Rider Safety

Rider Safety is paramount when riding with the BMW Motorcycle Club of Northern California. This includes AGATT (all gear all the time) and making sure your bike is in proper working order, especially having good brakes and tires. Also important in riding with the club is knowing how to ride in a group environment. Review the following guidelines and listen to the pre-ride meetings for any relevant information regarding that day's ride.

Guidelines for Group Riding

• It is your responsibility to act and ride prudently; be alert, be safe. 
  
• Be aware of other riders; ride consistently, ride considerately
• Ride with a 2 / 1 second gap between motorcycles; try to keep the group together 
• Ride staggered formation when safe to do so (lead bike left), avoid “wandering”, increase gap and ride single file in tight turns 
• Check your mirror for the rider behind you and pause at turns, pass hand signals back 
• Stay in your lane, especially on blind curves, and watch for oncoming traffic 
• Close up in towns, 2 thru stop signs/signals, don’t block intersections or roads
• Allow faster riders to pass. Don’t crowd a slower rider, don’t overlap wheels 
• Ride Leader will change freeway lanes approximately 1 mile in advance of exit when possible 
• Visual head-check when changing lanes. Allow other vehicles to pass thru the group
• Sweep will stop with a breakdown, other riders follow the ride leader to the next stop 
• Relax, don’t panic, have fun, be considerate; and remember - you can say anything as long as it stays inside your helmet.