Crash Avoidance, Emergencies, and Mechanical Failures
This domain tests the skills you hope never to use: the quick stop, the swerve, and the response to a blowout, wobble, or stuck throttle. The exam rewards riders who decide before they act and who keep their eyes on the escape path rather than the hazard.
Quick stop
Bike upright, bars straight, eyes up. Apply both brakes, squeezing the front lever progressively rather than grabbing it, and shift weight onto the pegs. Pull the clutch as you come to a stop. Practice until the front wheel never locks.
Swerving
Pick the direction, then commit. Brake or swerve - never both at once, because braking stands the bike up and cancels the swerve. Press the grip on the side you want to go and keep your eyes on the gap.
Locked wheels and wobble
- Front wheel locked: release the lever immediately, then reapply smoothly.
- Rear wheel locked: keep it locked and stay straight until you stop.
- Wobble or weave: roll off the throttle gradually, grip the tank with your knees, and avoid hard braking or acceleration - both make it worse.
Mechanical failures
- Front tire blowout: hold the bars firmly, ease off the throttle, shift weight back, and avoid hard braking.
- Stuck throttle: hit the kill switch, pull the clutch, and brake.
- Broken chain or belt: clutch in, coast, steer off the road.
Target fixation
You ride where you look. Staring at the car that pulled out guarantees you hit it. Force your eyes to the escape route.
Worked example. A car backs out of a driveway and you have a clean gap to its left. You press the left grip and swerve into the gap. Squeezing the front brake while pressing the grip stands the bike upright mid-swerve and puts you back on a collision line - which is why the two inputs are trained separately.
Traps. Braking and swerving together; staring at the obstacle; braking hard with the bars turned; hesitating between two escape routes until both close.