Brisbane Star Riders

We are an Association not a club and therefore we do not have any set Rules or Regulations.  

All members and guests ride at their own risk and Brisbane Star Riders bear no responsibility for any loss, damage, injuries or expenses incurred at any time.

The only thing we instist upon is Riders Safety and for that reason we always ride in Staggered or Single File Formation.

Ride formation is designated by the Ride Leader and is communicated by way of Hand Signals - refer Signals below.

• All ISRA Members attending a ride MUST complete the attached Emergency Contact form.  This form will be held by the Ride Leader/Tailgunner on the day and all Guests must notify the Rider Leader of an Emergency Contact Name and Number.

Download Emergency Contact Form Here

• ALL riders who attend and take part in our rides must agree and adhere to riding in Staggered Formation at all times unless unsafe in which case Single File format will prevail.  

Riding in Staggerd formation means:

• Each rider in sequence sits on the opposing side of the road to the rider ahead.
• You must maintain a safe distance behind and offset to the immediate rider in front.
• The rider in front owns the entire lane, not just the section of road they occupy at that time.
• At all times you must give way to the rider in front of you.
• No overtaking the rider in front unless signalled to do so by that rider or for reasons of safety.

All rides are lead by a designated Ride Leader for that day and either the Ride Coordinator or Club Coordinator or other designated member will ride Tail Gunner to ensure that all riders are kept together and nobody is left behind.  At times, when large numbers of riders attend, we also appoint a Point Rider to assist with Traffic Control and Group Flow.  All riders must give way to the Advised Point Rider to enable that rider to return to the front of the line as quickly as possible.

For those riders that may 'Feel the Need for Speed' feel free to shoot off ahead of the pack and ride at your own pace to the next meeting point, however such behaviour is not considered to be sociable if done too often as it is not in keeping with Group Riding etiquette.

Courtesy of Northern Stars of Manitoba

These signals will not cover every communication need, but they should provide sufficient means for the group to communicate while riding. Hand signals are to be repeated by every rider in the group.

As this section was copied from our fellow ISRA site in Canada, it does depict RH Side Driving.  Please note, we do ride on the LEFT here in Australia.  The illistrations are meerly and Example.  Use your common sense to transpose them to OUR way of driving please.

Other hand signals not depicted here but commonly used are:

• Low on Gas: Pointing to the gas tank
• Need Food/Drink: Pointing Hand to mouth
• Emergency vehicle near: Tapping on top of Helmet ... need I say more?
• Someone forgot his/her Blinker: Arm extended with fingers and thumb opening and closing rapidly pointing at the offending rider.
  Also known as "the sign of shame" ...
• Turning around: Left arm extended with hand circling.

START ENGINES With your right or left arm extended, move your index finger in a circular motion.

LEFT TURN Raise your left arm horizontal with your elbow fully extended. (Normally, we will use turn signals)

RIGHT TURN Same as above but using Right Arm if safe to do so.  Alternately, Raise Left arm up at 45 deg angle with elbow bent 90degrees pointing over your helmet. (Normally, we will use turn signals)

HAZARD LEFT Extend your left arm at a 45 degree angle and point towards the hazard.  Alternately, Extend your left leg at a 45 degree angle and point towards the hazard. Note: Hazard warnings can be initiated by any riders in the group.

HAZARD RIGHT Extend your right leg at a 45 degree angle and point towards the hazard. Note: This method can also be used (left leg) to point towards a hazard on the left

SPEED UP Raise your left arm up and down with your index finger extended upward. This indicates the leader wants to speed up.

SLOW DOWN Extend your left arm at a 45 degree angle and move your hand up and down.

STOP Raise your left arm horizontal with your elbow bent 90 degrees vertically - Palm Flat and facing forward..  Similar to Pissed Off but with ALL fingers raised not just the Bird...

SINGLE FILE Position your left hand over your helmet with your fingers extended upward. This indicates the leader wants the group in a single file formation. Usually this is done for safety reasons. (In single file the distance between riders increases to 3 to 5 sec)

STAGGERED FORMATION Extend your left arm upward at a 45 degree angle with your index and pinkie finger extended. This indicates that it is safe to return to staggered formation.

TIGHTEN UP Raise your left arm and repeatedly move up and down in a pulling motion. This indicates the leader wants the group to close ranks.

PISSED OFF Extend your left arm straight out with your elbow bent 90 degrees. Carefully extend your middle finger to clearly demonstrate your dissatisfaction with the other guy. NOTE: It is not recommended you do this when you are alone.

Group Rides

General

The Road Captain will lead all group rides and the group is expected to follow him/her and watch for his/her directions. A Ride Captain will be designated if the Road Captain is absent or if we ride in split groups.

We will normally ride in a standard Staggered formation (see figure below). In staggered formation, the bikes form two columns, with the leader at the head of the left column, so he/she will be able to view all bikes in the formation in his/her rear view mirrors, and be able to see around vehicles the group approaches. The second bike will head the right column, and will ride approximately 1 second behind the leader (and in the opposite side of the lane). The other riders will position their bikes 2 seconds behind the bike directly in front of them, which puts them 1 second behind the diagonal bike.

This formation allows each rider sufficient safety space, and discourages other vehicles from cutting into the line. The last rider, or Tail Gunner, may ride on whichever side of the lane he prefers. He will have to change sides during the ride, based on the situation at the moment.

The Road/Ride Captain will communicate with the group using Hand Signals. You have to understand the meaning of the hand signals to ride safely and know what is happening. Once initiated by the Road/Ride Captain, every rider will repeat the hand signals until it reaches the end of the group.

