LOL! Many, many years ago (early summer, 1970), I was on my way, via the I-5, FRom San Diego to NAS Lemoore on my just-purchased-the-day-before 1969 Kawasaki Mach III.
(It was the first bike I had ever owned. If you ever rode one, you would know presicely what I am talking about. The bike did take some getting used to!)
IAE, by the time I got to the Central Valley, I was comfortable riding at and above prevailing highway traffic speeds.
Well, I chanced upon a fairly large group of Hells Angels types, motoring along at about 55 or so. I knew nothing at all about “Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Passing Etiquette,” so I just blasted on past them, waving my hand (showing ALL! fingers) at them. (I doubt I would have acted any different, had I known about the “OMGPE.”)
They took umbrage and gave chase, and, FRankly, it scared the crap out of me when more than several of them sped up as if to chase me down! I learned about the top speed of my Mach III that afternoon!
I also found out that the Harley choppers and trikes those guys were riding were unsafe at highway speeds. Not one of them was able to get close to me, and after a short run at near twice the legal speed limit, I successfully escaped and evaded the Hell’s Angels and the Law! (”But! Officer! Those Hell’s Angels did not look very FRiendy!” was going to be my story, and I WAS going to stick with it!)
After a short period of time, with no scruffy Hells Angels in sight, I motored on to NAS Lemoore to finish my A-4 transition training.
I had no idea, until I read this thread that one is “not supposed to pass a MC club ride.” HST, I’d do it again in a heartbeat if they were holding up traffic. My experience is that most outlaw club riders are not holding up traffic — if anything, they are violating most every rule of the road.
OTOH, “Sunday sport riders” seem to be OK with the laws, customs, etiquette and rules of the road.
Shoot, they even wave (ALL fingers) back at you!
I have passed patched groups before I knew better. My KZ900 would usually out run anything they might have had. I just hoped that I didn’t need to stop for gas or stop at a bar/diner/restroom along the way. I also hoped they were not going to the same event I was going to ... frog jumps county fair swap meet etc
Ha, pretty cool. I wonder what they do if they can catch up.
FReegards
Glad you had the juice to outrun trouble! The irony is these guys talk about “freedom” and “liberty”, but then build rules like paying tribute to other clubs, riding order, and rules about passing, waves, etc. Not really a fan of this type of construct - it seems counter to individualism, I guess folks put up with it to be a part of a club.