Why do motorcyclists ride in formation?

instead of riding in single file down the middle of the lane?
You've seen them--especially Harleys: the first rides close to
the right boundary of the lane, the next one close to the left
boundary, and they continue alternating like that. Some even
ride abreast.
How can it be safe for them to ride so close to the lane
boundaries? They put themselves too close to passing
vehicles.

223rem > wrote in
:

> instead of riding in single file down the middle of the lane?
> You've seen them--especially Harleys: the first rides close to
> the right boundary of the lane, the next one close to the left
> boundary, and they continue alternating like that. Some even
> ride abreast.
> How can it be safe for them to ride so close to the lane
> boundaries? They put themselves too close to passing
> vehicles.
>

Probably for a clear line-of-sight.
I suspect that is why they always stop behind the corner of a car at a
light or stop sign.(why they stop only inches away from my bumper,I do not
know.)

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

"223rem" > wrote in message
...
> instead of riding in single file down the middle of the lane?
> You've seen them--especially Harleys: the first rides close to
> the right boundary of the lane, the next one close to the left
> boundary, and they continue alternating like that. Some even
> ride abreast.
> How can it be safe for them to ride so close to the lane
> boundaries? They put themselves too close to passing
> vehicles.

Yes but think where all the little drops of oil, trans fluid, ...and other
slippery things drip in the middle of the lane.

On 22 May 2005 16:02:02 GMT, Jim Yanik .> wrote:

>223rem > wrote in
:
>
>> instead of riding in single file down the middle of the lane?
>> You've seen them--especially Harleys: the first rides close to
>> the right boundary of the lane, the next one close to the left
>> boundary, and they continue alternating like that. Some even
>> ride abreast.
>> How can it be safe for them to ride so close to the lane
>> boundaries? They put themselves too close to passing
>> vehicles.
>>
>
>Probably for a clear line-of-sight.
>I suspect that is why they always stop behind the corner of a car at a
>light or stop sign.(why they stop only inches away from my bumper,I do not
>know.)

Next question - why do they ride as a mass that get to be 500 continuous feet
long? Can you pass something like that on a 2 lane road? If you have an
inifinite line of sight so you can see that there's nothing coming (but usually
there is) and you have to hit 170 mph in order to get around 'em all before the
next oncoming car.

They _could_ at least ride in clumps no more than 50 feet long, and leave some
room to get around 'em by passing a clump at a time. But no...

Dave Head

Dave Head wrote:
> On 22 May 2005 16:02:02 GMT, Jim Yanik .> wrote:
>
>
>>223rem > wrote in
:
>>
>>
>>>instead of riding in single file down the middle of the lane?
>>>You've seen them--especially Harleys: the first rides close to
>>>the right boundary of the lane, the next one close to the left
>>>boundary, and they continue alternating like that. Some even
>>>ride abreast.
>>>How can it be safe for them to ride so close to the lane
>>>boundaries? They put themselves too close to passing
>>>vehicles.
>>>
>>
>>Probably for a clear line-of-sight.
>>I suspect that is why they always stop behind the corner of a car at a
>>light or stop sign.(why they stop only inches away from my bumper,I do not
>>know.)
>
>
> Next question - why do they ride as a mass that get to be 500 continuous feet
> long? Can you pass something like that on a 2 lane road? If you have an
> inifinite line of sight so you can see that there's nothing coming (but usually
> there is) and you have to hit 170 mph in order to get around 'em all before the
> next oncoming car.
>
> They _could_ at least ride in clumps no more than 50 feet long, and leave some
> room to get around 'em by passing a clump at a time. But no...
>
> Dave Head

Well, they are MFFY-ers just like you. They feel it is more convenient
or safer, so screw the others. Just like you feel about being a road
block in the left lane.

