There is no manual for Road Captains that I know of that tells you how to handle specific situations that come up during group riding. Unfortunately you sometimes have to just throw yourself into something and learn from your mistakes. Being a Road Captain is going to be one of those fascinating endeavers in life that you never master, one that you are always learning something new. I think that a good Road Captain is a good student… someone who can be trained and someone who learns from their mistakes.

I made an error in judgement while riding sweep on Wednesday that I wanted to document here for the benefit of those who share my interest in the art of Road Captainhood. Before I continue, I have to say a few things. First, I think that riding in group formation without CB radio communication is as sane as sending out a fighter squadron of Marine aviators without radio communication. Second, the sweep or tailgunner position is the most difficult position to execute properly. The sweep must anticipate what is going to happen before everyone else. He will sometimes have to put himself in harms way to protect the group. This is the position for your best RC.

Having lead many rides as a lead Road Captain I can tell you that we rely on a good sweep Road Captain to block out cars when two lanes are going to merge into one. The bigger the group, the more critical this becomes. For example if a group of twenty motorcycles was speeding up a hill in the left lane and there is a slow lane for tractor trailers, the sweep will block off the slow lane so that some nut job in a sports car doesn’t try to pass the group and then run out of space before he passes the whole group. If a cager were to find himself side by side with a group of bikes with no place to go it would cause panic for both cager and cyclists; a potentially dangerous situation that we would like to avoid. Should this happen you can only hope that the group will adjust their speed and create an opening for the unexpected visitor. In most cases the lead RC can slow the group down and the “Slingshot” driver can get by as we wave him on to hurry up and pass us before we run out of lane. In other cases the lead RC can call single file and move over to create more space for the cage to manuever. All of these actions are more easily handled by a lead and sweep team that are in communication with each other via CB radio. Having riders in the group on CB only helps.

On Wednesday I found myself riding sweep for a talented group of eight motorcyclists. Only one of the motorcycles was CB equiped, so we were not in communication with each other. We had an awesome day of riding with one exception. On the way home from Pottsville, PA we had an agressive driver in a gold mini van come up on my tail. I created extra space between him and the group by slowing down a bit. We were traveling along a twisty piece of one lane road and the agressive driver was chomping at the bit to pass us. We came to a mountainous uphill that had a slow lane for slower moving vehicles and our lead RC read the situation correctly and took us up the slow lane on the right giving the mini van his much awaited chance to pass us. Unfortunately I read the situation wrong!

I wanted to do a good job and keep the cager from slingshotting up the passing lane with the potential to get caught in the middle of the pack; so I moved to the left lane to block the pass. I thought he would recognize that I was “closing the door” and hang behind us. WRONG! He was determined to pass us. He floored the death mobile to “ramming speed” and ran up on the last motorcycle in the group. I answered the challenge by dropping a gear and hitting the throttle hard as if to say “Oh no you don’t!”. We were side by side and as he came as close as he could to the last rider in the group he steered hard left as if to say “Oh yes I am, and here I come!”. I locked up the rear wheel, steered left and started to fishtail as the van successfully got past my stupid attempt to keep him from passing (which is probably illegal to begin with). I regained control of my motorcycle and my emotions as the van passed the group only after running out of lane and flipping off the lead RC.

I discussed the occurance with our Head Road Captain and Safety Officer and they both told me I made a mistake. I beat myself up about it and decided to learn from my mistake and stay on my journey to someday being a wise old master Road Captain someday in the far future.

I share this story with you so that those who are Road Captains can also learn from my mistake. For those of you who are not Road Captains I hope this story enlightens you as to the amount of strategy and teamwork that is involved in getting a group of motorcyclists from point A to point B. Being an RC is more than being a glorified Tour Guide, and being a good sweeper is akin to being an Ace Pilot.

I wish that we could all compile all our lessons learned on the road and benefit from these experiences… and even then there would still be new situations to surprise us.

