Safety & Group Riding.

For people who have never or rarely ridden in a large group of motorcycles it can at first seem a little daunting. It is however one of the most satisfying aspects of belonging to a chapter; to be part of a line of Harleys riding through the countryside is a great feeling. The almost universal smiles & waves from people along the way, you just don’t get with any other bike.

Here is a detailed outline of the do’s & don’t's, It is well worth reading !!!

All Chapter rides will be led by a Road Captain. Participating on a group ride is not the same as going for a ride with your normal riding buddies. The people you normally ride with are almost always compatible. After all, that is one of the main reasons you ride together. The objective of a group ride is for everyone to have fun, however the safety of the group is paramount and riders must be prepared to ride at the pace of the group.

PARTICIPATING IN THE RIDE

• All riders are responsible for their own safety at all times and will be required to ride in a safe manner or leave the ride.
• Dress or pack according to the weather you may find on the ride or on the way home. Being uncomfortable from the weather will make you a less safe rider.
• All riders are expected to insure that their bike is in a safe operating condition, full tank of fuel, and generally ready to go. It is no fun to crash because of a bad tyre on your bike or someone else’s machine. It is also very embarrassing to be asked to leave the ride because you are riding a rolling disaster and constitute a danger to everyone else. Additionally, the Back Rider will help you if you encounter problems during the ride (they don’t carry spare fuel, and are not fully trained mechanics). They may not be so inclined if you started out knowing that you had a problem.
• All riders are responsible for knowing as much as possible about the route, times, stops, etc. They should arrive at the departure point in time to hear everything discussed at the pre ride meeting and to familiarize themselves with any maps or written instructions that may be provided. This contributes to a safer ride and adds to the enjoyment.
• The normal riding formation will be the ‘staggered’, as it is sometimes known. This formation provides the best safety margin of reaction time and space as each rider only uses 1/3 (either left or right side depending on the stagger position) of the lane. Heavy, very slow traffic may require that you ride in a side-by-side column of 2’s for a very short distance. A staggered formation complete with a safe interval should be immediately adopted as soon as conditions allow.
• Everyone should obey speed and traffic laws at all times. Additionally, remember that like it, or not, you are representing everyone on 2 wheels during a group ride. Be a courteous rider and give cars and trucks every consideration.
• Riders should not speed up suddenly should a gap develop between them and the bike in front. Rather, they should accelerate slowly until they catch the bike up in front, and are back in position. This will help prevent the riders at the back from over reacting and possibly running into the group. Riders should signal a Road Captain when they have to pull over for an emergency. Remember; that it is normally the Back Riders responsibility to stop and offer assistance and that no more than 1 other rider should stop, as it is generally not safe for a larger group to park along the side of the road. The LRC will signal the group when it is safe to pull off the road, should it be necessary. Riders should not overtake the LRC without prior arrangement.
• Staggered Riding – The lead motorcycle (LRC) should be in the right front 1/3 lane, the second motorcycle in the left 1/3 lane, and so on. Each rider should leave enough room for the motorcycle in front of them to make a left or right manoeuvre without danger of hitting the next motorcycle in line. Typically, you should leave a minimum of about a motorcycle and a half length between you and the next motorcycle in your (1/3) lane whenever possible. Another way of stating this is that you should have at least a 3 second interval between you and the next bike directly in front of you, and at least an 11/2 second interval between you and the bike to your left or right front. This time or distance interval is of course adjusted for speed and wet conditions.



• Stay in line with the bike in front of you, and do not switch between left and right side of the lane, rather, pull past the motorcycle to your font left or right. The objective is to keep as tight a group as possible and yet have enough separation so as to allow for required safe manoeuvring room.
• Passing Other Vehicles – Pre-position yourself for the pass by being far enough behind the vehicle you are going to pass to be able to see clearly down the road for an “oncoming traffic check”. Signal, mirror check, and then a head check of your blind spot, so make sure no one is passing you. Accelerate and change lanes, (remember that legally you aren’t supposed to exceed the speed limit).
• When returning to your lane, make a mirror check and a head check, to be sure that there is sufficient space between you and the vehicle that you are passing, and anyone else that is also making a pass, before you move. Resume your lane riding position.
• No more than one motorcycle should pass at the same time. Otherwise this could happen, the first rider overtakes, but there is not enough room for the second, hence they are left out to dry. Not a nice position to be in!
• When Being Passed – Allow other vehicles to pass you safely if need be by slowing down and creating a gap so that they can pass the whole group in segments, rather than trying to make it all at one jump. Remember to keep checking your mirrors, Road Captains will often overtake to mark the route, give them room. There is not need to re-position for a Road Captain as this will result in everyone having to re-shuffle. Be aware that other bikers may overtake, give them room. If you don’t they will still pass when it may not be safe to do so. Passing or getting passed anytime can be a hazardous so use common sense and a safe approach.

Watch Your Speed – Using the Buddy System

Never ride beyond your own riding capability and never ride in excess of the speed limits. The Lead Rider will ride within the speed limits. If you find yourself left behind due to traffic conditions, traffic lights, etc, do not panic and use excessive speed to catch up. There is a system in use that helps prevent the ride-out group from fragmenting. This is known as the Buddy System. Each rider uses their mirrors on a regular interval and part of their observation is to make sure they can see the rider behind them. Should a rider see the person behind fall back substantially, then he/she should slow down. This has the effect of slowing down the whole ride-out until the Lead Rider notices that the ride-out has fallen back. The Lead Rider will then pull over and wait for the rest of the ride-out to re-group.

Second Man drop off

There is also a system known as second man drop off which can be employed to highlight the route. It is only used where the direction the ride is following is NOT straight on at a junction.