On a motorcycle with ABS, how should you brake in an emergency?

Firm, continuous, hard pressure on both brakes

Use only the front brake, squeezing as hard as you can

Release and reapply the brakes every second

Pump the brakes rapidly to help the ABS

A large animal is in your path and you can't stop. What does the guide advise?

Brake firmly and strike it at an angle

Lay the motorcycle down on its side

Swerve sharply into the oncoming traffic lane

Lock the brakes and hit it head-on

BC Class 6 / 8 Motorcycle overview

BC Class 6 / 8 Motorcycle: Emergency braking, swerving and breakdowns

Threshold braking, ABS, avoiding skids, swerving and accelerating to avoid a crash, flat tires, engine and headlight failure, wobbles, animals, riding over obstacles and what to do at a crash scene.

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Emergency braking, swerving and breakdowns · Question 1Score 0/0

How does motorcycle ABS differ from car ABS, according to the guide?

Tip: press 1–4 to answer and Enter for the next question.

Study reference: Learn to Ride Smart (ICBC, March 2026 edition), Ch. 10 Emergency strategies — Collision avoidance, mechanical problems, obstacles, at the scene of a crash, pp. 143–155

All 18 questions in this test

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

How does motorcycle ABS differ from car ABS, according to the guide?
1. It won't let you brake and steer together
2. It always shortens your stopping distance
3. It lets you brake hard in deep, loose gravel
4. It works only on the rear wheel of the bike
On a motorcycle with ABS, how should you brake in an emergency?
1. Use only the front brake, squeezing as hard as you can
2. Release and reapply the brakes every second
3. Pump the brakes rapidly to help the ABS
4. Firm, continuous, hard pressure on both brakes
When are animals hardest to see and most active?
1. Late at night only
2. Around noon
3. On rainy afternoons in spring
4. Around dusk and dawn
Why shouldn't you brake while swerving abruptly?
1. You could skid and fall
2. The ABS will switch off
3. The brake light won't work
4. It is illegal while signalling
A large animal is in your path and you can't stop. What does the guide advise?
1. Lay the motorcycle down on its side
2. Swerve sharply into the oncoming traffic lane
3. Lock the brakes and hit it head-on
4. Brake firmly and strike it at an angle
You are involved in a crash. What must you do?
1. Stay, help and exchange the required details
2. Ride on and report it within a week
3. Discuss with the driver who caused it
4. Leave right away if no one appears hurt
Your low beam burns out at night. What should you do?
1. Follow close behind another vehicle's lights
2. Keep riding with no headlight on at all
3. Turn on hazard lights and ride faster
4. Switch to high beam and get off the road
You must ride over a plank in the road. How should you approach it?
1. Seated, with the throttle held wide open
2. Upright and head-on, rising slightly
3. Leaning, at a shallow angle to it
4. Braking hard just as you hit it
Your engine suddenly seizes. What should you do immediately?
1. Squeeze the clutch lever
2. Turn off the ignition
3. Apply the front brake hard
4. Kick down two gears
Your motorcycle starts a speed wobble. What should you do?
1. Grip firmly, ease off gradually and don't brake
2. Brake hard right away to stop the wobble
3. Accelerate hard to ride out of the wobble
4. Fight the handlebars to hold them straight
When should you accelerate to avoid a collision?
1. Only when you are riding in first gear
2. Whenever a car approaches from either side of you
3. Always first, before trying to brake
4. Only when you can't brake or steer around
A tire starts to whine or shudder while you brake. What does it mean?
1. The ABS has switched off
2. The brakes are working exactly as designed
3. The tire is overinflated
4. A wheel is about to lock; ease up
What are the three main causes of a skid?
1. Riding upright, braking gently, low speed
2. Riding in the left position, slowing early, scanning
3. Braking too hard, accelerating suddenly or turning too sharply
4. Using both brakes, shifting down, signalling
A dog runs toward your motorcycle. What should you do?
1. Honk and swerve into the other lane
2. Stop fully and wait for it to leave
3. Slow down, then steer away and speed up
4. Kick at it as you ride past it
Your front tire goes flat. Which brake should you use if you must brake?
1. Both brakes hard
2. The front brake
3. The rear brake
4. Neither; downshift sharply
Your motorcycle breaks down on a busy freeway. What should you do?
1. Stop on the nearest bridge where it's flat
2. Pull far off the road and stay with the bike
3. Accept a ride from the first stranger who stops
4. Make repairs right there in the traffic lane
To swerve around an object, what do you do first?
1. Look in the direction you want to go
2. Look at the object
3. Brake hard
4. Close the throttle and lean back
What is threshold braking?
1. Using only the rear brake, very hard
2. Pumping both brakes on and off quickly
3. Braking gently over a long distance
4. Braking both wheels hard just short of locking

