Ride Out Guidance

THE BMW CLUB ULSTER SECTION RIDE-OUT GUIDANCE NOTES AND RULES

At all times the primary consideration while riding a motorcycle is safety. At no time should the safety of riders, pillions, or any third party be compromised for any reason. It always remains the responsibility of all riders to exercise their own judgement about each and every course of action they take. Each rider is responsible for their own safety, their own actions and any consequences those actions may have on themselves or others. Each rider is required to ride within the law and must not break the law in terms of speeding or road traffic regulations and in particular they must not be in control of their motorcycle whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Each rider is required to have a relevant current motorcycle driving licence and to ensure that their motorcycle is taxed and in a roadworthy condition with a current vehicle test certificate if required.

You can download a copy of the guidance and rules below and also a copy of the Ride-Out declaration form for printing.

bmw_club_ulster_section_rideout_form.pdf
File Size:	159 kb
File Type:	pdf

Each rider/pillion participating in Club ride-outs does so at their own risk. The Liability Protection Policy the Club has in place does not cover moving motorcycles. It is there to protect club officials, its members and volunteers should they be subjected to legal action as a result of Club recognised and approved activities. Accordingly, the rider of a motorcycle, on a ride-out, must have their own road traffic accident insurance and if they are going to participate in any motorcycling activity that may be classed as out of the ordinary they should CHECK WITH THEIR INSURER THAT THEY ARE COVERED.

Unless the ride-out leader advises otherwise each ride-out will normally end once the named destination has been reached (usually the lunch or tea stop).

While guests attending ride-outs are most welcome they should only do on a maximum of three occasions to see if they enjoy the experience. They should not continue to attend further club ride-outs without joining the club.

In order to maximise the riding experience and safety of all, each rider is required to ride at a pace that is comfortable and safe for him/her over the length of the ride-out. They should maintain a safe distance behind the rider in front and neither “tailgate” them or drop back to take a “race” at closing the gap. Always remember that the motorcyclist and no one else, has control over his/her throttle.

They turn up for the ride-out with a full tank of fuel.
They know who the leader and back-marker are and what motorcycle they are riding.
They advise the run leader of any concerns they may have in relation to their motorcycle riding experience.

Each rider should ensure that they know how the drop off system works, which is as follows:

At any junction or deviation, the ride-out leader will signal to the rider immediately behind them to pull in to direct the following riders from a safe and conspicuous position. For reasons of safety one rider and only one rider should stop at each junction. Provided it is safe to do so, that rider should then re-join the ride-out immediately in front of the back-marker otherwise they should join onto the end of the ride-out and resume a position in front of the back-marker when safe to do so.
On a ride-out, apart from when dropping-off, a rider should normally always be travelling behind the same rider.

Any rider intending to leave the ride-out, other than at a pre-arranged stop, should, before setting off, inform both the ride-out leader and back-marker of their intentions.

Overtaking fellow riders, within the ride-out, is discouraged, however, if this becomes necessary it should be done safely and with courtesy for all road users.

Riders wishing to adopt a slower pace should not obstruct those wishing to pass.

Riders should not overtake the ride-out leader, take an alternative or different route or stop at a non-pre-designated stopping place. Any rider doing so will be deemed to be no longer participating in the ride-out.

On open roads riders are advised to ride in a staggered formation in case of the need for heavy braking. Through towns they should bunch up safely to ensure as many riders as possible get through traffic lights.

Wherever possible, riding in close convoy and stopping on the road to allow riders to re-group are two practices that should be avoided. However, if the ride-out gets too spread out a re-group may become necessary. This should only be done when it is safe to do so and with courtesy for all road users.

If it is entirely safe to do so, riders should indicate with a foot out if there is debris on the road that needs to be avoided by the following rider.

Any rider found to be riding in a dangerous or inappropriate manner should be reported to the ride-out leader at the first convenient opportunity. The ride-out leader should, with the support of others, caution the rider and/or ask the rider to leave the ride-out.

Version 1 - March 2013