2008 Manual of Motorcycle Sport - Motorcycling Australia

hear anyone else. If you
can’t hear any other bikes,
go back to the last known
Corner Man position and
wait there, regardless of
the duration, as this will be
a location where searchers
will look for you.
on-road riding
MA
member
organisations and affiliates run a huge range of
events which you can take part in. These events
can be as simple as a morning ride with mates or
as complex as a ten day fully-catered tour. With so
many events across the country, the chances are
you’ll find at something to suit within easy riding
distance. Check out the links to the various tours,
rides, and rallies on the MA website www.ma.org.
au
group road riding
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being on
a bike with a group of mates, following the curves
of one of Australia’s great motorcycling roads. You
catch sight of the riders behind you, and their grin
matches your own.
This is what a group road-ride is all about. It’s your
opportunity to share the open road with like-minded
people. But like most motorcycling experiences,
this one is much more enjoyable if you follow a few
simple rules that keep everyone safe.
Organising the ride can be as informal as standing
around in a parking area and deciding where to ride,
or as complicated as planning for a special meeting
where riders get pre-prepared maps and exchange
mobile phone numbers.
• Riding in a group should never mean you
surrender your ability to make judgements
about your own safety. Ride your own ride, and
never ride faster than you feel comfortable.
• When planning your route and stops, think
about the experience and the stamina of
everyone in the group. If it’s going to be a long
ride, have a few breaks along the way.
• You’ll need to communicate with each other on
the ride, so decide on a system that everyone
knows.
• Decide who’ll lead, and who’ll run at the
rear (sweep). It’s wise to have your most
experienced riders up front and running
sweep. The less experienced riders should be
enjoy the ride
close to the front, so that the leader can adjust
the pace if necessary.
• Ideally, the sweep rider will have a mobile
phone to call for help if there’s a problem.
• If the goal of the ride is to keep the group
together, the leader should set the pace so the
least experienced rider feels comfortable.
• While riding, don’t just follow the motorcycle
in front of you. Instead, remember your basic
training; - Look through the turn to where you
want to go.
• If the group is riding faster than you are
comfortable with, let the sweep rider know
you’re dropping out and ride at your own pace.
You might reach the destination a few seconds
behind the others, but you will get there, and
that’s what’s important. Keep in mind; it’s all
about fun.
Each rider is responsible for making sure their
motorcycle is mechanically up to the ride. Before
you meet, make sure you’ve got enough fuel, and
you’ve taken care of all those maintenance issues.
(If you’re not sure what to check, use the MSF’s
T-CLOCK system that is reproduced below). You
don’t want to be the reason for the whole group
stopping when you could have prevented the
problem with a few simple checks.
• If your ride group starts to grow, think about
creating smaller five- to seven-rider packs. That
way, if something goes wrong, you don’t have end
up with 25 bikes sitting on the side of the road.
Smaller groups work much better in suburban and
city streets, too.
• Remember the 2-second rule- creating a space
cushion in front and behind. If you want to keep
the group tight, use a staggered formation; leaving
enough room so everyone can manoeuvre side-toside
they have to. Avoid riding side-by-side because
it shrinks your space cushion.
• Trikes and sidecars should stay in the centre of
the lane, and should be given the same amount of
cushion as if they were a car.
• As turns get sharper, or as visibility decreases,
move back to single file. You’ll also want to use single
file entering or exiting a freeway, at toll booths, or
when roads have a rough or questionable surface.
• Where the group comes to a stop, tighten the
formation to side-by-side to take up less space.
When the light turns green, or when traffic opens
up, the bike on the right goes first.
• When parking, try to get the group off the road
2008 RIDERS’ DIVISION MANUAL
RIDERS’ DIVISION MANUAL