Practice question

Oregon law requires at least how many brakes to be operable on a motorcycle?

  1. One brake operated by hand or foot.
  2. Two brakes (one front, one rear).
  3. All brakes must be operable.
  4. No brakes are required.

Answer: A — One brake operated by hand or foot.

Oregon requires that at least one braking system on a motorcycle is working, meaning capable of being engaged and actually stopping the bike. This sets a practical safety baseline: you must be able to slow or stop using the available brake, even if only one brake is operable. In most bikes, brakes can be either front (hand lever) or rear (foot pedal), and the rule allows either to satisfy the requirement. If only the front brake or only the rear brake is functioning, you still meet the minimum, though you should repair any nonworking brake as soon as possible. The other options describe stricter or incorrect requirements (two brakes, all brakes, or no brakes), which aren’t what the law specifies.

Practice more: Oregon Motorcycle and Moped Practice Test →