Delaware Motorcycle Test Study Guide

Before you ride, be able to find and operate every control without looking — throttle, clutch, front brake lever, rear brake pedal, gear shift, turn signals, horn, headlight switch, fuel-supply valve and engine cut-off switch. A motorcycle needs more frequent attention than a car, and a minor failure can put you on the side of the road or cause a crash, so the manual urges a full T-CLOCS inspection before every ride (Delaware manual p.8-10).

• A street-legal motorcycle should have a headlight, taillight, brake light, front and rear brakes, turn signals, a horn and two mirrors (p.7-8).
• The throttle must snap back to fully closed when released; the clutch should feel tight and operate smoothly (p.9).
• Clean and adjust both mirrors before you start — it is unsafe to do it while riding (p.9).

Your gear is 'right' if it protects you. One in five motorcycle crashes results in head or neck injuries, and a securely fastened, quality helmet is the single most important thing you can do to improve your chances of surviving a crash (Delaware manual p.5). Delaware requires riders up to 19 to wear a helmet, requires every rider to carry one, and requires eye protection for everyone.

• Choose a three-quarter or full-face helmet that meets U.S. DOT standards, fits snugly all the way around, and has no cracks, loose padding or frayed straps (p.5).
• A face shield protects your whole face; goggles protect only your eyes, and a windshield is no substitute for either (p.6).
• Wear a jacket and pants that fully cover your arms and legs, over-the-ankle boots, and leather or other durable gloves (p.6-7).

Sit so your arms steer the motorcycle rather than hold you up, keep your knees against the tank and feet firmly on the pegs, and start with your right wrist flat to avoid using too much throttle (Delaware manual p.11). Your motorcycle has two brakes — always use both every time you slow or stop. The front brake supplies at least 70% of your stopping power and is safe when you squeeze, not grab, the lever (p.12-13).

• Maximum straight-line braking means fully applying both brakes without locking either wheel (p.13).
• Stay in first gear while stopped so you can move out quickly if needed (p.12).
• Grabbing the front brake or jamming the rear can lock a wheel and cause loss of control (p.13).

The friction zone is the range of clutch-lever movement where the engine starts to power the rear wheel — controlling it is key to smooth starts and low-speed handling (Delaware manual p.11-12). Shift up soon enough to avoid over-revving but not so soon the engine lugs, and use the three-step process for both upshifts and downshifts.

• Upshift: roll off the throttle and squeeze the clutch, lift the shift lever firmly, then ease out the clutch and adjust the throttle (p.12).
• Change gears before entering a turn whenever possible — a sudden change of power to the rear wheel can cause a skid (p.12).
• Shifting to a lower gear slows you like the brakes; this is engine braking (p.12).

Riders crash in curves by entering too fast, then running wide or braking too hard. Use four steps: SLOW, LOOK, PRESS, ROLL (Delaware manual p.14). Slow before the turn, look through it to where you want to go, press the handgrip in the direction of the turn to lean — press left, lean left, go left — and roll on the throttle to stabilize the motorcycle.

• In normal turns the rider and motorcycle lean together; in slow tight turns counterbalance — lean the motorcycle only and keep your body straight (p.14).
• The higher the speed or the sharper the turn, the greater the lean angle needs to be (p.14).
• Running wide in a curve is a primary cause of single-vehicle crashes — ride within your skill level and the posted limit (p.29-30).

Each lane gives a motorcycle three paths of travel. There is no single best position — and no part of the lane, including the center, must be avoided on a dry road. Choose the path that helps you see and be seen, avoids blind spots and surface hazards, and leaves an escape route (Delaware manual p.15). Keep at least a two-second following distance, and open it to three seconds or more in poor conditions (p.16).

• Ride in path 2 or 3 if hazards are on your left, path 1 or 2 if hazards are on your right (p.15).
• Riding in the center portion places your image in the driver's rearview mirror and discourages lane sharing (p.17).
• Cars and motorcycles each need a full lane; lane sharing is usually prohibited (p.18).

Experienced riders use SEE — Search, Evaluate, Execute — a three-step strategy for spotting hazards and acting early (Delaware manual p.20-21). Search the road about 12 seconds ahead, evaluate how hazards can interact to create risk, and execute your decision smoothly by communicating, adjusting speed, or adjusting position.

• Anything within 4 seconds of your path is an immediate hazard; keep at least a 2-second following distance (p.20).
• Handle two or more hazards one at a time — adjust speed so they separate, then deal with each (p.21).
• In high-risk areas such as intersections, cover the clutch and both brakes to cut your reaction time (p.21).

Intersections present the greatest potential for conflict — over half of motorcycle/car crashes are caused by drivers entering a rider's right-of-way (Delaware manual p.21). Keep your headlight on, since a motorcycle with its light on is twice as likely to be noticed, wear bright clothing, and use your turn signals every time, even when your move seems obvious (p.24-25).

• Making eye contact does not guarantee a driver will yield — slow down and be ready to react (p.22).
• Cancel your signal after every turn so drivers do not think you plan to turn again (p.25).
• A motorcycle's brake light is less noticeable than a car's — flash it before you slow where others may not expect it (p.25).

When you find yourself in a tight spot, two skills save you: stopping quickly and swerving. To stop quickly, apply both brakes at the same time, squeezing the front lever firmly and progressively — never grabbing it (Delaware manual p.27). When there is no room to stop, swerve: press the handgrip on the side of your escape direction, and never brake while swerving (p.27).

• If the front wheel locks, release the front brake immediately, then reapply it — a front-wheel skid causes loss of steering control (p.29).
• Keep a locked rear wheel locked until you have completely stopped, as long as you are upright and going straight (p.27).
• Separate braking from swerving — brake before or after, never both at once (p.27).

Wet pavement, gravel, mud, snow, ice, painted lines and metal plates all reduce traction. Slow down before you reach a slippery surface, avoid sudden moves, and use both brakes gently (Delaware manual p.30-31). When it starts to rain, ride in the tire tracks left by cars and avoid the oily center strip (p.31).

• Wet pavement is most slippery just after it starts to rain, before surface oil washes away (p.30).
• Cross railroad and trolley tracks by riding straight within your lane; cross parallel seams at an angle of at least 45 degrees (p.32).
• At night, slow down and open a three-second-or-more following distance (p.27).

A pre-ride check catches trouble before you reach traffic. If a problem happens on the road, account for traffic and surface conditions. If a tire goes flat, hold the grips firmly, ease off the throttle, keep a straight course, and edge to the side of the road (Delaware manual p.33).

• Stuck throttle: twist it back and forth; if it stays stuck, operate the engine cut-off switch and squeeze the clutch (p.33).
• Wobble: do not accelerate or brake — grip the handlebars firmly, close the throttle gradually, and pull off the road (p.33).
• If the engine seizes from low oil, squeeze the clutch to disengage the rear wheel and pull off the road (p.34).

Only experienced riders should carry passengers or large loads, because the extra weight changes how the motorcycle handles, balances and stops (Delaware manual p.35-36). Alcohol and other drugs degrade your ability to ride more than any other factor — as little as one drink affects performance, and impairment begins well below the legal limit (p.42-44).

• Your passenger should wear the same protective gear as you, sit directly behind you, keep both feet on the footrests, and lean with you (p.35-36).
• Place cargo low and over or in front of the rear axle, and fasten it with elastic cords (p.37).
• An adult is intoxicated at 0.08% BAC; alcohol leaves the body at only about one drink per hour (p.44-45).