Motorcycles Are The Ultimate Social Distancing Machines

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there can be some uncertainty about whether it’s still safe to ride, and if it’s safe to ride in groups. I’m here to tell you that motorcycles are the ultimate social distancing machines and riding them can be done safely and in groups. After all, if you can take a taxi or Uber with the windows down, why wouldn’t you be able to ride your motorcycle?

Reasons Why Riding A Motorcycle Even In Groups Is Safe

• Motorcycling is an outdoor activity
• You’re covered head to toe with a helmet, face shield and gloves
• Motorcycles are naturally distanced

Even with the smallest motorcycle such as a Yamaha YZF-R3 as an example, stopped at red light with tires touching, both riders are over the recommended safe distance of 2 m or 6 ft. Nonetheless, resist the urge to pull up immediately beside the rider in front of you at a stop, even in the opposite tire track. Keep staggered formation at stops.

At speed, the distance between riders is not an issue because particles in the air are rapidly dispersed. At a minimum following distance of 2 seconds, the distance traveled at city speed is 33.4 metres well beyond all social distance guidelines.

If your group stops for lunch, you can safely park multiple bikes in a parking spot, provided only 1 person is in that spot at a time so wait for the person before you to get off their bike and leave before you pull in. But be mindful of people in adjacent parking spots.

Risk Factors

You may have heard of the “3 C’s” COVID-19 Risk Factors:

1. Crowded places
2. Confined and enclosed spaces with poor ventilation
3. Close-contact settings, especially where people have conversations very near each other

Guess what? None of these apply to riding motorcycles! Woohoo! But that’s not the whole story because the situation changes during stops.

Tips For Staying Safe While Motorcycling in Groups

The way to stay safe is to think like you’re in a detective game and imagine someone in your group has COVID-19 but you don’t know who it is.

1. Keep staggered formation at stop signs and red lights
2. Don’t take passengers from outside your bubble
3. Avoid the temptation to lean over closely to talk to your buddies while on the bikes.
4. Follow local health guidelines. For example, here in Ontario, Canada we have colour-coded heath zones that define things like maximum size of gatherings for indoor and outdoor. If you’re traveling to different zones, make sure you follow the rules for the most restrictive zone.
5. Bring your normal everyday items:
   • Mask or equivalent face covering
   • Your own snacks and refillable water bottle
   • Hand sanitizer
   • Disinfecting wipes (optional)
6. If you do eat at a restaurant, dine on the patio if possible. Wear your mask/face covering if you use the washroom, wash your hands with soap and use a paper towel when using the doorknob as you leave. And don’t forget to tip generously as these times have been extra hard on local businesses including restaurants

Motorcycles are synonymous with freedom and we all could use more freedom especially after the cold winter, travel restrictions, and lockdowns we've had. So throw a leg over your ultimate social distancing machine, brap that throttle, and head out for some open road and fresh air.