Riding Rules and Etiquette
02-18-2011, 07:27 PM
#1
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SuperSport
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Twin Cities
Posts: 505
Riding Rules and Etiquette
In another thread there was some interest in a list of rules and etiquette for us motorcylists. I have one here that I feel is pretty good. I pulled this from my local sportbike forum. It is mainly geared toward group rides but some of the stuff could come into play when riding solo.
The head moderator and owner of that forum is a personal friend of mine. He wont mind us borrowing his compilation for the greater good. The mods here should feel free to add or edit anything you like.
GROUP RIDE RULES & ETIQUETTE
ON TIME
Show up early! If the group plans to meet at 2:00pm, plan to be there no later than 1:50pm. There's usually a pre-ride "meeting" to talk about the rules, route, plans, etc and it's disrespectful to be rolling up late. Besides, it will give you a chance to talk and b.s. with the other riders.
GAS
Always get a full tank of gas before you show up for the group ride. The group will not appreciate having to stop 10 minutes after take off because you forgot to get a tank of gas. If you're early to the meeting spot, always double check with riders as they show up to make sure they remembered gas.
MONEY
Always bring both cash and plastic. Sometimes a venue (restaurant, gas station, etc) may not accept plastic (ie: broken machine). Then again, you might need to spend more cash than you have. You don't want to be that person that has to borrow money for one reason or another.
FREEWAYS
Riding down the freeway as a group is not always an easy task.
PICK A LANE: The group leader should pick the best and safest lane available. Often, this will be the left-most lane available. Traffic can use other lanes to pass, and there is no merging traffic into your lane.
STAY IN YOUR LANE: Don't be a rebel and ride in a lane different from the rest of the group. This can confuse other riders as to where to go, or what lane to be in. Other lanes should be used by any riders doing photography (by a 2up rider or video recorder), group leaders, co-leaders, and sweepers. If you're just along for the ride, stay with the group, stay in your lane.
CHANGING LANES
When you change lanes, use common sense! When in a group, a lot of people can be affected by your actions. Use your blinkers, and always try to use an arm or extended leg in addition to your blinkers to notify the other riders around you that you're changing lanes.
Also, if you see a biker ahead of you notifying the group of a change in direction, or turn, duplicate that action to notify bikers behind you what the group will be doing. For example, if the lead rider is going to be taking a left turn, turns on his blinker, and extends his left arm: do the same, even if you're the last rider.
TWISTIES
When coming up on twists and turns, the formation of the group should switch from staggered riding to single file. Riders should communicate this by motioning "single file" (if you do not know how to motion this, ask at the next group ride), and proceed to enter a single file formation.
If you're a slower rider, keep yourself at the end of the group. If you're a faster rider, stay towards the front of the group. Do not ride above your skill level! If you have to take each twist and turn very slowly, DO SO. The group will wait for you at a designated spot ahead, at the next stoplight, stopsign, or change in the route's direction. No rider gets left behind!
HAND SIGNALS
You should learn the basic hand signals riders use while on the open road. If you don't know what one of the signals mean, don't be afraid to ask!
SINGLE FILE: Hold your left hand above your head with your pointer finger facing up, signaling "#1".
COP: Tap your hand on the top of your helmet signals there is a cop in the area.
ROAD HAZARD: Extending your leg to the corresponding side of the road hazard (dead animal, sand, debris, etc) is the most common form of signaling. Also, pointing to the ground repeatedly.
LEFT TURN: Extend your left arm out parallel with the ground, and point.
RIGHT TURN: Extend your left arm, bent 90 degrees at the elbow
SLOW DOWN/STOP: Extend your left arm out parallel with the ground, with an open hand, and move it up and down.
BLINKER: "Flashing" five fingers at a rider will let them know they forgot to turn their blinker off.
CHANGE LANES: Extend your left or right foot signifying you'll be changing lanes in that direction. Use this WITH a blinker.
GAS: Point to your gas tank.
FOOD/DRINK: Point to your stomach.
"STUNTING"
If you want to stunt, talk to the person who organized the group ride to see if it's okay to stunt with the group. If you stunt, always do it in a lane that does not have any riders in it. Do it far ahead, or far behind the group -- not in the middle. If you're asked not to screw around, respectfully agree and don't do it.
BRAKING
If you brake, try to "flash" your brake lights by tapping the brake quickly three to six times. This will help alert the riders behind you that you are stopping. If you see riders ahead braking, do not be afraid to flash your brakes a couple times before you actually start slowing down as a preemptive heads up.
GEAR
Wear gear! Always wear a helmet, at a minimum. Any rides organized by forum members require helmets for riders and their passengers. It's highly suggested you also wear a riding jacket, gloves, jeans, and boots.
ACCIDENTS
If there is an accident, have one designated person call 911.
When talking to 911, STAY CALM. Breath. Be efficient. Answer the questions they ask you, do not ramble.
Do not move the rider unless it is absolutely necessary (ie: face down in a puddle).
Help keep the rider calm, and keep them from trying to move.
Do not remove the riders helmet, unless you must perform CPR.
