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Braking Technique
What you need to know
Use both brakes, brake before a turn, and practise emergency stops. In the official Ontario tests, questions on this topic come from the Ministry of Transportation's Driver's Handbook (for cars) and Motorcycle Handbook (for riders).
Sample practice questions
How much of your stopping power does the front brake typically provide under hard braking?
- A About 10%
- B About 50%
- C About 70 to 75%
- D About 95%
💡 The front brake supplies roughly 70 to 75 percent of a motorcycle's stopping power, so it must be used smoothly and correctly.
When is the safest time to apply heavy braking to a motorcycle?
- A While leaning into a curve
- B In a straight line before you begin to lean
- C Only after touching the rear brake hard
- D As soon as you start leaning
💡 Brake firmly while the motorcycle is upright and travelling in a straight line, before you start the lean, to keep the tyres gripping.
Why should you use both the front and rear brakes together on most bikes?
- It makes full use of the motorcycle's braking power and stops more effectively
- Using both always causes a skid
- The rear brake alone is always enough
- The front brake does nothing
💡 Using both brakes together uses the full stopping power of the motorcycle and gives smoother, shorter stops.
Frequently asked questions
- How much of your stopping power does the front brake typically provide under hard braking?
- C About 70 to 75% The front brake supplies roughly 70 to 75 percent of a motorcycle's stopping power, so it must be used smoothly and correctly.
- When is the safest time to apply heavy braking to a motorcycle?
- B In a straight line before you begin to lean Brake firmly while the motorcycle is upright and travelling in a straight line, before you start the lean, to keep the tyres gripping.
- Why should you use both the front and rear brakes together on most bikes?
- It makes full use of the motorcycle's braking power and stops more effectively Using both brakes together uses the full stopping power of the motorcycle and gives smoother, shorter stops.
- Under hard braking, how does a front-wheel lock-up typically behave?
- The front wheel skids and the motorcycle can lose steering or topple A locked front wheel loses traction and steering, so front braking must be smooth; ABS helps prevent a lock-up.
More questions on Braking Technique and every other topic live in the G1 practice test and M1 practice test.