Pros and Cons of Motorcycle Riding Solo/2-Up or in a Group
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Riding a motorcycle is a wonderfully thrilling experience whether you ride alone or in a group. There will always be riders who would prefer one to the other for several reasons.
Having recently been on a long-distance motorcycle group tour through Tunisia, (with a really big group), we came out of the experience with some mixed feelings and in the process, we learned some things about ourselves- Groups are fun but we have a deeper connection with a place when we explore it by ourselves.
With this in mind, here are the main pros and cons of both ways of motorcycle touring.
WHAT YOU'LL FIND IN THIS POST
MOTORCYCLE RIDING IN A GROUP
PROS OF MOTORCYCLE GROUP RIDING
1. NEVER A DULL MOMENT
This perhaps, is the best part of riding in a group. You get to meet other people who are as enthusiastic about traveling on a motorcycle as you are. If you’re all from the same place and speak the same language, it’s even easier. Although it might not be as easy if you travelled abroad and joined an organised tour with people who speak different languages, I believe it’s a great way to meet people from around the world.
Besides, an added advantage is that there’s hardly ever a dull moment when riding in a group. Meal times are like parties, and there’s always someone to do something to make you laugh or shake your head in exasperation.
2. TECHNICAL SUPPORT IS JUST A METER AWAY
The next best thing to meeting other people who love riding is being able to ask for – and receive- help when you have any mechanical issues with your motorcycle like changing tires, lifting or moving your motorcycle, and even engine-related problems. On our ride through Tunisia, a motorcycle broke down and couldn’t run anymore. The owner not only got help with being a passenger on another bike but when it was time to load the extremely heavy BMW GS 1250 onto a truck for its journey back to Italy.
3. MORAL SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT
The next advantage of group riding we’re going to touch on is the amount of support and encouragement you get when riding in a group. Roads and adventures that you might think twice about doing would become easier to approach because of all the encouragement you’re likely to get from the group. Besides, it’s a proven fact that group power is a strong motivation.
4. THERE’S ALWAYS A LEARNING CURVE
This is something we discovered early on. Every moment you spend in a motorcycle group, you learn something new about motorcycles and most of all, about yourself as a person. Your riding skills are truly tested and retested and you discover that there’s always something you didn’t know about before but now you do.
5. YOU’RE PART OF THE COOL GANG
I must admit, there’s just something thrilling and attractive about seeing a group of motorcyclists whizzing down a road. And now, you get to be part of that exciting mass!
These are all the things we really enjoyed about riding in a motorcycle group. We did find it to be very enjoyable for most of the time. But there were some breaking points for us, which leads us to the not-so-cool side of group motorcycle riding.
CONS OF MOTORCYCLE GROUP RIDING
1. LINES LINES LINES!
The first and foremost most nagging part of group riding is the lines! The larger the group, the longer the lines, and hence waiting times. Filling up with petrol, stopping to pee, coffee breaks, and going through tolls were all time-consuming. Each stop would set us back a minimum of 20-30 minutes which were never relaxing.
2. SIZE MATTERS
When I wrote at the start that we were a big group, I wasn’t kidding. 25 motorcycles and 30 people make a great party during dinner time. However, that meant we always had to find a place big enough to take us all at once whether it be a hotel, restaurant, or bar. This also means that there are hardly ever any intimate, quiet moments.
We have ridden with another couple before, (making us a group of four), and it was much more intimate and special.
3. SPEEDING, OVERTAKING AND SAFETY
Next disadvantage concerns riding safety. Since there’s usually a long line of motorcycles with drivers of mixed abilities. Some riders can act recklessly (perhaps just for fun) which could jeopardize the safety of others within the group. Decisions to overtake would have to be evaluated and re-evaluated because some riders are sometimes overcautious and ride too slowly, while some others NEVER want to lose their position close to the leader and so won’t let you overtake them. In all, you have to be super attentive to what’s happening around you when you’re riding in a big group.
4. NAVIGATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES
When riding in a big group, there is always that rider who gets lost or the one who doesn’t have a navigator, or perhaps their navigator doesn’t work well or gives them an alternative group. There were several times during that trip in Tunisia when we had to wait for long periods for such people to catch up or be found.
5. CLASH OF EGOS
Finally, let’s admit that motorcycle riders are often hard-headed and stubborn. That’s why they chose to ignore their families’ warnings and decided to travel abroad on two wheels in the first place! So be ready to clash egos with someone who thinks they know better than you on one topic or the other. Thankfully, our experience in Tunisia never got to that but it could very well have.
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MOTORCYCLE RIDING SOLO OR 2-UP
PROS OF MOTORCYCLE RIDING SOLO OR 2-UP
1. PRIVACY AND INTIMACY
At the top of the list here is privacy. When you ride alone or as in our case, with a partner, you get to enjoy special moments on the road in relative privacy and comfort without feeling the need to move away from a group. Ah, how precious! Meal times are also more peaceful and you can choose whatever place you want without consulting a thousand heads.
