Riding Buddies

2LZ · 02-05-2023, 06:57 PM

Do you see motorcycling as a passion, or a social event?
Obviously this excludes you folks who use your bikes as a tool, as a commuter.

It's happened to me numerous times now, over the decades. I'll have a buddy who has a bike, enjoys riding, and is even talented behind the bars. We'll get together once in a while and ride. Then, a while later I'll chat with him, and he sold the bike.

It's always the same story too:
"My riding buddy sold his bike (or in one case, died) and I had no one to ride with." or
"It just sat in the garage since I moved. I don't have anyone to ride with now."

Is it just me? I PREFER to ride by myself!....because I'm never alone. My riding buddy IS my bike! We talk back and forth constantly! Don't get me wrong. The occasional lunch ride with my neighbor is always a good time, but that's a small part of the whole picture.

Regardless of which steed I'm on from the stable, we talk constantly;
"Oh.....I hear ya. The carb is a little rich for the summer heat. I'll take care of you."
or
"I agree. Tire pressures are a bit high. I'll handle that for you."
or
"OH MAN! These new tires have you tucking those twisties!"

There are a few friends I enjoy riding with because we have so many miles together, we can predict each others moves, but most of the time, riding with other people means I have folks I need to keep track of in the mirror and take care of. I just don't really see motorcycling as a social event, like bowling or horseshoes.

Rule #1 for the guy in the front, "Ride to the lowest common denominator." The last thing I want to do is drag someone into a corner too hot, and be the cause of a problem or injury. You have to ride down to the least talented person in the group, regardless if it's just one or 20. To me, this takes away from the fun and turns it more into a responsibility.

Motorcycling, in general, is all about me and my horse. It competes with me. My steed puts me and my abilities through the paces. Some days out I do it justice, some days out it makes me feel like an idiot. Also, at this stage of the game, we do more relaxed-style riding than anything, with the occasional "git yer yah yah's out" bursts adrenaline.

Plus, wrenching is half of the fun! That's when you can put your hands on it, check its shoes, teeth, make sure it's well-fed and has no problems. To confirm it's doing well and ready for the next adventure.

I don't know. The "I have no one to ride with anymore, so I sold it" thing......I just don't get it.
Thoughts?

culcune · 02-05-2023, 07:24 PM

I don't relate to that mindset, either, so cannot really give an answer. I really enjoyed the two Chinariders get together rides we had here in Arizona in '19 and '20, but for several years, my primary purpose riding was to get to work and back.

Thumper · 02-05-2023, 09:03 PM

My rides are mostly off road, and 100% for pleasure. But having a riding partner in the woods is more than just fun, it is safer. It is also nice to have a hand getting out of difficult falls in the steeps. The other fun part of off-roading with a friend is taking on challenges one by one.

I've never wrecked badly off-road, but having a riding buddy could even be a life saver. Also, a broken down bike can be rescued by the second rider(s).

I guess it is different off road. My son and I have a blast every time! And we often end up helping each other out of jams. Some rides are uneventful (no spills)

wheelbender6 · 02-05-2023, 10:39 PM

I find that others like to take longer rides than me. After two hours on this Suzuki, I get tired and I am ready to call it a day.

**JerryHawk250** · 02-05-2023, 11:26 PM

I'm always riding by myself. I kind of like it that way. Most of the time I just hop on the bike and decide where I'm going after. Sometimes I'll plan on going one direction and just change plans about halfway through the ride.

2LZ · 02-06-2023, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thumper

My rides are mostly off road, and 100% for pleasure. But having a riding partner in the woods is more than just fun, it is safer. It is also nice to have a hand getting out of difficult falls in the steeps. The other fun part of off-roading with a friend is taking on challenges one by one.

I've never wrecked badly off-road, but having a riding buddy could even be a life saver. Also, a broken down bike can be rescued by the second rider(s).

