Montana Motorcycle Test Study Guide

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 valve and engine cut-off switch. A motorcycle needs more attention than a car, so check it before every ride and keep it in safe condition between rides (p.7-9). Use the T-CLOCS checklist: Tires, Controls, Lights, Oil, Chassis and Stands (p.56-57).

• A street-legal motorcycle should have a headlight, taillight and brake light, front and rear brakes, signals and a horn (p.7).
• The throttle must move freely and snap closed, and must not rev when the handlebars are turned (p.56).
• Each brake on its own should keep the bike from rolling; check tire pressure cold and adjust it to your load (p.56).

Your gear is 'right' if it protects you, and a securely fastened, quality helmet is the single most important thing you can do to survive a crash (p.5). Montana requires a helmet for any rider or passenger under 18 (MCA 61-9-417); riders 18 and older may ride without one, but the manual strongly recommends a helmet, eye or face protection, and protective clothing for everyone (p.5-7).

• 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 arms and legs, over-the-ankle boots and durable gloves; never wear tinted eye protection in low light (p.6-7).

Sit so your arms steer the bike rather than hold you up, keep your feet firmly on the pegs, and hold the grips with your wrists flat. Your motorcycle has two brakes — 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.11-13).

• Maximum straight-line braking means fully applying both brakes without locking either wheel — look well ahead, not down (p.13).
• Stay in first gear while stopped so you can move out quickly if needed (p.13).
• 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 (p.11-12). The typical gear pattern is 1-N-2-3-4-5. Shift up soon enough to avoid over-revving but not so soon the engine lugs, using a smooth three-step process for 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.13).
• Downshifting 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 (p.14). Slow before the turn, look through it, 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 bike.

• In normal turns the rider and motorcycle lean together; in slow tight turns counterbalance — lean the bike 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, and on a dry road no part of the lane — including the center — must be avoided. Choose the path that helps you see and be seen, avoids blind spots and surface hazards, and leaves an escape route (p.15-16). 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, and the center (path 2) when vehicles are on both sides (p.15).
• Many riders use the left third — the left tire track of cars — as their default position (p.15).
• Avoid riding in another vehicle's blind spot, and keep well behind the vehicle ahead even when stopped (p.16).

Experienced riders reduce risk with MSF's three-step SEE strategy — Search, Evaluate, Execute (p.20). Search aggressively ahead, to the sides and behind. Evaluate how road features, traffic-control devices and other road users could create risk. Execute by communicating, adjusting speed, and adjusting your position.

• Search the area you would reach in about 12 seconds; anything within 4 seconds of your path is immediate (p.20).
• Handle two or more hazards one at a time — adjust speed so they separate (p.20).
• In high-risk areas such as intersections and school zones, cover the clutch and both brakes to cut your reaction time (p.20-21).

Intersections are where you have the greatest potential for conflict — over half of car/motorcycle crashes are caused by drivers entering a rider's right-of-way (p.21). Never count on eye contact: a driver can look right at you and still not see you. Keep your headlight on — by day a motorcycle with its light on is twice as likely to be noticed — wear bright or reflective clothing, and signal every turn (p.24-25).

• Cars turning left in front of you and cars pulling in from side streets are the biggest dangers (p.21).
• Cancel your signal after a turn so a driver does 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).

Two skills save you in a tight spot: stopping quickly and swerving. To stop quickly, apply both brakes at the same time, squeezing the front lever firmly and progressively — never grabbing it (p.27). When there is no room to stop, swerve by pressing the handgrip toward your escape direction, then press the opposite grip to recover — never brake while swerving (p.27).

• If the front wheel locks, release the front brake immediately and completely, then reapply it (p.27,29).
• On a good surface and going straight, a locked rear wheel can be kept locked until you stop (p.27).
• To stop quickly in a curve, first straighten and square the handlebars, then brake (p.28).

Wet pavement, gravel, mud, snow, ice, painted lines and metal plates all reduce traction. Slow before you reach a slippery surface, avoid sudden moves, and use both brakes gently — the front brake still works if you squeeze it gradually (p.30-31). When it starts to rain, ride in the tire tracks left by cars and avoid the oily center strip until the surface oil washes away (p.31).

• Cross railroad and trolley tracks by riding straight within your lane — turning to take them head-on is more dangerous (p.32).
• For seams or grooves that run parallel to your path, move far enough away to cross them at an angle of at least 45 degrees (p.32).
• At night, slow down, open a three-second-or-more following distance, and use your high beam when not following or meeting a car (p.26).

Checking your motorcycle before every ride 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 (p.33).

• Stuck throttle: twist it back and forth; if it stays stuck, use the engine cut-off switch and pull in the clutch at the same time (p.33).
• Wobble: do not accelerate or brake — grip firmly, close the throttle gradually, move your weight forward, 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).

Alcohol and other drugs degrade your ability to think and ride more than any other factor — as little as one drink affects performance, and impairment begins well below the legal limit (p.42-44). In all states an adult with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or above is intoxicated; under-21 limits are 0.00–0.02%. Alcohol leaves the body at only about one drink per hour (p.43-44).

• A 12-ounce beer, a 1.5-ounce shot of liquor and a 5-ounce glass of wine all contain the same amount of alcohol (p.43).
• Make an intelligent choice: don't drink, or if you have been drinking, don't ride; step in to protect friends who have (p.44-45).
• Riding is more tiring than driving — take a rest break at least every two hours and ride no more than about six hours a day (p.45).