SA rider knowledge test learner approved motorcycles practice questions

Question 1

What is a learner approved motorcycle?

• Any motorcycle under 20 years old
• A motorcycle on the published approved list, which limits both engine capacity and power for its weightCorrect answer
• Any motorcycle with an electric start
• A motorcycle with a top speed under 100 km/h

The scheme keeps new riders on machines whose power delivery is manageable. It works by engine capacity, power to weight ratio and a published list of approved models.

Rule cited: The Rider's Handbook (South Australia), topic: learner approved motorcycles

Question 2

What is the maximum engine capacity for a learner approved motorcycle?

• 250 mL
• 400 mL
• 660 mLCorrect answer
• 900 mL

The engine capacity must not exceed 660 mL, and that is only the first test. The machine must also be within the power to weight limit and appear on the approved list.

Rule cited: The Rider's Handbook (South Australia), topic: learner approved motorcycles

Question 3

What is the power to weight limit for a learner approved motorcycle?

• 50 kW per tonne
• 150 kW per tonneCorrect answer
• 250 kW per tonne
• There is no such limit

A learner approved machine must not exceed 150 kW per tonne. This is what keeps a small but very highly tuned motorcycle off the approved list even though it is under 660 mL.

Rule cited: The Rider's Handbook (South Australia), topic: learner approved motorcycles

Question 4

A motorcycle you want to buy has been fitted with parts that increase its power. What is the effect on its learner approval?

• None, approval is based on the model name
• It may no longer meet the approval conditions, so riding it on a learner's permit would breach your conditionsCorrect answer
• It stays approved if the engine capacity is unchanged
• It becomes approved for an extra year

Approval covers the motorcycle as it was built. Modifications that raise power can put it over the power to weight limit, and then it is not a machine you are permitted to ride.

Rule cited: The Rider's Handbook (South Australia), topic: learner approved motorcycles

Question 5

How should you verify that a specific motorcycle is approved before you ride it on a learner's permit?

• Check the exact make, model and year against the published approved motorcycle listCorrect answer
• Measure the seat height
• Ask at the petrol station
• Check that it has fewer than four cylinders

Approval is granted variant by variant, and two models sharing a name can differ in power. Look up the exact machine on the published list before you buy, borrow or ride it.

Rule cited: The Rider's Handbook (South Australia), topic: learner approved motorcycles