SCRC / Star City Chapter - Hand Signal Meanings
The purpose of this club is to enjoy the fellowship of riding motorcycles in a safe and orderly manner with others.
It is sometimes hard to communicate with other riders in the group. Therefore, by studying the following page of hand signal
examples, we hope that everyone will have a better and safer ride by understanding a few basic signals.
1. Arm and hand extended pointing to the left means left turn.
2. Arm in a 90 degree angle with hand extended means right turn.
3. Palm facing down and arm pushing in a downward motion means slow down.
4. Palm facing up and arm moving in an upward motion means speed up. Close up the gap between you, there is too much space.
5. Arm extended down with palm facing backward means stopping or slowing down.
6. Arm bent and pointing to gas tank means I need to make a pit stop soon. This signal should be passed to the leader.
The rider that needs to make a stop should toot their horn when it is safe to pull up to the next rider. Point to his/her tank and then
fall back into formation. Each rider in turn will pull up to the rider in front of them and so on, until it reaches the leader.
7. Palm facing forward and waving arm forward means pull up to me and pass.
8. Palm facing back and waving arm backward means don’t pass me now. Conditions are not safe at this time and place.
9. Hand across the front of the neck means Rider is stopping and pulling off to the side. They have an immediate need to stop.
The Tail-gunner (ONLY) will stop with them. The leader of the group will continue to the first safe available location to pull the group
off. The leader will then, via cell phone or radio, contact the tail-gunner to be advised of the situation and to make arrangements as
to how to proceed. Note: The last rider in the group will assume responsibility as tail-gunner.
10. Arm extended up with index finger pointed to sky means ride in single file.
11. Arm extended up showing two fingers means staggered file formation riding.
12. Arm and hand extended upward and tapping thumb and forefinger means cancel your turn signal.
13. Patting the top of the helmet indicates that you are dropping out of the formation and going on your own. Make sure that the
tail-gunner sees this so the ride may continue on uninterrupted.
14. Closed fist: Tail-gunner is to block the other lane as soon as traffic will allow.
15. Left arm extended upward, hand opening and closing all 5 fingers means to tighten up the formation.
16. Left arm extended upward, hand making circle motion means we will be turning around or making a U-Turn.
17. Left hand over head with index finger pointing right means potential hazard on right roadway shoulder.
18 - 19. Arm or leg pointing to road means a hazard in the road ahead.
A. When the lead rider activates his/her turn signal, that is only a sign of intent. We will not turn/change lanes until the appropriate
hand signal is given by the leader and then it will be front to rear.
B. When leaving the roadway and entering a parking lot or other stopping area, riders will fall into a single file line.
C. Each rider is to duplicate the leader’s signals so that every rider in the group is aware of the change in the current riding situation.
We hope you will study these signals, understand their meanings, and pass them on to the riders behind you. It will make our rides
more enjoyable and safer for us all. Please, at anytime, feel free to ask questions or to make suggestions regarding these signals.
Also note that these signals are intended for the use of the Star City Chapter and are not necessarily universal outside our club.
Thank you for your attention to these signals. By learning formation riding, I think we all will have a safer and more enjoyable ride.
Ride Safe
The purpose of this club is to enjoy the fellowship of riding motorcycles in a safe and orderly manner with others.
It is sometimes hard to communicate with other riders in the group. Therefore, by studying the following page of hand signal
examples, we hope that everyone will have a better and safer ride by understanding a few basic signals.
1. Arm and hand extended pointing to the left means left turn.
2. Arm in a 90 degree angle with hand extended means right turn.
3. Palm facing down and arm pushing in a downward motion means slow down.
4. Palm facing up and arm moving in an upward motion means speed up. Close up the gap between you, there is too much space.
5. Arm extended down with palm facing backward means stopping or slowing down.
6. Arm bent and pointing to gas tank means I need to make a pit stop soon. This signal should be passed to the leader.
The rider that needs to make a stop should toot their horn when it is safe to pull up to the next rider. Point to his/her tank and then
fall back into formation. Each rider in turn will pull up to the rider in front of them and so on, until it reaches the leader.
7. Palm facing forward and waving arm forward means pull up to me and pass.
8. Palm facing back and waving arm backward means don’t pass me now. Conditions are not safe at this time and place.
9. Hand across the front of the neck means Rider is stopping and pulling off to the side. They have an immediate need to stop.
The Tail-gunner (ONLY) will stop with them. The leader of the group will continue to the first safe available location to pull the group
off. The leader will then, via cell phone or radio, contact the tail-gunner to be advised of the situation and to make arrangements as
to how to proceed. Note: The last rider in the group will assume responsibility as tail-gunner.
10. Arm extended up with index finger pointed to sky means ride in single file.
11. Arm extended up showing two fingers means staggered file formation riding.
12. Arm and hand extended upward and tapping thumb and forefinger means cancel your turn signal.
13. Patting the top of the helmet indicates that you are dropping out of the formation and going on your own. Make sure that the
tail-gunner sees this so the ride may continue on uninterrupted.
14. Closed fist: Tail-gunner is to block the other lane as soon as traffic will allow.
15. Left arm extended upward, hand opening and closing all 5 fingers means to tighten up the formation.
16. Left arm extended upward, hand making circle motion means we will be turning around or making a U-Turn.
17. Left hand over head with index finger pointing right means potential hazard on right roadway shoulder.
18 - 19. Arm or leg pointing to road means a hazard in the road ahead.
A. When the lead rider activates his/her turn signal, that is only a sign of intent. We will not turn/change lanes until the appropriate
hand signal is given by the leader and then it will be front to rear.
B. When leaving the roadway and entering a parking lot or other stopping area, riders will fall into a single file line.
C. Each rider is to duplicate the leader’s signals so that every rider in the group is aware of the change in the current riding situation.
We hope you will study these signals, understand their meanings, and pass them on to the riders behind you. It will make our rides
more enjoyable and safer for us all. Please, at anytime, feel free to ask questions or to make suggestions regarding these signals.
Also note that these signals are intended for the use of the Star City Chapter and are not necessarily universal outside our club.
Thank you for your attention to these signals. By learning formation riding, I think we all will have a safer and more enjoyable ride.
Ride Safe
| These signals are intended for the use of the Star City Chapter and are not necessarily universal outside our club. |
| Star City Club Rider Hand Signals |