Safe Riding Technique and Motorcycle Control
Pre-ride control
This domain tests whether you can control the machine smoothly and spot faults before they become crashes. Check tyres for pressure and damage, brakes, chain or belt tension, lights, horn, mirrors and fuel. Sit so your arms are slightly bent, grip with your knees, look well ahead, and keep the throttle and brake inputs smooth.
Braking and cornering
On dry pavement, the front brake provides most stopping power, but use both brakes together and progressively. Do not grab the front brake. On wet or sandy roads, reduce speed earlier, brake more gently and avoid sudden steering. For corners: slow before the bend, look through the curve, maintain a steady throttle, and accelerate gently on exit. Braking hard while leaned over can cause a fall.
Road position and distance
Ride where you can be seen and where you have an escape path. Avoid sitting in a truck’s blind spot. Keep at least a two-second gap in good conditions and more in rain, dust or poor light. Do not weave between lanes at speed.
Worked example
You enter a wet corner too fast. Reasoning: do not grab the brakes and do not add lean. Straighten the bike slightly, brake smoothly before the worst of the bend, look to the exit, then ease through. The safe correction is planned before the corner, not a panic input inside it.
Traps that cost marks
Using only the rear brake; braking mid-corner; fixating on the road edge; following too closely; and assuming a dry-road braking technique works on sand or rain.
Exam focus
Expect questions on pre-ride checks, progressive braking, cornering sequence, wet-weather control, following distance, and the danger of sudden inputs.