Massachusetts Motorcycle Test Study Guide

Before you ride, be able to find and work the throttle, clutch, front brake lever, rear brake pedal, gear shift, turn signals, horn, lighting switches, and engine cut-off switch without looking for them (p.15). Sit relaxed but fairly erect so your arms steer the motorcycle rather than hold you up, and start with your wrists flat to avoid using too much throttle (p.16).

• Hold your knees firmly against the gas tank and keep your feet on the footpegs, toes up, near the controls (p.16).
• Massachusetts handlebars must not rise above the operator's shoulders when properly seated (p.12).
• On an unfamiliar or borrowed motorcycle, learn the gear pattern and controls and ride cautiously until you know how it handles (p.15).

Helmet use is mandatory for every Massachusetts operator and passenger, at any age; the helmet must meet US DOT Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218 (p.9, 20). A helmet is effective about 67% of the time in preventing brain injury (p.20). When operating, you must wear eyeglasses, goggles, or a face shield unless the motorcycle has a windshield or screen (p.9).

• A face shield protects your whole face; goggles protect only your eyes; a windshield is not a substitute for either (p.13).
• Never wear tinted eye protection at night or when little light is available (p.13).
• Wear a jacket and pants that fully cover your arms and legs, over-the-ankle boots, and durable gloves (p.14).

Your motorcycle has two brakes, and you need both to stop effectively. The front brake is more powerful and provides at least three-quarters of your total stopping power (p.18). Use both brakes every time you slow or stop — squeeze the front and press down on the rear, applying them at the same time. Grabbing the front or jamming the rear can lock a wheel and cause control problems (p.18).

• Apply both brakes together; it is a myth that the rear brake should be used first (p.18).
• Shift down through the gears as you slow, and stay in first gear while stopped so you can move quickly (p.18).
• Change gears before entering a turn; a sudden change of power to the rear wheel can cause a skid (p.18).

New riders crash by taking curves too fast. Use four steps: SLOW, LOOK, LEAN, ROLL (p.17). Slow before the turn by closing the throttle, look through the turn by turning just your head, lean by pressing the handgrip in the direction of the turn — press left, lean left, go left — and roll on the throttle to keep a steady speed through the turn (p.17).

• In normal turns the rider and motorcycle lean together; in slow tight turns lean only the motorcycle and keep your body upright (p.17).
• Pressing the grip toward the turn is countersteering — higher speeds and tighter turns require the bike to lean more (p.17).
• Avoid decelerating through a turn; reduce your speed before you enter it (p.17).

Each marked lane gives a motorcycle three paths of travel — left, center and right (p.21). Choose the position that helps you see and be seen and avoids hazards. Use the two-second following rule: pick a fixed object, and if you reach it before counting 'one one-thousand, two one-thousand' you are too close (p.25). In unfamiliar, congested, or slippery conditions, use a four-second or longer cushion (p.25).

• When being passed, ride in the center of the lane to avoid sideswipes, debris, and wind gusts (p.26).
• Riding alongside a car within a marked lane is prohibited; ride no more than two motorcycles abreast (p.27, 51).
• Avoid riding along pavement lines, between lanes, or between rows of stopped vehicles (p.27, 51).

Massachusetts teaches the SPIDER strategy for spotting hazards: Scan, Predict, Identify, Decide, Execute, Rely (p.22). Scan and search aggressively for hazards, predict a hazard's distance, speed and direction, identify vehicles, pedestrians, animals and stationary objects, decide how to act, execute your decision, and rely on the process every ride.

• Scan 10 to 15 seconds ahead of your path of travel (p.19).
• In the city look one-half block to a full block ahead; on the highway look as far ahead as you can (p.23).
• Check your mirrors every few seconds; convex mirrors make objects look farther away than they are (p.24).

Intersections are one of the most dangerous places for motorcycle riders (p.26). If a vehicle can enter your path, assume that it will. Drivers often fail to see motorcycles because their small outline makes them seem farther away and slower (p.19). Keep your headlight on — a motorcycle with its light on is twice as noticeable in daylight — and wear bright or reflective clothing (p.20).

• Flash your brake light before slowing where others may not expect it, especially if you are being tailgated (p.20).
• Use turn signals even when your move seems obvious, and cancel them after every turn (p.20).
• Most motorcycle crashes happen during daylight hours, so being visible matters all day (p.20).

Two skills get you out of a tight spot: stopping quickly and swerving. To stop quickly, apply both brakes firmly and steadily; if the front wheel locks, release and gently reapply it, and if the rear locks while you are straight, keep it locked until you stop (p.31). To swerve, press the handgrip toward your escape path so the bike leans quickly, then press the other grip to recover (p.30).

• Never brake while swerving — a skid could result; do one then the other, never both at once (p.30-31).
• If you must stop quickly in a curve, straighten the motorcycle first, then brake (p.31).
• To cross an unavoidable obstacle, slow, keep straight up, approach at a 90-degree angle, and rise onto the footpegs (p.29).

Wet pavement, lane markings, steel plates, manhole covers, mud, snow and ice all give poor traction (p.28). Slow before a slippery surface, avoid sudden moves, and use both brakes gradually. On wet pavement ride in the wheel tracks of vehicles ahead, because the center of the lane collects oil (p.28). Cross railroad and trolley tracks at an angle as sharp as 45 degrees rather than turning to take them head-on (p.29).

• If a slippery patch is small, hold in the clutch until you are past it (p.28).
• At night, slow down, use your headlight fully, and increase your following distance (p.35).
• Massachusetts law requires headlight use from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise (p.35).

A motorcycle needs more frequent attention than a car, so make a complete check before every ride: tires, fluids and leaks, lighting, turn signals, clutch and throttle, mirrors, brakes and horn (p.15). Massachusetts-registered motorcycles must also pass an annual safety inspection (p.9). If a problem happens on the road, stay calm and account for traffic before acting.

• Stuck throttle: twist it back and forth; if it stays stuck, use the engine cut-off switch and pull in the clutch (p.49).
• Wobble: grip firmly and ease off the throttle — do not brake or accelerate, which makes it worse (p.49).
• Engine seizure (usually low oil): squeeze and hold the clutch and pull off the road (p.50).

Carrying a passenger or load adds weight that changes handling, balance, acceleration and stopping distance, so practice with lighter loads first (p.32). Every passenger must wear a US DOT helmet and have a proper seat and footpegs; they should hold your waist or hips, keep their feet on the pegs, and lean with you through turns (p.32). Keep cargo low and over the wheel axles, and balance saddlebags evenly (p.33).

• With a passenger, allow a larger space cushion and start slowing earlier (p.32).
• Ride in small groups; if more than five or six riders, split into two groups (p.33).
• Ride in a staggered formation and switch to single file for curves, turns and freeway ramps (p.34).

Alcohol is a depressant that slows reflexes, increases reaction time, and distorts vision and judgment, while making you overconfident — even one drink affects your riding (p.59). Only the passage of time lowers your blood alcohol content; coffee, a cold shower, or food do not help (p.59). The legal limit is 0.08% for riders 21 and older, and 0.02% under the zero-tolerance law for riders under 21 (p.60).

• One standard drink raises the average person's BAC by about 0.02% (p.60).
• Under the Implied Consent Law, every licensed operator agrees to a breath or blood test when lawfully required (p.60).
• On long rides, stop and stretch every two hours or 100 miles to fight fatigue (p.51).