The motorcycle between enthusiasts

The forums

There's no better way to meet like-minded fellow travelers than on Internet forums. Exchanges help to create a friendly atmosphere before the trip, and also to find advice and tourist information from bikers who have gone before you. This tool also gives you the chance to find friendly host committees all over France, as it's not uncommon for parties or rides to be organized in honor of a member's visit to an unfamiliar region. Although some sites are dedicated solely to forums, most of them are part of professional sites devoted to the world of motorcycling, or constitute one of the parts of club and association websites.

Motorcycle clubs

Generalist clubs. To make friends who share the same passion for the road, the easiest way is to join one of the many motorcycle touring clubs. There are hundreds of them all over France. Motorcycle clubs were originally affiliated with the French Motorcycle Federation (FFM). But more and more clubs are being created outside the FFM fold. Among all these MC, it is easy to find the one that corresponds to your desires, your way of riding and your state of mind. Some people like peaceful rides, taking the time to discover the landscapes they meet, others prefer less quiet rides. The outings are often only a part, more or less important, of the clubs' activity. After riding together, members meet for a drink or a good meal. Generally, non-members can join their rides for a small fee if necessary.

Thematic clubs. In addition to the "general" clubs, there are many thematic clubs that bring together true enthusiasts for a particular frame or brand. The purpose of these clubs is to share technical advice and knowledge and, of course, to organize outings. Despite their attachment to a particular model, club members are rarely segregated from other happy bikers... Some sites specialized in the motorcycle world propose a page listing the numerous addresses in France.

The organization of the walks

"Concentrations of fewer than 50 vehicles in compliance with the highway code taking place on the public highway are henceforth not subject to any procedure" (Interministerial Instruction on regulatory simplification of the organization of sporting events and clarification of the conditions for compensation of order services dated March 13, 2018). This extract from the aforementioned Instruction should come as a relief to those of you who wish to organize group outings limited to a few motorcycles on an individual basis (clubs and associations have their own specificities): you have a clear path up to 49 machines. Beyond that, a declaration to the Prefecture is mandatory. See also article R331-20 of the French Sports Code.

Steps to follow. In the simplest case (fewer than 50 machines), organizing a group outing will be all the more tricky the larger the number of participants. Here's some advice we can give you: Registration date and deadlines: Set a date well in advance so that everyone can make their arrangements. 15 days seems a minimum; The number: Keep the number of machines participating in the outing modest. a maximum of 5 to 7 bikes (i.e. up to 14 people) seems reasonable. Machines: Avoid too wide a range of engine sizes and machine types. Even if you scrupulously respect the speed limits, power or comfort will make all the difference along the way; The objective of the ride: Give the outing a purpose, so that everyone is persuaded to expect the same thing: an exceptional viewpoint, a nice restaurant, a picnic by the water, a swim at the beach...; The distance and duration: Assuming an average speed of 50 km/h, 2 hours on the road in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon will usually be more than enough. That's 200 km and 4 hours maximum with a meal and at least 2 intermediate breaks; Meeting point: Define an easily accessible and suitable meeting point, preferably close to a service station, where you can meet all these people in complete safety. The briefing: Hold a briefing before you set off, reminding everyone of the traffic and safety rules, and the stages leading up to the first break... take the opportunity to hand out the road-book, even if it's only a summary, that you've put together for the occasion. Exchange telephone numbers; Places to avoid/roads to favour: Avoid the big towns in between where you can get lost, and favour the smaller roads that you'll preferably have recognized (but leave out the byways). Beware if you have novice riders: fatigue and lack of technique will be formidable enemies if the road is too degraded or if there is an endless succession of bends; Breaks: Plan breaks and places with toilets along the route. Getting informed: Check the weather forecast the day before and the traffic forecasts if you have to take some major roads; Reservations: Make sure you book in advance if you want to have lunch or a snack somewhere (4 people is fine, but 14 can be quite a problem, especially in season). If an overnight stay is planned, be very generous with your reservations; At the end of the tour: Plan a last place to gather at the end of the day (easily accessible, safe...), to make sure that everything is going well for everyone before the group splits up.

Riding in a group

Riding in a group is a very special exercise, which can be dangerous if you don't observe a few rules of caution, and even more so if you don't know the driving habits of the other members of the group.

Rules of the road. The larger the group, the greater the risk. A small group of motorcycles of the same type or category, driven by riders with roughly the same level of experience, is far less likely to cause trouble than a pack of several heterogeneous machines. Choosing the right pace. In the event of disagreement between participants, it's best to split into several groups. Choose those with whom you feel safe, and don't ride beyond your capabilities. Define a place for everyone. To keep the group from spreading out for miles, the fastest riders should match the pace of the slowest. The one with the least power and the least experience will take second place behind the opener. The opener, on the other hand, must be the most experienced, capable of following the route, indicating it to the following riders, and keeping an eye on the traffic, the environment and the motorcycles following him. He must also know how to stop the group at sufficiently large points, without disturbing the other riders or risking one of the bikes getting caught. Maintain good visibility. With two or more motorcycles, two fundamental principles must be respected at all times: maintain visibility as good as if you were riding alone, and be able to brake suddenly without disturbing the motorcycle behind you. The solution is to adopt a staggered formation with a large safety distance between each motorcycle, modulated according to the type of road and speed. The staggered formation (each motorcycle laterally offset from the one in front) allows everyone to move aside in the event of an obstacle (stone on the road, hole, slippery area) without risking a collision, while leaving enough space to see far ahead and stop if necessary (fall of a motorcycle in front). This type of training, adopted by all safety-conscious groups, can obviously only be practised on sufficiently wide, straight roads. On small, winding roads, single file is the rule, with even longer safety distances. Watch out for others. No one should ride alongside another motorcycle: if you change your trajectory in a bend, the other rider will have no room to manoeuvre. On the other hand, when stopped at an intersection, it's a good idea to abandon the staggered formation and move forward towards the nearest motorcycle, so as to reduce the length of the group and allow faster passage. Another rule of thumb is not to overtake, except when necessary, and to give warning by flashing your headlights or blowing your horn, so as not to surprise a motorcyclist who is not expecting to see you close by. Adopt communication signs. Agree on communication signs in the form of gestures to indicate an obstacle to the rider behind you, the need to stop or refuel, but also to let the rider know that all is well, among other things... Of course, setting up this code in no way prevents you from communicating on the road using Bluetooth equipment. The most advanced equipment allows up to 15 motorcyclists to share a conversation simultaneously, with a distance of over a kilometer between the first and last motorcycle.