Group Riding and Safety Seminar
At Top Cats – Illinois, our primary goal is to provide a safe riding environment for each and every member and guest. Our Group Riding and Safety Seminar (G.R.A.S.S.) is an effective way to meet our goal. G.R.A.S.S. sessions are offered are offered multiple times each year and are required for all new members during their first year of membership, every 3 years thereafter and strongly recommended as a refresher course to maintain good membership standing. This 3-hour seminar is a classroom presentation with no riding exercises and is taught by our Senior Road Captains.
For convenience, G.R.A.S.S. seminars are held at multiple locations. All classes generally begin at 8am with coffee, doughnuts and bagels, followed by the educational presentation, which starts promptly at 8:30am. Generally, classes end by noon. Please note: this seminar does NOT teach how to ride a motorcycle: it teaches new members how our Club rides.
G.R.A.S.S. consists of lecture and video presentations within five (5) modules:
- Top Cats Group Riding Protocol – this includes proper hand signals, formations and parking.
- Riding with a co-rider (passenger) – this module also explains motorcycle club dynamics, adjustments, duties and responsibilities.
- Road Captain Responsibilities – from planning to ride execution and follow-up.
- Accident Scene Management – Although we hope we never, ever need to put this into practice, this module starts with the incident and includes necessary skills, requirements and responsibilities, including hand-off to emergency personnel.
- Road Captain Training – a module of instruction for Top Cats Rides, from activity planning to the logistics of the actual ride. It includes instruction in ride day responsibilities and mentoring future Road Captains.
As a public service, Top Cats-Illinois presents G.R.A.S.S. to other local Motorcycle Club Organizations upon request at no cost. Guests are always welcome to attend unless exclusivity is specifically requested.