Riding is fun. Unadulterated fun. So much fun that you feel a strong gravitational pull towards others that understand this simple fact. And that makes life a little bit more interesting. A pack of Harleys going down the road is quite a sight. Whether from awe, jealousy, regret, or utter fascination, all eyes turn towards the bikes. And those riding have the heavy thunder, the camaraderie, and the collective joy of the group with them.

But how do we stay so close, so tight, so seemingly invincible on our mounts without killing each other? For beginners, it’s dumb luck. For seasoned veterans, it’s a matter of following a cardinal rule: PAY ATTENTION!

I recently received the following note in my guestbook, and I include it here in the hopes that if you take my advice, you temper it with this comment: Comment on group (pack) riding. One stop all stop is not a great idea. Many times LEO's will hassle everyone who stops and take the opportunity to more closely inspect each situation as opposed to the "real" reason one bike was pulled over. Talk about it before hand. If a LEO pulls behind a pack and turns on the lights, let only the trailing rider stop, if the LEO continues, next guy in line stops...ad finitum. This way the LEO only has the opportunity to hassle one biker. Keeping tabs on the situation, or having another bike with no infractions and a sober rider stop with or return for support/witness is a common sense call. If all stop, the ride is broken up anyway. And unless the LEO actually stops the trailing rider, all riders he passes up will eventually come upon the rider stopped and be excellent support as the LEO has already passed on the opportunity to pull them over, something a court could not overlook.