Motorcycle braking — New Mexico Permit Test

A motorcycle has a front brake and a rear brake, and the rider uses both of them at the same time.

Using one brake alone takes longer to stop, and that extra distance can mean hitting what is ahead.

Your motorcycle has two brakes: one each for the front and rear wheel.

The front brake is the more powerful one and can give as much as three-quarters of a motorcycle's stopping power.

Most of the bike's weight moves forward when it slows, so the front wheel does most of the work of stopping.

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

A rider should use both brakes every time the bike slows or stops, not just the rear brake.

If a rider only uses the rear brake day to day, they will not know how to use the front brake well when a sudden stop comes.

Use both brakes every time you slow or stop.

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

A locked wheel skids instead of rolling, and a skidding bike is hard to keep upright.

Grabbing at the front brake or jamming down on the rear can cause the brake to lock, resulting in control problems.

Braking in a turn must be done very carefully, because leaning uses some traction for cornering and leaves less for stopping.

The tires can only grip so much, and too much brake in a lean makes the bike skid.

When leaning the motorcycle, some of the traction is used for cornering.

How should a rider use the front and rear brakes to stop?

Use both at the same time. Using one brake alone takes longer to stop, and that extra distance can mean hitting what is ahead. New Mexico Driver Manual, p.35: “Your motorcycle has two brakes: one each for the front and rear wheel.”