California Motorcycle Handbook - Antevia

lane changes early to permiteveryone to complete the lanechange safely.• Put Beginners Up Front. Placeinexperienced riders behind theleader so the more experiencedriders can watch them.• Follow Those Behind. Let thelast rider set the pace. Use yourmirrors to keep an eye on theperson behind. If a rider fallsbehind, everyone should slowdown a little to stay together.• Know the Route. Make sureeveryone knows the route.Then, if someone is separatedhe/she won’t have to hurry tokeep from getting lost or takinga wrong turn. Plan frequentstops on long rides.Keep Your DistanceMaintain close ranks but at thesame time keep a safe distance toallow each rider in the group timeand space to react to hazards. Aclose group takes up less spaceon the highway, is easier to see,and is less likely to be separated.However, it must be doneproperly.• Don’t Pair Up. Never operatedirectly alongside anotherrider. There is no place to go toavoid a car or a hazard on theroad. To talk, wait until you areboth stopped.• Staggered Formation. This isthe best way to keep ranksclose yet maintain an adequatespace cushion. The leader ridesin the left portion of the lanewhile the second rider staysone second behind in the rightportion of the lane. A third riderrides in the left portion of thelane two seconds behind thefirst rider. The fourth riderkeeps a two-second distancebehind the second rider. Thisformation keeps the groupclose and permits each rider asafe distance from othersahead, behind, and to the sides.—Passing in Formation. Ridersin a staggered formationshould pass one at a time.—First, the lead rider pulls outand passes when safe. Afterpassing, the leader returnsto the left portion of thelane and continues riding at“passing speed” to openroom for the next rider.—After the first rider passessafely, the second riderSTAGGERED FORMATION33