Understanding how we ride
If you are like us, a group of guys whose friendships are founded through a passion for motorcycles, then come support us! If you are law enforcement and notice the great things we have done for our community and would like to support or contribute, we welcome you as well! Several law enforcement members are apart of our family and are some of our outstanding riders! You are welcome to come with your families. You will all be met with smiles and respect! This is our vision on how to fix our city- communication and solidarity are the keys to achieving our goals and setting examples for other cities across the nation.
As the murder rate in Kansas City has experienced a steady growth in past years, we took the time to break it down for the current year of 2018. So far, Kansas City has experienced 151 homicides, 5 of which were of children aged below 16. 14 people shot by police officers. We can’t help but to wonder if one of these passed souls would have benefited from our events. An inch of guidance provided from a positive role model might have changed the course of their entire life. This mindset is the basis of what we operate on! We only care that someone, anyone, is there to support and guide our youth and community members. We ask that you share this belief if you do so choose to participate in our events. We expect everyone to be apart of our solidarity in improving our Kansas City community. We care naught about your socioeconomic status, race, gender, sexual identity, etc. We are there to support everyone in our Kansas City community. Though we have yet to confirm this data, we believe that there have been zero homicides resulting from any of our 13 rides.
Getting the ride Started:
The ride leader/organizer does not have to be the first rider to take off; in fact, their job is to organize the ride and keep everything running smoothly. This cannot necessarily be done by simply riding in front of the other riders. Before the ride begins, they will conduct an all-rider meeting at the starting point to go over the route, designated rest stops, and to go over hand signals. For anyone that has an immediate, pressing issue, this would be the avenue to speak up.
2) A lead and tail rider will be identified. The lead rider’s job is to set the riding pace, look ahead for possible interruptions that could affect the ride, and be familiar with the route to assist in navigation. The lead rider should also be well-versed in the hand signals; as the lead rider, they will be the “eyes” for the entire group. They will send out hand signals to the rest of the group.
The tail rider should also be experienced in group riding. We usually invest in two tail riders and a truck. Tail riders will assist in keeping an eye out for stragglers, bikes that are experiencing mechanical problems, or any unsafe behaviors from fellow riders. The tail rider might need to fall back in order to deal with any of these problems in order to help out and should be able to make arrangements with the ride leader to group back together. For the purpose of our event, if one biker falls we will all cease riding while holding formation while the issue is handled. The only riders who will move in this scenario will be specified riders who are equipped and prepared to deal with this situation.
3) The rest of the group will be arranged by riding skill and experience. Less experienced riders will ride in the front while experienced riders will ride in the back. This formation allows for more seasoned riders to keep on eye on the newbies and to give them pointers based on observations. With more skilled riders up front it can become too easy for the group to set too fast a pace and unintentionally leave newer riders behind. While stunt riders are allowed, we have set designated areas for stunts. Remember that this event has been established to promote the welfare of our communities children and safety is the number one concern for our event.
4) There will be what we call “sideshow riders” that are able to break rank in order to add excitement for the crowd as we move down the route. These riders will be hand picked based on skill, attitude, and most importantly, the safety they display. We will have open ride nights with spots safe to practice away from public domains. We have planned and submitted the route with the Mayor’s Office and video recorded all for our protection. If an uncounted for rider attends and performs unsafe stunts we will have video evidence that this was not apart of our planned event. We understand that riding is a passion and that many riders will want to take part to show off their skill. We ask that you keep in mind that this event is not about showing off your skill as a rider but to help engage, encourage, and guide our local Kansas City youth. One bad rider or event can tarnish our reputation and hinder our efforts in giving back to our community. Please work with us to prevent this from happening!
About half of our riders have cameras and radios that they utilize for communication as well. We plan to give back to local Kansas City businesses in terms of where we gather our food, fuel, and fundraisers to further give back to our community.
The more we guide our youth the less law enforcement will have to in the future! We are helping curb crime rates in Kansas City by early intervention efforts. Please help aide us in our efforts of protecting and bettering our Kansas City communities.