Perform CPR if necessary. If you do not know CPR, learn (by getting certified).
Keep the neck protected without touching or moving the rider.
Do not remove anything that may be impaled in the rider (ie: branch, piece of metal, etc).
Get the other riders to a safe place, off the road. Make sure there is room for police, fire, and paramedics to arrive.
Have riders & bikes slow down/direct traffic, ONLY IF NECESSARY.
Find out where the rider will be taken (which hospital)
The group leader (or a designated rider appointed by the group leader) should be the only person to talk to the police. The police do not need to hear the same story 50 different times by 20 different people.
SWEEPERS
Be aware of sweepers! Sweepers (Rolling Blockades) will pull off to the sides of an intersection, and park the bike. After the group had cleared the intersection, the sweepers will rejoin the group. Sometimes, the sweepers will need to head to the front of the pack, so be aware of passing bikes. There are two types of sweepers.
1) The Last Man: This type of sweeper is the designated "last man". This rider will be the last bike in the group, and never be ahead of any other rider in the group. When stopping at stop signs, stop lights, or a change in the routes direction the group leader will often wait for a "thumbs up" from the last man signifying that everyone in the group is accounted for. If there is an accident, they will call ahead and notify the group leader, call or help, or whatever else they must do given the situation.
2) Rolling Blockades: These sweepers can really make things easy for a large group. They will enter an intersection and block oncoming and turning traffic to allow the entire group to make it through the intersection together, safely. Sometimes, they will act as sweepers on the free-way slowing down cars in a lane of traffic to allow the group to change lanes safely. The police do not like these sweepers, and can technically issue tickets for "disrupting the flow of traffic" to sweepers. Bikes can also get tickets for running red lights, not stopping at a stop sign, etc.
The head moderator and owner of that forum is a personal friend of mine. He wont mind us borrowing his compilation for the greater good. The mods here should feel free to add or edit anything you like.
GROUP RIDE RULES & ETIQUETTE
ON TIME
Show up early! If the group plans to meet at 2:00pm, plan to be there no later than 1:50pm. There's usually a pre-ride "meeting" to talk about the rules, route, plans, etc and it's disrespectful to be rolling up late. Besides, it will give you a chance to talk and b.s. with the other riders.
GAS
Always get a full tank of gas before you show up for the group ride. The group will not appreciate having to stop 10 minutes after take off because you forgot to get a tank of gas. If you're early to the meeting spot, always double check with riders as they show up to make sure they remembered gas.
MONEY
Always bring both cash and plastic. Sometimes a venue (restaurant, gas station, etc) may not accept plastic (ie: broken machine). Then again, you might need to spend more cash than you have. You don't want to be that person that has to borrow money for one reason or another.
FREEWAYS
Riding down the freeway as a group is not always an easy task.
PICK A LANE: The group leader should pick the best and safest lane available. Often, this will be the left-most lane available. Traffic can use other lanes to pass, and there is no merging traffic into your lane.
STAY IN YOUR LANE: Don't be a rebel and ride in a lane different from the rest of the group. This can confuse other riders as to where to go, or what lane to be in. Other lanes should be used by any riders doing photography (by a 2up rider or video recorder), group leaders, co-leaders, and sweepers. If you're just along for the ride, stay with the group, stay in your lane.
CHANGING LANES
When you change lanes, use common sense! When in a group, a lot of people can be affected by your actions. Use your blinkers, and always try to use an arm or extended leg in addition to your blinkers to notify the other riders around you that you're changing lanes.
Also, if you see a biker ahead of you notifying the group of a change in direction, or turn, duplicate that action to notify bikers behind you what the group will be doing. For example, if the lead rider is going to be taking a left turn, turns on his blinker, and extends his left arm: do the same, even if you're the last rider.
TWISTIES
When coming up on twists and turns, the formation of the group should switch from staggered riding to single file. Riders should communicate this by motioning "single file" (if you do not know how to motion this, ask at the next group ride), and proceed to enter a single file formation.
If you're a slower rider, keep yourself at the end of the group. If you're a faster rider, stay towards the front of the group. Do not ride above your skill level! If you have to take each twist and turn very slowly, DO SO. The group will wait for you at a designated spot ahead, at the next stoplight, stopsign, or change in the route's direction. No rider gets left behind!
HAND SIGNALS
You should learn the basic hand signals riders use while on the open road. If you don't know what one of the signals mean, don't be afraid to ask!
SINGLE FILE: Hold your left hand above your head with your pointer finger facing up, signaling "#1".
COP: Tap your hand on the top of your helmet signals there is a cop in the area.
ROAD HAZARD: Extending your leg to the corresponding side of the road hazard (dead animal, sand, debris, etc) is the most common form of signaling. Also, pointing to the ground repeatedly.
LEFT TURN: Extend your left arm out parallel with the ground, and point.
RIGHT TURN: Extend your left arm, bent 90 degrees at the elbow
SLOW DOWN/STOP: Extend your left arm out parallel with the ground, with an open hand, and move it up and down.
BLINKER: "Flashing" five fingers at a rider will let them know they forgot to turn their blinker off.