I guess it is different off road. My son and I have a blast every time! And we often end up helping each other out of jams. Some rides are uneventful (no spills)

I totally get it. I liked riding off-road with buddies because it was either trail riding or MX tracks. Now that's a Social Event!.....plus you have the extra help when needed. Thankfully that's rare.

My point I guess is mostly pavement. I've spent a couple decades counting headlights in my mirror. Boy....it gets old. That said, I'm at a loss of how someone can sell a bike for the reason of no one to ride with. Weird to me.

Huck369 · 02-06-2023, 07:17 AM

When I first started riding street bikes, I rode by myself almost always, as hardly anyone in my area rode back then....I have went thru a spell of leading some group rides, and it is a bit of a chore to watch over everyone and keep everyone safe, but I did enjoy the friendships I made during that time....the last few years I have one street riding buddy that I ride with once in a while, and I don't really do the long rides by myself much any more, mostly due to family and lack of spare time.....I guess you can go thru some changes in you "Riding Life" as circumstances change...... (dirt bikes is a completely different story, I pretty much always ride with at least one buddy, so he can drag me out when I get hurt!)

**cheesy** · 02-06-2023, 08:45 AM

I would say I ride alone 90% of the time. Most of that other 10% is someone sitting in the sidecar. I do belong to a club* but the usual meeting place is 40+ miles from home, so there and back is a haul on a boring bumpy road. And if the weather turns shitty...

Where I do enjoy getting together with other riders is meeting for a meal, trade insults, and BS. Other than that, it's solo.

And I agree with 2LZ. Selling a bike because you have no one to ride with is...weird.

*Mrs.C and I were on a joint club ride with my club and the Chicago Norton Owners Club in 2019. Cold as hell but we had a good time. Also expensive. After the ride, we paid a visit to a second open house being held at what became Cheesy Manor.

Thumper · 02-06-2023, 08:50 AM

When I was a kid in the late 70's I sold my first bike (Suzuki TS250), and got a GS550 (first year of the DOHC 4 stroke Suzuki). There weren't many people with bikes, but we used to go into the mountain twisties together. My girlfried had a Honda CB350, My neighbor had a Honda 350 (4cylinder), and later in college I rode with a guy that had the original Kawasaki 900 in green with yellow pinstripes. There was this other guy that had a Kawasaki 1000 that he had completely upgraded. He even black metal flake painted the cylinders. He would disappear whenever we rode with him. By then, I had upgraded to a GS850 shaftie, but there was no keeping up with him!

Magician16 · 02-06-2023, 09:11 AM

I ride by myself well over 90% of the time. I have usually ridden in the back on group rides because I always have tools and can fix about anything; I hate leading group rides because I have a hard time keeping tabs on the others. Maybe I've been lucky, but I have ridden out in the middle of nowhere a lot and have never had to walk back to civilization.

Boatguy · 02-06-2023, 12:16 PM

I see motorcycles as solo fun. It’s a chance to get away by yourself and do something alone.

I have considered going on some group rides because they seemed like a fun ride (even to do solo), but I have not made it to one yet. Scheduling has always been a little different than what I could do because of other pressures.

Mostly I ride to zone out and have some fun and get my mind off of regular life. That doesn’t really involve hanging out with a lot of people.

A lot of activities are perfect for that. Sailing is also one of them. You have just enough to concentrate on that it keeps your mind busy so that you can’t really think about other things in life that might creep in. It’s very therapeutic. That’s why I ride. It’s fun. And distracting.

tknj99 · 02-06-2023, 12:20 PM

Former street bikes i mostly rode alone as wifey wasn't very comfortable on them.. but my current Raider S has been made more cruise-worthy 2-up and she rides with me unless the weather is below 50F..