2. NAVIGATE AT YOUR OWN PACE
Next, when riding alone or 2-up, you can decide where to go, what routes to take, as well as control your speed as you wish. You can even change the route whenever you like! This also reduces stress and makes the ride more enjoyable.
3. TAKE IN THE BEAUTY OF THE PLACES YOU VISIT MORE DEEPLY
This is one of the reasons we ride a motorcycle is to feel closer to nature and the history of places. While visiting places with a group gives you a chance to have a shared experience, we much prefer to be able to wander around at our own pace while getting to know the history and culture more deeply. And when it’s just nature, we’d like to be able to just stop anywhere whenever we feel like, to take in the scenery.
4. YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ARE MORE AUTHENTIC
Let’s face it, you are more likely to mingle with locals when you’re solo or with your partner rather than when you’re in a group that most likely already speaks your language. Also, the fact that you’re not surrounded by many people will push you to say hello to someone new. And if that person is a local, you can ask and hear local stories about the people and culture of the place. What’s more, they could add in an invite to their home and thus, their culture. These kinds of meetings are more genuine and usually lead to friendships that last a lifetime.
5. PICTURE TIME IS MORE RELAXING
Another advantage of motorcycle riding solo is the pace at which you can take your photos. Let’s not get into how often we wanted to take pictures of places with few people lurking about, and just couldn’t. Granted, some places attract a lot of tourists and are already crowded but having fewer people around is always better for the perfect photo-op. You can afford to wait a bit to get the shots you want without feeling the need to hurry up and catch up with the others.
6. YOU ARE YOUR OWN MASTER
Yeah, no clashing of egos because there’s only one on that stretch of the road- yours (and maybe your partner’s). This means you don’t have to show you’re a better or more adventurous rider. You can just do your own thing. Plus you can try out new things at your own pace without any added external pressure.
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CONS OF MOTORCYCLE RIDING SOLO OR 2-UP
1. NO QUICK HELP NEARBY
While it’s great to be your own boss, it’s also a bummer when you have no one around to help you when the need arises. For example, if you go off-road and get stuck, it would definitely be more advantageous if there are other people to help you out. We once got stuck in deep soft sand in Spain and couldn’t get help until the next day because of the remoteness of where we were.
2. IT CAN GET BORING
Motorcycle riding can be long and boring when the road ahead is long, flat, and uninteresting. We sometimes experience that boredom on our journeys (Isabella, especially!), and we even wrote a bit about it.
Anyway, besides flat boring rides, the personality of the rider can also affect how they feel about group or solo motorcycle riding. We found that some riders would never go on long rides if they weren’t in a group because they just didn’t have as much fun (or maybe they don’t enjoy their own company). So this is one point against solo riding.
3. NO "COOL" GROUP EFFECT
I don’t know if this is a negative or not, but it might be for some people. You lose that “cool gang” status when riding alone. You don’t get as many looks and smiles as when you’re riding in a group. So if you enjoy the group effect then this could be a negative point against solo or 2-up riding.
4. YOU ARE MORE VULNERABLE ON THE ROAD
Unfortunately, it is well known that many drivers on the road don’t really watch out for motorcyclists, especially on highways. When you ride in a group, the fact that you’re riding as one massive body helps other road users stay aware of your presence. When alone, you have to take all the necessary precautions to stay safe like checking well before overtaking and not over-speeding, especially when you’re new to that stretch of road.
5. PLANNING YOUR TRIP IS ALL ON YOU
Finally, when motorcycle touring alone or 2-up, you have to do all the tedious work of planning your motorcycle trip by yourself. From deciding where to go, to choosing the routes, booking hotels, and all the other tiny details that go into creating the perfect adventure-packed itinerary.
On the other hand, travelling in a group means there’s usually a group leader who takes care of the majority of these details.
FINAL CONCLUSION
Well, we hope that we have been able to cover all aspects of riding in a motorcycle group versus riding solo or 2-up. And we hope it helps you make up your mind about which kind of rider you are.
For us, we much rather ride by ourselves as we really do enjoy the experience much more deeply. We feel more comfortable going off course, taking those tight bends, and speeding up (ahem!) for the thrill of it.
Having said that, we think that for shorter journeys (a day or two), groups are a lot of fun.
Whatever you decide, the most important thing is to stay safe while having the maximum fun out there on 2-wheels.
What do you think? Do you have any experience riding in a group, solo or 2-up? We’d love to hear about your experiences below!
Isabella & Pietro
TRZ TEAM
A couple with a zest for all things travel, a love for motorcycles, and a voracious appetite for good food!
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This is a really interesting insight into motorcycling riding! Thanks for sharing!
Riding a motorcycle always looks so fun! I was always just nervous about the sound and falling off.
I live near Daytona Beach FL where they host annual Bike Weeks, and it always looks like so much fun! I know a lot of bikers road trip here together, so I’m sure information like this is so so helpful! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!