I now own a bike

**SwanTiger** · 26th August 2006, 15:28

Originally Posted by Jim2

Riding in groups is the MOST dangerous thing you can do. Bling to the first person to post up 30 reasons why.

1. You end up riding outside your own capabilities.
2. Quite often you'll end up speeding in 50 kmp/h zones 'cos everyone else is.
3. Most people follow too closely because someone in front of them is going too slow but guns it on the straights. (Refer to reason # 1)
4. The Police show an interest in some organised group rides.
5. Most people end up trying to race each other and end up in the situation describes in reason #1 and #2 and #3.
6. If you happen to pull over for a emergency, 7 times out of 10 other people on the ride won't stop for you unless you wave them down, because of reason #5.
7. You are likely to see or come across an accident on a group ride which may knock your confidence and hinder your riding.
8. All sorts of people are on group rides, 90% of them talk utter bullshit and after 3 or 4 group rides you get sick of it and eventually join in the bullshit talking and take the piss.
9. The group ride destinations are usually to Pub's, so you are riding with other people who are going to be under the influence of alcahol.
10. The price of beverages and food at the usual group ride destinations are exspensive and the porportions are impractical and "Auckland Cafe" like.
11. Mark (markauckland/skidmark) might be there in his one piece racing leathers with socks and sneakers on. You may die of a heart attack from laughing so hard.
12. People will abuse your bike if it is different from theres and if you are "apparently lucky" enough to have the same bike you'll be told to do XYZ modifications to be considered "cool".
13. Despite your riding ability and experience, CC capacity is the ranking system.
14. Everyone on the group ride will always pick out the "worst" rider there and find reasons to abuse them and how they should improve their riding ability.
15. Expect to have the piss taken out of you at least once, this might create a depressed mood and encourage you to become angry and go into "race mode" like reason #5 which will then result in you becoming the subject of reason #14
16. Someone will always tell you "You are going to crash at some point, everyone does it" and so you accept this, and crash. Don't. You don't have to crash, you can avoid crashing by being a better rider and not listning to their bullshit.
17. If you are new to the group, you won't be made to feel welcome.
18. Mark (markauckland/skidmark) might come in his one piece leathers with socks and sneakers, as mentioned in reason #11, so you won't only die of a heart attack from laughing so hard, but you'll also have to help him jump start or push start his bike.

To be continued...

**SwanTiger** · 26th August 2006, 15:34

Originally Posted by Dodger

Went and brought my Bike. (Yellow Hyosung GT250)

I need to wait untill next week for the rego etc to be all sorted, no great loss as the weather in Lower Hutt is crap today.

My Bike is currently sitting at TSS Motorcycles with a sold sticker on it.
Great store, friendly helpful service, and I loved the discount on the extra gear that I needed

Hope join a few KB rides in the near future, but for the next week I'm confined to my 50cc scooter.

Congratulations on an excellent choice of motorcycle, join this forum here http://www.korider.com/ has lots of information and when you ask a question you'll get an answer without all the bullshit answers and one line piss takes that you find on KB.

**Dodger** · 26th August 2006, 15:35

Well I've been riding 2 wheels since November last year, but thats been on the little scooter.
I've done some riding with a mate on his spare 150 (gee these people and their multiple bikes)

I'm in no rush, and plan to take things nice and slow.

With regards to the Hyosung. There's not really much out there in the sub $7000 250cc range (I was not going to buy a second hand bike)
Only real options seem to be the GN250's (to small and cheap looking for my liking) and the Hyosungs.

Due to my size, (tallish and over 100KG) I find small bikes a tad cramped.
My mates 150 left me feeling sore after a few hours riding.

Korea's build quality seems to have really improved over the last few years (I guess if you build enough of something you are bound to improve) We own a Hyundai cage and have had no issues at all with it (it's a 1999, 2.5L Sonata) so am not worryed with that aspect.
Looking forword to next week

**Deano** · 26th August 2006, 15:35

I reckon it is up to the individual.

If you're sensible and have self control, (not like me at 20) what better way to learn than sitting second to last in front of tail end charlie, and maybe have another experienced rider in front, going at a sensible pace.

It seems a shame to preclude yourself from both the social interaction and the learning curve that goes with it.

I think the most dangerous time in a persons learning curve is when you get all the basics right, feel like you have the groove and get overconfident. For me this occurred after about 12 months of riding a 'sportbike' on the road at age 20 and wrote it off going to quickly for my ability (had been riding a trailie on the road for 4 years already). But, I still had more to learn after biffing the SP-1 at age 30 odd - I got past a very fast mate and got a wobbly head....for about a kilometre before hitting a deceptively tight corner (and didn't know the road too well) - before this I just used to let him go, and would go at my own pace.

