WEST BANK MOTORCYCLE CLUB                                                                           SAFETY BULLETIN

The WBMC has a few rules designed to make our rides safer and therefore more enjoyable for all. To ride with us you must have a motorcycle endorsement on your license and you must be insured. This is the law in Minnesota.

Riding information:

We ride in two columns in one traffic lane. Not side-by-side, but staggered, maintaining a safe distance between and around yourself. Allow enough room to allow 4-wheel traffic in and out of the group. Remember these people may not be used to driving around a lot of motorcycles, and may make irrational decisions.

Road Captain:

This is the person leading the ride. He or she has designed the route, made the maps, and will signal other riders to mark corners during the ride. The Road Captain is the first bike in line and the Tail Rider is the last bike during the ride.

Corner Marker:

If you are riding near the Road Captain, be prepared to serve as a Corner Marker. The RC will raise his or her arm when you are needed to mark the next corner on the route. You are to let the RC know that you will take that corner by raising your arm, then pull over safely on the shoulder and use your flasher to let the rest of the group know where to turn. Do NOT leave your post until the Tail Rider approaches your corner and signals you -- then it is up to you to  rejoin the group, riding up to a position immediately in front of the Tail Rider.

Tail Rider:

The person wearing the orange vest has been asked by the Road Captain to be the Tail Rider. When you ride with us you must stay ahead of the Tail Rider. When approaching the Marked corner the Tail Rider will signal the Corner Marker by raising his/her arm as they approach which will signal the Corner Marker to rejoin the group ahead of the Tail Rider. The Tail Rider CANNOT stop to help if you have trouble as this would leave the Corner Markers stranded.

You should signal another rider to let them know you are having problems -
   someone WILL assist you.

DO NOT:

 1. Ride in front of or pass the Road Captain. Also, do not pass others in the group unless they are pulling off to mark a corner.

 2. Ride near the Road Captain unless you are willing to mark the corners.

 3. Leave the corner you are marking until the Tail Rider signals you to do so.

 4. Ignore the Tail Rider -- by this, we mean pay attention when marking a corner so you will see the TR's signal to rejoin the ride. If a friend waits with you while you are marking a corner, make sure he or she does not interfere with you and cause you to hold up the ride.

 5. Zoom past others to your former position after marking a corner. You are to rejoin the ride at the TR's signal by pulling in behind the rest of the group but just in front of the TR.

 6. Ride in and out of the group, do Burn-out's, Wheelies, Stoppies , or any other unsafe behavior. These are a threat to the club's safety, and will not be tolerated.

If you bring friends along to ride with us, you are responsible for their behavior and for informing them of these rules.  If friends are in a car, they should follow a  safe distance behind the ride or take an alternate route;  cars (especially close following cars) and motorcycles are not a safe mix.

If you cannot follow these rules, don't ride with the group. Racing and other unsafe behavior should be kept off the streets. Remember, when you ride with the group, you represent all bikers, whether you like it or not, to the non-motorcycling public.

        Pace Yourself  (this is a 'must-read')
        Hand Signals you should know
 How to get picked up - The How-To-Guide
   Also see WhatzUp - Safety page