On the "touring stages", the fast crew go at no higher pace than what a 250 could keep up with. On the twisties, each rider for themself until the meet up point. It's when those without the skills or the bike try and keep up with those that have the skills/bike/road knowledge/whatever where shit happens. And there's a bit of luck thrown in too.

With the size of the rides sometimes there will be new or unfamiliar riders there. And I admit that I make an assumption they know about personal responsibility. Perhaps the organisers could stand up and give a briefing beforehand, including the rant about ride your own ride, take it easy, don't worry about bikes getting ahead, yada yada yada. But then where do we stop? Should we have indemnity forms to be signed at the start? Should we check the bikes over? Should we check license status of riders? Should we obtain written references from their previous riding partners? And their school teachers? And their parents? And a medical clearance from their GP?

I think we have to draw the line somewhere and admit that we're all adults. We're all capable of making the big decisions.

Don't blame the game, blame the player.

Disclaimer: No disrespect to any of the past fallen. Bins don't necessarily happen for only the reasons above.

[outlawtorn]

I agree with chickenfunkstar, at the end of the day if you bin it's your problem and 9 times out of ten it's your fault. But it is always easy to point fingers and use the organiser of the ride as a scapegoat for it. So when's the next slow/medium ride to Wellsford people????

[pritch]

If only people did, once in a while (take responsibility for their actions.)

In New Zealand in 2006 that would sadly be very rare...

[White trash]

I know of one bin on these rides, an unnamed very experienced rider doing, by their own admission, stupid shit.

And what a fuggin beeudy it was too.

The reason KBers crash on KB rides is simple, 98% of KBers can't actually ride a fucken motorcycle because they spend all their time on KB bitching about cagers/cops/speeding tickets/cagers/notwearingtherightprotectivegear/cops rather than actually practicing the art of riding a motorcycle.

[SVrunner]

I've been on a few KB rides one of the early ones was when 4 of us has stopped to let others catch up a couple were off ther bike & a couple still on when someone missed the corner & rode between us, no crash but it did show that a rider must look out for themselves & others who use the road.
Where possible the person in front of me has pointed out loose gravel, etc and I have done the same behind. This has helped me not to fall off.
The only comment i would like to make is that on a straight riders should ride staggered & indian file on corners.