RTT Vehicle Control & Handling Techniques 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the effect of riding with underinflated tires on motorcycle handling?
- Improved comfort with no handling penalty
- Increased risk of tire overheating, blowout, and vague steering response (Correct answer)
- Better grip due to larger contact patch in all conditions
- Shorter braking distances on wet roads
Correct answer: Increased risk of tire overheating, blowout, and vague steering response
Underinflated tires flex excessively, generating heat that can cause blowouts, while also producing imprecise steering and increased rolling resistance.
Question 2: When should a motorcyclist avoid using the front brake?
- During any high-speed stop on a dry road
- When the front wheel is turned at low speed during a tight maneuver (Correct answer)
- Whenever the road is slightly damp
- During all downhill braking situations
Correct answer: When the front wheel is turned at low speed during a tight maneuver
Applying the front brake when the wheel is turned at low speed can cause the fork to straighten abruptly, leading to a loss of balance and a tip-over.
Question 3: What is the safest way to change lanes on a freeway at highway speed?
- Signal, check mirrors only, then move quickly
- Signal, check mirrors, perform a head check over the shoulder, then move gradually if clear (Correct answer)
- Accelerate rapidly into the new lane to minimize time in the blind spot
- Only change lanes when directly behind a large vehicle for protection
Correct answer: Signal, check mirrors, perform a head check over the shoulder, then move gradually if clear
Mirrors have blind spots, so a shoulder check combined with signal and mirror use ensures no vehicle is hidden before the lane change.
Question 4: What happens to a motorcycle's steering when the front tire loses traction (front-end washout)?
- The bike straightens up automatically
- The front wheel slides outward and the bike falls toward the inside of the turn (Correct answer)
- The rear wheel compensates and prevents a fall
- The rider can recover by applying rear brake
Correct answer: The front wheel slides outward and the bike falls toward the inside of the turn
When the front tire loses grip, it slides out from under the bike, causing it to fall inward (low-side crash) with very little warning or recovery time.
Question 5: How does riding in the rain affect the optimal following distance behind other vehicles?
- Following distance stays the same since modern tires handle rain well
- Following distance should be reduced to stay in the lead vehicle's tire tracks
- Following distance should be at least doubled to account for longer stopping distances (Correct answer)
- Following distance should be tripled or more on wet roads
Correct answer: Following distance should be at least doubled to account for longer stopping distances
Wet roads significantly reduce tire grip and increase stopping distances, so at minimum doubling the following distance provides adequate reaction and braking time.
Question 6: What is the purpose of 'setting up wide' before entering a corner?
- To intimidate other drivers sharing the road
- To increase the effective radius of the turn, allowing a smoother arc through the corner (Correct answer)
- To be closer to the road edge in case of a sudden stop
- To signal to pedestrians that you are turning
Correct answer: To increase the effective radius of the turn, allowing a smoother arc through the corner
Starting wide before a corner straightens your line of travel through the apex, increasing the geometric radius and reducing the lean angle required.
Question 7: When riding over railroad tracks that cross the road at an angle, what is the recommended technique?
- Slow down sharply and cross parallel to the tracks
- Adjust your path to cross the tracks as close to a 90-degree angle as possible (Correct answer)
- Lean the bike into the tracks to match their angle
- Accelerate quickly to minimize time on the tracks
Correct answer: Adjust your path to cross the tracks as close to a 90-degree angle as possible
Crossing railroad tracks at or near 90 degrees prevents the front wheel from following the groove of the track and being deflected off course.
RTT Vehicle Control & Handling Techniques 5
What is the effect of riding with underinflated tires on motorcycle handling?