Speed control is one of the most important skills in a group ride. Maintaining proper spacing is all about throttle control. Here are a few tips I have learned through the years.
Don’t even try to use cruise control. It won’t work.
Micro adjustments. No need to twist on and off. Small, 1/16th adjustments are all you need. Often times just THINKING about a speed adjustment is enough. It does not have to be instant or even quick. Smooth and easy is the ticket.
I see it every year. We’re pulling out of a gas stop, rounding a corner and everyone feels the need for speed. They haul ass to catch up and then get on the brakes once they catch up. Again, smooth and easy is the ticket.
Part of throttle control is slowing down. Don’t use the brake if at all possible. Brake lights affect bikes several bikes behind you. And can increase the yo-yo effect. Instead down shift. Practice it. A trick I learned is IMMEDIATELY shift back up BEFORE rolling the throttle back on. This way you don’t zoom back up. NOTE: If your bike has the ability to flash the brake light when engine braking, please try to disable it when riding in the pack.
Often times just THINKING about a speed adjustment is enough.
If your uncomfortable maintaining spacing, talk to a tail gunner or a Road Guard and ask for help. Often times a few miles next to someone smooth can even things out.
Did I mention Often times just THINKING about a speed adjustment is enough.
Some great points. Just food for thought as a different point of view as I’ve been to several courses and have taught as well - never heard anything in agreement with your point #4 on brake lights being the causation of yo-yo effect, to the point where the rider should attempt to NOT use brakes. In fact, some courses remind riders to give brakes a tap when engine braking, in case there IS someone following behind them as a way to alert of their intentions to slow down. The industry has gone to great lengths to create devices that will flash (as you mentioned) during engine braking, for the purpose of safety. Brake lights are for safety, to draw your eyes attention toward a potential hazard.
Yo-yo effect is best controlled by a slow and steady pace at the front. Corners creates opportunities for some to roll harder on the throttle - I’d say smooth and easy as you’ve stated.
My tip/suggestion for the pack is to not focus everything on the bike in front of you. Obviously you will, but pay attention to the bikes 5-6 ahead of you. When their lights come on, you’re probably gonna need to use yours. When they begin to speed up, guess what you’re gonna be doing…this anticipation ties in with your point 7 which helps with point 8 - enjoy the ride!!
Your points are valid in most small-pack rides. This is not a HOG chapter ride or a Patriot Guard mission. When you get platoons that have 50+ bikes, the further back you are, the more pronounced the yo-yo effect.
When you are looking several bikes ahead and see brake lights, you immediately want to hit your brakes. The guys behind you do the same and by the time it works to the back of the platoon, the guys up front are already twisting the throttle to catch back up,
There have been Runs in the past where the pack was over 10 miles long. The lead element and platoon leaders make very gradual changes in speed. The further back you are, the worse it gets. I believe the majority of times you see brake lights ahead is because that rider was not practicing slow and easy speed adjustments. Of course, there will be times when you have to use your brakes. You are responsible for your safety and the safety of those around you.
The first few days of the Run are typically hard because riders are not used to riding in such large groups. After a few hundred miles, riders start to settle in and develop a rhythm. You develop a feel for those micro adjustments of speed. The platoons start to tighten up.
Riding in RFTW is not like any other ride. Take it easy. Micro adjustments. We are not in a race. Slight adjustment of the throttle when you want to close the gap. Getting a little close?Micro adjustments on the throttle to slow down.
As I stated before, if you are having trouble, talk to a tail gunner or a Road Guard. I’m sure they can help smooth you out.
@Pawkee great info, To all reading this, if you are in too high of a gear you will not have the throttle control being mentioned here… When riding in the pack i never get to 6th gear most often 4th gear is enough occasionally 5th… But every bike is different to you want to find that sweet spot for your bike where you can make those adjustments in your power band… My FNG year i didn’t learn this until day 6… I wish i knew it earlier
Exactly right, last year was my FNG ride and it took a couple of legs before i started feeling comfortable. I found that I was watching the Tach to select the gear I should be in. These touring bikes love an RPM in the 3 to 4,000 range so I used whatever gear kept me in that range. That allows the engine to slow you down with a slight roll off the throttle. Welcome comments if I’m wrong.
Recently watched the RFTW Pod Cast and learned that the separation between bikes on the ride will be two seconds. These are the speed / distance calculations for the two second separation.
MPH - Distance in feet
30 - 88
40 - 117
50 - 147
60 - 176
70 - 205 - This is equivalent to nearly 70 paces behind the rider in front of you.
This will significantly increase the size of the foot print of the group and will improve safety.
My FNG near the best advice I received was from my Platoon Leader. Six speed bikes should ride in 5th gear while in the pack and running down the road at ~60 mph. That puts your rpm at roughly 3,000+/- so if you notice you’re slowly closing on the bike in front of you, roll off the throttle and that slows you without braking. When you hit the brakes the riders don’t know how hard you’re braking and may instinctively hit their brakes. Rolling off the throttle to slow may not even be noticed by those behind you. This advice reduced the “yo-yoing” in my platoon.
I rode a 2015 CVO Road Glide Ultra in 2024 and a 2018 Goldwing manual in 2025. Both of them are 6 speeds and when ridden at 60 mph in 5th gear they are at 3000 rpm +/-. Rolling off the throttle allowed the bikes to slow slightly without using brakes.
Just a thought on this no brake light thing. Brake lights do not really affect the pack much, most realize it’s an attempt to adjust speed. But (and I only have 14 ATW and 2 Participation’s to draw on. What brake lights do is scare the hell out of cages around us. They see 7 or 8 bikes using brakes and they think there is something wrong. In 2011 this happened and a lady 2 lanes to the right on I-15 decided to panic stop in the rain. We lost part of our escort to her accident.
We didn’t cause it but the brake lights may have. Use hand signals and down shift to slow down, it will keep from confusing cages. Also for any one not on a Harley, which will slow down very well with a down shift, if your are on a Honda or a Yamaha, try clutch release clutch this will slow RPMs and effectively slow a bike with less back pressure than a Harley. Brake lights are not really safe when they cause panic stopping around us. Actually cause of the YO YO effect is if any one bike slows down even 3 MPH by the time it translates back to last bike in line it is a dead stop. Places this happens is really funny. We can go under an over pass with 10 fire trucks and flags and never slow down, then we go under an over pass with one guy saluting and we end up stopping dead on a 70 MPH road. Maintain steady speed and realize Lead bike is on Cruise and has saluted that one guy for you, if you gotta recognize him hit the horn, your throttle is in your right hand. Thanks Rant over
I have taken to M8 107s on the run, One on a Softtail and one in a Road Glide Ultra Both are 2018…
RG has some minor engine work…
You need to test with your bike and see what range gives you the best throttle control.. You want more of an ability to engine brake when in the pack
I rode a 2004 Royal Star, 5th was an over drive, generally one gear below top gear gives you more control letting off usually will slow you down, down shifting slows you faster. But I cant think of a bike that can run 60 to 70 in the top 3. I now have a 2018 Star tourer, not sure how it will work, but I’m working on figuring it out.
