Formation riding

[talkToTheHat]

So riding through Doncaster today and an elderly gentleman with a white moustache nearly the size and shape of the handlebars upon his sportster appears alongside at the lights and attempts to ride formation with me up to the point I lose him filtering past slow traffic on the a19.

What is proper etiquette here? Is this a request to nursemaid somebody through traffic? An offer of the same? A suggestion we form a rolling road block? Go find a greasy spoon for coffee, tales of the glory days and leather grandad demonstrating the fine art of fisting?

Most riders either respect my elbow room and follow at a sensible distance like any other road user, overtake sensibly, or blast past at silly speed, possibly on one wheel as some statement of disapproval of the cruisery abomination between my legs. This formation riding is new to me.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Commuter_Tim]

+1 for he wanted to bum you.

I've only ever ridden solo, as such it unnerves me when other riders follow close.
It tends to make me mirror check so fast I get whiplash.
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The above post is most likely nonsensical.

I ride a Bandit 600... badly.

[Ste]

It sounds like he was challenging you to a race.

[Mudshark]

you must do the beardy bmw closed fisty thing. FACT!
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R1250RS
XT660X

[Ste]

Closed fisty thing?

Fist bump bro... fist bump!!!

[........................]

Did he look like this?

https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMjAw/z/74wAAOSwv0tU80PV/$_57.JPG

[Mudshark]

[Fisty]

Did someone say fisting?
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Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[Ste]

Fisting? Why not stick a potato up Smilers arse rather than a fist?

[Triton Thrasher]

If someone seems to be insisting on shit like this, I slow down or even stop, to get the fuck rid of them.
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Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Rogerborg]

Maybe he was just being sociable and you were just being too cool for school because you think your cruiser is more legit and gangsta than his?

Or am I reading too little into this?
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[hellkat]

Is this an aspect of cruiser riding that I need to know about now I have a sportster?
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Ste]

[grr666]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp8SEfFK_2Y
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[Clanger]

I regularly ride up to the front and alongside a biker, if there's space. I will nod or smile and/or say hello, and when the lights change, I'll hang back a tad and let the other rider take off first, as I feel that is good etiquette. I have however, had similar happen to me - but that b4stard has tried taking off in front of me, and thus annoying me...as I was technically in front first.

Overtake me fairly and squarely, but take me at the lights...ggrrrr !
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

[Ste]

But... every set of traffic lights is a race.

If you've got pole position then you can't not race.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Formation Riding?

https://www.rosenfeldinjurylawyers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Recommended-etiquette-for-group-riding.jpg
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[ZRX61]

I had some muppet do something similar on Sunday. I'm cruising along at 90 or so.. Squidly McBumfuck comes past doing 120 or so & slows to match my speed, but about 100 yards ahead. Then he spends the next 5 miles or so constantly looking back over his shoulder like he's expecting me to play with him.
Once he got bored of that & hadn't looked back for a while I blew past him at about 145 on the next straight bit between two overpasses where the cops usually hang out. Was kinda hoping he'd blast past me as I slowed to 80 & he went past the cops at warp factor stupid.. which he did, but the cops weren't there
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They're not one night stands, they're auditions.

[ScaredyCat]

[andyscooter]

or this

https://youtu.be/Uvjtc5C1jxM
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[Mudshark]

[talkToTheHat]

Fisting jokes aside, he probably was being sociable. By a set of rules I don't know. This troubles me as occasionally I do social and haven't gone too badly wrong navigating underground worlds of rock clubs, sex, drugs and dungeons and dragons.

I understand big bike aggressively guarding the space behind an apparently under confident rider on l-plates. There are hand signals that suggest speed cameras or otherwise police ahead that are well recognised. There are others that would seem to suggest the place with beverages is in the other direction (heading away from known bike night just as everyone else was descending on it).

But aside from nodding, which requires several humongous threads every spring, there is little discussion. I know HOG and suchlike are into big rides in tight formation with mysterious things like 2nd man drop off.

Its all well and good riding side by side through town with open moustache helmets and having a conversation over the thump of Harleys, but I had my earplugs in as I had every intention of getting my head down and miles covered as soon as the nsl board appeared.
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Bandit. does. everything.