Most importantly I leave you with this warning: Watch out for nut jobs in death mobiles at ramming speed!

When I first watched WILD HOGS I thought it was a funny little movie and could relate to the dichotomy that exists between Old School bikers and modern day suburbanites who ride brand new Harley-Davidson motorcycles. I had the DVD but it collected a lot of dust until my friend Bullslap mentioned one night how much he loves that movie. Since then I have watched it dozens of times, memorized most of the lines and laugh beforehand in anticipation of certain scenes and punchlines.

Check out the WILD HOG website at this link and watch the trailer: http://video.movies.go.com/wildhogs/

I think this movie is a riot and after a few beers there is nothing better than a game of WILD HOG Trivia where you make up your own questions and try to stump your friends who also enjoy this movie. Get it, watch it and memorize it.

Question: According to Ray Liotta’s character what is the joke?

Answer: Suburban assholes who wear leather outfits and think they’re bikers.

Click here to check out the DVD at Amazon.com

Check out the July 2009 issue of East Coast Biker Online! Diana’s article In The Groove is on page 22. Joker’s monthly New England Update is on page 58 and my monthly Product Review is on page 60. Click Here!

When Karen became the Activities Officer for First State HOG last fall, she had several goals.  The one she voiced most frequently was for our chapter to win a “Best Represented Chapter” award at a local poker run.  She had noticed that our chapter wall at Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson was lacking awards.  We have got to do something about that!  Besides the plaque, Karen wanted to increase participation in our chapter rides and events.  She loved to plan picnics, dinner rides, and other events…and the bigger the better!  I don’t think there was anything she loved more than to be a part of a huge group of riders in formation, heading out to have some fun.

Back in March, without thinking much about it, our chapter quietly took the award for most participation in the Motorcycle Accident Victims Foundation Saint Patrick’s Day Poker Run.  Then only a couple of weeks later we took nearly 40 people to the Delmarva HOG Poker Run in Seaford, Delaware.  Karen’s husband Ed was the road captain for this trip, and Karen was so tickled every time another bike pulled into the lot that morning at our pickup spot.  She jumped up and down like a school girl when they announced that our chapter had taken the prize.

Karen got her wish - not once, but twice!  And the riding season had barely begun!  Unfortunately Karen’s season was about to come to an end, permanently.  She was killed on April 24th while riding on a chapter trip. First State HOG members were devastated by the incident, but we have come back even stronger.  We will not let Karen’s dream die.

On Saturday, June 13th, we took a group of riders down into Maryland for the Baltimore Metro HOG Chapter “Panty Poker Run.”  This trip was great fun, and somehow we managed to win “Best Represented” again.  Our neighbors in Baltimore had been very supportive after the accident.  Several of them rode the hour-long trip in the pouring rain for Karen’s viewing and funeral.  When they learned that we were dedicating our award to Karen, they decided to get it engraved “In Memory of Karen” and will make the trip up to our next general meeting to make the presentation.  We got caught in some rain on the ride back that day, a rainbow appeared as we got closer to home… we knew it was Karen smiling down on us.

On Sunday, June 21st, we took a group of riders up into Pennsylvania for Tri-State HOG’s Father’s Day Poker Run…and AGAIN won the award for best represented chapter.  FOUR awards to hang on our wall at the dealership!  They’re going to have to get us a bigger wall soon!

But wait, there’s more!

On Saturday, June 27th, several of us headed to the All-American HOG chapter’s “Brain Freeze” Poker Run.  Given our chapter’s propensity to ride for ice cream, we figured a poker run with ice cream joints at every stop was just the ticket!  With 20 on 14 we did not have enough people to beat out some of the more local chapters.  But given that we rode 125 miles to get there, we did ride away with the plaque for “Longest Distance Traveled”! Chalk up award number FIVE!

Karen’s spirit is alive and well in First State HOG.  We love you and miss you girl!