CHANGE LANES: Extend your left or right foot signifying you'll be changing lanes in that direction. Use this WITH a blinker.
GAS: Point to your gas tank.
FOOD/DRINK: Point to your stomach.
"STUNTING"
If you want to stunt, talk to the person who organized the group ride to see if it's okay to stunt with the group. If you stunt, always do it in a lane that does not have any riders in it. Do it far ahead, or far behind the group -- not in the middle. If you're asked not to screw around, respectfully agree and don't do it.
BRAKING
If you brake, try to "flash" your brake lights by tapping the brake quickly three to six times. This will help alert the riders behind you that you are stopping. If you see riders ahead braking, do not be afraid to flash your brakes a couple times before you actually start slowing down as a preemptive heads up.
GEAR
Wear gear! Always wear a helmet, at a minimum. Any rides organized by forum members require helmets for riders and their passengers. It's highly suggested you also wear a riding jacket, gloves, jeans, and boots.
ACCIDENTS
If there is an accident, have one designated person call 911.
When talking to 911, STAY CALM. Breath. Be efficient. Answer the questions they ask you, do not ramble.
Do not move the rider unless it is absolutely necessary (ie: face down in a puddle).
Help keep the rider calm, and keep them from trying to move.
Do not remove the riders helmet, unless you must perform CPR.
Perform CPR if necessary. If you do not know CPR, learn (by getting certified).
Keep the neck protected without touching or moving the rider.
Do not remove anything that may be impaled in the rider (ie: branch, piece of metal, etc).
Get the other riders to a safe place, off the road. Make sure there is room for police, fire, and paramedics to arrive.
Have riders & bikes slow down/direct traffic, ONLY IF NECESSARY.
Find out where the rider will be taken (which hospital)
The group leader (or a designated rider appointed by the group leader) should be the only person to talk to the police. The police do not need to hear the same story 50 different times by 20 different people.
SWEEPERS
Be aware of sweepers! Sweepers (Rolling Blockades) will pull off to the sides of an intersection, and park the bike. After the group had cleared the intersection, the sweepers will rejoin the group. Sometimes, the sweepers will need to head to the front of the pack, so be aware of passing bikes. There are two types of sweepers.
1) The Last Man: This type of sweeper is the designated "last man". This rider will be the last bike in the group, and never be ahead of any other rider in the group. When stopping at stop signs, stop lights, or a change in the routes direction the group leader will often wait for a "thumbs up" from the last man signifying that everyone in the group is accounted for. If there is an accident, they will call ahead and notify the group leader, call or help, or whatever else they must do given the situation.
2) Rolling Blockades: These sweepers can really make things easy for a large group. They will enter an intersection and block oncoming and turning traffic to allow the entire group to make it through the intersection together, safely. Sometimes, they will act as sweepers on the free-way slowing down cars in a lane of traffic to allow the group to change lanes safely. The police do not like these sweepers, and can technically issue tickets for "disrupting the flow of traffic" to sweepers. Bikes can also get tickets for running red lights, not stopping at a stop sign, etc.
Last edited by mboe794; 02-18-2011 at 07:42 PM.
02-18-2011, 08:13 PM
#2
Senior Member
MotoGP
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Clemente, CA
Posts: 3,451
Very good tips.
Changing lanes: When my wife and I ride together in traffic, sometimes she'll ask me later why I didn't pass a certain car. My answer is that with her following me on her bike, it's like I'm driving a big rig. I don't pass if I think she won't have room to pass safely as well. I don't want to draw her to blindly follow me (which she wouldn't do anyway, but that's just the way I am).
Twisties: Don't ride above your safe ability level. A friend of mine knew a guy who was riding up to Laguna Seca in the mid '80s with a small group including his brother, who was a novice. When they hit Highway 1 heading north, he told his brother, "We'll see you in Carmel", and he took off with his friends. The novice brother, while trying to keep up, went wide on a right hander and head-on into a Ford Van. He was killed. His brother didn't even know what had happened until after they had reached Carmel.
Always stress that the group will stop at intervals for slower riders to catch up, and nobody will be left behind. And stress to novices to keep it safe. You don't prove how good a rider you are by crashing.
Changing lanes: When my wife and I ride together in traffic, sometimes she'll ask me later why I didn't pass a certain car. My answer is that with her following me on her bike, it's like I'm driving a big rig. I don't pass if I think she won't have room to pass safely as well. I don't want to draw her to blindly follow me (which she wouldn't do anyway, but that's just the way I am).
Twisties: Don't ride above your safe ability level. A friend of mine knew a guy who was riding up to Laguna Seca in the mid '80s with a small group including his brother, who was a novice. When they hit Highway 1 heading north, he told his brother, "We'll see you in Carmel", and he took off with his friends. The novice brother, while trying to keep up, went wide on a right hander and head-on into a Ford Van. He was killed. His brother didn't even know what had happened until after they had reached Carmel.
Always stress that the group will stop at intervals for slower riders to catch up, and nobody will be left behind. And stress to novices to keep it safe. You don't prove how good a rider you are by crashing.
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