Michigan Motorcycle Manual 2026

How to use the Michigan Motorcycle Manual

The SOS draws its 50-question knowledge test from the Michigan Motorcycle Manual, and you need 80% to pass, which is 40 correct answers. Read the 80 pages once for coverage, then answer practice questions to find the rules that did not stick. Practice tells you what you do not know yet; the Motorcycle Manual is where the rule is actually stated, in the words the state chose.

It is also the only source that settles an argument. When a practice answer and your instinct disagree, the Michigan Motorcycle Manual decides it, and every explanation we write points back into it.

What is inside the Michigan Motorcycle Manual

The Michigan Motorcycle Manual runs to 80 pages. These are the areas it covers that the knowledge test can ask about.

• Choosing and fitting a helmet and protective gear
• Motorcycle controls and the pre-ride inspection
• Basic skills: starting, stopping, turning and shifting
• Lane position, visibility and being seen in traffic
• Following distance, escape routes and scanning for hazards
• Cornering, braking and swerving
• Riding over surface hazards and in bad weather
• Carrying passengers and cargo
• Group riding
• Alcohol, drugs and impairment on a motorcycle
• Licensing, endorsement steps and the skills test

The Michigan knowledge test at a glance

Everything below comes from the SOS directly. It is what the Michigan Motorcycle Manual is preparing you for.

Questions

50

Passing score

80%

Correct answers needed

40 of 50

Time limit

Time limit not published

Test fee

$25

Minimum age

14.75

Can you take it online?

Yes, with conditions

Verified against the SOS in 2026-07.