When I traded in my Sporty for my Dyna I had to go out and get a replacement for the Battery Tender Quick Connect Cable. When Diana traded in her Sporty on her Dyna I had to do it again! How’s that for a product endorsement? If any of you riders out in Internet land need a Deltran Battery Tender Quick Connect Cable with a 7.5 amp fuse then I am glad to announce we now carry them at www.Shop.RoadCaptainUSA.com

This is a high quality brand name item manufactured by Deltran and sold under the brand name Battery Tender. This quick connect cable, also known as a pigtail, is 24″ long and has a built in 7.5 amp fuse and a tethered cap over the SAE2 pin connector. It attaches to your 12 volt battery with 5/16″ ring connectors. Beware of the less expensive 3 amp version with smaller ring connectors also made by Deltran… you want the 7.5 amp one.

Once you have this cable attached to your battery you can use it to quickly attach to a battery tender and other devices that use an SAE2 pin connector. You can purchase several devices that work with this conector at www.ShopRoadCaptainUSA.com

We have the innovative 12 Volt Power Port that you can use to hook up your GPS and recharge your cell phone. We also offer a Coaxial Cable Adapter so that you can plug your heated gear into your pigtail in the winter time. We also have an 8′ extension for those of you you want to connect to your battery tender from across the room.

We will add the Batter Tender Junior to our product lineup very soon. All Deltran battery tenders come packaged with this quick connect cable.

Today I pre-rode next week’s “Yuengling Factory Tour & Ride” with First State HOG’s Head Road Captain.  I was up at the crack of dawn (and I thought I was supposed to be on summer vacation?) to head out for this 200-mile all-day affair.  The weather was perfect (it has finally stopped raining) - low 80’s, partly cloudy, and not too humid.  I can’t think of a much better way to spend a summer day.

The route our HRC planned is challenging and will be great fun!  We ride through the sights, sounds, and smells of Amish farm country for quite aways up in Pennsylvania - dodging buggies and road apples of course!  There was actually one point today where there was practically a horse-and-buggy traffic jam!

There are twists, turns, and switchbacks galore.  Inclined starts and steep declined stops.  There is this one long sweeping 20-mph blind curve that just keeps on going until you swear you must’ve done a full 360.  Even the twisties have twisties!

At one point I pulled up alongside the HRC at a stop sign.  He asked me (as he had all day) how I was doing, and I replied “That section requires VIDEO!!!”  (Hopefully I will have figured out how to work the video feature on my handlebar camera by next week.  It should be awesome to watch!)

I got lots of chances to cruise along trying out my new engine-guard-mounted highway pegs.  (More on those later too)

The ride challenged me to confront some of my riding weaknesses, and build my confidence in those areas.  There was also opportunity to add a few more miles of experience riding the superslab.  Now I just have to conquer “The Bay Bridge” and I will no longer consider myself a novice rider!  Altogether it was a great day! I enjoyed the route and the supportive company of our Head Road Captain. I feel as though I improved my skills quite a bit, not to mention I hit the 5,000 mile mark on my new Dyna Super Glide. Now I need to get an oil change!

I can’t wait to do this ride again for real next week!  Maybe HRC will let me ride wing…

Sometimes when the day’s original ride is over you just aren’t ready to put the kickstand down for the night.  Such was the case the weekend before last. We had a nice ride out to Broom’s Bloom Dairy in Belair, Maryland for farm fresh ice cream. When we got back to Bear, Delaware most of the riders went on their merry way after saying “goodbye” at our final stop. Six riders were not quite ready to call it a day: Jay, Rich, Dana, Gladys, Paula & myself.  Yes, you read that right…TWICE as many women riders as men!

Dana had to get back to north Wilmington, but she wasn’t really sure how to get there from where she was, so Jay led the way from Bear through Newark and over towards Rt 141.  Along the way we dropped off Gladys at the Christiana Hospital to visit a friend; and the women still outnumbered the men 3 to 2.  Eventually Rich and Dana peeled out of the group to head to their homes, so we were down to 2 women and 1 man.

