SOUTH MISSISSIPPI SPORTBIKE RIDERS
OUR ROAD RULESLast Update: April 2, 2001
Our Road Rules
Come on...you should know that even though we are here to have fun - we gotta be as safe as we can. Listed below
are some of our rules and courtesies that you need to understand and follow for the sake of safety as well as being considerate to others. You will also gain and keep the respect of those you are riding with (and some self-respect, too).
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Rule 1:
Alcohol drinking and sportbike riding do not mix and never will.
Rule 2: Stay at least 5 to 7 bike-lengths behind the guy in front of you.
Rule 3: Ride in staggered formation behind the guy in front of you. If he is in one "tire lane" you should be in the other one. Whenever he switches (for whatever reason), you should switch opposite of him.
Rule 4: Passing others and the occassional highspeed blow-by is fine. Just do that stuff in the passing lane of the highway and use your signal lights so everyone around you has an idea what you are up to.
Rule 5: When changing to the passing lane...please check behind you...somebody else may be in the process of blowing by from behind.
Rule 6: Use your turn signal lights liberally!!!
Rule 7: Riding side-by-side is strongly discouraged unless you are communicating something to someone for a brief moment (at slower speeds of course).
Rule 8: Avoid riding if your bike is not in tip-top shape: bald tires (right Dave?), missing brake levers, bad brakes, etc., can ruin a ride for you and us too.
Rule 9: The most important rule of all: Don't allow those (evil persons) up front to cause you to push beyond the limits of your riding skill!!! If you feel you're getting to that point, back-off & fall back! No one is going to laugh at your or leave you behind (there
is someone probably back behind you anyways). In fact, rather than laugh...you will be given due respect for making responsible decisions.
Courtesy 1: Point-man and any of the group running point with him should wait up at turn-offs to keep those trailing behind on the right roads. It's a drag to be on a ride and get lost because you were left behind.
Courtesy 2: Indicate road hazards to those behind you. Learn, use and watch for the common "body signals" to indicate hazards such as pot-holes, gravel, roadkill, "approach me", "back off" and of course: "Oh shit...the cops!".
Courtesy 3: Point-man should occassionally allow the ride to be relaxed so that everyone can re-group and enjoy each other's company.
Courtesy 4: Be brave & tell someone about any safety concerns you may have with them - and don't get pissed if someone feels they need to talk to you about their safety concerns with you.
Courtesy 5: Ride safe-minded with the attitude all the time that your life and the lives of those around you depend upon it, cause guess what...it's a fact. There is a time and place for "letting loose" and a time and place not to...so be cool & demonstrate to the rest of the group that you know when those times are.
RIDE SAFE!!!
Some Wise Bike Notions Submitted by Pat who rides the "Big Bee" (Yellow/Blk 929):
Counter Steering
If you push the left bar, the bike goes left.
If you push the right bar, the bike goes right.
That is, unless you keep pushing the right bar all the way,
then you will probably go left while the bike swaps ends.
Crashing
Remember riding isn't inherently dangerous... crashing is.
The Sidelines
It's always better to be on the sidelines wishing you were on the track than on the track wishing you were on the sidelines.
Fuel
The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.
The Rear Wheel
The rear wheel is just a big fan used to keep the rider cool and his butt relaxed. If in doubt... watch. When it locks up or slides out you can actually see the rider start sweating and pucker marks are left on the seat.
Too Slow
No one has ever hit something too slow.
Rides
A 'good' ride is one you can walk away from. A 'great' ride is one you can walk away from and use the bike again.
Getting Hit
They can't hit you if you're not there.
Mistakes
Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.
Side Stands
Pull in quick, kick the side stand down, jump off the bike and hurry away...an awful crashing sound is then heard. Enough said? (yo, Jim!!!)
Center Stands
You know you've left the center stand down when you're in top gear at 4000 rpm going nowhere.
Traction
When traction is sparse, the probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of lean. Large angle of lean, small probability of survival and vice versa.
Your Brain
Never let a motorcycle take you somewhere your brain didn't go five seconds earlier.
Fog
Stay out of fog. The single red taillight you think is another rider ahead that you can catch, might be the red starboard light of a docked boat. (yo, Jim!!!)
Parking
Always try to keep the number of times you park the bike equal to the number of times you've ridden it.
Luck & Experience
You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck.
Mirrors
If all you can see in your mirrors is the direction you were previously traveling intermingled with sparks, and all you can hear is commotion from the passenger riding pillion; things are not at all as they should be.
Other Objects
In the ongoing battle between objects made of metal, rubber and plastic going dozens of miles per hour, and the ground going zero miles per hour, the ground has yet to lose. Same holds for cars, trucks, walls and most animals. Draws don't count.
Judgment
Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, experience usually comes from bad judgment.
Going Forward
It's always a good idea to keep the headlight end going forward as much as possible.
Looking
Keep looking around. There's always something you've missed.
Laws of Nature
Remember, gravity and centrifugal force are not just good ideas. They're laws not subject to repeal.
GANG PAGES:
Main Page - yep, the main page.
Members - pics/bios of who's in the core group.
Crash Hall of Fame - our crash stories.
Calendar of Past Events - who/what/where of past rides.
Videos! - see main page.
Email
This personal page created by David Graham, Biloxi, MS.