In the interests of rider safety and other legal considerations, the Johannesburg Chapter has adopted a new Marshaling protocol called the “Drop Off” procedure.
The drop off procedure has been tried and tested by HOG Chapters in various countries around the world. It is well proven and works very effectively, even with large groups of motorcycles in busy urban conditions. Most importantly, the Drop Off procedure is safer and complies with the rules of the road.
The Drop Off procedure is used to navigate the pack along a specific route. Whenever there is a change of direction either left or right, the Pace Setter will indicate in good time the change in direction and will instruct one or more of the Road Marshals to take up (a) specific position(s) so as to be able to indicate the change of direction to the oncoming pack.
The Road Marshall (s) will remain in position, indicating the change in direction until such time as the Sweep has passed. The Road Marshall (s) will then leave their station and take up their position in the front of the pack again in due course.
A pack ride is an opportunity to share the open road and wonderful scenery with other like-minded people. However, riding in a pack does not mean you surrender any decision making when it comes to your safety. Ride your own ride, and ensure that you ride within your own capabilities. The Drop Off procedure promotes this philosophy.
Obey all road signs and road rules. Remember we share the road with many other vehicles, and it's against the law to block an intersection.
The pace setter will ride at the designated speed limit and will generally maintain a constant speed throughout the ride. Road Marshals will be on hand to indicate a change in direction and the biker buddy and sweep will bring up the rear.
If the group is riding faster than you are comfortable with, signal to other riders behind you that they may overtake you. You may reach your destination a few seconds behind the others, but you won’t get lost. Keep in mind, it's all about fun and you don’t have to constantly try and “keep up”.
At intersections where you've come to a stop, tighten the formation to side-by-side to take up less space. As the light turns green, or when traffic opens up, the bike on the left proceeds through first. Generally, you should maintain at least a 2-second following distance from the bike in front of you when you are riding in a staggered formation.
Watch your following distance and stay alert.
Ride safe.
Al Clegg |
