Nebraska Motorcycle Test Study Guide

Before you ride, be able to find and work the throttle, clutch lever, front brake lever, rear brake pedal, gearshift, turn signals, horn, headlight switch, fuel valve, and engine cut-off switch without looking for them. Sit so your arms are slightly bent, keep your knees against the tank, and start with your right wrist flat to avoid using too much throttle (Nebraska manual p.7-10).

• The gearshift is at the left foot; a typical pattern is 1-N-2-3-4-5, and you stay in first gear while stopped (p.10-11).
• The throttle should snap closed when released, and each brake lever should feel firm and hold the bike (p.8).
• Adjust both mirrors before you start — it is hard to ride one-handed while adjusting one (p.8).

Nebraska requires every motorcycle and moped operator and passenger to wear a DOT-compliant (FMVSS 218) helmet, at every age; the only exemption is a rider who submits motorcycle-safety-course completion to the DMV (Nebraska Motorcycle Laws). One in five motorcycle crashes brings a head or neck injury, and helmeted riders are three times more likely to survive head injuries (p.4).

• Choose a DOT-compliant helmet that fits snugly with no cracks, loose padding, or frayed straps (p.4).
• A face shield protects your whole face; goggles protect only your eyes, and a windshield replaces neither (p.5).
• Nebraska law does NOT require eye protection, but the manual strongly recommends a face shield or goggles, and not tinted ones at night (p.5).

Your motorcycle has two brakes — always use both at the same time. The front brake supplies 70 percent or more of your stopping power and is safe when you squeeze, not grab, the lever (p.11). Maximum straight-line braking means applying both brakes fully without locking either wheel (p.12, 27).

• Squeeze the front brake firmly and progressively while pressing lightly on the rear (p.12).
• Shift down through the gears as you slow, and change gears before a turn — a sudden power change can cause a skid (p.11).
• Start smoothly by easing the clutch through the friction zone while gently rolling on the throttle (p.7).

Riders crash by taking curves too fast, then running wide or braking too hard. Use four steps: SLOW, LOOK, PRESS, ROLL. Slow before the turn, look through it, press the handgrip toward the turn to lean — press left, lean left, go left — and roll on the throttle to stay stable (p.12-13).

• In normal turns the rider and bike lean together; in slow tight turns lean the bike only and keep your body upright (p.13).
• To swerve, press the grip on your escape side, then press the other to recover — and never brake while swerving (p.26-27).
• Running wide in a curve is a primary cause of single-vehicle crashes; ride within your skill and the posted limit (p.28).

Each lane gives a motorcycle three paths of travel, and no part of the lane — including the center — needs to be avoided unless the road is wet. Choose the path that helps you see and be seen, avoids blind spots and surface hazards, and leaves an escape route. Keep at least a two-second following distance, three or more in poor conditions (p.13-15).

• Ride the center (path 2) when vehicles are on both sides of you (p.14).
• In Nebraska a motorcycle is entitled to a full lane, and lane splitting or riding between rows of vehicles is illegal (Nebraska Motorcycle Laws).
• Stay well back even when stopped, so you can move if someone bears down from behind (p.15).

Experienced riders use SEE — Search, Evaluate, Execute — to spot hazards and act early (p.17). Search aggressively ahead, to the sides, and behind; evaluate how hazards could combine to create risk; then execute by communicating, adjusting your speed, and adjusting your position.

• Search an area about 12 seconds ahead, and treat anything within 4 seconds as immediate (p.18).
• Handle two or more hazards one at a time — adjust speed so they separate (p.19).
• In high-risk areas, cover the clutch and both brakes to cut your reaction time (p.19).

Over half of motorcycle/car crashes are caused by drivers entering a rider's right-of-way — usually a car turning left — and intersections are the most likely crash location (p.19). Keep your headlight on, since a motorcycle with its light on is twice as likely to be noticed, wear bright or reflective gear, and signal every time (p.22-23).

• Eye contact does not guarantee a driver will yield — slow down and be ready to react (p.19).
• At a blind intersection, move to the lane position that brings you into a cross-street driver's view earliest (p.20).
• A motorcycle's brake light is less noticeable than a car's — flash it before you slow where others may not expect it (p.23).

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 (p.26). When there is no room to stop, swerve — press the grip on your escape side, then the opposite grip to recover (p.26-27).

• If the front wheel locks, release the front brake immediately, then reapply it smoothly (p.27).
• You can keep a locked rear wheel locked until you stop, if you are upright and going straight (p.26).
• Never brake while swerving — brake before or after, but keep them separate (p.27).

Wet pavement, gravel, mud, snow, ice, lane markings, and metal plates all cut traction. Slow down before a slippery surface, avoid sudden moves, and use both brakes gently (p.29). When it starts to rain, ride in the tire tracks left by cars and avoid the oily center strip (p.29).

• Cross railroad and trolley tracks by riding straight within your lane (p.30).
• For seams or tracks that run parallel to your path, move over to cross them at 45 degrees or more (p.30).
• At night, slow down, open a three-second-or-more gap, and use the high beam when not near another car (p.25).

A T-CLOCS check — Tires, Controls, Lights, Oil, Chassis, Stands — should be done before every ride (p.8). If trouble strikes on the road, stay calm and account for traffic. If a tire goes flat, hold the grips firmly, ease off the throttle, keep straight, and edge to the side of the road (p.31).

• The throttle should snap closed when released, and each brake should feel firm and hold the bike (p.8).
• Stuck throttle: twist it; if it stays stuck, use the engine cut-off switch and pull in the clutch (p.32).
• Wobble: don't accelerate or brake — grip firmly, close the throttle gradually, and pull off (p.32).

Extra weight changes how the motorcycle accelerates, brakes, and turns, so only experienced riders should carry passengers or large loads (p.33). Nebraska law requires a permanent regular seat and passenger footrests, and the passenger must sit astride and facing forward (Nebraska Motorcycle Laws). Tell your passenger to hold your waist, keep both feet on the pegs, and lean with you (p.34).

• With a passenger, ride slower, start slowing earlier, and keep a larger space cushion (p.35).
• Keep cargo low and forward, over or in front of the rear axle, and load saddlebags with equal weight (p.35-36).
• In a group, ride in a staggered formation and move to single file for curves and freeway ramps (p.36-38).

Alcohol and other drugs degrade your judgment and riding skill more than any other factor — as little as one drink affects performance, and impairment begins below the legal limit (p.40, 42). An adult is legally intoxicated at 0.08 percent BAC, and alcohol leaves the body at only about one drink per hour (p.40-41).

• Operators under 21 face much lower limits, about 0.00 to 0.02 percent BAC (p.41).
• Cannabis distorts your sense of time, space, and speed, and impaired riders can be convicted just like drinkers (p.43).
• Riding is more tiring than driving — rest at least every two hours and never ride when fatigued (p.43).