New Hampshire NH DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 35

  • 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. In near freezing weather, which part of an otherwise clear road is most likely to still be icy?

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    Answer D: A shaded dip under trees or beside a rock cut

    Sun clears most of the road, but shaded hollows never warm up and can hold ice long after the rest of the pavement is dry.

  2. 2. Why should a rider downshift one gear at a time instead of skipping several at once?

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    Answer D: Skipping gears can lock the rear wheel through sudden engine braking

    Dropping several gears at once forces engine speed far above what road speed supports, and the rear tire can be dragged into a skid when the clutch comes out.

  3. 3. Windblown sand has collected across the pavement at a rural intersection where you must stop. How should you handle the stop?

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    Answer A: Do your braking on clean pavement before the sand, then roll across upright

    Sand acts like ball bearings under the tires, so finish your braking on the clean surface ahead of it and cross the loose patch upright with no sudden inputs.

  4. 4. You are following another vehicle down a long, steep grade. What should you do about the gap?

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    Answer D: Make it longer, because both of you need more room to stop

    Everything takes longer to stop on a downgrade, including the vehicle ahead, so the gap that works on the flat is no longer enough.

  5. 5. Your motorcycle starts to wander while you ride over rain grooves or a bridge grating. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Relax, hold a steady speed and ride straight across

    The wandering feeling on grooved surfaces and gratings is unsettling but generally not hazardous, while zigzagging to fight it is far more dangerous.

  6. 6. Besides impact protection, how does a light colored helmet help the rider?

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    Answer A: It sits above surrounding traffic, so drivers pick it out sooner

    A light or high visibility helmet sits above the traffic around the rider and is often the first part of a motorcycle a driver notices.

  7. 7. You are passing a tractor-trailer on a wet freeway and its wheels throw heavy spray. What is the best technique?

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    Answer B: Increase your wipers and pass steadily without hesitating

    Spray blinds you for as long as you stay beside the truck, so prepare the wipers first and then spend as little time in the spray as possible.

  8. 8. Heavy rain has left water standing on the highway. What is the main risk to a rider?

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    Answer D: The tires can ride up on the water and lose contact with the road surface

    At higher speeds a tire can no longer push standing water aside and starts to hydroplane, so the rider slows and eases off rather than braking or turning hard.

  9. 9. A sign reads REDUCED SPEED LIMIT AHEAD. What does it tell you?

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    Answer D: A lower limit begins further along the road

    The sign gives advance notice so a driver can slow gradually, and the new figure takes effect at the speed limit sign that follows.

  10. 10. Why is being predictable an important part of driving safely?

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    Answer A: Because other road users are able to plan around what you are doing

    Other drivers make their decisions from what they expect you to do, so surprises are what produce collisions.

  11. 11. Why are ordinary denim jeans a poor choice for riding?

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    Answer C: They wear through in a slide, giving little abrasion protection

    Light denim abrades away in a fraction of a second on pavement, while leather or purpose made textile gear stays intact long enough to protect the skin underneath.

  12. 12. When may a passenger get off the motorcycle?

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    Answer D: Only after the rider has stopped, braced the machine and said so

    A passenger climbing off before the rider is ready removes weight from the back of a machine the rider is still holding upright, which can drop it.

  13. 13. What is the purpose of a wide solid white line painted straight across your lane on the approach to an intersection?

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    Answer C: It shows the point where a required stop must be made

    A stop line indicates the point at which the stop required by a signal or a stop sign is to be made, ahead of the crosswalk and the intersection.

  14. 14. You have just passed a large truck on the freeway. Why is it dangerous to pull back in front of it and then brake for your exit?

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    Answer B: A loaded truck needs much more distance to stop than a car

    A fully loaded tractor-trailer can need the length of a football field or more to stop from highway speed. Cutting in and braking leaves the driver no room to avoid hitting you.

  15. 15. A signal beside a fire station stays dark until apparatus is about to leave, when it shows yellow and then red. What must a driver do?

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    Answer B: Stop on the red and wait until the signal goes dark again

    An emergency vehicle signal is a real traffic signal, so its red indication must be obeyed while the apparatus pulls out into the street.

  16. 16. What does the T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection routine cover?

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    Answer B: Tires and wheels, controls, lights, fluids, chassis and stands

    T-CLOCS is a memory aid for a walk around check of tires and wheels, controls, lights and electrics, oil and other fluids, chassis, and side and center stands.

  17. 17. A driver leaves the vehicle at the curb where this sign is posted and walks away for two minutes. Is that allowed?

    A white square showing the letter P inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
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    Answer B: No, leaving the vehicle unattended there is prohibited whatever the length of the absence

    Walking away leaves the vehicle parked, and the prohibition holds regardless of how long the driver is gone or whether the engine is left running.

  18. 18. Two solid white lines separate your lane from the lane beside it. What do they mean?

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    Answer B: Crossing from one lane to the other is prohibited

    A solid double white line marks a boundary that road users may not cross, such as the entrance to a preferential lane.

  19. 19. A row of solid white triangles points toward you across your lane. What does it mark?

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    Answer A: The place to yield to traffic or people ahead

    A yield line of triangles shows drivers exactly where to give way, and it is used at roundabouts and at midblock crosswalks.

  20. 20. Why are pedestrians and cyclists a special risk on unlit streets at night?

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    Answer A: Dark clothing can make them invisible until they are very close

    A person in dark clothing reflects almost no light and may not appear until they are inside your stopping distance, so cut your speed where people may be about.

  21. 21. The lights at a highway-rail grade crossing begin to flash red as you approach. What must you do?

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    Answer B: Stop short of the tracks and wait until the lights stop and no train is near

    Flashing red lights at a crossing require a stop clear of the tracks, and you may proceed only once the lights have stopped, any gates are fully raised and no train is approaching.

  22. 22. You are approaching a refuse collection truck working along your street. What should you expect?

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    Answer D: Workers stepping into the road around the truck

    Collection crews move constantly between the truck and the curb, often from where you cannot see them, so slow right down and pass only when the whole area is clear.

  23. 23. You leave a brightly lit service area onto a dark rural road. Why should you slow down for a while?

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    Answer C: Your eyes need time to adjust, so at first you see less

    Eyes take a few minutes to adapt from bright light to darkness, and during that time you can see much less than your headlights actually show.

  24. 24. A driver extends the left arm out the window and bends it upward at the elbow. What does this signal mean?

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    Answer B: A right turn

    The left arm bent upward at the elbow is the standard hand signal for a right turn.

  25. 25. A driver holds a steady highway speed into the section this sign warns about. What is the most likely result?

    A yellow diamond showing a black curving arrow
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    Answer B: The vehicle runs wide toward the outside and can cross into another lane or leave the pavement

    Holding speed into a change of alignment asks the tires for more side grip than they can supply, so the vehicle runs wide and the driver is left with less room to correct.