VIC motorcycle test braking practice questions

Question 1

Which brake provides most of the stopping power on a motorcycle?

• The rear brake
• The front brakeCorrect answer
• Both give roughly equal stopping power
• Engine braking gives most of it

Braking throws weight onto the front wheel, so the front tyre can do most of the work. Use both brakes together, with the greater share on the front.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: braking

Question 2

A car pulls out in front of you and you have to stop as fast as possible. How should you use the front brake?

• Grab it as hard as you can straight away
• Squeeze it progressively so the weight settles onto the front tyreCorrect answer
• Avoid it and use only the rear brake
• Pump it on and off quickly

A hard grab can lock the front wheel before weight has transferred forward, which puts you on the ground. A firm progressive squeeze loads the tyre first and then lets you use all the grip.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: emergency braking

Question 3

You need to slow down while the motorcycle is leaned over in a corner. What is the safest approach?

• Apply the front brake hard while leaned
• Straighten the bike up as much as it is safe to do, then brakeCorrect answer
• Put your foot down to slow yourself
• Turn the handlebars away from the corner

Tyre grip is shared between turning and braking. The more lean you are using, the less is left for braking, so reduce lean first and then brake in as straight a line as the road allows.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: braking

Question 4

You are braking hard in a straight line without ABS and the rear wheel locks and starts to skid. What should you do?

• Keep the rear brake hard on and hope it stops sooner
• Ease off the rear brake, then reapply it more gentlyCorrect answer
• Release both brakes completely
• Put your feet down on the road

A locked wheel gives less grip and no steering. Easing the pressure lets the wheel roll again, then you can reapply the brake short of locking. Keep looking where you want to go.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: braking

Question 5

How should your braking change on a wet road?

• Brake later and harder to make up for the surface
• Brake earlier and more gently, and leave a larger gap aheadCorrect answer
• Use only the rear brake in all wet conditions
• Nothing changes if the tyres are new

There is less grip in the wet, so everything has to happen earlier and more smoothly. Increase your following distance so you have room to slow without any sudden inputs.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: riding in the wet

Question 6

What does anti lock braking, or ABS, do for a rider?

• It removes the need to use the front brake
• It helps stop the wheels locking under hard braking so you keep steering controlCorrect answer
• It guarantees a shorter stop on any surface
• It works only above 60 km/h

ABS releases and reapplies brake pressure at the edge of lockup. It is a strong safety aid, but it cannot create grip that is not there on gravel or ice, so you still ride to the conditions.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: braking systems

Question 7

You are riding down a long steep descent in the Dandenongs. What is the best way to control your speed?

• Hold the front brake on the whole way down
• Select a lower gear so engine braking helps, and use the brakes in firm short applicationsCorrect answer
• Pull the clutch in and coast down
• Switch the engine off to save fuel

Dragging the brakes for a long descent heats them and reduces how well they work. A lower gear does part of the job, and short firm applications let the brakes cool between them.

Rule cited: Victorian Rider Handbook, topic: braking