Turning & Cornering

Study questions with answers

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

1. 1. When looking through a turn, you should:

   Correct answer: Turn just your head, keeping your eyes level with the horizon

   Look through the turn by turning only your head, not your shoulders, keeping your eyes level.

   Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Turning

2. 2. Because a conventional three-wheel motorcycle cannot lean, it:

   Correct answer: Is steered by pointing the front wheel where you want to go

   A three-wheeler does not lean or countersteer; you point the front wheel in the direction of travel.

   Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Three-Wheel Supplement: Steering & Tip

3. 3. Through turns and curves, a passenger should:

   Correct answer: Lean with the rider and look over the rider's shoulder into the turn

   A passenger should lean with the operator through curves and look over the rider's shoulder toward the turn.

   Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Preparing Your Passenger to Ride

4. 4. With no traffic present, a good way to set up for a curve is to:

   Correct answer: Begin at the outside to widen your view and the turn's radius

   Starting at the outside of a curve improves your line of sight and effectively opens up the turn.

   Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Curves

5. 5. The "Slow" step of turning means you should:

   Correct answer: Reduce speed before the turn, using both brakes if needed

   The slow step means dropping speed ahead of the corner, rolling off the throttle and using both brakes if needed.

   Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Turning

6. 6. A leading cause of single-vehicle motorcycle crashes is riders:

   Correct answer: Running wide in a curve and striking the road or an object

   Many single-vehicle wrecks happen when a rider drifts wide in a curve and hits the roadway or a fixed object.

   Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Curves

7. 7. When turning a three-track motorcycle, you should roll on the throttle:

   Correct answer: To pull the motorcycle through the turn

   On a three-track machine you roll off before the turn and roll on the throttle to pull through it.

   Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Three-Wheel Supplement: Turning

8. 8. As you steer through a turn, you should direct your eyes:

   Correct answer: Through the turn toward where you want to go

   Looking through the turn toward your intended path helps guide the motorcycle where you want it.

   Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Turning

9. 9. Because a sidecar rig can still tip over in a corner taken too fast, it is best to:

   Correct answer: Slow down before entering the corner

   Because a three-wheeler can still tip in a fast corner, it is best to slow before entering.

   Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Three-Wheel Supplement: Cornering & Curves

10. 10. In a normal turn, the rider and the motorcycle should:

    Correct answer: Lean together at the same angle

    During an ordinary turn, rider and machine lean as one at the same angle.

    Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Turning

11. 11. When you must change gears during a turn rather than before it, you should:

    Correct answer: Do it as smoothly as you can

    When a shift inside a turn cannot be avoided, do it gently, because a sudden burst of power at the back wheel may break traction.

    Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Shifting Gears

12. 12. On a motorcycle with a sidecar, turning right sharply tends to make:

    Correct answer: The sidecar wheel lift, especially if it is empty

    A right turn shifts weight so the sidecar wheel tends to rise, more so when the sidecar is empty or lightly loaded.

    Source: Ohio Motorcycle Operator Manual, Three-Wheel Supplement: Turning