Emergency braking, swerving and breakdowns: 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 ↗

Preparing for emergencies and collision avoidance, pp. 143–148

"What if?" strategy: keep scanning, ask what could happen and plan your reaction so your response is pre-programmed.
Three basic collision avoidance techniques: braking, steering and accelerating.
If you often need collision avoidance, your see-think-do skills need work.
Threshold braking: apply both brakes smoothly and quickly build pressure to the point just before the wheels lock.
A tire that whines or shudders while braking is about to lock; ease up.
ABS helps prevent wheel lock-up on wet and slippery surfaces but doesn't let you ride faster and doesn't always stop you sooner; on gravel the distance may be longer.
Unlike car ABS, motorcycle ABS doesn't let you brake and steer at the same time.
With ABS in an emergency, apply continuous, firm, hard pressure to both brakes; releasing and reapplying turns the system off; noise or shudder is normal.
Practise ABS stops on a flat, dry, clean paved area from about 30 km/h.
Skids happen when you run out of traction; avoid braking too hard, accelerating suddenly or turning too sharply.
Swerving: look where you want to go, press firmly on the handgrip on the side you want to go, then press the other grip to return once past the hazard.
Avoid braking while steering abruptly; it can cause a skid and fall.
Accelerate to avoid a crash only if you can't brake or steer around; being in the correct gear gives instant power.
Combine manoeuvres one at a time: braking and steering together will probably skid you; accelerating while steering sharply needs more lean and can cost traction.

Mechanical problems, pp. 148–151

For any breakdown, pull well off the road, stop and deal with it.
A flat tire can make the motorcycle jerk or sway; a flat front tire makes steering feel heavy.
Flat tire: ease off the throttle, avoid braking (if you must, use the brake on the good tire), hold the bars firmly, keep upright, shift weight away from the flat, then pull over once slowed.
A seized engine can lock the rear wheel and cause a skid; immediately squeeze the clutch.
Engine failure: signal and steer to the edge, head for an exit or service area or as far off the road as possible, avoid stopping on bridges or in tunnels, use hazard lights, set out flares or a triangle in the dark, stay with the motorcycle.
Never get into a stranger's vehicle; ask them to phone for help; don't repair on a crowded fast freeway.
Riding at night without a headlight is dangerous and illegal; if one beam fails, switch to the other; if both fail, use hazard lights, slow down, pull off and get help.
Speed wobbles come from low tire pressure, poor loading, bent or misaligned wheels, loose accessories, or wind, speed and surface together; they may happen within a narrow speed range.
Wobble: grip firmly and go with it while gradually slowing, adjust speed, don't brake, rise slightly with weight on the pegs and as far forward as possible, then pull over and check wheels, load and tire pressure.

Obstacles and animals, pp. 151–154

Moving obstacles like animals are unpredictable; stationary ones are easier unless they appear suddenly.
Scan roadsides, slow in farm and wooded areas with animal crossing signs, and take extra care at dusk and dawn.
Wild animals often travel in groups; one may mean more.
Spring (roadside forage) and fall (mating season) bring more wildlife onto roads.
Honking can startle an animal into your path.
About 6% of motorcycle crashes involve wildlife (guide statistic).
Dog running at you: slow as you get near, then just before reaching it steer away and accelerate; don't get so focused on the dog that you ride into traffic.
Animal directly ahead: check your mirror, decide whether to stop, steer around or hit it; slow down but don't slam the brakes; leave a wide margin when going around.
Large animal you can't avoid: brake firmly and steer to hit it at an angle, releasing the brakes just before impact.
Riding over an obstacle: slow if possible, approach upright and hit it head-on at 90 degrees, grip firmly, lighten the front just before impact by releasing the brakes and accelerating slightly, rise on the pegs to absorb the shock, then pull off and check tires, rims and spokes.

At a crash scene, pp. 154–155

Helping at a crash: park away so you don't block traffic or emergency vehicles, warn other road users, call emergency services if needed, stay with the injured, and allow no smoking or matches (possible fuel leak).
If you are involved in a crash, or cause others to crash, you must stay at the scene, give all reasonable help, and exchange your name and address, the registered owner's name and address, the plate number and insurance details with the other driver, the injured and property owners; give it to police or witnesses if asked.
Also: move vehicles off the road if safe, don't discuss fault, note witnesses, exchange licence numbers, sketch or photograph the scene, and notify your insurer promptly.
Passing a crash scene, don't slow more than needed; stay focused.

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