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Training Videos

This page is provided for those seeking advice or information on the listed topics. We regard these topics as especially important for rookies, but even experienced veterans can pick up a tip or two. To view a topic and it's associated video, click it's link in the Topic Link column.

Topic Link Description
 Counter Steering
Counter steering is always used to initiate a turn.

If you have never heard of counter steering you have a very serious problem! You will NEVER be able to take a corner safely and properly until you know how to counter steer.  To negotiate a turn successfully, the combined centre of mass of the rider and bike must first be leaned into the direction of the turn, and steering briefly in the opposite direction causes this to happen.

Bottom line (we know this sounds crazy, but this is how it works):
  • To initiate a left corner push the left side of the handlebar forward. (steer briefly right)
  • To initiate a right corner push the right side of the handlebar forward. (steer briefly left)
The pushing immediately causes the bike to lean into the direction of the push.
The more lean angle you require, the more you push.
Once the lean of the bike is correct, lean your body into the direction of the lean to maintain the lean - and away you go!!
 Group Riding

There are several advantages for motorcyclists who ride street bikes in a group:

  • a group is usually more visible to other drivers than a solo rider;
  • other vehicles can predict what a rider in a group will do because all members generally maintain fixed positions and fixed intervals between riders;
  • in case of a mechanical problem or an accident, help is available immediately to the rider. A member of the group may carry a cell-phone. Usually some riders in a group are trained in First Aid and CPR. They are often aware of safety information and accident management procedures that non-riders may not know -- for example, not to remove the helmet of a downed rider unless breathing is inhibited, where to find particular medical information for a downed rider; how to manage an accident scene to prevent complications, etc.; and
  • it can be a lot more FUN!

In addition, motorcyclists tend to learn a great deal from each other about their sport. Planned stops along the way offer a fine opportunity to socialize and to share valuable tips and techniques.

Group riding is not for everyone. It requires a certain level of skill and self-discipline. It restricts an individual rider's options as to speed, changes in route, and lane positioning. To attempt to ride in a group without having good basic riding skills and a good sense of what others in the group are likely to do -- and what they expect you to do -- is an invitation to an accident, one that may involve damage and injuries to more than one bike and one rider. It is also a matter of personality, in that group riding requires good communications, courtesy among riders and a willingness to look out for the safety of others while riding your own ride. Those who don't wish to ride in a group but who wish to arrive at the same destination as their friends may serve as a scout if they have a CB radio, or they may just prefer to travel solo and meet up with their friends at the day's end.

The following guidelines for riding in a group are not gospel. There are situations in which they don't apply. Some organizations may have different terms for these concepts, as well.



Some Common Group Riding Terms

  • Pack: a number of motorcyclists who ride together, generally without maintaining fixed positions or distances between bikes. Packs are occasionally seen with 20-50 motorcyclists in a single formation.
  • Group: a small number of motorcyclists who ride together maintaining a generally fixed distance between bikes and maintaining fixed positions within the formation (usually no more than six per group). On rides in which participation by a large number of motorcyclists occurs, it is common to have riders divided into several groups and to name them Group 1, Group 2, etc. This facilitates radio communication when several groups are listening to the same broadcasts and traffic coordination on the same CB channel.
  • Road Captain: a person who devises group riding rules or guidelines for a club or chapter of a motorcycling organization, who communicates these guidelines to the club, and who generally plans and lays out group rides. The Road Captain may or may not ride lead for a particular ride.
  • Lead Bike: a person who rides in the most forward position in a group and who relays information to all other riders in the group via hand signals and/or CB communications. The Lead Bike determines the group's direction, speed, choice of lane, and formation. He or she often must make quick navigation decisions in the face of road hazards, changes in road surface conditions, poor signage, construction and other obstacles while maintaining control of his or her bike and communicating to those following. It is the responsibility of the Lead Bike to select a Drag Bike with whom communications will be coordinated during a ride. If there are three groups on a ride, there will be three Lead Bikes. If at all possible, the Lead Bike should be equipped with a CB.
  • Drag Bike or Sweep: a person who rides in the last position in a group and who relays information to the Lead Bike regarding the other riders in the group, traffic patterns, equipment problems, etc. he or she observes. The Drag Bike must secure a lane for the rest of the group during lane changes into faster traffic (move first to block oncoming traffic) and close the door (move to block passing traffic) when a lane is lost in a merging lane situation. Usually this is the most experienced rider in a group, for the Drag Bike is the rider who stops to assist a rider who has mechanical trouble, loses control, or drops out of a ride for some other reason. The Drag Bike should be prepared to render aid to a downed or disabled rider in a group while communicating the problem to the Lead Bike and others in the group. If at all possible, the Drag Bike should be equipped with a CB and, preferably, will have a co-rider who can assist with communications or traffic control if a serious problem arises. If there are three groups on a ride, there will be three Drag Bikes. The rider in this position is sometimes called the tail gunner
  • Cage: any vehicle that is not a motorcycle, but particularly an automobile.
  • Four-wheeler: any vehicle that is not a motorcycle except an 18-wheeler, a hack or a trike.
  • Single file: a formation in which all the motorcyclists in a group ride in one track of a lane.
  • Slot: any position within a group of riders in the right track of a lane, farthest from oncoming traffic.
  • Station keeping: maintaining a fixed position and interval within a group of riders but not riding as Lead Bike or Drag Bike. Riders without a CB usually ride as station keepers in the middle of a group. Positions within a group are initially assigned by the Lead Bike based on the experience level of the rider, particularly his or her group riding experience.
  • Track: the zone of a lane in which a rider maintains his position in a group. A lane of traffic is divided into five zones: the left track is the second zone from the left, the middle of the lane (generally not used) is the third zone, and the right track is the fourth zone from the left. Two zones on the sides of a lane serve as margins. A rider may vary his path of travel from his normal track as is required by a road hazard or by an incursion into the group's lane by other vehicles.
  • Two abreast: a formation in which the members of a group ride adjacent to each other in pairs, used when riding in parade formation. Used after stopping at signs and traffic signals so that riders can get through an intersection quickly and together if possible. When departing from a stop, the rider in the left track normally pulls out before the rider on the right, returning to a staggered formation.

