Washington Motorcycle Test Study Guide

Before you ride, be able to find and operate the throttle, clutch, front brake lever, rear brake pedal, gear shift, turn signals, horn, headlight switch, and engine cut-off without looking for them. Sit so your arms steer the motorcycle rather than hold you up, keep your knees against the gas tank, plant your feet firmly on the footrests, and start with a flat right wrist so you do not use too much throttle (p.3-1, 3-2).

• Adjust the handlebars so your hands are even with, or below, your elbows to use the proper steering muscles (p.3-2).
• Most motorcycles shift manually through a wet clutch, which helps you control power for smooth starts and slow maneuvers (p.3-3).
• Engine braking by downshifting does not light your brake light, so flash it a few times to warn drivers behind you (p.3-3).

The most common cause of rider death in a crash is head injury, so the single most important thing you can do is wear a quality, properly fitted, DOT-compliant helmet. Novelty helmets are not DOT-compliant and may not be worn on public roads. The minimum legal gear in Washington is a DOT helmet and eye protection, but you should wear the most protective gear possible every ride (p.2-2, 2-5).

• Full-face helmets are considered the safest; replace any helmet after a crash, and many makers suggest every five years (p.2-2, 2-3).
• Wear gear of leather or sturdy abrasion-resistant material with body armor; denim gives little abrasion protection (p.2-5).
• Ear plugs are legal for hearing protection, but in-ear speakers (ear buds) are not legal while riding (p.2-6).

There is more braking power in the front brake because weight transfers forward when you slow, but the shortest, safest stops come from using both brakes smoothly and progressively without skidding either tire. Squeeze the front brake firmly - never grab it - and when stopped, stay in first gear and check your mirrors in case you must move to avoid a rear-end collision (p.3-8).

• Practice using both brakes even for normal stops so the habit carries into an emergency (p.3-9).
• To stop quickly in a curve, first reduce your lean angle, then brake, and square the handlebars before a full stop (p.3-8).
• Total stopping distance is perception plus reaction plus execution - about 360 feet at 60 mph (p.5-5).

A large share of Washington's motorcycle fatalities are single-vehicle corner crashes caused by excessive speed and improper technique. Use four steps - SLOW, LOOK, PRESS, ROLL: reduce speed before the corner, look through the turn to its exit, press the handgrip to lean (press left, lean left, go left), and roll on the throttle to stabilize the bike (p.3-4, 3-8).

• Two-wheelers steer by countersteering above about 12-15 mph; three-wheelers use direct steering (p.3-3).
• Set your entry speed before the corner - it is much easier to speed up in a corner than to slow down in one (p.3-8).
• The middle/middle/middle line is safest for less-experienced riders; outside/inside/outside straightens the corner (p.3-5).

Each lane gives you three positions - outside, middle, and inside. There is no single best position; the best one is whatever lets you see and be seen and gives an escape route, and it changes constantly with traffic and hazards. Riding between lanes (lane splitting) and riding on the shoulder are both illegal in Washington (p.5-1, 5-3, 5-4).

• Motorcycles may use HOV (diamond) lanes at any time, and two motorcycles may legally ride side-by-side in one lane (p.5-2, 5-13).
• The left portion can help you see around the vehicle ahead but puts you closer to oncoming traffic (p.5-3).
• Switch lanes as conditions change, and move out of other drivers' blind spots (p.5-2, 5-4).

Drivers most often say 'I didn't see the motorcycle,' so you own the responsibility to be seen - ride as though you are invisible. Create time and space by scanning at least 12 seconds down the road, identifying hazards early, and keeping an escape route. Be visible with your headlight and bright or reflective gear, and communicate with signals and your brake light (p.2-7, 2-10, 5-6).

• Continually search ahead and ask 'What if?' so you can plan for a hazard instead of facing an emergency (p.2-11, 5-1).
• If you wear black gear, add a high-visibility reflective vest for the whole ride (p.2-7).
• Check your mirrors often, stopped or moving, to know what is happening behind you (p.5-6).

