RIDING AT LARGE EVENTS

It’s top billing on every rider’s bucket list: the big rally. Whether Sturgis, Milwaukee or European Bike Week® to name a few, rallies are exciting spectacles of motorcycling culture and a glimpse of a ‘motorcycle‑only’ world. But while a rally is a motorcycle-friendly environment, it’s no place to let your guard down, so follow these tips…

WORDS BY RAY PETRY

Preparation starts before you set off. Take the opportunity to master your slow-riding skills, as there’s always a tight spot at a rally that calls for slow riding. You can do this at a vacant car park or on a quiet street. The basics include looking ahead for good balance, staying in the friction zone with your clutch hand to allow the bike to go slower than the engine and dragging the rear brake to control your speed. Start at higher speeds where the bike is naturally more stable and work toward slower speeds. Challenge yourself to see just how slow you can go without dabbing a foot, weaving or ‘rowing’ on the handlebar. Take a breather to relax your muscles and mind every few minutes by riding at a normal speed; this will also allow your engine and brakes to cool off.

When slow riding, if you’re rowing on the handlebar, even slightly, and must stop, using the front brake will force the bike down in the direction the bar is turned and may result in a tip over. Square the bars before using the brakes to prevent this. Although using both brakes is paramount to good braking at speed, slow riding is the exception – here you want to avoid using the front brake; using the rear brake is enough and will reduce the bike’s tendency to tip if the bars are off-centre. Slow riding is a useful skill and will differentiate you from those who need to duck walk in the slow stuff.

When you arrive at the rally, you’ll likely be assaulted by the visual spectacle that is a major motorcycle event, so get orientated, find a place you can pause and take it all in before you make your next move. While a rally is usually light on car traffic, that doesn’t mean you can relax your scanning – that is, looking for threats and obstacles. If your attention is diverted for longer than a moment, you can get in a tangle – not a great way to start off your rally experience.

Slow riding is a useful skill and will differentiate you from those who need to duck walk in the slow stuff

Parking can be another problem point at large motorcycle events. Start out by knowing the specific parking regulations at the rally; these may be relaxed, but make sure – a parking ticket isn’t the best rally souvenir! When you do stop, use a little foresight to plan for when you depart your chosen parking spot. When initially scanning for a parking spot, look for slopes; these are important and can be used to your advantage. If there’s a slope that helps you into a parking spot, back in, and then you’ll be able to use engine power to ride away. If the ground slopes out of the parking spot, ride in, and then gravity will help you to back out. Watch for slopes that are too steep to allow your bike to rest stable on its side stand – not enough weight on the side stand, and it might tip over easily; too much, and you might not be able to raise it off the stand to depart. Here’s a biker secret: If you’re on a large, heavyweight motorcycle and are having difficulty lifting the bike off its stand, turn the handlebar all the way to the right and try it. Just as turning the handlebar all the way to the left loads the side stand and makes the bike more stable when parked, turning the bar all the way to the right makes any motorcycle very light on the side stand.

Another good tip is to park on the side stand side of any motorcycle you park next to; this will allow that rider room to leave without disturbing your bike. If you ease your bike onto its side stand on the high side of a parked motorcycle, it essentially blocks that bike in, and makes it very difficult for that rider to avoid your motorcycle when they raise their bike from the side stand and try to ride past your motorcycle.

At rallies, motorcycles and parties seem to be made for each other, so make sure you separate riding from partying, and don’t get caught up in the ‘spirit’ of things. Drinking and riding don’t mix, especially at a rally. If you’re very lucky, you’ll earn a drink-driving prosecution from the local authorities; they’re ultra-vigilant about this, so don’t even think you can slink back unnoticed to the hotel after the party. Even worse, crashing and getting hurt is never on the list of fun things to do at a rally. Plan ahead to separate your riding from partying, and you’ll have a better time.

Make sure you secure your bike when you stop. Rallies are great opportunities for bike thieves. Think about it: what better place to steal a motorcycle than at an event where you can pick the make and model you’re after, and just by looking the part ride off with it? Lock your bike every time you’re not sitting on it, including the fork lock. At night, pick a very public and well-lit place to park, and lock your bike to a fixed object or to your friends’ motorcycles. Once you’re ready to retire for the night, you might also want to remove any easily detachable items like windshields, saddlebags and back rests, and take them into your room with you.

When you arrive at the rally, you’ll likely be assaulted by the visual spectacle, so take it all in before you make your next move

Even if you don’t travel in a group or go on an organised group ride, there are so many motorcycles around that you’ll end up group riding by default. Make sure you know the common hand signals for group riding. Once at the rally, start each day with a full tank, as you never know where the day will lead. Know the staggered riding formation; ride in the portion of the lane opposite to the rider in front of you at one second behind them (two seconds from the rider directly in front of you). Treat trikes and other multi-track vehicles like any car, and follow them at a two-second distance regardless of any stagger.
Finally, even though you’re riding in a group, ride your own ride. For example, at stop signs and traffic lights, don’t assume you’re safe to proceed until you’ve checked both ways, just as if you were riding alone. Same for entering a curve: don’t be lulled into following riders into curves at their speed. Visually search ahead, and adjust your speed and lane position to your comfort and skill level. If a group ride gets too hairy for you, don’t hesitate to break off; just take the next turn-off and enjoy things on your own.
Follow these tips, and you’ll find out the biggest secret about rallies: one is never enough!

Ray Petry is a Certified Riding Academy Coach and a member of the Riding Academy™ team at Harley-Davidson Motor Company, headquartered in Milwaukee.

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