Massachusetts RMV Motorcycle Practice Test 18
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. You are stopped at a red light ready to turn right when a person pushing a stroller steps into the crosswalk. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stay stopped until they have crossed your path
A turn on red gives way to every pedestrian in the crosswalk, and someone pushing a stroller has even less room to react.
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2. What should a rider understand about the horn on a motorcycle?
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Answer A: It is often weak and may not be heard, so it never replaces an escape route
A small horn competes with a closed car, a radio and traffic noise, so a rider plans a way out instead of trusting the horn to be heard.
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3. Which item does most to keep a rider comfortable in cold weather beyond a jacket and gloves?
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Answer B: A close fitting neck cover that stops air entering at the collar
Cold air funnelled in at the neck chills the whole body, so a snug neck tube or balaclava makes a large difference, while a loose scarf is a hazard because it can catch.
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4. A vehicle is sitting in your blind spot and you need to change into that lane. What should you do?
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Answer B: Adjust your speed to open a clear gap, then check again and move over
Changing your speed either drops the other vehicle behind you or lets it move ahead, which turns the blind spot back into open space.
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5. How tight should the chin strap of a helmet be?
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Answer D: Snug under the jaw, tight enough that the helmet cannot be pulled off
A helmet only works if it stays on, so the strap must be fastened snugly under the jaw on every ride, including short ones.
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6. You reach a red light with a sign reading NO TURN ON RED. What may you do?
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Answer D: Wait for the green; no turn is allowed while the light is red
That sign removes the usual permission to turn on red at the intersection, so you must wait for a green indication.
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7. How long is the Massachusetts suspension for a chemical test refusal by a driver over 21 who has one prior operating under the influence offense?
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Answer D: Three years
A refusal with one prior operating under the influence offense costs a driver over 21 a three year suspension, and two priors bring five years.
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8. How does a NO OUTLET sign differ from a DEAD END sign?
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Answer B: It warns that a whole group of streets has no way out
No Outlet is posted where the road leads into a network of streets from which there is no through route, while Dead End refers to the single street itself.
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9. You enter a work zone where the top layer of pavement has been milled off, leaving a grooved surface. How should you ride?
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Answer B: Hold a relaxed grip and steady speed, and expect the tires to wander
Milled or grooved pavement makes the tires follow the ridges and the motorcycle feel unsettled, so relax on the bars, keep a constant speed and ride straight through.
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10. When is it safe to return to your own lane after passing a vehicle?
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Answer C: Once you can see the whole front of that vehicle in your mirror
Seeing the entire front of the vehicle in the mirror proves there is a full vehicle length of clear road, which the rider cannot judge by feel alone.
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11. You turn from asphalt onto a loose gravel road. What should you do about your speed?
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Answer D: Lower it, since grip is reduced and stopping takes longer
Loose gravel gives far less grip than pavement, so speed must come down for both steering and stopping.
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12. You are pulling away from a stop with a passenger for the first time. What should you expect?
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Answer D: You will need a little more throttle and a slower clutch release
The extra weight makes the motorcycle harder to get rolling, and a rushed clutch release with a passenger aboard is a common way to stall or lurch.
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13. Your passenger wants to carry a bag in one hand during the ride. What should you tell them?
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Answer B: No, both hands are needed to hold on, so the bag must be secured on the machine
A passenger needs both hands on the operator or the handholds, and anything carried loose can be dropped into the wheel or pull the passenger off balance.
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14. Why is a pothole a bigger problem for a motorcycle than for a car?
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Answer C: A motorcycle has only two wheels, so an impact can deflect it off line
A car crosses a hole on four wheels and stays balanced, while a hole can knock a motorcycle off its line or damage a wheel, so scan the pavement well ahead and plan a path around holes.
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15. What changes most when a rider moves from a light motorcycle to a much heavier one?
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Answer A: It takes longer to stop and is harder to hold up at low speed
Extra mass means longer stopping distances and more effort in slow maneuvers and when holding the machine up, so build up gradually on an unfamiliar heavy motorcycle.
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16. 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.
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17. On a rainy road, where can a rider usually find the best traction?
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Answer A: In the tire tracks left by the vehicles ahead
Vehicles ahead push water aside and keep their tracks clearer of oil, so those tracks generally give better grip than the rest of the lane.
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18. A vehicle coming toward you has drifted into your lane. What should you do?
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Answer D: Slow down, sound the horn, flash your lights and steer to the right if possible
Moving right gives the other driver space to recover and keeps you out of the lane they are most likely to return to. Braking reduces the force of any impact.
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19. What does research say about the effect of a full coverage helmet on a rider's ability to see and hear traffic?
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Answer B: It leaves the view and the useful hearing a rider needs largely intact
Certified helmets leave far more peripheral vision than a rider needs to check traffic, and riders wearing them still hear the sounds that matter.
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20. The vehicle you want to pass is traveling close to the speed limit. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stay behind, because a pass may not take you over the limit
The speed limit applies while passing too. If you cannot complete the pass without exceeding it, do not start the pass.
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21. How does weight transfer during braking change what each brake can do?
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Answer A: Weight moves forward, so the front tire grips harder and the rear grips less
Deceleration pitches the machine forward onto the front wheel, which is why the front brake supplies most of the stopping power and the rear locks easily.
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22. How should a rider and passenger arrange to communicate during a ride?
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Answer A: By agreeing on simple signals or taps before the ride starts
Wind and engine noise make speech unreliable, so a short set of signals agreed in advance is the dependable way for a passenger to say they need to stop.
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23. What do the letters in the SEE riding strategy stand for?
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Answer B: Search, Evaluate, Execute
Riders search for hazards, evaluate how those hazards could interact, and execute a plan by adjusting speed, position or communication.
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24. You are waiting in a left-turn lane at a green light when a fire engine with lights and siren comes toward you in the oncoming lanes. What should you do?
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Answer D: Hold your position and let the fire engine pass
Turning across the path of an approaching emergency vehicle is exactly what you must not do; stay put until it has gone by.
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25. What do flashing yellow lights on a school bus mean?
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Answer A: The bus is about to stop to load or unload, so prepare to stop
The amber lights are the warning phase that comes before the red lights and the stop arm, so drivers should slow down and get ready to stop.