First time riding with a newbie and he went down

[jdhu]

We always tell the newbies to: Ride their own pace. Don't worry about keeping up. Take it easy, you won't be able to stay with us. It just doesn't sink in, they bin it if you explain it or not, that's why they are newbies.

Yup, I think motorcycling, particularly sportsbiking, tends to draw a lot of competitive people (and quite a few egotistical douchebags).

It is hard for new/immature riders to understand that someone is more skilled than they are.

 

[jdhu]

I'm very lucky- my riding buddies explained from the first ride we did:

-do NOT try to keep up with us
-someone will always be ahead of you (except that one time I accidentally took off down China grade)
-someone will always be behind you (they trade off so one person doesn't have to be bored for too long)
-once you're doing well on your own, somoene will always wait for you at an intersection, or if we haven't seen you in a while.
-when we stop for lunch, we will give you all kinds of hell about what you need to do better

It has helped me SO much to have experienced riders take the time to make sure I am learning the right things.
I get that some people would be bored/irritated having a baby rider with them, but for those with the patience (and skills), I'm very grateful.

Yeah, I used to think "the talk" before group rides was overbearing, but it makes sense now, and I find myself giving it to new riders.

 

[DocWong]

Very well said! Then there was that year that one rider wanted to catch up with you, saw a turn that he could make up some time, but didn't know of the mid corner bumps and off he went. No injuries, but a good lesson learned!

That was me.

Yes, unless I've had a good amount of riding experience with someone I'm riding with, I'll either get behind them or get way in front of them. At the Doc Wong Riding Clinics, it's stated and understood that they will ride within their respective skill levels.

You may come to see this differently over time.

I should say that I don't think your choice to ride with this guy was inappropriate; a lot of us like to find others to ride with and I have had many a good time with some random rider I met out on a back road. It's an appealing thing about the sport.

On the matter of "it's not my problem," you're right in the sense that he's holding the throttle and making the decisions. Doc Wong's recent thread about a lawyer trying to sue on behalf of a rider who crashed trying to keep up with a faster rider notwithstanding, you're not legally responsible for what another vehicle operator chooses to do.

Ride with others long enough though, and you'll find some who look to you as an example and follow your lead, whether it's a good idea or not. Many years ago, a friend crashed behind me, trying to enter a corner as fast as he'd seen me do. He couldn't turn the bike quickly enough, ran off into the dirt and after struggling along in a drainage ditch and narrowly missing a power pole, he highsided at fairly low speed. Being a really skinny guy, without a lot of natural cushion, he got pretty banged up, suffering several broken ribs, punctured lung, a broken back and being knocked out.

He credited the first aid I rendered with either saving his life or at least saving him from worse harm when he regained consciousness and began fighting incoherently to stand up. While he was giving me that credit, I was feeling very badly for having sucked him into the turn, because, let's face it -- I did. While I didn't know or really expect that he would attempt to enter the corner that fast, I know without a doubt he would never have tried it if he hadn't seen me do it.

The experience forever changed how I ride with others. I size other riders up carefully and look for subtle signs that they are riding over their heads and the pace at which that begins. If I'm leading, I roll off on straights so we can stay together and I set my turn entry speeds to what I know they can handle. I watch in my mirrors to see if they are making errors and adjust the pace if necessary.

While you can't control what another rider does, you can control the "inspiration" you may provide to the guy behind you. When we are newer to riding, we don't have a real sense of how good we are or aren't and for many of us, there is a period where we compare ourselves to others through friendly, unspoken competition. Some people may have the maturity to skip this phase. I didn't. Either way, once that's over with, it becomes easier to ride with an awareness of and regard for the effects our example is having on others' behavior. Right or wrong, that effect isn't nonexistent.

 

[ratpick]

Wait, I think your moms boyfriend was also dating my mom and taught me to ride as well!!

Helluva way to learn but it will seperate the riders from the wannabe's.