Road Captain's Job: Preparing for a Group Ride
When a number of motorcyclists are invited for a group ride, the riders and their co-riders gather at the appointed time and place, often without knowing their specific destination or route from that point on. The Road Captain for that ride will have a route in mind and will usually have pre-ridden the route within the past week in order to look for construction and road surface problems and other situations which might affect the safety of those who are to participate. The Road Captain will appoint or volunteer experienced riders to serve as Lead Bike, depending on the total number of bikes and the number of groups required. Each Lead Bike will then select a person to ride as Drag Bike for that group. The other riders will determine which group they are going to ride in, and if there is an inexperienced rider along, will usually ask the Lead Bike to make suggestions on group positioning. The Lead Bike should determine roughly the experience level of each rider in his or her group before departing, putting the rider with the least experience in group riding immediately in front of the Drag Bike in the slot position. If the last open position before the Drag Bike is not a slot, the least experienced rider should be in the last slot position available, away from oncoming traffic.

The Road Captain will conduct a short riders' meeting to establish that each group has a designated Lead and Drag Bike, to review group riding guidelines briefly, to alert the riders of potential hazards, to discuss communications within and between the groups, to review hand signals if there are riders without CBs, and to answer any questions about the ride.

If there are several groups of riders, the Road Captain expects all Lead Bikes to follow the route which has been laid out and not to initiate changes in the route except in an emergency. In case of problems that require emergency personnel or re-tracing a route to find a disabled rider or part of a group which has gotten lost, it is much easier to locate the person(s) sought if all groups follow the same path to their common destination. It is not unusual for groups of riders to be separated by several miles and to find themselves out of CB range from other groups during a long trip or in heavy traffic. It is also not unusual for groups to break up briefly in traffic, requiring a station-keeping rider to serve as Lead Bike or Drag Bike for a fragment of a group, for a short time.

Rider's Job: Preparing for a Group Ride

Normal Group Riding Manoeuvres
Entering Traffic

Regardless of the Lead Bike's signals, a rider is responsible for his or her own safety at all times. Ride Your Own Ride.

Changing Lanes
When a group of motorcycles is changing lanes, many safety considerations come into play. Should every rider move into the adjacent lane at the same time? If not, should the Lead Bike go first, or should the Drag Bike move first to “secure the lane”? When the Drag Bike radios to the group that the lane is secured, is it really? What if another vehicle sees a gap in traffic and tries to cut into the group? If part of the group gets separated from the other riders, should everyone change relative positions (tracks) so that the new Lead Bike is now riding in the left track? The recommended procedure for a group lane change manoeuvre depends on how the surrounding traffic is moving at the time. The goal for the bike which moves first is to create a gap into which the other bikes can fit.

On a busy two-lane road, oncoming traffic typically prevents a group from passing a slow-moving vehicle while in formation. Each member of the group must accomplish two lane changes in order to pass, and this usually is done on an individual basis.