On the dirt/gravel rides, i always ride with my son which is always a fun time and its been great watching him get better and better at riding

AJ22_ChinaRider · 02-08-2023, 10:26 PM

What are you all on about? I ride cos I was told bikers get all them chicks.... *shrugs*

lol

I started riding alone because I just moved to the place and I wanted to explore it and feel free - it's like therapy. Not long after, got to meet other riders, the circle increased and it became like a regular thing.
This led me to join a club with older riders, someone inducts me into a group with much much younger (beginner) riders - all about the 'gram and vids and getting taken down by the cops.....or crashing

, then found a fun little gorup with a good mix of regular riders and haven't looked back ever since. Pretty soon got to enjoy Motocamping, Motocamping, Cold weather rides, Off road, track racing (spectator lol), Moto-trailering into the hills, Florida to Michigan and so on and so forth.... there's always something brewing, have to end up saying no a lot of times :(. That made me sneak out on solo rides now and then and just enjoy the peace and not have to plan a whole lot.

There are obviously some who think about what's right for their families (48hrs ago, to the hour, someone in our group posted, 'I just met with an accident. idk what happened, going straight, bike flipped. low speed crash (glad he was wearing full gear and there wasn't traffic behind him!), it's a bit dark here. I managed to get out fine. thinking this may be the end of my riding career - not sure how this will be received by my family. anyone want a 2017 r6?'
He was sitting on a sidewalk and this is the first thing he could think of... he hasn't even called insurance or his family yet...we reached out to him and the neartest one with a pickup went to help him out. So I guess that's a factor too. Some get good support from their brethren, and it helps when they are reconsidering being an ex-biker.

I guess it depends on what you feel like that day, how much time you have, what bike you own/what upgrades you want to do to it etc.,, and finally WHO gets you.

Larger and more geographically advantaged cities offer more avenues, so you can get a taste or more things before choosing your tribe.

02-05-2023, 07:24 PM	#2
culcune Join Date: May 2006 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 9,035	I don't relate to that mindset, either, so cannot really give an answer. I really enjoyed the two Chinariders get together rides we had here in Arizona in '19 and '20, but for several years, my primary purpose riding was to get to work and back. __________________ "They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you got to ride it well..." TGB Delivery Scooter 150 TMEC 200 Enduro--carcass is sadly rotting in the backyard
	5

02-05-2023, 09:03 PM	#3
Thumper Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Kansas City Posts: 2,403	My rides are mostly off road, and 100% for pleasure. But having a riding partner in the woods is more than just fun, it is safer. It is also nice to have a hand getting out of difficult falls in the steeps. The other fun part of off-roading with a friend is taking on challenges one by one. I've never wrecked badly off-road, but having a riding buddy could even be a life saver. Also, a broken down bike can be rescued by the second rider(s). I guess it is different off road. My son and I have a blast every time! And we often end up helping each other out of jams. Some rides are uneventful (no spills) __________________ -2022 5 speed Templar X Orange, OEM 51T rear sprocket, 14T front sprocket -NOS 2020 KTM 250SX (2-stroke motocross), less than 10 hours on it
	4

02-05-2023, 10:39 PM	#4
wheelbender6 Join Date: May 2015 Location: Houston area Posts: 1,902	I find that others like to take longer rides than me. After two hours on this Suzuki, I get tired and I am ready to call it a day. __________________ "Its not WHAT you ride; its THAT you ride"
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02-05-2023, 11:26 PM	#5
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,585	I'm always riding by myself. I kind of like it that way. Most of the time I just hop on the bike and decide where I'm going after. Sometimes I'll plan on going one direction and just change plans about halfway through the ride. __________________ 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S (Sold) 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel
	5

