My First Group Ride

[Tiffanator]

I have always been a lone wolf in everything I've done, and motorcycling wasn't any different. I really didn't have much desire to ride with other people, I mean, I can't talk to them, I have to watch my riding so I don't mess them up, and basically, there was no one here to ride with. So I rode alone.
Next tidbit of info... When I do something I tend to go big right off... by choice or by chance, I don't know, but it happens.

This past weekend my parents were closing on a condo they bought in Orange Beach, AL... about 20 minutes from Pensacola. We trailered the bike down there so I could cruise the beach while the parentals went shopping for stuff. On the drive down I passed a shop called "Cycle Shaq" and noticed a sport bike sitting in the front window and some jackets. While they were closing on the condo I decided to head over there and look for a pair of winter gloves.

When I drove up I knew I wasn't going to find what I was looking for there, it was a Harley dealership. I reluctantly walked inside and a lady came up front to talk to me. She didn't throw me the salesman pitch or anything. We started talking and I told her why I was there and that I had my bike... and she asked if I was going to the Angel Ride. I didn't know anything about it... so she told me all about it. Its a fund raiser for children with special medical needs and they have live bands, food, a bike show, vendors and a huge ride. So I'm like... ok, that's really cool. Then she says... yeah last year they had almost 3,000 bikes in the ride. Gulp... three... thousand? Thats a lot of bikes to ride with. I said I would see what we were doing and I may go over there.

I actually stayed for a while and talked to her about lots of things, like crazy sport bike riders that give everyone on a sport bike a bad name... yeah... that sort of stuff. Her shop carries Harley and Hyosung, so they do have some sports. I was telling her about my Z1000 and she had never heard of it before, not surprising, its not a popular bike.

Anyway... I'm getting long winded here. Saturday comes and I decide to head out to the place where the event is being held. I cruise in and they park me in line, at that point there were about 800 bikes lined up for the ride... and I'm on of 2 sport bikes, the other being a GSX-R. 98% of these bikes are Harley's, the other 1.9% are goldwings, victories, trikes and other customs... that .1% is me and the guy on the GSX-R. Needless to say... I feel very small and lost in a sea of doorags and leather chaps and vests. I cruise the vendor tents... leather vests, leather doorags, leather chaps, leather gloves, tassles, you get the idea. Finally I find the booth for Cycle Shaq and head over there... The whole time I'm thinking... will she even remember me, what if the other people with her don't like me.. etc. I walk up and she sees me, she immediatly jumps out of her chair, greets me, and tells me to have a seat. She introduces me to her husband, son and a friend who is hanging around. We check out the custom bikes, pics to come later, and help get everyone in line.

By the time we were ready for the ride to start there were bikes in 7 or 8 rows as long as two football fields. As we are suiting up and cranking up they do a missing man formation flyover for the fallen riders... as the planes approach about 1500 of these Harley's crank up and start revving their engines. What an awesome experience. It was so loud and so many vibrations that my chest was shaking, I couldn't even hear my bike running and I have a LOUD Muzzy system on it. They start pulling out the line and I'm slightly forward of the middle.

Let me tell you... riding for a good cause with over 3000 other bikes is an unbelievable experience and I encourage everyone to do it at least once. The police had every intersection we went through blocked so we moved without ever stopping. People were lined up on the side of the road waving and cheering. People with children with special medical needs were out waving and cheering, there was a sign that said "Autistic Children of America Thanks You". For that hour and half that we rode through the streets of 3 cities we were heros. We came to a momentary halt on a main road and a little boy ran out and gave some beads to a guy a few bikes in front of me... that's so cool.

We rode passed a mother holding her son who looked to be about 11 with muscular distrophy and he was waving as best he could... minutes later we passed another mother with a little girl in a wheelchair. The child looked about 6 with severe mental retardation... both of them waving to us. Seeing stuff like that really made it hit home why I was doing this. It wasn't to show off my bike, look at other peoples' custom bikes, make an appearance or hang out with other bikers, it was about raising money for an awesome cause.

Out of the thousands of bikes that were out there I saw maybe 15 sport bikes, I didn't look at all 3000 or so, but I did see most of them over the course of the day. While we were riding there were other people on their bikes parked on the side of the road watching us, it was cool to see them there supporting the riders.

Sport bike riders have nothing good to say about Harley riders in general.. heck... other cruiser riders don't have much good to say about Harley riders... but that day I found one good thing to say about them. They are VERY into charity events. Look at all of the charity events that are put on by motorcycle organizations and you will see a majority of Harley riders. There were 2 Harley dealerships that I know of that set up tents at the event, didn't see one Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda or Yamaha dealer, they make cruisers too.

So I got really long winded about the whole thing... it was just such an amazing experience that I had to say too much about it. Riding in a group where as far as you can see in front of you its nothing but bikes, the roar of Harley pipes is so loud you can't hear your own engine, and people stand on the side of the road cheering and waving is a very memorable thing. I feel like sportbike riders are too busy comparing the CCs of their machines and the chicken strips on their tires to really care about coming together for a cause.

I will be going back next year... and I think I'm going to enter the Vision in the Vintage Metric division of the bike show. The Little Devil could rack up her first bike show win.. since there weren't any entries in that category this year.

Sorry for the long post... I'll put up some pics tonight when I get them off my camera.
Tiff.

[visionless]

I will agree that Harley riders do a lot of charity events.  This is because these events contain the two things that Harley riders love to do:
      1.  Ride in large groups real slow.
      2.  Park in parking lots and talk about how cool their Harley looks sitting there.


I'm glad you had a good time on your first group ride.

[h2olawyer]

Great story, tiff!  Glad you had such a wonderful experience for your first group ride.  They can be tons of fun.  The biggest group I've ridden in was about 40 bikes - but that was on mountain roads.  Had to do the traffic light stuff without escort, so the group got split up a bit until we got to the edge of town & reformed.

The Harley riders are extremely charitable in general.  They have big rides here for Jerry Lewis (MD), Toys for Tots and a couple others I can't recall at the moment.  The Toys for Tots ride goes down a street near my house.  Last year, it took about 30 minutes of constant H-D rumble before they all got past.  The ground was shaking - as were dishes in the cupboard!

Where I used to worry a bit about pulling into a gas station or other location where there are lots of H-Ds around, now I almost look forward to it.  A couple well placed compliments on their bikes normally gets at least a little return interest in my V.  With my handlebar moustache, I can fit in fairly well - especially if I haven't waxed it that day.

The other reason Harley riders like the slow rides & parking lot get-togethers is that the bikes that are broken down can still 'participate' in the event!  So what if they have to park over an existing oil spot to hide the leaks.   ;D

H₂O

[Tiffanator]

As promised, I have some pics. I made a slideshow of most of them, and since they are kinda big I won't post them here.
You can look at the Slide Show or just browse my album.

Thanks.
Tiff

[Night Vision]

what? only one Vision in the bunch? and it's not even a Yamaha?  :o

I think you'll find anytime you get together with a bunch of people with the same interests, you'll have a good time...

I too ride solo a lot or with my bro, but it's always a treat to go on a ROVRide with other members...

[ironb12s]

As always, a very good writeup and read, Tiff.   ;)

When the ride is for a cause, the lines between brands blur.  The fact that you are there participating is what is important, and you'll be regarded with respect because of it.  I've ridden in many of these events, on 3 of my motorcycles, it's always the same, you come away with a good feeling.   :)

Good for you, glad to see you expanding your motorcycling experiences...   ;)

[glennw]

Visionless nailed this.. some are for show.. some are for GO!
Me......er...aaa.... I'll skip the Parade!
Glad it was for a good cause...