Regardless of what a rider is told by others in the group about oncoming vehicles, each rider must personally check to see that the oncoming lane is clear of traffic before entering it.
If oncoming traffic requires the group to pass individually, the Lead Bike will signal the group to move into a single-file formation and will announce that the group members are to pass the vehicle one at a time. The forward members of the group will gradually position themselves in single file in the left track to prepare to pull into the oncoming lane. The Lead Bike will usually wait for a gap in oncoming traffic that is big enough for more than one bike to pass, but this is not always possible. When a safe interval is observed, the Lead Bike will put its left turn signal on and pull into the oncoming lane. After passing the “obstacle,” looking in the rear view mirror for clearance and actually turning the head to be sure the lane is clear, the Lead Bike then signals that it is moving into the right lane and does so, taking its normal position in front of the slower vehicle(s) in the left track. The Lead Bike must then maintain or even slightly increase its speed.

As with a lane change to the right, each bike should be aware of the need to create a gap into which the next bike in succession can fit after overtaking an obstacle. For this reason, each bike should maintain speed after passing, until the Drag Bike has passed and the group has re-formed.

Special care should be taken when passing not to focus on distant oncoming traffic to the point of establishing “target fixation.” The rider should continue to scan the environment for hazards and should plan escape routes in case of the unexpected; for example, the “obstacle” may come to life again when he sees motorcycles passing him and may accelerate while the rider is still in the oncoming lane, exposed to additional risk.

After he has passed the slower moving vehicle, the Drag Bike will usually notify the Lead Bike that the group is intact again by saying, “We're family.”

Number One Rule (The 'Prime Directive')
In a group ride, the primary job for every rider is to not hit the motorcycle in front of him.

Spacing Out
Especially on less-congested rural back roads, the riders in a group may spread out to create larger intervals between motorcycles. This allows a rider to relax a bit, to enjoy the scenery and the ride. If no four-wheelers are trying to pass the group, this is fine. However, the riders should remain close enough to each other to be able to see hand signals being passed back from the Lead Bike. Also, if a group is at maximum size (eight bikes is usually the limit) and the riders spread out too much in hilly terrain, CB communication between the Lead Bike and the Drag Bike may be severely tested or lost. The Lead and Drag Bikes cannot work together if they can't communicate.

It is possible that a rider will also “space out” in terms of losing his concentration and will forget to practice safe riding strategies. If the rider has become too fatigued to ride properly, the Drag Bike will usually notice this first and will advise the Lead Bike that a rest stop is needed. If a rider is not riding safely enough to avoid endangering others in the group (because of lack of experience, medical problems, fatigue, or some other reason), the Lead Bike will usually discuss the problem privately with that rider at the next stop. If a problem cannot be solved reasonably in this way, the Lead Bike has absolute discretion to request that a rider leave the group and is entitled to expect the group to support this decision. In the case of a mechanical or minor medical problem, it is not unusual for another rider to accompany the distressed rider to get help. Sometimes if the Lead Bike just re-assigns the riders to new positions within the group, this is enough to bring a spaced-out motorcyclist back to a state of alert awareness.

Checking Out The Curves

Odd Formations and Manoeuvres
Odd formations may be necessary in group riding when there is a member of the group which is not a standard, two-wheel motorcycle -- an “odd duck.” This includes three-wheeled motorcycles (“trikes”), bikes with a sidecar (“hacks”), bikes towing a trailer, or four-wheelers.

In each case, other than for four-wheelers, it's a good idea to place the odd duck at the rear of the formation, in the last available slot. The group should also allow extra clearance and reaction time for a bike towing a trailer. Instead of a one-second interval between that bike and the next, and a two-second interval between it and the bike directly behind it in the same track, these minimum times should be doubled. For trikes and hacks, it is not so important to position these riders in a slot, but it is still a good idea, because these vehicles do not handle turns in the same way a motorcycle does. If a rider has difficulty handling an “odd duck” vehicle, the bike following it may need extra time to react, and the “odd duck” should not worry about being hit from the rear by a group member while he solves his problem. If there are several bikes towing trailers in a group, they should generally be riding at the back of the group, even if they are not all in slot positions.

When a four-wheeler is a part of a group, it should trail the group behind the Drag Bike. It helps if the four-wheeler is equipped with a CB radio. Additionally, that vehicle should drive with its headlights on at all times, to enable the Drag Bike to distinguish it from other cages if possible.

Exceptions to Normal Guidelines
The often-heard rule, “Ride Your Own Ride,” means that any guideline for group riding can and should be ignored when it doesn't make sense. Determining whether this is the case and acting prudently is each rider's individual responsibility at all times. Under normal circumstances, the Lead Bike will choose a lane, will determine the speed at which the riders are to travel, will suggest the formation which makes manoeuvres most safe, and will navigate. Common exceptions to these guidelines occur with a rider who is not yet experienced with group riding. If a manoeuvre looks too dangerous or awkward for the new rider to complete safely, he or she should do what he needs to do to protect himself and avoid an accident. This may mean passing up a turn or taking it very slowly, or parking somewhere not with the group, or going more slowly through a curve than the riders ahead of him.