02-06-2023, 07:17 AM	#7
Huck369 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Somerset, KY Posts: 686	When I first started riding street bikes, I rode by myself almost always, as hardly anyone in my area rode back then....I have went thru a spell of leading some group rides, and it is a bit of a chore to watch over everyone and keep everyone safe, but I did enjoy the friendships I made during that time....the last few years I have one street riding buddy that I ride with once in a while, and I don't really do the long rides by myself much any more, mostly due to family and lack of spare time.....I guess you can go thru some changes in you "Riding Life" as circumstances change...... (dirt bikes is a completely different story, I pretty much always ride with at least one buddy, so he can drag me out when I get hurt!) __________________ Huck 2013 Honda NC700X 2013 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone 2016 AJP PR4 2022 Templar X 250 2021 Sondors Metacycle AMA Life Member
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02-05-2023, 06:57 PM	#1
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,102	Riding Buddies Do you see motorcycling as a passion, or a social event? Obviously this excludes you folks who use your bikes as a tool, as a commuter. It's happened to me numerous times now, over the decades. I'll have a buddy who has a bike, enjoys riding, and is even talented behind the bars. We'll get together once in a while and ride. Then, a while later I'll chat with him, and he sold the bike. It's always the same story too: "My riding buddy sold his bike (or in one case, died) and I had no one to ride with." or "It just sat in the garage since I moved. I don't have anyone to ride with now." Is it just me? I PREFER to ride by myself!....because I'm never alone. My riding buddy IS my bike! We talk back and forth constantly! Don't get me wrong. The occasional lunch ride with my neighbor is always a good time, but that's a small part of the whole picture. Regardless of which steed I'm on from the stable, we talk constantly; "Oh.....I hear ya. The carb is a little rich for the summer heat. I'll take care of you." or "I agree. Tire pressures are a bit high. I'll handle that for you." or "OH MAN! These new tires have you tucking those twisties!" There are a few friends I enjoy riding with because we have so many miles together, we can predict each others moves, but most of the time, riding with other people means I have folks I need to keep track of in the mirror and take care of. I just don't really see motorcycling as a social event, like bowling or horseshoes. Rule #1 for the guy in the front, "Ride to the lowest common denominator." The last thing I want to do is drag someone into a corner too hot, and be the cause of a problem or injury. You have to ride down to the least talented person in the group, regardless if it's just one or 20. To me, this takes away from the fun and turns it more into a responsibility. Motorcycling, in general, is all about me and my horse. It competes with me. My steed puts me and my abilities through the paces. Some days out I do it justice, some days out it makes me feel like an idiot. Also, at this stage of the game, we do more relaxed-style riding than anything, with the occasional "git yer yah yah's out" bursts adrenaline. Plus, wrenching is half of the fun! That's when you can put your hands on it, check its shoes, teeth, make sure it's well-fed and has no problems. To confirm it's doing well and ready for the next adventure. I don't know. The "I have no one to ride with anymore, so I sold it" thing......I just don't get it. Thoughts? __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
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02-06-2023, 08:45 AM	#8
cheesy Moderator Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Elburn, IL Posts: 5,839	I would say I ride alone 90% of the time. Most of that other 10% is someone sitting in the sidecar. I do belong to a club* but the usual meeting place is 40+ miles from home, so there and back is a haul on a boring bumpy road. And if the weather turns shitty... Where I do enjoy getting together with other riders is meeting for a meal, trade insults, and BS. Other than that, it's solo. And I agree with 2LZ. Selling a bike because you have no one to ride with is...weird. *Mrs.C and I were on a joint club ride with my club and the Chicago Norton Owners Club in 2019. Cold as hell but we had a good time. Also expensive. After the ride, we paid a visit to a second open house being held at what became Cheesy Manor. __________________ Cheesy ______________________________________ 07 Hi Bird Enduro-Flown the Coop 07 Ural Gear Up 79 Honda CX500 77 VeloSolex 4600 V3 73 VeloSolex 3800 I'm making this up as I go.-Indiana Jones Telling me something 'is for my own good', is a fast way to a fat lip.-Me I don't even care about my own problems, why should I care about yours?-Quote on one of my favorite t-shirts
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02-06-2023, 08:50 AM	#9
Thumper Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Kansas City Posts: 2,403	When I was a kid in the late 70's I sold my first bike (Suzuki TS250), and got a GS550 (first year of the DOHC 4 stroke Suzuki). There weren't many people with bikes, but we used to go into the mountain twisties together. My girlfried had a Honda CB350, My neighbor had a Honda 350 (4cylinder), and later in college I rode with a guy that had the original Kawasaki 900 in green with yellow pinstripes. There was this other guy that had a Kawasaki 1000 that he had completely upgraded. He even black metal flake painted the cylinders. He would disappear whenever we rode with him. By then, I had upgraded to a GS850 shaftie, but there was no keeping up with him! __________________ -2022 5 speed Templar X Orange, OEM 51T rear sprocket, 14T front sprocket -NOS 2020 KTM 250SX (2-stroke motocross), less than 10 hours on it
	5

