Riding Within Your Abilities
Riding Within Your Abilities
This domain tests control under normal and emergency conditions: braking, cornering, swerving, and knowing your personal limit. The exam favors smooth inputs and traction awareness over aggressive “saving it” answers.
Braking
- Use both brakes; the front provides most stopping power.
- Apply the front progressively, then squeeze; do not grab.
- Keep the bike upright and straight while braking hard.
- On wet pavement or gravel, use less front brake and allow more distance.
Cornering
Slow before the turn, look through it, press the inside grip, and roll on smoothly. Braking while leaned over uses traction the tires need for turning. If you enter too fast, lean more and look through the curve; panic braking mid-corner can stand the bike up and run wide.
Swerving
Swerve only after you have identified an escape path. Keep the bars firm and the bike upright; do not brake and swerve at the same time if you can avoid it. Separate the actions: brake first, release, then swerve.
Worked example
A rider enters a 35 mph curve at 50 mph and sees gravel mid-corner. Reasoning: the entry was too fast. The safest recovery is to look to the exit, lean the bike more, and avoid hard braking on the gravel. If braking is required, do it before the gravel, upright and progressive.
Traps
- Grabbing the front brake in a panic.
- Fixating on the hazard instead of the escape path.
- Braking while swerving.
- Assuming a bigger bike can always stop shorter.