Rubber-Band (“Yo-yo”) Effect

This doesn't sound like much time, but experienced group riders manage their risks reasonably well with a minimum one-second interval between each bike and a minimum two-second interval between bikes that are travelling in the same track. When the group has more than six bikes in it, however, gradual changes in speed within the group can become tricky.







  • Lead Bike changes speed more gradually
  • Lead Bike announces speed changes over the CB radio
  • Lead Bike does not increase speed within 15 seconds of entering a curve which may require braking or some slowing down to manoeuvre it safely
  • All riders abandon the one-second spacing rule when riding twisties
  • Groups should not be larger than six bikes per group if even one rider is not experienced at group riding. Groups should never be larger than eight bikes: break the groups down into smaller ones.

This problem has been described with respect to the acceleration of the Lead Bike. When the rubber band effect is considered in reverse -- that is, when the Lead Bike is suddenly braking -- these tips on how to avoid the rubber-band effect can be even more important. Those who ride as Lead Bike for their group should be aware of the importance of avoiding sudden changes in speed if at all possible, so as to reduce the risks to those following.

 Hand Signals
Hand signals are used to signify actions, instructions, intentions and hazards. You should learn them and know them. Although they are mainly used when riding in a group, they are also used when two or more friends are riding together, These hand signals are basically used universally. It is important that road captains ensure that their members know these hand signals.

Apart from hand signals there is another very important signal we'd like to touch on. If your bike breaks down on the highway and you require assistance, simply place your helmet on the ground behind the back wheel. Easy as that. By knowing this you can easily differentiate between a biker stopped for a smoke break, and one in trouble. Of course, it is an unwritten law that bikers will stop to assist any brother or sister who requires assistance. But you already knew that hey!
 Lane Splitting
Lane splitting refers to the process of a rider riding between lanes of stopped or slower moving traffic, or moving between lanes to the front of traffic stopped at a traffic light.

In Southern Africa lane splitting is legal but this does not mean you can do it just any way or any time you please. If a traffic officer determines that you did it recklessly or dangerously, you'll get ticketed!

Lane splitting whilst on the move is always dicey, no matter how experienced you are. Even when cages are stationary at a robot and you are riding between them to get to the front, some idiot could suddenly pull in front of you (without checking their rear view mirror) if there is a gap and they decide to change lanes. You are at all times responsible to read the situation and ride accordingly.

Some cagers get uptight when bikers do lane splitting and many don't realize it's legal. Some have good reason to get uptight (rider doing it in a dangerous and irresponsible way) and some don't. Whatever, if a cager is intentionally blocking or impeding a rider in a way that could cause harm to that rider, they are committing an offence.

Riders must be competent and experienced to do lane splitting. If you are a rookie rider you should start lane splitting VERY carefully or even refrain from doing it it all until you have more experience. If you feel uncomfortable (you'll recognize the feeling immediately) in a lane splitting situation then listen to that guardian angel and back down. This is an important tip. Don't forget it.

Many things can happen in the time it takes to blink an eye. You need to realize this NOW. Don't wait until you have found out the hard way and then say "oh now I realize what they meant". Here are some general guidelines:
  • Travel at a speed that is no more than 15 kph faster than the going traffic
  • Danger increases at higher speed differentials
  • It is not advisable to lane split when traffic flow is at 60kph or faster
  • It is safer to split between the far-right and second from right lanes than between other lanes
  • Avoid splitting in lanes near freeway on-ramps and exits
  • Avoid splitting on unfamiliar roads unless plenty of forward road is visible
  • Be visible. Wear brightly colored protective gear and use high beams during daylight
  • Don't ride in cagers blind spot
  • Ride so that you are always ready to do emergency braking. Keep hand and foot over the brakes.
  • Assume all drivers are inattentive or distracted unless you see them seeing you
  • Don't rely on loud pipes to keep you safe
  • Weather, visibility, curves, blind rises and road conditions will determine how you ride
You should NOT lane split:
  • If you can't fit - pretty obvious hey!
  • At a toll gate - you'll piss off the cagers
  • If traffic is moving too fast or unpredictably.
  • If dangerous road conditions exist - loose stuff or lips in the surface etc.
  • If you cannot clearly see a way out of the space you want to go into
  • Between trucks, buses, RVs, and other wide vehicles
  • If you don't feel comfortable with the current situation (listen to that voice inside)
These guidelines are not guaranteed to keep you safe.
YOU must keep yourself safe by adhering to them and riding responsibly.
 Lone Wolf
There are quite a few "Lone Wolf" bikers walking around with lone wolf / no club patches on their backs. Lone Wolf What are these guys doing? They don't want to belong to a club, yet they want a patch on their cuts? Can this be the reason?

Well, watch the video and all the answers will be given very clearly.

We at OSBM can only agree.

Copyright © 2019. Old School Biker Movement, Est. 2011.