New Hampshire Motorcycle Test Study Guide

Before every ride, be able to find and operate the throttle, clutch, front brake lever, rear brake pedal, gear shift, turn signals, horn, headlight switch, fuel valve and engine cut-off switch without looking for them. The manual stresses that a motorcycle needs more frequent attention than a car, so do a complete check before every ride (p.8-9).

• 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 survive a crash (p.5). New Hampshire requires a helmet only for riders under 18 (RSA 265:122), but the manual recommends one for every rider; eye protection is required unless the motorcycle has a windshield (RSA 265:123).

• Choose a three-quarter or full-face helmet that meets U.S. DOT standards, fits snugly, and has no cracks, loose padding or frayed straps (p.5-6).
• 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 your feet firmly on the pegs, and start with your right wrist flat to avoid using too much throttle (p.10-11). Your motorcycle has two brakes — always use both at the same time. The front brake supplies at least 70% of your stopping power and is safe when you squeeze, never 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).

Shift up soon enough to avoid over-revving the engine but not so soon that it lugs, and use a three-step process for both upshifts and downshifts (p.11-12). The typical gear pattern is 1-N-2-3-4-5, with neutral found by a half-lift from first or a half-press from second.

• 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 by taking curves 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 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 keep the motorcycle stable.

• 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).

Each lane gives a motorcycle three paths of travel — left, center and right. There is no single best position, and no part of the lane, including the center, needs to be avoided on a dry road (p.15). 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, 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).
• Riding in the center portion places your image in the middle of the driver's rearview mirror and discourages lane sharing (p.16-17).
• Cars and motorcycles cannot share a lane safely; lane sharing is usually prohibited (p.18).

Experienced riders use SEE — Search, Evaluate, Execute — a three-step process for spotting hazards and acting early (p.20). Search aggressively ahead, to the sides and behind. Evaluate how road features, traffic-control devices and other users could create risk. Execute your decision by communicating with lights or horn, adjusting speed, and adjusting your position.

• Scan your path of travel about 12 seconds ahead; treat anything within 4 seconds as immediate (p.20).
• Handle two or more hazards one at a time — adjust speed so they separate, then deal with each (p.20-21).
• In high-risk areas such as intersections and school or construction zones, cover the clutch and both brakes to cut your reaction time (p.20-21).

Intersections are the most likely place for a crash — over half of car/motorcycle crashes happen when a driver turns left or pulls out into a rider's right-of-way (p.21). Drivers often say they never saw the motorcycle. Keep your headlight on — a motorcycle with its light on is twice as likely to be noticed — wear bright or reflective clothing, and signal every turn (p.24).

• 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 (p.27). When there is no room to stop, swerve: press the handgrip on the side of your escape direction to lean the motorcycle quickly, then press the opposite grip to recover (p.28-29).

• If the front wheel locks, release the front brake immediately, then reapply it firmly (p.27).
• Keep a locked rear wheel locked until you have completely stopped, as long as you are upright and going straight (p.27).
• Never brake while swerving — brake before or after, but separate braking from swerving (p.29).

Wet pavement, gravel, mud, snow, ice, lane markings and metal plates all reduce traction. Slow down before you reach a slippery surface, avoid sudden moves, and use both brakes gently (p.31). When it starts to rain, ride in the tire tracks left by cars and avoid the oily center strip until surface oil washes away (p.31-32).

• Cross railroad and trolley tracks by riding straight within your lane — turning to take them head-on is more dangerous (p.33).
• For pavement seams that run parallel to your path, move far enough away to cross them at an angle of at least 45 degrees (p.33).
• 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.27).

Checking your motorcycle before every ride catches trouble before you reach traffic (p.9). If a problem happens on the road, stay calm and 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 try to accelerate out of it — close the throttle gradually, do not brake, move your weight forward, and pull off the road (p.33-34).
• 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 clearly and ride safely more than any other factor — as little as one drink affects performance, and impairment begins well below the legal limit (p.42-44). In New Hampshire an adult with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher is intoxicated, and riders under 21 are over the limit at 0.02% (RSA 265-A:2). Alcohol leaves the body at only about one drink per hour (p.43).

• Setting a limit or pacing yourself are poor choices — the surest plan is don't drink, or don't ride (p.44).
• Marijuana distorts your perception of time, space and speed, and impaired riders can be convicted just like with alcohol (p.45).
• Riding a motorcycle is more tiring than driving a car — take a break at least every two hours and never ride when tired (p.46).