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Colorado 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

  • Endorsement 'M' = two- or three-wheel; '3' = three-wheel only
  • Colorado no longer issues 'Motorcycle Only' licenses
  • Be 16+ and pass record review, vision test, written + skills tests
  • Permit supervisor: adult 21+ with a CO motorcycle-endorsed license
  • Under 18: hold the instruction permit 12 months before the endorsement
  • A Basic Rider Course waives the skills test — never the written test

🔢 Most-Tested Numbers

  • Pass mark20 of 25 correct (80%)
  • Following gap2 seconds minimum
  • Slippery / can't see ahead3 seconds
  • Night following gap3 seconds
  • Cross railroad tracksAt an angle up to 45°
  • Cross parallel seamsAt an angle close to 90°

🪖 Helmet & Gear

  • Helmet required for every operator & passenger under 18
  • Eye protection required for every rider — all ages
  • Helmet must meet U.S. DOT standards; ANSI or Snell adds assurance
  • A face shield protects your whole face; goggles protect only the eyes
  • Never wear tinted eye protection at night
  • Keep your headlight on at all times to be seen

✅ Remember This Answer

  • Quick stop? Use both brakes at the same time
  • Front brake? Squeeze firmly — never grab
  • Curve? Slow, Look, Lean, Roll
  • To lean/turn? Press the handgrip toward the turn
  • Swerve? Brake before or after — never during
  • Stopped in traffic? Stay in first gear

✅ Remember This Answer (2)

  • Starts to rain? Ride in cars' tire tracks, not the center
  • Railroad tracks? Cross at an angle as sharp as 45°
  • Tailgater behind you? Let them pass
  • Cut reaction time? Cover the clutch and both brakes
  • Change gears? Before you enter the turn
  • Where do crashes happen? Intersections, and the first few miles

⚠️ Common Test Traps

  • "Stop fastest" → Both brakes — not front alone, not rear first
  • "No room to stop" → Swerve — don't just brake harder
  • "Brake while swerving" → Wrong — brake before or after only
  • "It starts to rain" → Most slippery now; ride in the tire tracks
  • "Front brake on a trike" → Wrong — the rear brake gives the most power
  • "Following distance" → 2 sec; 3 sec when wet or at night

⚠️ More Test Traps

  • "Curve ahead, too fast" → Slow before — don't brake hard mid-curve
  • "Lane sharing" → Cars and motorcycles each need a full lane
  • "Wobble starts" → Close throttle gradually — don't accelerate, don't brake
  • "Being passed" → Stay in the center of your lane
  • "Tinted eyewear at night" → Never — too little light
  • "Small animal in your lane" → Stay in your lane — don't swerve into traffic

🚨 Emergency Situations

  • Front tire flat → Steering feels heavy; hold grips, keep straight, edge off
  • Rear tire flat → Back jerks side to side; ease to the roadside
  • Stuck throttle → Twist it; if still stuck, kill switch + pull in clutch
  • Wobble → Close throttle gradually — don't brake, don't accelerate
  • Engine seizes → Low on oil; squeeze the clutch, pull off the road
  • Chain breaks → Close the throttle and brake to a stop

🌧️ Surfaces, Weather & Night

  • Pavement is most slippery just after rain begins
  • Slippery surface: slow before it, no sudden moves, both brakes gently
  • Very slippery: bike straight up, off the brakes, clutch in, coast
  • Ice forms in low, shaded areas and on bridges and overpasses
  • Night: ride slower and open a 3-second following gap
  • Night: high beam when not following or meeting a car

🏍️ Motorcycle Control

  • Press the grip toward the turn to lean (press left → go left)
  • Use both brakes every stop; squeeze the front — never grab
  • Every curve: SLOW · LOOK · LEAN · ROLL
  • Slow tight turn: lean the bike only, keep your body upright
  • Knees against the tank, feet firmly on the pegs
  • Head-check your blind spot before every lane change

👥 Passengers, Cargo & Groups

  • Only experienced riders should carry a passenger or large load
  • A passenger needs a proper seat and their own foot pegs
  • Passenger gets on after the engine is started; holds your waist/hips/belt
  • With a passenger: ride slower and start slowing earlier
  • Cargo: keep it low and forward; secure with bungee cords, not rope
  • Ride in groups of 4–5; staggered formation, single file for curves

🎯 Last-Minute Before the Test

  • Both brakes to stop — front is strongest on a 2-wheeler, rear on a trike
  • Every curve: SLOW · LOOK · LEAN · ROLL
  • Press the grip toward the turn to lean
  • Brake OR swerve — never both at once
  • Follow at 2 seconds — 3 when wet or at night
  • Helmet for under-18; eye protection for everyone; headlight always on
  • SIPDE = Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute

Confirm every number against the official Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook (DR 2336) before test day. Full helmet law →

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Full Study Guide Practice Test Helmet Law FAQ

Source: Sources differ on this state's test details; the most credible consensus is shown. Confirm with the state agency. The motorcycle knowledge test consists of 25 questions; you must answer 20 correctly (80%) to pass. The question count is third-party consensus — the official DMV page does not publish it. An approved Basic Rider Course can waive the on-cycle skills test, but every applicant must still pass the written knowledge test.