Since we were near the beginning of the covered bridge tour from the previous week… Paula, Jay, & I rode most of that route back around through woods, parks, and twisty roads towards Newark.  On the way we bumped into another women rider, Marty,  from our HOG chapter who pulled up to us at a Stop sign to say “Hi.”

Now that Jay had ridden the Covered Bridge Tour near a half-dozen times, he had all of the turns memorized so he didn’t have to creep along looking for the next turn.  And since there weren’t 20 bikes following along behind us, the three of us cruised at a pretty good clip.

When we got back to downtown Newark we stopped at the Deer Park Tavern for nachos and a Yuengling. We had tons of fun, and it was just what we needed to cap off a great day of riding. We covered over 130 miles, and the best part of all was THE WOMEN ROCKED!

Stay tuned as we visit the Yuengling Brewery for a private tour the first week of July. This should be a great ride!

I think this video should be a prerequisite for anyone even thinking about going on a group ride. It covers alot of vital information in a short ten minute clip.

Of course I gave a lot more advice on being a Road Captain, but I won’t bore you with all the details.

Whether you purchase this horn or not, please practice finding the horn button with your thumb so that you can find it automatically when you need to honk! Now that I have a horn that can be heard, I cover the horn button with my thumb in situations where I might need it… like going through an intersection or parking lot. Or when a cager is nosing his way out of a side street or driveway. I think the air horn is helpful for lead Road Captains to warn these nosers that a whole string of bikes is coming through, “so back up cager!”

The installation of this product may be something that you want your dealer to perform. I purchased mine at Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson in New Castle, Delaware. They installed it for me and it works great! I love it! If you have any questions about this genuine Harley-Davidson product please contact Ed Murrin, Parts & Service Director at Mike’s Famous Harley-Davidson 302-658-8800 ext 2230 edwardm@mikesfamous.com

A few weeks ago I got a new toy: the Go Pro Helmet Hero camera.  Not wanting to look like a total dork with a camera sticking off the top of my head, I attached it to my handlebars with a special attachment purchased separately.  The perfect opportunity to experiment with my new toy arose when First State HOG chapter went on their local Covered Bridge Tour.

It’s a long story, but the route got passed through several pairs of hands before it landed in Jay’s lap.  The two of us pre-rode the trip several times over Memorial Day weekend making changes to suit our needs and adding two more bridges to the original six.  With the help of a couple of our chapter’s veteran Road Captains, we made the necessary adjustments for taking a large group of bikes along this challenging route.  The tour passes through 8 covered bridges in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.  Along the way you ride through woods, rolling hillsides, and country farms.  Many of the roads are narrow with no shoulder or guardrail.  There are blind curves, steep grades, and inclined stops just to keep it interesting.

The weather was gorgeous for our pre-rides as well as the following weekend when 20+ bikes joined us for a hugely successful trip.  Despite the fact that several of our gentlemen were riding solo that day, we still had a total of 30 people to wrap up the ride with dinner at Wesley’s Seafood Restaurant in Fair Hill, Maryland.

I had the Go Pro Helmet Hero set to take pictures 2 seconds during the pre-ride and every 5 seconds during the official chapter dinner ride. In total the camera took 4000 pictures. I edited them down to 88 and posted them to Flickr. Click here to see the complete set of photos (taken mostly by my Helmet Hero camera) on Flickr.

I have never seen so many people request a copy of the route after a ride.  Everyone had lots of fun.  The route is fabulous!  Last weekend a couple of us re-ran a good portion of the route on our own.  With only 3 bikes, and no longer having to follow directions step-by-step since Jay now has the route memorized, we were able to fly through some of the twisties at a brisker pace than with such a large group as we had done before.  It is even more enjoyable that way - not only great scenery, but fun to ride too!  As Lem would say “It’ll really make your ass pucker!”

A full product review of the Helmet Hero camera is coming soon…