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Alberta Class 6 overview

Alberta Class 6: Passengers, cargo and three-wheelers

Carrying a passenger legally and safely, loading cargo, towing a trailer, three-wheeled motorcycles and sidecars.

  • 19 questions
  • Topic drill
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Passengers, cargo and three-wheelers · Question 1Score 0/0

How should you load saddle bags?

Study reference: Rider's Guide (Spring 2023), Ch. 8 Carrying a Passenger or Cargo, pp. 58–62

All 19 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

  1. How should you load saddle bags?

    1. About the same weight on each side, kept low
    2. Heavier on the side you lean on
    3. All weight on the left side
    4. As high as possible on the frame, above the rear seat

  2. Where should a passenger sit?

    1. As far forward as possible without crowding
    2. Sideways across the passenger seat
    3. As far back on the seat as possible
    4. On the fuel tank in front of you

  3. When is a passenger legally allowed on your motorcycle?

    1. Only after one year of riding
    2. Only on roads under 80 km/h
    3. Whenever the passenger wears an approved helmet and jacket
    4. When it has a passenger seat, hand grips and foot rests

  4. Where should your passenger keep their feet when you stop at a light?

    1. Tucked under the seat
    2. On the passenger foot pegs
    3. On the ground to help balance
    4. On the exhaust pipe

  5. When does the Rider's Guide recommend you start carrying passengers?

    1. Only after age 21
    2. As soon as you get your learner's licence
    3. After your first week of riding
    4. Once you are an experienced rider

  6. During a right turn with a sidecar, the sidecar wheel begins to lift. What should you do?

    1. Brake hard to drop it
    2. Lean your body to the left
    3. Turn the bars sharply left to bring the wheel down
    4. Steer more firmly and smoothly to the right

  7. Why should you avoid mounting cargo behind the rear axle?

    1. It overheats the exhaust
    2. It can affect control of the motorcycle
    3. It is illegal in Alberta
    4. It blocks the licence plate light only

  8. Why should you look for larger gaps in traffic when carrying a passenger?

    1. Your brakes work better with the added weight on board
    2. Passengers must signal for you
    3. The extra weight makes you accelerate more slowly
    4. The passenger blocks your mirrors

  9. With a passenger aboard, what following distance should you keep?

    1. Three to four seconds
    2. Two seconds
    3. One to two seconds
    4. Six to eight seconds

  10. What is the best way to tie down a load on a motorcycle?

    1. Rope with strong knots
    2. A single thin strap
    3. Duct tape
    4. Elastic bungee cords or nets

  11. When should the passenger get on the motorcycle?

    1. Before you take it off the stand
    2. While the bike is on the centre stand
    3. Before you start the engine
    4. After you take the bike off the sidestand

  12. Is your passenger required by law to wear an approved helmet?

    1. Only on highways
    2. No, only the operator
    3. Only if under 18
    4. Yes

  13. Before carrying a passenger, which adjustment may your motorcycle need?

    1. A lower handlebar
    2. Tire pressure set for the extra load
    3. A louder horn
    4. A larger fuel tank to cover the extra weight

  14. Your sidecar has no brake. Which way may the unit pull when you brake?

    1. To the right
    2. To the left
    3. Up off the ground
    4. Straight ahead

  15. How does a three-wheeled motorcycle handle in a turn compared with a two-wheeler?

    1. It turns exactly the same
    2. It must be push-steered
    3. It leans more than a two-wheeler
    4. It does not lean into the turn

  16. How should your passenger prepare for an upcoming curve?

    1. Put a foot down on the inside
    2. Sit upright and hold still against the lean
    3. Look over your shoulder in the direction of the turn
    4. Lean the opposite way to balance

  17. How do you steer a motorcycle with a sidecar attached?

    1. Lean the motorcycle into the turn
    2. Push-steer as on a solo bike
    3. Shift your weight only
    4. Turn the handlebars directly, like a car

  18. When towing a trailer with your motorcycle, what should the tongue weight be?

    1. 10 to 15 per cent of the trailer weight
    2. Half of the trailer weight
    3. Under 5 per cent of the trailer weight
    4. 25 to 30 per cent of the trailer weight

  19. Where is the safest place to carry cargo on a motorcycle?

    1. On the front fender
    2. Strapped to the handlebars
    3. In tank or saddle bags made for motorcycles
    4. In a backpack hanging off one side of the handlebars

Passengers, cargo and three-wheelers: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Rider's Guide (Spring 2023), Ch. 8 Carrying a Passenger or Cargo, pp. 58–62

  • Not recommended until you are experienced.
  • Legal only if the motorcycle has a seat designed for a passenger plus passenger hand grips and foot rests.
  • May need: suspension adjustment, drive chain slack check, tire pressure for a passenger (see manual/label).
  • Passenger must wear an approved helmet (law); also protective clothing, footwear, eye protection.
  • Passenger checks with you before getting on/off; feet reach and stay on foot pegs even when stopped (hot exhaust); sit only on passenger seat.
  • Rider needs more strength to hold position; passenger sits as far forward as possible without crowding; holds rider's waist (or passenger grips); sits still; moves with rider when speeding up/slowing; looks over rider's shoulder in direction of turn to lean together; warn of sudden moves.
  • Take bike off sidestand before passenger gets on; start slow in traffic-free areas.
  • Following distance three to four seconds (more weight = longer stop); slower on corners, curves, bumps; slow earlier; larger gaps when crossing/merging (slower acceleration); avoid sudden acceleration.
  • Safest in tank or saddle bags designed for motorcycles.
  • Don't interfere with controls/steering; equal weight in each saddle bag; keep load low; above or beside the rear axle (behind the axle affects control).
  • Secure with elastic bungee cords or nets (rope stretches, knots loosen); several cords along the side; stop and check load regularly.
  • Never attach items to front fender or handlebars.
  • Match motorcycle and trailer for size and weight; practise before trips.
  • Inspect hitch hardware, trailer hitch (no cracks, faulty welds), signal/brake/park lights, tires, plate.
  • Heavy items low and over/near the axle; light on top; don't overload.
  • Load slightly front-weighted: tongue weight 10 to 15 per cent of trailer weight.
  • Longer stopping time and distance; slower to speed up and slow down.
  • Considered motorcycles; handle differently; practise in a safe area; keep speed low.
  • Don't lean into turns; shifting weight helps cornering; allow for extra width.
  • Road test on a three-wheeler restricts the Class 6 to three-wheelers.
  • Learn first; practise in a parking lot.
  • Steer directly like a car — overcome urge to lean or push-steer; centre the unit in the lane; remember the sidecar wheel.
  • Accelerating may pull right; slowing may pull left; hold grips firmly.
  • Braking can pull to the side; sidecar brake helps a straighter stop; without one, the unit pulls left when braking.
  • Curves: slower than solo.
  • Turns: slow and gear down one or two gears first.
  • Right turn: shift weight right; the sidecar can lift — if it does, steer more firmly right.
  • Left turn: shift weight left (keeps rear wheel down, less steering effort).

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