The majority of motorcycle versus vehicle collisions happen at intersections, most often when a car turns left across your path. Remain in first gear at intersections, check mirrors, cover your controls, and make sure other road users have actually stopped before you proceed. Watch the road surface for painted lines, leaves, oil, steel plates, grates, manhole covers, and gravel (p.5-7, 5-8).

• Predict that a car waiting at a green light may turn, and be ready to react (p.5-8).
• Over a slippery surface, minimize speed and direction changes and adjust before you reach it; roads are most slippery after the season's first rain (p.5-8).
• Cross railroad tracks or other obstacles at as close to a 90-degree angle as possible, rising slightly off the seat (p.5-9, 5-10).

There are two evasive maneuvers: change speed (slow, stop, or speed up) or change position (swerve or turn). For a quick stop, apply both brakes fully without locking either wheel - squeeze the front firmly and release the rear progressively if it starts to skid. When there is no room to stop, swerve: one countersteer to clear the hazard and another to recover (p.3-9, 3-10).

• Never swerve and brake at the same time - a swerve needs all your traction; brake before or after (p.3-10).
• Keep your body upright and centered in a swerve so the motorcycle can move beneath you (p.3-10).
• On a three-wheeler a quick stop is often safer than a swerve, which can upset the rig (p.4-11).

Wet pavement is most slippery just after the first rainfall of the season, before surface oil washes away. Riding in moderate cold can cause chill, fatigue, or hypothermia, while heat can cause dehydration and fatigue - dress for the conditions so weather does not distract you from riding safely (p.2-5, 2-6, 5-8).

• At night, ride slower than in daylight, increase your following distance, and use other vehicles' lights to read the road (p.5-11).
• Wildlife is most active between dusk and dawn (p.5-11).
• If you cannot see the road well, slow down - never outride your headlight (p.5-11).

A motorcycle needs more frequent attention than a car; a minor failure that is just an inconvenience in a car can cause a crash on a motorcycle. Do a quick pre-ride inspection before every ride, as routinely as checking the weather. The manual's checklist runs T-O-L-L-S-S (p.2-8, 2-9).

• T - Tires and Wheels: air pressure, tread, sidewalls, wheels, spokes. O - Oil and other fluid levels and leaks (p.2-9).
• L - Levers and Controls: levers, pedals, cables, hoses, throttle. L - Lights: headlight, brake light, signals, switches (p.2-9).
• S - Suspension and Drivetrain (chain/belt/shaft). S - Stands: kickstand and center stand (p.2-9).

Carrying a passenger or cargo is the rider's responsibility - the extra weight means the motorcycle takes longer to accelerate and to stop and handles differently in corners. A passenger must be at least five years old, have a seat and footpegs, and wear a DOT helmet. Strap cargo down tightly and keep it as low and centered as possible (p.3-10, 3-11).

• A passenger mounts after you and dismounts before you; adjust your mirrors once they are seated (p.3-10).
• Tell your passenger to keep their feet on the pegs and lean with you and the bike when cornering (p.3-10).
• Most groups ride in a staggered formation and move to single file in curves, keeping a three-second gap (p.5-13).

Alcohol is one of the most common factors in Washington's motorcycle crashes, and impairment begins at the first drink - it quickly degrades judgment, vision, attention, and motor skills. The only thing that removes alcohol from your body is time, at about one hour per drink; coffee, food, or a cold shower do nothing (p.6-1, 6-2).

• Adult BAC limit is 0.08%; under 21 it is 0.02%; a rider over 21 is impaired at 5 nanograms of THC (p.6-3).
• Combining alcohol with legal or illegal drugs or medication compounds the effects (p.6-2).
• Fatigue, anger, illness, stress, and distractions like phones or GPS also impair riding - sometimes the right choice is not to ride (p.6-1, 6-4).