roadwise.Open study app

New Mexico driving lesson · Motorcycles

Motorcycle passing, cars alongside & braking

A 3-minute lesson from the New Mexico course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

Study this lesson in the app Back to the course
Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Motorcycles
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
38, 39

New Mexico's handbook includes a motorcycle section. Riders are more exposed and harder to see, so passing, positioning and braking all take extra care. Car drivers benefit too: it shows what riders need from you.

Know the rule

Ride in the left portion of the lane at a safe following distance to see farther and be more visible.

Handbook p. 38 ↗

When passing on a motorcycle:

  • Signal and check for oncoming traffic; use mirrors and turn your head to check behind
  • Move into the left lane and accelerate; pick a position that doesn't crowd the car and leaves room for hazards
  • Ride through the blind spot as quickly as possible
  • Signal again and do mirror and head checks before returning to your lane
Handbook p. 38 ↗

Know the rule

Passing must be completed within posted speed limits, and only where permitted.

Handbook p. 38 ↗

Know the rule

Don't ride next to cars or trucks in other lanes if you don't have to. You may be in their blind spot, and they block your escape. Speed up or drop back to find space clear on both sides.

Handbook p. 38 ↗

Know the rule

A motorcycle has two brakes, front and rear. Use both at the same time, every time you slow or stop.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
3/4

Share of total stopping power the front brake can provide

Handbook p. 38 ↗

Know the rule

Squeeze the front brake and press down on the rear. Grabbing the front or jamming the rear can lock the brake and cause control problems.

Handbook p. 38 ↗

Know the rule

The sooner you apply the front brake, the sooner it starts slowing you. Using only the rear for normal stops keeps you from building the front-brake skill needed in an emergency.

Handbook p. 38 ↗

Know the rule

Braking in a turn is possible but must be done very carefully: leaning uses traction for cornering, leaving less for stopping. Using the front brake wrongly on a slippery surface can be hazardous.

Handbook p. 38 ↗

Know the rule

Some motorcycles have integrated braking that links front and rear when you apply the rear pedal; see the owner's manual.

Handbook p. 39 ↗

Put it into practice

You're riding and need to stop for a yellow light. Squeeze the front brake and press the rear at the same time, rather than stomping only the rear pedal.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

How much of a motorcycle's total stopping power can the front brake provide?
  1. About one-tenth
  2. Up to three-quarters
  3. About half
  4. About one-quarter

Answer: Up to three-quarters

The front brake is more powerful and can provide as much as three-quarters of total stopping power.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
How should a motorcyclist use the brakes for a normal stop?
  1. Use only the front brake
  2. Use mainly the rear brake
  3. Use only the rear brake for normal stops
  4. Use both the front and rear brakes together

Answer: Use both the front and rear brakes together

Use both brakes every time you slow or stop, squeezing the front and pressing the rear.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
When preparing to pass another vehicle on a motorcycle, what should you do before moving into the left lane?
  1. Move to the right portion of the lane
  2. Accelerate first, then signal
  3. Move to the center of your lane and wait
  4. Signal, then check mirrors and shoulder

Answer: Signal, then check mirrors and shoulder

Signal and check for oncoming traffic, using your mirrors and turning your head to look for traffic behind.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
When riding through a vehicle's blind spot while passing, what should you do?
  1. Ride through it as quickly as possible
  2. Stay there until the driver notices you
  3. Match the other vehicle's speed exactly
  4. Slow down and stay there briefly to be seen

Answer: Ride through it as quickly as possible

Ride through the blind spot as quickly as possible when passing.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
Why shouldn't a motorcyclist ride alongside cars or trucks in the next lane if avoidable?
  1. It's illegal in every situation
  2. It forces you into the oily center strip
  3. You might be in their blind spot
  4. Their headlights glare in your mirrors

Answer: You might be in their blind spot

You might be in the blind spot of a car in the next lane, which could switch into your lane without warning.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
The front brake on a motorcycle can provide up to three-quarters of the vehicle's total stopping power.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

The front brake can provide as much as three-quarters of total stopping power.

Handbook p. 38 ↗
Take the lesson checkpoint in the app

More in Motorcycles

All New Mexico lessons