State motorcycle manuals name two critical skills for avoiding a collision: knowing when and how to stop, and knowing when and how to swerve. Riders in crashes often failed to use their brakes properly, or tried to brake and swerve at the same time.
Quick stops: use both brakes
The front brake provides about three-quarters of your stopping power. It's the number to remember. So:
- Apply both brakes at the same time, every time you stop, so the habit is there in an emergency.
- Squeeze the front brake firmly with steady pressure. Don't grab it.
- Press down on the rear brake.
Related: What to Expect on the Motorcycle Permit Knowledge Test
If a wheel locks
- Front wheel locks: release the front brake immediately, then reapply it firmly.
- Rear wheel locks on a good traction surface: you can keep it locked until you've stopped. A motorcycle with a locked rear wheel can still be controlled if it is upright and going straight.
Stopping in a curve
The best technique is to straighten the motorcycle first, then brake. If you can't, brake lightly while leaned over and reduce the throttle, then add brake pressure as the motorcycle straightens. Straighten the handlebars in the last few feet of the stop.
Swerving: press to go
Sometimes there isn't room to stop. A swerve is any sudden change in direction. The technique relies on countersteering:
- Press the handgrip on the side you want to go: press left, go left; press right, go right.
- Then press the opposite handgrip to recover once you've cleared the obstacle.
- Keep your body upright and let the motorcycle lean beneath you. Keep your knees against the tank and feet on the footrests.
- Look at your escape route, not at the obstacle.
Never brake and swerve at the same time
This is the central rule. If you need to both brake and swerve, brake before or after the swerve, never during it. Braking during a swerve, especially with the front brake, can make the motorcycle fall over. Manuals summarize it as two options: swerve, then brake, or brake, then swerve.
How to practice
These are physical skills, and a manual can't teach them on its own. A rider training course is where you practice quick stops and swerves at low speed with an instructor. For the knowledge test, memorize the rules above: both brakes, three-quarters from the front, squeeze don't grab, and separate braking from swerving.