Safety and your vehicle: motorcycle theory test questions

1. Only riders with a provisional licence
2. Only when travelling on fast roads
3. Both the rider and any pillion passenger ✓
4. Only the rider

Answer: Both the rider and any pillion passenger. On all journeys the rider and pillion passenger must wear a protective helmet that is securely fastened. The only exemption is for followers of the Sikh religion wearing a turban.

Highway Code rule 83

1. A sticker saying the helmet is suitable for racing
2. UNECE Regulation 22.05 or 22.06, or BS 6658:1985 with a BSI Kitemark ✓
3. A label showing the helmet was made in the last year
4. Any CE mark printed on the chin strap

Answer: UNECE Regulation 22.05 or 22.06, or BS 6658:1985 with a BSI Kitemark. Helmets used on the road must meet British Standard BS 6658:1985 with a Kitemark, or UNECE Regulation 22.05 or 22.06 (or an equivalent EEA standard).

GOV.UK: Motorcycle helmet law

1. Repaint it so any damage is easier to spot
2. Use it only for short local trips
3. Keep using it, because there are no cracks
4. Replace it, as it may no longer protect you properly ✓

Answer: Replace it, as it may no longer protect you properly. A helmet is designed to absorb one impact. After a hard knock the inner shell may be damaged even if the outside looks fine, so it should be replaced.

Highway Code rule 83

1. Snugly, with the strap securely fastened so it can't roll off ✓
2. With room for a thick hat underneath
3. With the strap undone on short journeys
4. Loosely, so you can turn your head more easily

Answer: Snugly, with the strap securely fastened so it can't roll off. A helmet only protects you if it fits well and is fastened securely. It shouldn't move around on your head or come off if pulled from behind.

Highway Code rule 83

1. On sunny days in summer
2. When carrying a pillion passenger
3. When riding on motorways
4. At night or when visibility is poor ✓

Answer: At night or when visibility is poor. A dark visor cuts down the light reaching your eyes. That's helpful in bright sun but dangerous at night, at dusk or in poor visibility.

Highway Code rule 84

1. It makes the engine use less oil
2. It stops your brakes from squealing
3. A worn or slack chain can jump off or break and lock the back wheel ✓
4. It's needed to keep your tyre pressures correct

Answer: A worn or slack chain can jump off or break and lock the back wheel. A badly adjusted or worn chain can come off the sprockets, which may lock the rear wheel. Follow your handbook for tension and lubrication.

Highway Code Annex 6 (vehicle maintenance)

1. 1 mm across three-quarters of the breadth of the tread ✓
2. 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread
3. 0.5 mm in a continuous band around the tyre
4. 2 mm across the full breadth of the tread

Answer: 1 mm across three-quarters of the breadth of the tread. Motorcycles must have at least 1 mm of tread across three-quarters of the breadth of the tread, in a continuous band around the whole tyre. Mopeds should have visible tread.

Highway Code Annex 6

1. Only when you're carrying a passenger
2. When the tyres are cold, before a ride ✓
3. After riding in heavy rain
4. Straight after a long motorway journey

Answer: When the tyres are cold, before a ride. Tyres warm up as you ride, which raises the pressure reading. Check them cold and set them to the figures in your handbook.

Highway Code Annex 6

1. Reflective strips on a black jacket
2. Bright or fluorescent clothing ✓
3. A dark helmet with a tinted visor
4. Dark leather jacket and trousers

Answer: Bright or fluorescent clothing. Fluorescent colours stand out in daylight. A light or brightly coloured helmet also helps you to be seen from all sides.

Highway Code rule 86

1. Fluorescent clothing without reflective parts
2. Dark clothing with a white helmet
3. Reflective clothing or strips ✓
4. A bright red waterproof jacket

Answer: Reflective clothing or strips. Reflective material shines back the light from vehicle headlights, so you can be seen from further away at night. Fluorescent material doesn't work well in the dark.

Highway Code rule 87

1. They protect your feet and ankles in a fall and give support ✓
2. They let you change gear more quickly
3. They are a legal requirement for learner riders
4. They help you reach the ground at traffic lights

Answer: They protect your feet and ankles in a fall and give support. Many crashes happen on short, familiar journeys. Strong boots, gloves and suitable clothing help protect you if you come off.

Highway Code rule 84

1. Remove the number plate
2. Leave the steering unlocked so it's easy to move
3. Leave it in a quiet, dark side street
4. Lock it to a fixed object in a well-lit place and use a disc lock ✓

Answer: Lock it to a fixed object in a well-lit place and use a disc lock. Thieves can lift an unsecured bike into a van in seconds. Use the steering lock, a disc lock and a chain to something solid, and park where it can be seen.

Highway Code Annex 6

1. That your fuel is the same brand as last time
2. That your lights, indicators and horn work ✓
3. That the paintwork has no scratches
4. That the engine has been serviced in the last week
5. That your tyres aren't damaged and are correctly inflated ✓

Answer: That your lights, indicators and horn work; That your tyres aren't damaged and are correctly inflated. Quick daily checks of lights, tyres, brakes and controls can stop a fault turning into a crash. Use your handbook for full service intervals.

Highway Code Annex 6

1. Stopping the engine quickly in an emergency ✓
2. Cutting power to the indicators
3. Switching off the headlight in daylight
4. Locking the steering when parked

Answer: Stopping the engine quickly in an emergency. The cut-out switch lets you stop the engine without taking your hand off the handlebar, for example after a fall. Get to know where it is on your bike.

General safe riding advice

1. Ride with the visor fully open at all speeds
2. Wipe it with your glove while riding
3. Stop safely and clear it, and consider fitting an anti-fog insert ✓
4. Keep going and look through the clear patch

Answer: Stop safely and clear it, and consider fitting an anti-fog insert. A misted visor seriously limits your vision. Stop somewhere safe to clear it, and use an anti-fog insert or treatment to stop it happening again.

Highway Code rule 84