The group must obey all traffic signals and obey all traffic laws.

Do not run stop signs unless some special arrangements have been made or the group is under police escort and they are securing the intersections.

Before the ride

All riders are responsible for making sure their motorcycles are mechanically up to the task. Before you even meet up with the group, make sure you've taken care of all those maintenance issues. You really don't want to be the reason for stopping the group for something mechanical you could have prevented.

All riders are expected to arrive at the meeting point on time to take part in the pre-ride briefing. You are also expected to have enough gas to make it to the next designated stop.

The Road/Ride Captain will brief the group on the general conduct of the ride to include: route, stops and any particularities of the chosen ride. On longer rides, maps can be issued to riders.

If the group is too large and we have to split it, we will form in columns in what is known as "Staging".
If you want to ride with friends, make sure you are in the same columns.

If you are an experienced rider but new to Group Riding, inform the Road/Ride Captain. Novice riders and inexperienced Group riders' positions within the group are significant. They should be positioned as close to the front as possible.
There is no shame in being new at group riding. You'd be amazed at how many bikers have never ridden in a group.

If you know you will have to leave the ride before it ends, inform the Road/Ride Captain.

Safety is everyone's responsibility.

Any concerns should be taken up with the Road Captain before the ride starts or as soon as possible thereafter.

During the ride

Check your riding position by checking the rider's mirror ahead of you. If you cannot see their face in their mirror you are too close.

Keep your position within the lane and do not cross from one side to the other side of the lane if it can be avoided, as this may disturb other riders and cut off their vision.

If at any time you feel you are riding at a level beyond your current skill level, you should drop out of the group ride. Trying to keep up with the group may be hazardous to you and the group.

If during the ride, you must leave the group, exit from the side you are riding on, preferably at a location that does not disturb the other riders. Signal to another rider that you are leaving, so he/she may inform the Road/Ride Captain at the next stop.
Preferably and if feasible, you should wait until the next stop to leave.

Maintain your position within the group and do not pass. If you need to change position wait until the next stop then change your position when the ride starts again.

Maintain a constant speed within the group. Do not accelerate past another rider or brake late and pass another rider.

If you are riding with a passenger, instruct your passenger on the proper riding technique and appropriate protective gear.

If you get separated from the group, find your way to the next stop to rejoin the group.
Large groups may be a road hazard so riders must be aware of other motorists wishing to enter or exit the roadway and provide space for them to pass through the group.

If the group gets separated at a traffic light the last rider of the forward group becomes the temporary Tail Gunner of that group.
The lead group will either stop if safe to do so or leave a rider to wait for and direct the following group at any intersection where the group turns. As riders drop off the forward group to wait for the following group the last rider in the group will temporarily assume the Tail Gunner duties.

When stopping as a group at an intersection (see below), break the staggered formation and pull up beside the bike in the adjacent lane.
This will reduce the length of the group by half.
Stay in this formation until you are through the intersection. Because the group is half as long it will take half the time to clear the intersection and increase the odds of keeping the group intact.

If you don't make it through the intersection with the group, don't worry.
Don't take a chance and run a red light. The leader will know that you are not with the group and will slow down, or wait for you down the road.

Passing

Passing is probably the single most dangerous manoeuvre in group riding.
In most cases, we will not pass cars or other "obstacles" on group rides.
If the Road/Ride Captain decides to pass, he/she will increase his/her speed when passing any vehicle to provide room for the following motorcycles.

It is very difficult for a group to pass a slow moving car on a two lane road.
Generally, we will not pass a car on a two lane road, particularly on local rides, unless it is going very slow.
If the Road/Ride Captain decides to pass the car, each biker must decide on his/her own if it is safe for him or her.
DO NOT follow the bike in front of you unless you are certain that it is safe for you too.

IMPORTANT: After passing the car, keep going.
You must make room for all the bikes behind you.
On a two-lane highway no more than three motorcycles should enter the passing lane at any one time. When they have passed and pulled back in, the next three riders may begin passing.

Emergencies

In the event of an emergency requiring a stop, observe the following procedures so that the emergency may be resolved in the safest manner possible. We do not want a group of motorcycles on the side of the road in an unsafe manner under any circumstance.

• Problem Bike Stops – All Others Continue
  If a bike or rider problem creates a stop, the rider should signal and stop in as safe a place as possible, preferably well off the road. All other bikes are to continue with the Lead Road Captain to avoid having a group of bikes on the side of the road.
• Only the Tail Gunner Stops to Help.
  It is the Tail gunner's responsibility to stop and render assistance to the problem bike. The Lead Road Captain will lead the group to a safe location.
• Accidents
  In the event of an accident, the group should work together to ensure everyone stops in a safe location. The Road Captain will assign riders to help with the accident scene as needed.

Tolls

Although they are a rare occurrence in the region, tolls might be encountered on longer rides or trips. The Road/Ride Captain should be aware of tolls and collect money from all riders in advance.
When the formation arrives at the tollbooth, the Road/Ride Captain pays for all bikes, and all bikes proceed, in a single file, through the toll since many tollbooths have counters that count the number of vehicles coming through.

Make sure the Road/Ride Captain knows in advance how many bikes he/she is paying the toll for.

Parking

A good way to park, if there is room, is for each bike to pull ahead of the intended parking place and then back up into your spot.
You can see how this is done on the image below.

This can be done very fast because you don't have to wait for the bike ahead of you to finish the job.

If you find yourself at the end of the group and can't get off the road while waiting for others to park, GO AROUND.  Come back a minute or two later when things have settled down and take your time.