New Hampshire NH DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 51

  • 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. What must you do before changing lanes, in addition to signaling and checking your mirrors?

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    Answer D: Glance over your shoulder to check the blind spot the mirrors do not cover

    Mirrors leave an area beside and behind the vehicle that they cannot show, so a quick head check is needed before the vehicle moves sideways.

  2. 2. As speed rises, which part of the total stopping distance grows the fastest?

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    Answer B: The braking distance, which grows far faster than speed itself

    Perception and reaction distances grow in step with speed, but braking distance grows roughly with the square of speed, so it dominates at higher speeds.

  3. 3. What is true about the oily strip down the center of a traffic lane?

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    Answer D: It usually gives enough traction, but heavy buildups where vehicles idle should be avoided

    Passing tires keep the central strip largely clear, but the thick deposits that collect at busy intersections and toll booths really are slick.

  4. 4. Why are sign shapes and colors standardized across the whole country?

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    Answer D: So a driver knows the kind of message before reading it

    Uniform shapes and colors let a driver classify a sign as regulatory, warning or guide from a distance, before the legend can be read.

  5. 5. You are overtaking a large tractor trailer on the highway. What should you expect as you ride alongside and then past it?

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    Answer D: Changing pushes and pulls as you pass the front, the side and the rear

    The air around a large truck moves in different directions along its length, so expect the buffeting to change as you go by. Keep a firm but relaxed grip and a steady throttle.

  6. 6. At which location is this sign normally installed?

    A red square with a wide white horizontal bar across the middle
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    Answer D: Facing traffic that could turn into a one-way roadway or ramp against the flow

    It is posted where a driver could otherwise enter a ramp or a one-way roadway from the wrong end, so it faces exactly the traffic that has to be kept out.

  7. 7. A signal on an entrance ramp changes from red to green and lets one vehicle at a time onto the highway. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Stop on the red and go on the green, one vehicle for each green

    A ramp meter spaces vehicles out so they join the highway one at a time instead of arriving as a group, and it is a traffic signal like any other.

  8. 8. What does a sign showing a bicycle inside a red circle with a diagonal slash prohibit?

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    Answer D: Riding a bicycle on that roadway

    This is a selective exclusion sign, used where bicycles are banned from a road such as a freeway or a tunnel.

  9. 9. A minor drop has left the clutch lever bent, although it still works. What should be done?

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    Answer B: Have the lever replaced before the motorcycle is ridden again

    A bent lever has already been weakened and can break off in use, leaving the rider without that control at the worst possible moment.

  10. 10. On a typical motorcycle, which of these controls does the rider operate with the right hand?

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    Answer C: The front brake lever

    The front brake lever sits on the right handlebar and is squeezed with the right hand, while the clutch lever is on the left handlebar.

  11. 11. A person in a wheelchair is traveling in the roadway because the sidewalk is blocked by construction. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Pass slowly with plenty of room, or wait

    A blocked sidewalk leaves the person no choice but the road, and a chair cannot move aside quickly, so pass wide and slow or wait for room.

  12. 12. How long may a new resident of New Hampshire drive on an out-of-state license?

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    Answer C: Up to 60 days after moving into the state

    New residents have up to 60 days to obtain a New Hampshire driver license after moving into the state.

  13. 13. What must a motorcycle be equipped with before it can safely carry a passenger?

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    Answer B: A seat large enough for two people and a set of passenger footrests

    A passenger needs a seat with room for both people without crowding and firm footrests to brace against.

  14. 14. A sign at the curb reads Tow-Away Zone. What does it mean for you?

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    Answer C: That a vehicle left there can be removed at the owner's expense

    In a tow-away zone the vehicle can be removed immediately and the owner pays the towing and storage charges to get it back.

  15. 15. What must you be sure of before you pull out to pass on a two-lane road?

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    Answer A: That the road ahead is clear far enough for the whole pass

    You need enough clear road to pull out, pass and return before any oncoming vehicle arrives, and you must judge that distance before you start.

  16. 16. How much clearance does New Hampshire presume reasonable when a vehicle passes a bicycle at 30 mph or less?

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    Answer A: 3 feet, with one more foot for every 10 mph above 30

    RSA 265:143-a presumes a passing distance reasonable and prudent if it is at least 3 feet at 30 miles per hour or less, with one additional foot of clearance for every 10 miles per hour above that.

  17. 17. Your left-turn lane faces a steady green ball and oncoming traffic is heavy. What are you allowed to do?

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    Answer C: Move into the intersection and turn when a safe gap appears

    A green ball permits the turn but gives no priority, so you may move into the intersection and wait there for a gap in the oncoming traffic.

  18. 18. A sign with a yellow background and a black legend generally conveys

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    Answer B: a general warning

    Yellow is the background color used for general warning signs, so a yellow sign tells the driver to expect something ahead rather than to obey a rule.

  19. 19. You are wearing a high visibility jacket. How should that change the way you ride?

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    Answer B: You still ride as though drivers have not seen you

    Bright gear improves your odds of being noticed but guarantees nothing, so keep the lane position, space cushion and escape routes that protect you anyway.

  20. 20. Which headlight setting should you use in dense fog?

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    Answer B: Low beams

    High beams reflect off the water droplets in fog and bounce glare back at you, while low beams aim downward and light the road without that mirror effect.

  21. 21. A sign at the start of an exit ramp shows a speed much lower than the highway limit. What does it apply to?

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    Answer C: The curve of the ramp itself, once you have left the highway

    The ramp speed is set by the sharpness of the ramp curve, so you slow to it inside the deceleration lane rather than out on the highway.

  22. 22. You will leave your vehicle for several hours after dark. Where is the best place to park it?

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    Answer D: In a well-lit spot with people and cameras nearby

    Light, passing people and cameras all discourage theft and make your own return to the vehicle safer.

  23. 23. You are turning left out of a driveway onto a busy two-way street. What must you do?

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    Answer D: Wait for a gap in both directions before you start to move

    The turn crosses one direction of traffic and joins the other, so you need a gap in both before leaving the driveway rather than stopping across a lane.

  24. 24. You arrive at an intersection where the traffic signals are completely dark after a power failure. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Treat the intersection as an all-way stop and take turns

    When a signal is dark or out of order, drivers on every approach must stop and proceed in turn, exactly as at a four-way stop.

  25. 25. Why is wearing headphones over both ears a problem while driving?

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    Answer D: You may not hear horns, sirens or other warning sounds

    Hearing is part of your awareness of traffic. Covering both ears blocks emergency sirens, horns and the sound of an approaching vehicle you cannot yet see.