New Hampshire NH DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 16

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age16 years

Minimum age: 16 years; applicants under 18 must complete a Basic Rider Class and present parental permission

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 20 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. The light ahead is green but traffic beyond the intersection is backed up. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Wait behind the intersection until there is room to clear it completely

    You may not enter an intersection unless you can get completely through it, because stopping inside blocks cross traffic when the signal changes.

  2. 2. At an intersection that uses a lagging left turn, when is the left-turn arrow displayed?

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    Answer B: After the through movement has run

    A lagging left turn phase runs at the end of the green rather than the start, so a driver waiting to turn should not assume the arrow has been missed.

  3. 3. Your phone is in a mount on the dashboard rather than in your hand. What is true?

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    Answer B: It still takes your eyes and mind off the road

    A mount solves the hand problem but not the eye or the mind problem, and reading or tapping a mounted screen costs the same seconds of attention.

  4. 4. A large panel mounted on a trailer at the roadside displays a flashing arrow pointing left. What does it tell you?

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    Answer B: Move into the lane to your left

    An arrow panel directs traffic out of a closed lane, so the arrow shows the direction you must move rather than the shape of the road ahead.

  5. 5. At roughly what speed can hydroplaning begin when a lot of water is lying on the road?

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    Answer C: At speeds as low as about 35 mph

    With enough water and less than perfect tread, a tire can start to ride on the water at around 35 mph, well below normal highway speeds.

  6. 6. On an overhead guide sign, the small exit number panel sits above the left-hand end rather than the right. What does that placement tell you?

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    Answer A: The exit leaves from the left side of the roadway

    The exit number plaque is placed on the side from which the ramp leaves, which gives advance notice of the unusual left-hand exit.

  7. 7. An oncoming vehicle at night has its high beams on and you are being dazzled. Where should you look?

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    Answer A: Toward the right edge of your lane

    Looking toward the right edge line keeps you on course while sparing your eyes the worst of the glare. Slow down and do not retaliate with your own high beams.

  8. 8. Why do safety agencies put head protection first among riding gear?

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    Answer A: Because head injuries are the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes

    Head injury is the most common cause of death in motorcycle crashes, which is why a certified helmet is the single most important piece of gear.

  9. 9. A driver is following you far too closely. What is the best response?

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    Answer D: Increase your own following distance and let the driver pass when it is safe

    More room ahead of you means you can slow gradually instead of braking hard, which reduces the chance of being struck from behind, and letting the driver by removes the problem entirely.

  10. 10. You are backing out of a space in a parking lot. Who has the right of way?

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    Answer D: Traffic already moving in the lane, and pedestrians walking behind you

    A driver backing out must yield to vehicles and pedestrians already using the lane, because backing is the movement with the poorest view.

  11. 11. Before pulling out to pass on a two lane road, which lane position gives the best view of the road ahead?

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    Answer B: The left portion of your lane

    Moving to the left of your own lane lets you see past the vehicle ahead and judge the oncoming lane before committing any part of the machine to it.

  12. 12. The group has become separated and the leader wants to wait for the missing riders. Where should the leader pull in?

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    Answer C: In a parking area or other space that is clear of moving traffic

    Waiting somewhere off the roadway keeps the parked machines and their riders out of traffic and gives the arriving riders room to pull in safely.

  13. 13. On a wet road, how should a driver adjust after passing this sign?

    A yellow diamond showing a small eight sided shape above a black arrow pointing at it
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    Answer B: Start braking earlier, because a slippery surface lengthens the stopping distance

    A wet surface lengthens stopping distance, so the extra warning distance should be spent braking gently and early instead of late and hard.

  14. 14. You are about to pass a slower vehicle on a two lane road. What should you do with the gears?

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    Answer B: Downshift before you begin, so the engine can accelerate strongly

    A lower gear puts the engine in the part of its range where it accelerates best, which shortens the time spent in the oncoming lane.

  15. 15. A yellow diamond showing two vertical arrows, one pointing up and one pointing down, warns that

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    Answer A: the road ahead carries traffic in both directions

    The two-way traffic sign warns that the roadway ahead is not divided and that vehicles will be coming from the opposite direction.

  16. 16. You are stopped in traffic at a red light when an ambulance comes up behind you with its siren on. What is the correct action?

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    Answer D: Stay put until you can move aside legally and safely

    You must not run a red light or make an unsafe move to yield; wait, then pull to the side once the way ahead lets you do it safely.

  17. 17. What does the choke, or enrichener, do on a motorcycle that has one?

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    Answer B: It gives the engine a richer fuel mixture so a cold engine will start

    A cold engine needs more fuel in proportion to air, and the choke supplies that richer mixture until the engine warms up.

  18. 18. You are riding where fresh pavement meets an older lane that sits an inch or two lower. How should you move across that edge?

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    Answer A: Slow down and cross the edge at as sharp an angle as the lane allows

    A pavement edge break can steer the front wheel along it if you meet it at a shallow angle, so slow, hold the bars firmly and cross it steeply.

  19. 19. Why should you make sure your turn signal has stopped flashing after a lane change?

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    Answer A: A signal left flashing tells other drivers that you intend to move again

    Other drivers act on your signals, so one that is left on gives them false information about what you are about to do.

  20. 20. Which clue best warns a rider that the door of a parked car is about to open?

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    Answer B: Someone visible in the seat, or exhaust showing at the tailpipe

    Occupied cars are the ones that open doors, so scan through rear windows and mirrors and look for exhaust or wheels turning as you approach.

  21. 21. Partway through a ride, a control starts to feel different from the way it normally feels. What is the right response?

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    Answer B: Stop somewhere safe and find out what has changed before riding further

    A change in feel is usually the first warning of a failing cable, a leaking brake or a loose fastener, and it is far cheaper to check at the roadside than to discover in traffic.

  22. 22. Used correctly, roughly how much of a motorcycle's total stopping power comes from the front brake?

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    Answer B: About three quarters of it

    Braking shifts weight onto the front wheel, so a smoothly squeezed front brake supplies roughly 70 percent or more of the stopping power.

  23. 23. Which common non-prescription medicine is most likely to make a driver drowsy?

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    Answer C: A cold or allergy remedy containing an antihistamine

    Antihistamines in cold and allergy remedies are a leading cause of drowsiness behind the wheel, which is why the label carries a warning.

  24. 24. A SHOULDER DROP OFF sign warns that

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    Answer B: there is a step down from the pavement to the shoulder

    The sign is used where the edge of the pavement stands several inches above the shoulder, which can grab a wheel and pull the vehicle sideways.

  25. 25. What is the danger of releasing the brake too early when moving off uphill?

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    Answer C: The motorcycle rolls backward before the clutch has taken hold

    On a grade the brake has to stay on until the engine is actually pulling, otherwise the machine runs back into whatever is behind it.