Hazard Avoidance and Emergency Maneuvers
This domain tests what you do in the two seconds before a crash: stopping hard, swerving cleanly, and handling surfaces that have far less grip than dry asphalt.
Quick stops
Apply both brakes together, squeezing the front progressively to load the tire and shift weight forward, and downshift as you slow. Keep the bars straight and the bike upright. Locking the front wheel is the dangerous failure: if it locks and skids, release the lever and reapply smoothly.
Swerving
Swerving and braking are separate maneuvers. Braking while swerving stands the bike up and cuts your cornering clearance. To swerve, press the grip on the side you want to go, keep the throttle steady, stay off the brakes, and once around the hazard, straighten and brake if needed.
Skids
If the rear wheel locks, keep it locked and steer straight until you stop; releasing a sliding rear wheel can cause a violent high-side. If the front locks, release and reapply.
Surface hazards
Sand, gravel, wet leaves, painted lines, steel plates, and manhole covers all cut traction. Cross them upright, with reduced lean, steady throttle, and no sudden brake or steering input. Cross railroad tracks as close to 90 degrees as you can, rising slightly off the seat.
Worked example
At 40 mph a rider sees a muffler in the lane with about 60 feet to react - too little for a stop. Reasoning: a stop ends in the obstacle, so the choice is a swerve. The rider presses the grip to change lanes, holds steady throttle, stays off both brakes through the swerve, then straightens and slows once clear.
Traps that cost marks
Braking mid-swerve; grabbing the front brake; leaning on a painted line or steel plate; trying to brake on gravel instead of rolling straight through.