DTJ wrote:

>
> That is why they don't drive in the middle, but hugging the line is
> done only be the most ignorant of them. I do the same thing to them
> that I do to semi's that can't keep their ignorant asses out of my
> space - I merge into their lane as soon as my bumper is past them.
> Trucks tend to "wake up" quickly when I do this,

You do this to big trucks? You have balls of steel

223rem wrote:
>
> instead of riding in single file down the middle of the lane?
> You've seen them--especially Harleys: the first rides close to
> the right boundary of the lane, the next one close to the left
> boundary, and they continue alternating like that. Some even
> ride abreast.
> How can it be safe for them to ride so close to the lane
> boundaries? They put themselves too close to passing
> vehicles.

The center of the lane is filled with oil drips and lumpy things. The white
lines are slippery when wet, not to mention the botts' dots and other lane
markers. Much safer to ride in the paths cleaned by the 4-wheelers' tires.

--
Cheers,
Bev
--------------------------------------------
There is no such thing as a foolproof device
because fools are so ingenious.

223rem wrote:

> instead of riding in single file down the middle of the lane?

Think about it. If they were single file and maintaining the same
distance to the bike ahead, it would take *twice as much* space. This
way, the line is more compact while leaving each bike the same amount
of braking space (You can brake *past* a bike ahead of, and to your
side).

The reasons for not riding in the middle also include the 'grease
strip', but the reasons *I* ride in staggered formation are above and
below.

In addition, you will normally find the lead bike near the center line,
for the best view ahead of, and *around*, leading traffic. If the line
passes (as mine often do; we're not *slow* cruisers), the lead bike
passes and then moves to the right side of the lane so the following
one can see and/or have room to move in beside/behind quickly. The
bikes remaining behind the passed vehicle will shuffle to reform the
original configuration (lead bike left; others staggered behind). In
fact, sometimes the lead passer will even hold up a hand with one (just
him) or two (one more guy behind - who can't actually see from his side
of the lane) fingers to indicate how many can be passing before
encountering oncoming traffic. It's damn near ballet ... ;^)
--
C.R. Krieger
(Been there; done that)

On Sun, 22 May 2005 13:37:54 -0500, "Jeff" >
wrote:

>"223rem" > wrote in message
.. .
>> instead of riding in single file down the middle of the lane?
>> You've seen them--especially Harleys: the first rides close to
>> the right boundary of the lane, the next one close to the left
>> boundary, and they continue alternating like that. Some even
>> ride abreast.
>> How can it be safe for them to ride so close to the lane
>> boundaries? They put themselves too close to passing
>> vehicles.
>
>Yes but think where all the little drops of oil, trans fluid, ...and other
>slippery things drip in the middle of the lane.

That is why they don't drive in the middle, but hugging the line is
done only be the most ignorant of them. I do the same thing to them
that I do to semi's that can't keep their ignorant asses out of my
space - I merge into their lane as soon as my bumper is past them.
Trucks tend to "wake up" quickly when I do this, but those morons on
2-wheels do so even faster.

(NOTE: I ride myself, I just stay in my lane, so if you want to bitch
about what I do, STFU.)

The Real Bev wrote:
>
> 223rem wrote:
> >
> > instead of riding in single file down the middle of the lane?
> > You've seen them--especially Harleys: the first rides close to
> > the right boundary of the lane, the next one close to the left
> > boundary, and they continue alternating like that.

Forgot to mention that this enables each rider to see further ahead than if
they rode in single file.

> > Some even ride abreast.

I've seen more cops doing that than civilians.

> > How can it be safe for them to ride so close to the lane
> > boundaries? They put themselves too close to passing
> > vehicles.
>
> The center of the lane is filled with oil drips and lumpy things. The white
> lines are slippery when wet, not to mention the botts' dots and other lane
> markers. Much safer to ride in the paths cleaned by the 4-wheelers' tires.

--
Cheers,
Bev
================================================== ==================
"My parents just came back from a planet where the dominant lifeform
had no bilateral symmetry, and all I got was this stupid F-Shirt."