02-06-2023, 09:11 AM	#10
Magician16 Join Date: Aug 2019 Posts: 469	I ride by myself well over 90% of the time. I have usually ridden in the back on group rides because I always have tools and can fix about anything; I hate leading group rides because I have a hard time keeping tabs on the others. Maybe I've been lucky, but I have ridden out in the middle of nowhere a lot and have never had to walk back to civilization. __________________ 2018 Bashan Storm(sold) 2016 Magician 250
	5

02-06-2023, 12:16 PM	#11
Boatguy Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Northeast Posts: 929	I see motorcycles as solo fun. It’s a chance to get away by yourself and do something alone. I have considered going on some group rides because they seemed like a fun ride (even to do solo), but I have not made it to one yet. Scheduling has always been a little different than what I could do because of other pressures. Mostly I ride to zone out and have some fun and get my mind off of regular life. That doesn’t really involve hanging out with a lot of people. A lot of activities are perfect for that. Sailing is also one of them. You have just enough to concentrate on that it keeps your mind busy so that you can’t really think about other things in life that might creep in. It’s very therapeutic. That’s why I ride. It’s fun. And distracting. __________________ 2020 Lifan x-pect
	2

02-06-2023, 12:20 PM	#12
tknj99 Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Central VA Posts: 1,259	Former street bikes i mostly rode alone as wifey wasn't very comfortable on them.. but my current Raider S has been made more cruise-worthy 2-up and she rides with me unless the weather is below 50F.. On the dirt/gravel rides, i always ride with my son which is always a fun time and its been great watching him get better and better at riding __________________ 2024 Zuma Storm 150 DLX 2019 Beta 430 RRS 2018 VStrom 1000 XT Former China Bikes: Tao DBX1, Brozz 250, CSC RX4, Titan DLX, Templar X
	3

02-08-2023, 10:26 PM	#13
AJ22_ChinaRider Join Date: Jul 2022 Posts: 105	What are you all on about? I ride cos I was told bikers get all them chicks.... shrugs lol I started riding alone because I just moved to the place and I wanted to explore it and feel free - it's like therapy. Not long after, got to meet other riders, the circle increased and it became like a regular thing. This led me to join a club with older riders, someone inducts me into a group with much much younger (beginner) riders - all about the 'gram and vids and getting taken down by the cops.....or crashing , then found a fun little gorup with a good mix of regular riders and haven't looked back ever since. Pretty soon got to enjoy Motocamping, Motocamping, Cold weather rides, Off road, track racing (spectator lol), Moto-trailering into the hills, Florida to Michigan and so on and so forth.... there's always something brewing, have to end up saying no a lot of times :(. That made me sneak out on solo rides now and then and just enjoy the peace and not have to plan a whole lot. There are obviously some who think about what's right for their families (48hrs ago, to the hour, someone in our group posted, 'I just met with an accident. idk what happened, going straight, bike flipped. low speed crash (glad he was wearing full gear and there wasn't traffic behind him!), it's a bit dark here. I managed to get out fine. thinking this may be the end of my riding career - not sure how this will be received by my family. anyone want a 2017 r6?' He was sitting on a sidewalk and this is the first thing he could think of... he hasn't even called insurance or his family yet...we reached out to him and the neartest one with a pickup went to help him out. So I guess that's a factor too. Some get good support from their brethren, and it helps when they are reconsidering being an ex-biker. I guess it depends on what you feel like that day, how much time you have, what bike you own/what upgrades you want to do to it etc.,, and finally WHO gets you. Larger and more geographically advantaged cities offer more avenues, so you can get a taste or more things before choosing your tribe.
	0