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Québec Class 6 Motorcycle overview

Québec Class 6 Motorcycle: Breakdowns, skids and special situations

Pulling onto the shoulder, oil and temperature warnings, shimmy and wobble, flat tires, broken clutch cable, jammed throttle, broken chain, skids, hydroplaning and riding over obstacles.

  • 15 questions
  • Topic drill
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Breakdowns, skids and special situations · Question 1Score 0/0

What can happen if a drive chain or belt breaks?

Study reference: Operating a Motorcycle (SAAQ, 4th ed., 2025), Ch. 1 Handling a Motorcycle — Reacting in special situations, pp. 76–86

All 15 questions in this test

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

  1. What can happen if a drive chain or belt breaks?

    1. The front brake stops working
    2. The bike speeds up on its own
    3. The headlight goes out
    4. The rear wheel can lock up

  2. Your rear wheel skids while you accelerate. What should you do?

    1. Apply the front brake hard right away
    2. Turn the handlebars away from the skid quickly
    3. Release the throttle and steer in the skid's direction
    4. Open the throttle more to straighten the bike up

  3. Your clutch cable breaks. How do you slow the motorcycle?

    1. Hold the kill switch while accelerating
    2. Release the throttle and let engine compression slow you
    3. Brake hard at once with the front brake lever
    4. Shift down several gears quickly to slow down

  4. You can't avoid an object on the road. Just before hitting it, what should you do?

    1. Turn sharply just before reaching it
    2. Push the bars down to load the front wheel
    3. Pull up on the bars to shift weight to the rear
    4. Sit down firmly on the seat

  5. You ride through a deep puddle and start to hydroplane. What should you avoid?

    1. Holding the bars firmly
    2. Releasing the throttle smoothly
    3. Looking far ahead
    4. Turning the bars and braking

  6. Why must you be careful pulling onto the shoulder?

    1. It is always higher than the road
    2. It is illegal to use the shoulder in any case
    3. It is always reserved for buses and taxis
    4. It is often uneven, lower than the road and unpaved

  7. The oil pressure light comes on while you are riding. What should you do?

    1. Stop as soon as possible to check it
    2. Turn the fuel tap to reserve
    3. Ride faster to reach home sooner
    4. Ignore it until your next oil change

  8. What is a 'shimmy' on a motorcycle?

    1. The bike drifting wide in a curve
    2. The handlebars snapping sharply left and right
    3. The engine stalling at low speed
    4. The rear tire spinning on loose gravel or sand

  9. Your motorcycle begins to wobble. What should you avoid?

    1. Braking hard or looking down
    2. Releasing the throttle gradually
    3. Holding the handlebars firmly
    4. Squeezing the clutch

  10. Your liquid-cooled engine overheats and you stop. Why leave the ignition ON?

    1. So the hazard lights can recharge
    2. So the oil pressure rises
    3. So the fan can expel the heat
    4. So the engine restarts by itself

  11. Your rear tire goes flat. Which brake do you use to slow down?

    1. No brakes; just downshift
    2. The rear brake, firmly
    3. The front brake, gently
    4. Both brakes, as hard as possible

  12. Pulling onto the shoulder, when should you release both brakes?

    1. Halfway onto the shoulder
    2. Only after the bike has stopped
    3. As soon as you start braking
    4. Just before leaving the roadway

  13. Your front wheel skids while braking. What should you do?

    1. Turn the bars sharply
    2. Release the front brake
    3. Brake harder on the front
    4. Accelerate hard

  14. Your throttle jams open. What do you do at the same time?

    1. Open the choke and brake
    2. Lift the bike and turn sharply
    3. Squeeze the clutch and hit the kill switch
    4. Brake hard and downshift as fast as possible

  15. Your front tire goes flat. Where should you shift your body?

    1. To the left side, away from traffic
    2. Forward over the tank to load the front tire
    3. To the right side
    4. Toward the rear of the motorcycle

Breakdowns, skids and special situations: 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 ↗

Pulling onto the shoulder, pp. 76–77

  • Shoulders are often uneven, lower than the road and unpaved; pull onto one only when it is safe, slowing as much as possible first and judging the drop-off.
  • Sequence: look far ahead, release the throttle and brake gradually, release both brakes just before leaving the roadway, left foot down once stopped; stay visible.

Warning lights and mechanical failures, pp. 77–83

  • The oil pressure light comes on briefly at ignition and goes off; if it comes on while riding, stop as soon as possible; riding on could damage the engine and lock the rear wheel.
  • Oil light or engine temperature in the H zone: pick a safe spot, release the throttle and squeeze the clutch, turn off the engine with the kill switch, brake gradually while still on the road, then ease onto the shoulder.
  • A liquid-cooled engine: leave the ignition ON so the fan can remove heat, and wait for it to cool (possibly over an hour) before checking coolant.
  • Shimmy (handlebars snapping left and right) and wobble (the bike zigzagging) come from mechanical causes or use (excess speed, uneven load).
  • In a shimmy or wobble: don't brake hard or look down; hold the bars firmly without fighting the motion; release the throttle gradually and squeeze the clutch, let the bike slow, brake gradually, then pull over.
  • Flat tire: avoid braking. Rear flat: hold firmly, ease off the throttle, squeeze the clutch, pull over only when nearly stopped, using the front brake gently. Front flat: hold firmly, ease off, move your weight back if possible, pull over when nearly stopped, using the rear brake gently.
  • Broken clutch cable: you can't downshift properly; find a safe spot, hold the bars, release the throttle and let engine compression slow you, turn off the engine with the kill switch, brake gently, expecting the rear wheel to lock when the engine stops.
  • Jammed throttle: if safe you can try freeing it with the rear brake on while twisting the grip; otherwise hold firmly, squeeze the clutch and hit the kill switch at the same time, slow down, then pull over; have it checked before riding again.
  • A broken chain or belt can lock the rear wheel; hold firmly, squeeze the clutch, kill the engine, slow down and pull over, then have the bike fully inspected.

Skids, hydroplaning and obstacles, pp. 84–86

  • Skids happen when wheels lose traction, usually from sudden acceleration or braking or not adjusting before a curve.
  • In any skid: stay calm, keep arms and hands relaxed, release the throttle and hold the bars firmly.
  • Front wheel skidding under braking: release the front brake.
  • Rear wheel skidding under braking: release the rear brake and turn the bars in the direction of the skid.
  • Rear wheel skidding under acceleration: release the throttle and turn the bars in the direction of the skid.
  • Both wheels skidding under braking: release both brakes.
  • Hydroplaning through a puddle: tires glide on water; look far ahead, release the throttle, avoid sudden moves, don't steer or brake, hold firmly for when grip returns, then accelerate gradually.
  • It is always better to go around an obstacle than over it.
  • Riding over an obstacle: slow down as much as possible, hold firmly and go straight, rise slightly off the seat with knees and elbows bent, just before impact pull up on the bars to shift weight back, release the throttle; afterwards stop and check tires and rims.

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