Maine Motorcycle practice
Maine Motorcycle: Turning & Cornering practice test
Countersteering, the slow-look-press-roll technique, and choosing the right line through a curve at motorcycle speeds.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
14 questions · pass with 11 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
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12 sample Turning & Cornering questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.
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1. When turning a three-track motorcycle, how should you use the brakes?
Correct answer: Slow to a safe speed for the turn, then release the brakes before you enter it
The supplement says to roll off, brake enough to reach a safe speed, and let off the brakes before the turn, then roll on to pull the vehicle through.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Three-Wheel Supplement, Turning
2. Why does a three-track motorcycle handle the same in left and right turns?
Correct answer: Its weight is shared nearly equally by its paired front or paired rear wheels
Because a three-track design spreads its weight nearly equally across its paired wheels, it behaves alike turning either way, unlike a sidecar rig.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Three-Wheel Supplement, Turning
3. How does carrying a passenger in the sidecar change the rig's turning?
Correct answer: Stability improves and right turns can be a bit faster, but left turns need more turning force
A sidecar passenger greatly improves stability, allowing slightly faster right turns, while left turns require more force to steer.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Three-Wheel Supplement, Carrying Passengers and Cargo
4. What does the manual say is helpful for a passenger to do through turns and curves?
Correct answer: Look over the rider's shoulder toward the direction of the turn
The manual says passengers should stay directly behind the rider, and looking over the rider's shoulder in the direction of the turn helps them move with the motorcycle.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Preparing Your Passenger to Ride
5. When is it best to change gears relative to a turn?
Correct answer: Before you enter the turn
The manual says gear changes are best done before a turn. If you must shift mid-turn, do it smoothly, because a sudden change in rear-wheel power can cause a skid.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Shifting Gears
6. When turning left on a motorcycle with a sidecar, how should braking be split?
Correct answer: More pressure on the rear brake than on the front
For left turns the supplement says to reduce speed before the turn and apply more rear brake than front.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Three-Wheel Supplement, Turning
7. On a sidecar rig, how should a second passenger seated behind the rider handle curves?
Correct answer: Sit upright; there is no need to lean with the rider
The supplement says the passenger on the seat behind the rider should stay upright at all times and need not lean into curves.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Three-Wheel Supplement, Carrying Passengers and Cargo
8. In a normal turn (not a slow, tight one), how should you and the motorcycle lean?
Correct answer: Together, at the same angle
The manual says rider and motorcycle lean together in normal turns. Only in slow, tight turns do you counterbalance by keeping your body straight.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Turning
9. On a three-wheel motorcycle, what do the tip-over lines describe?
Correct answer: The limits your weight must stay inside to keep all wheels on the road
If enough weight moves outside the tip-over lines during a turn or tight maneuver, only two wheels may stay in contact, so place loads and passengers inside those lines.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Three-Wheel Supplement, Steering & Tip
10. On a three-wheel motorcycle, why can following the center of your lane through a curve be a poor choice?
Correct answer: It can increase the forces that tend to tip the vehicle over
The supplement says the center line of the lane may actually raise tip-over forces. If it is safe, enter toward the outside, move to the inside, then drift back out to exit.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Three-Wheel Supplement, Cornering & Curves
11. If a left turn on a sidecar rig is taken too sharply or too fast, what can happen?
Correct answer: The motorcycle's rear suspension can extend and its rear wheel can lift
In a left turn the sidecar acts as a stabilizer and its wheel stays down, but taking the turn too hard can extend the motorcycle's rear suspension and lift the rear wheel.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Three-Wheel Supplement, Turning
12. On a motorcycle with a sidecar, which turn gives the sidecar wheel a greater tendency to lift?
Correct answer: A right turn, especially with the sidecar empty or lightly loaded
The rig's center of gravity sits close to the motorcycle, so a right turn makes the sidecar wheel want to lift, more so when the sidecar carries little weight.
Source: Maine Motorcycle Operator Manual — Three-Wheel Supplement, Turning
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Every Maine question is written from the official Maine driver handbook and checked against its current edition. DMV Test Free is a free, independent study resource — not affiliated with any DMV or government agency. About DMV Test Free