Parking & Stopping

Study questions with answers

12 sample Parking & Stopping questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.

1. 1. Maximum straight-line braking is achieved by:

   Correct answer: fully applying both brakes without locking either wheel

   Apply both brakes fully but short of locking either wheel, keeping your body centered and eyes up.

   Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Crash Avoidance

2. 2. For normal stops, the manual recommends that you:

   Correct answer: use both brakes every time

   Using both brakes on every stop builds the skill you will need to brake properly in an emergency.

   Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Basic Vehicle Control

3. 3. To stop as safely as possible while in a curve, you should first try to:

   Correct answer: straighten and square the handlebars, then brake

   Getting the motorcycle upright with squared handlebars gives maximum traction for braking.

   Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Basic Vehicle Control

4. 4. If the front wheel locks during braking, you should:

   Correct answer: release the front brake immediately, then reapply it

   A locked front wheel causes immediate loss of steering, so release the front brake at once and then smoothly reapply it.

   Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Crash Avoidance

5. 5. Anti-lock brakes (ABS) on a motorcycle are designed to:

   Correct answer: prevent wheel lock-up and skids in hard stops

   ABS releases and reapplies brake pressure many times a second to prevent lock-up and skids during hard stops.

   Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Basic Vehicle Control

6. 6. Where a local ordinance requires motorcycles to park parallel to the curb, the rider should:

   Correct answer: follow that ordinance instead of angle parking

   Some cities require parallel parking, which overrides the usual method of angling the rear wheel to the curb.

   Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Parking at the Roadside

7. 7. When parking a two-wheel motorcycle at a curb, the manual suggests positioning it:

   Correct answer: at an angle with the rear wheel to the curb

   Park at an angle with the rear wheel toward the curb, unless a local ordinance requires parallel parking.

   Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Parking at the Roadside

8. 8. When using the rear brake during a straight-line stop, you should apply:

   Correct answer: light-to-lighter pressure to avoid a rear skid

   As weight shifts forward, ease off with light-to-lighter rear pressure to prevent the rear wheel from locking.

   Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Basic Vehicle Control

9. 9. The front brake can supply what share of a motorcycle's total stopping power?

   Correct answer: 70 percent or more

   The front brake is the more powerful brake, providing about 70 percent or more of your stopping power.

   Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Basic Vehicle Control

10. 10. On a linked braking system, applying one brake control:

    Correct answer: applies pressure to both brakes

    A linked system connects the brakes so that applying either control puts pressure on both wheels.

    Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Basic Vehicle Control

11. 11. The correct way to apply the front brake is to:

    Correct answer: squeeze it smoothly and progressively

    Squeeze the front brake smoothly and progressively; grabbing at it can lock the front wheel.

    Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Basic Vehicle Control

12. 12. A rear-wheel skid becomes especially dangerous when the locked rear wheel is released while it is:

    Correct answer: out of alignment with the front wheel

    Releasing a locked rear wheel that is out of line with the front can cause a violent high-side crash.

    Source: Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual — Crash Avoidance