SHARI IVES DECEMBER 8, 2021 INSTRUCTION LEAVE A COMMENT
While it might be tempting for new riders to participate in these types of activities, recognize that group riding involves additional skills which new riders might not know or understand. Because charity rides usually involve large groups, you have the added challenge of moving and coordinating with other motorcyclists in unison as part of the ride-which can be even more difficult for new riders who are unfamiliar with these techniques. Beginners in these types of events should ride in the front of the group, so that the more experienced riders are moving at the pace of the novice riders-not the other way around. Until your skills have developed sufficiently where you can ride comfortably in large groups and you are able to understand proper group ride positioning, transitions and formations, hand signal usage, etc., we would not recommend you participate in these types of events as a new rider.
A better approach might be to make your donation to the charity or function where the ride is taking place and drive directly to the event destination-meeting the riders at their end point. This way, you can interact with the group and the charity function, but not compromise your safety.
The MSF publishes an extensive list of group riding information / tips, videos, and diagrams to help familiarize you with these concepts. Reviewing these materials will familiarize you with these fundamentals, to help prepare you for the time when you are ready to participate in these types of events.