NT rider knowledge test braking practice questions

Question 1

Which brake gives you the most stopping power on a motorcycle when you are upright?

• The rear brake
• The front brake, because braking shifts weight onto the front wheelCorrect answer
• Both give exactly the same amount
• Engine braking

Load on the front tyre rises as you slow, and grip rises with it. Use both brakes, but a rider who avoids the front brake gives away most of their stopping ability.

Rule cited: Northern Territory motorcycle rider handbook, topic: braking

Question 2

How should you apply the front brake in an emergency stop?

• Grab it as hard as you can straight away
• Squeeze progressively so weight transfers forward, then increase pressure as the front tyre loads upCorrect answer
• Apply and release it repeatedly
• Use it only after the bike has slowed with the rear brake

Grabbing the lever asks for full grip before the tyre has been pressed into the road, which is how riders lock the front. A hard progressive squeeze stops the bike in the shortest distance.

Rule cited: Northern Territory motorcycle rider handbook, topic: braking

Question 3

The rear wheel locks and starts to slide during a hard stop, but the bike is still in line. What should you do?

• Release the rear brake instantly and steer hard
• Keep the rear locked while the bike is in line and keep steering straight, easing off as you slowCorrect answer
• Release both brakes
• Put a foot down to steady it

Suddenly releasing a rear wheel that has slid out of line can snap the bike upright and throw the rider. If the rear stays behind you, hold it and keep the bike straight until you stop.

Rule cited: Northern Territory motorcycle rider handbook, topic: braking

Question 4

You are braking on a gravel road on a motorcycle fitted with ABS. What should you expect?

• You will stop in the same distance as on bitumen
• ABS keeps the wheels turning, but the stopping distance on loose surfaces is still much longerCorrect answer
• ABS switches itself off on gravel
• You should not use the brakes at all

ABS prevents a locked wheel and helps you keep steering, but it cannot create grip that the surface does not have. Slow down before the loose section, not on it.

Rule cited: Northern Territory motorcycle rider handbook, topic: braking systems

Question 5

How does carrying a pillion passenger change your emergency braking?

• It shortens the stopping distance
• It makes no difference
• The extra weight lengthens the stopping distance and pushes the passenger into you, so brake earlier and warn them firstCorrect answer
• You should use the rear brake only

Practise stopping with a passenger somewhere quiet before riding two up in traffic, and tell your passenger to brace against the tank or grab rails rather than against you.

Rule cited: Northern Territory motorcycle rider handbook, topic: carrying a passenger

Question 6

On a very hot day the bitumen looks shiny and slightly sticky in patches. What does that mean for braking?

• Grip is better because the surface is soft
• Bleeding tar and melted bitumen reduce grip, so brake earlier and more gentlyCorrect answer
• It only affects car tyres
• Nothing changes for a motorcycle

Tar that has risen to the surface in extreme heat behaves like a slippery film, and it is worst on old seal, in wheel tracks and at intersections. Increase your following distance.

Rule cited: Northern Territory motorcycle rider handbook, topic: surface hazards

Question 7

What is the minimum following gap a rider should keep behind a vehicle in good, dry conditions?

• One second
• Two seconds, extended in poor conditionsCorrect answer
• Half a car length
• Ten metres regardless of speed

Two seconds covers reaction time at any speed. Double it in rain, on gravel, at night, when tired, when carrying a passenger or when following something that blocks your view.

Rule cited: Northern Territory motorcycle rider handbook, topic: following distance