Pennsylvania Motorcycle: Braking & Emergency Stops Practice Test

Question 1

If you must stop quickly while leaning through a curve, the best technique is to:

Accepted Answer

Bring the bike upright first, then brake — Straighten the motorcycle upright first and then brake; if you must brake while still leaning, apply light braking and reduce lean as you slow.

Answer

Grab the front brake as hard as possible while leaning

Answer

Lean even farther and use only the rear brake

Answer

Coast without braking until you are out of the curve

Question 2

About how much of a motorcycle's total stopping power can the front brake supply?

Accepted Answer

About 70 percent or more — The front brake is the stronger of the two and can deliver roughly 70 percent or more of your stopping power, so it should always be used.

Answer

About 10 percent

Answer

About one-quarter

Answer

None of it

Question 3

To make a normal, everyday stop, you should:

Accepted Answer

Use both brakes and downshift as you slow — Use both brakes together and downshift through the gears as you slow; using both brakes even for normal stops builds the habit you need for emergencies.

Answer

Use only the rear brake

Answer

Pull in the clutch and coast to a stop

Answer

Use only the front brake

Question 4

Studies show that most riders involved in crashes tend to:

Accepted Answer

Underbrake the front tire and overbrake the rear — Crash-involved riders commonly underbrake the front tire and overbrake the rear, and they often fail to separate braking from swerving or to swerve when it was the better choice.

Answer

Rely too heavily on the front brake

Answer

Swerve far too often

Answer

Use both brakes too evenly

Question 5

How should the front brake be used on a surface with poor traction?

Accepted Answer

Squeezed on gradually so the front wheel does not lock — It still does useful work on slick pavement, but bring it on progressively so the front tire does not lock, and keep the pressure on the rear pedal light.

Answer

Not at all; use the rear brake only

Answer

In short, sharp pulls to keep the tire from gripping

Answer

Applied fully at once, before the surface gets worse

Question 6

In the last few feet of a quick stop, what should you do with the handlebars?

Accepted Answer

Square them up so the machine finishes upright and balanced — Bring the bars square as you finish, so that the machine ends up vertical and balanced rather than settling onto one side as it comes to rest.

Answer

Turn them toward the curb to help you get a foot down

Answer

Let go of them so the front wheel can find its own line

Answer

Hold them turned in the direction you were leaning

Question 7

During a hard stop, your front wheel locks up. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Ease off the front brake, then reapply it firmly — If the front wheel locks, let go of the front brake for an instant and then squeeze it again firmly, so you regain traction without losing control.

Answer

Keep squeezing the front brake harder until you stop

Answer

Let go of both brakes and coast

Answer

Lean the motorcycle over to one side

Question 8

If you accidentally lock the rear wheel while stopping on a good, dry surface, you should:

Accepted Answer

Keep it locked until you have fully stopped — On solid traction a locked rear wheel can be held locked until you come to a complete stop, as long as the motorcycle stays upright and straight.

Answer

Immediately release the rear brake

Answer

Grab the front brake harder to compensate

Answer

Steer sharply toward the shoulder

Question 9

What is likely to happen if you snatch at the front lever or stamp on the rear pedal?

Accepted Answer

A wheel can lock up and you can lose control — Abrupt input at either brake can lock a wheel and leave you fighting for control. Squeeze the lever and press the pedal instead of grabbing and jamming.

Answer

The machine will stop noticeably sooner

Answer

The brake light will fail to come on

Answer

Nothing, as long as you are traveling straight

Question 10

On a motorcycle fitted with an integrated braking system, the front and rear brakes are linked through the:

Accepted Answer

Rear brake pedal — These systems tie the two brakes together and are worked by pressing the rear pedal. Because the details differ by model, the owner's manual is the place to learn how yours behaves.

Answer

Clutch lever

Answer

Throttle

Answer

Gear-change lever

Question 11

Compared with a car in traffic, how much room does a motorcycle need to come to a stop?

Accepted Answer

About the same amount — Riders often assume two wheels stop shorter, but in traffic a motorcycle needs about the same distance as a car, which is why the same generous following gap applies.

Answer

Roughly half as much

Answer

About a quarter as much

Answer

Roughly three times as much

Pennsylvania Motorcycle: Braking & Emergency Stops practice test

Study questions with answers

1. If you must stop quickly while leaning through a curve, the best technique is to:

2. About how much of a motorcycle's total stopping power can the front brake supply?

3. To make a normal, everyday stop, you should:

4. Studies show that most riders involved in crashes tend to:

5. How should the front brake be used on a surface with poor traction?

6. In the last few feet of a quick stop, what should you do with the handlebars?

7. During a hard stop, your front wheel locks up. What should you do?

8. If you accidentally lock the rear wheel while stopping on a good, dry surface, you should:

9. What is likely to happen if you snatch at the front lever or stamp on the rear pedal?

10. On a motorcycle fitted with an integrated braking system, the front and rear brakes are linked through the:

11. Compared with a car in traffic, how much room does a motorcycle need to come to a stop?

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