Weather, Split Ups, and Breakdowns

Most rides go exactly to plan. The ones that don't usually go wrong in one of three ways: the conditions change, the group gets split, or a bike quits. None of them is a big deal if everybody knows what to do.

Conditions change. So does the ride.

Rain, standing water, gravel, fog, wind, heat, debris. The lead can slow the pace, change the route, stop early, or call the rest of it off, and nobody argues about it on the roadside. There are no points for finishing a route that stopped being safe halfway through.

When the road gets worse, give yourself more room: more than two seconds of gap, and single file when the surface is bad. If you're struggling with the conditions, signal and pull off at the next safe spot. The sweep will stop with you.

You get separated

Do not chase. Carry on to the next planned stop at your own pace and wait there. This is exactly why the route gets shared before we leave, and why the sweep has the lead's number.

Chasing is how a separated rider ends up running lights, speeding, and riding over their head, alone. Waiting a few minutes at the next stop costs nothing.

You break down

Get off the road, get behind a barrier if there is one, and put your hazards on. The sweep will stop with you. Nobody gets left on the roadside, but you'll wait more comfortably somewhere the traffic is not.

Signal early if you feel something going wrong, so the riders behind know you're slowing. Pull off where you'll be seen, not just over the crest of a hill or round a blind bend, if you have the choice.

The MSF video makes the same calls: on a wet road, slow down and double your distance, and if you lose the group, don't panic and don't chase. Your friends will wait.

This course is for education. It doesn't replace a state-approved rider course or motorcycle licensing.