Anyway - I lost good mate on a ride many years ago - he was only 23 and had heaps more to live and learn........so take it easy and enjoy each phase of learning and enjoy the ride.

**Drum** · 26th August 2006, 16:55

Originally Posted by Deano

...........I think the most dangerous time in a persons learning curve is when you get all the basics right, feel like you have the groove and get overconfident. ........

Couldn't agree more.

**Deano** · 26th August 2006, 17:01

Originally Posted by SwanTiger

12. People will abuse your bike if it is different from theres and if you are "apparently lucky" enough to have the same bike you'll be told to do XYZ modifications to be considered "cool".
13. Despite your riding ability and experience, CC capacity is the ranking system.
14. Everyone on the group ride will always pick out the "worst" rider there and find reasons to abuse them and how they should improve their riding ability.
15. Expect to have the piss taken out of you at least once, this might create a depressed mood and encourage you to become angry and go into "race mode" like reason #5 which will then result in you becoming the subject of reason #14
16. Someone will always tell you "You are going to crash at some point, everyone does it" and so you accept this, and crash. Don't. You don't have to crash, you can avoid crashing by being a better rider and not listning to their bullshit.
17. If you are new to the group, you won't be made to feel welcome.

Sorry Swan but I do not agree with these ones at all.

Maybe it happens in Auckland perhaps but in these parts and in my experience we are a pretty accomodating and encouraging bunch.

**apteryx_haasti** · 26th August 2006, 18:02

Originally Posted by Dodger

Went and brought my Bike. (Yellow Hyosung GT250)

Onya Dodger - I like those bright yellow bikes!!

Enjoy it - will probably see you round...

**toymachine** · 26th August 2006, 18:04

Originally Posted by pritch008

Congratulations on your purchase.

A book somebody just lent me "How To Ride A Motorcycle, A Riders Guide To Strategy, Safety and Skill Development" By Pat Hahn (I recommend it) counsels against group rides of more than three people until you've been riding more than two years.

I've also read that new riders should avoid any group rides until they have been riding at least three months.

Looking back (a long way back) I seem to recall that I binned it on my very first group ride so maybe there's something in all that...

There are perhaps also a number of threads on KB I seem to recall that would tend to support erring on the side of caution when it comes to groups?

Good luck

Guess what I did today wasn't the best idea then :P

First ride in traffic ever was going from west auckland to BP botany, followed by my first real open and moderate speed ride, in a group... albeit a smaller one (6?)

Just takes a bit of discipline not to go too far out of your comfort zone, but just enough to come away with some new skills and much learnt.

**SwanTiger** · 26th August 2006, 18:07

Originally Posted by Deano

Sorry Swan but I do not agree with these ones at all.

Maybe it happens in Auckland perhaps but in these parts and in my experience we are a pretty accomodating and encouraging bunch.

Sorry, I am partly taking the piss with most of those. But where there is smoke there is fire.

**Deano** · 26th August 2006, 18:13

Originally Posted by SwanTiger

Sorry, I am partly taking the piss with most of those. But where there is smoke there is fire.

Yep, I can see where you're coming from.

**James Deuce** · 26th August 2006, 18:19

I'm not suggesting for a minute that all group riding is bad. Deano, you're lucky anough to have a bunch of like minded friends who you can trust. That doesn't come along very often.

I've been on some fantastic group rides and more than a few that have been terrifying. The good ones have had common guidelines discussed before the ride. The hideous ones have involved retrieving bits of bikes 200m into some farmer's paddock.

A lot of people get the basics down, and then think they are prepared to go for a ride with their mates who are at a similar level. Typically these guys all follow each other into a ditch at some point because they haven't the experience of quietly riding in a group with established rules for lane positioning, overtaking, and cruising speeds that become second nature with a lot of established riding groups over time.

Now that we've thoroughly frightened Dodger - wanna come ona huge group ride on the 1st of October? Hmmm?

**SwanTiger** · 26th August 2006, 18:28

Originally Posted by Jim2

A lot of people get the basics down, and then think they are prepared to go for a ride with their mates who are at a similar level. Typically these guys all follow each other into a ditch at some point because they haven't the experience of quietly riding in a group with established rules for lane positioning, overtaking, and cruising speeds that become second nature with a lot of established riding groups over time.

Yep, agree with that.

One of my mates got a bike a short while ago and before we went riding togeather I took him pillion. After 30 seconds (of a twisty road) he shat himself and asked me to pull over. Afterwards we went riding togeather and that experience helped set the tone and he didn't bother trying to keep up with me when I did go for it, but generally I sat at a comfortable pace for him so we could be within visable distance of each other.

Same with my girl friend (she is really slow) I always ensure we are in visable distance.

The group riding thing is interesting though, maybe someone should start a new thread so we don't turn this one to shit.