Alaska Motorcycle Knowledge Test Cheat Sheet
The fastest way to review before your DMV motorcycle test — the numbers and rules most likely to appear.
🪪 Permit & License
- Class M1 — all motorcycle sizes, age 16+
- Class M2 — age 14-15, motor-driven cycle/scooter under 50cc
- Class M3 — three-wheeled motorcycles and trikes
- Under 50cc can be ridden on a basic driver license
- Two written tests: rules of the road + motorcycle test
- Under 18: hold a permit 6 months before the provisional license
🔢 Most-Tested Numbers
- Following distance4 seconds
- Front brake~3/4 of stopping power
- Scan ahead (city)½ to a full block
- Railroad tracksCross at 45° or more
- Group size4-5 riders maximum
- Riders killed with alcohol40%
🪖 Helmet & Gear
- Helmet required: operators under 18, permit riders, all passengers
- Licensed operators 18+ may legally ride without one
- Eye protection required for the skills test if no windshield
- A face shield protects your whole face; goggles only the eyes
- Keep the headlight on at all times
- Never wear tinted eye protection at night
✅ Remember This Answer
- Quick stop? Use both brakes together
- Front brake? Squeeze firmly — never grab
- Curve? Slow down before you enter it
- To lean/turn? Press the handgrip toward the turn
- Stuck while turning? Both brakes straighten, then brake hard
- Following gap? 4 seconds — more when wet or at night
✅ Remember This Answer (2)
- Starts to rain? Ride in cars' tire tracks, not the center
- Railroad tracks? Cross straight, within your lane
- Tailgater behind you? Change lanes and let them pass
- Blind intersection? Stop, edge forward, stop again
- Daytime visibility? Headlight on, center of the lane
- Where do crashes happen? Intersections, on short trips
⚠️ Common Test Traps
- "Stop fastest" → Both brakes — not front alone, not rear first
- "No room to stop" → Make a quick turn
- "Made eye contact" → Driver still may not see you
- "Being passed" → Stay in the center of your lane
- "Following distance" → 4 seconds, not 2
- "Helmet not required for me" → Still required for passengers
⚠️ More Test Traps
- "Curve too fast" → Slow before — don't brake hard mid-curve
- "Wobble" → Close throttle gradually — don't brake or accelerate
- "Chased by a dog" → Approach slowly, then accelerate away
- "Small animal in your lane" → Don't swerve into traffic
- "One drink, feel fine" → Judgment is already affected
- "Lane sharing" → Cars and motorcycles each need a full lane
🚨 Emergency Situations
- Front tire flat → Steering feels heavy; hold grips, stay off brakes
- Rear tire flat → Back jerks side to side; slow gradually, edge off road
- Stuck throttle → Twist it; if still stuck, kill switch + pull clutch
- Wobble → Grip firmly, close throttle gradually
- Chain breaks → Hit the engine cut-off switch, brake to a stop
- Engine seizes → Squeeze the clutch, pull off the road
🌧️ Surfaces, Weather & Night
- Pavement is most slippery in the first minutes of rain
- Slippery surface: slow before it, no sudden moves, both brakes gently
- Ice patch: bike straight up, go slow, stay off the brakes
- Cross railroad tracks straight, at 45° or more
- Night: ride slower and open a 4-second following gap
- Night: high beam when not following or meeting a car
🏍️ Motorcycle Control
- Press the grip toward the turn to lean (countersteer)
- Use both brakes every stop — the front gives ~3/4 of the power
- Stay in first gear while stopped so you can move out fast
- Reduce speed before a curve; speed up as you exit
- Ride the lane third that helps you see and be seen
- Head-check your blind spot before every lane change
🍺 Alcohol & Impairment
- Judgment is the first riding skill alcohol harms
- Impairment starts well below the legal limit
- The body needs at least 1 hour to clear one drink
- Coffee and cold showers do not restore lost skill — only time
- 40% of riders killed in crashes had alcohol in their systems
- Fatigue: experienced riders ride no more than ~6 hours a day
🎯 Last-Minute Before the Test
- Both brakes to stop — front brake = ~3/4 of the power
- Slow BEFORE every curve; press the grip toward the turn
- Follow at 4 seconds — open it up when wet or at night
- Center of the lane to be seen; headlight always on
- No room to stop? Quick turn — stay in your lane
- Cross tracks straight; ice patch — straight up, slow, no brakes
- Helmet for under-18, permit riders and all passengers
Confirm every number against the official State of Alaska Motorcycle Manual before test day. Full helmet law →
Source: Test details reflect the consensus of major rider-education sources — confirm with the state agency before your visit. The Alaska motorcycle written test is based on the State of Alaska Motorcycle Manual; the manual does not state a question count. About 25 questions with an 80% passing score (20 correct) is the consensus of major rider-education sources — confirm with the Alaska DMV.