Vehicle knowledge, tyres, brakes and basic maintenance checks
This domain tests whether you know what keeps a motorcycle roadworthy and how to check it before a ride. It rewards specific numbers - pressures, tread depth, chain slack - and a clear understanding of how a motorcycle actually stops.
The pre-ride check
- Tyres: pressure set cold to the handbook figure, tread above the legal minimum, no cuts, bulges or sidewall cracking.
- Brakes: lever and pedal firm rather than spongy, pads above the wear line, fluid at the mark, no leaks.
- Chain: correct slack (typically 20–30 mm depending on model), lubricated, no tight spots; sprocket teeth not hooked.
- Lights, indicators, brake light, horn, mirrors, cables.
- Fuel, oil, coolant, plus a look underneath for fresh drips.
Tyres and legality
A motorcycle needs at least 1.0 mm of tread in the main grooves, where a car needs 1.6 mm - do not transfer the car figure to the bike. Check the DOT date code on the sidewall: rubber hardens with age even when tread looks deep, and a squared-off rear from motorway miles spoils turn-in. Pressure changes everything: a soft tyre makes the bike steer heavily and overheats the carcass.
Brakes
On dry tarmac the front brake provides most of the stopping power, roughly 70–80 %, as weight transfers forward. Apply it progressively - take up the slack, then squeeze harder - adding a little rear for stability. On gravel, wet leaves or loose surfaces use more rear and less front, and keep the machine upright. If the lever feels spongy or comes back to the bar, suspect air or old fluid; brake fluid absorbs moisture and must be changed on the manufacturer's interval.
Worked example
You roll a stored bike out in spring. The front lever feels soft and pulls closer than you remember. The diagnosis is air or water in the hydraulic system, not a harmless quirk. The fix is to bleed the system, replace the fluid, then re-check pads and disc. Riding with a spongy lever can be the difference between stopping and not.
Traps that cost marks
- Setting tyre pressure after a ride, when the tyres are hot.
- Checking tread by eye rather than with a gauge.
- Assuming the car figure of 1.6 mm applies to a motorcycle.
- Grabbing the front brake on gravel or wet paint.
- Ignoring chain slack until it whips or derails.