Our 10-part blog series on the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Motorcycle Skill Test Practice Guide is nearing its conclusion.  For the past several days, our motorcycle accident attorneys have discussed turning.  Today’s practice exercise will cover swerving to avoid obstacles.

Exercise Eight: Swerving to Avoid Obstacles on Your Motorcycle

This practice exercise is designed to teach you how to swerve to avoid a potential obstacle in the road.  It’s a good lesson to learn as it could help you prevent a motorcycle crash with a stopped car, pedestrian or animal crossing the road.

Practice Exercise Directions

Give yourself a 100-foot head-start so that you’re going 10-15 mph at the first pair of markers.  When your front tires pass the first markers, swerve to either the right or left to avoid the imaginary obstacle.  Make sure that you decide which direction you want to go in before starting this exercise (otherwise you might wreck your motorcycle).  Also, don’t stop or apply the brakes while performing a swerve.

Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Tips

  • To swerve right, press right until you cleared the markers.  Once you’ve cleared the markers, press left to resume straight ahead.
  • Keep your head and eyes up and tuck you knees in against the tank.
  • Press on the handlebars in the direction you want to go.
  • Very important: DO NOT BRAKE AND SWERVE AT THE SAME TIME.

Common Problem & Recommended Correction

If you are unable to properly complete this swerving exercise, try to maintain your speed through the turn.  Keep the same pressure on the handlebars until you’ve cleared the marker, and then press on the opposite hand-grip to straighten your motorcycle.

Check out the rest of this blog series:

If you were injured in a motorcycle crash that wasn’t your fault, you should think about contacting our bilingual law firm to find out if your case qualifies for a monetary settlement.  Call us toll-free at 1-858-551-2090 for a FREE Consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney or click here to submit your case for a FREE Online Review.  Our attorneys work on a contingency fee agreement, meaning you owe nothing until we recover money at the end of your claim.