Massachusetts RMV Motorcycle Practice Test 26
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. There is a stop sign but no stop line and no crosswalk. Where must you stop?
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Answer A: Before entering the intersection, where you can see cross traffic
With no line or crosswalk, stop before you enter the intersection at the point where you can see traffic on the cross street.
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2. A single solid white line separates two lanes running in the same direction. What is it telling drivers?
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Answer A: Changing lanes there is discouraged
A solid white lane line discourages lane changing, typically where merging or weaving would create a hazard.
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3. Before making a U-turn on a narrow street, what should the rider do first?
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Answer A: Check that the street is wide enough and clear in both directions
A U-turn commits the rider to crossing both directions of traffic in a space the machine may not fit into, so both the width and the traffic are judged before starting.
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4. Why do bridges and overpasses deserve extra caution when temperatures are near freezing?
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Answer A: They lose heat from above and below, so they ice over before the surrounding road
A bridge deck is exposed to cold air on both surfaces and has no ground beneath it to hold heat, so ice can form there while the connecting road is still only wet.
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5. What is the correct way to ride across a stretch of slippery pavement?
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Answer C: Reduce speed before you reach it, avoid sudden moves, and use both brakes gently if you must brake
The speed must come off before the slippery area, and once the tires are on it every input, braking included, has to be smooth and gentle.
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6. You reach a four-way stop after another driver has already stopped there. What should you do?
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Answer D: Let the driver who stopped first proceed before you go
At a four-way stop the vehicles proceed in the order they arrived, so a driver who stopped before you goes first.
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7. Four vehicles reach a four-way stop from all four directions at the same instant. How is the deadlock resolved?
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Answer C: Each driver yields to the vehicle on the right and they go one by one
Yielding to the right applies to every driver, so the group untangles itself as drivers take turns rather than moving together.
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8. Why do riders keep the headlight burning in broad daylight?
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Answer B: It makes the motorcycle easier for other drivers to pick out
A motorcycle is a narrow target that other drivers overlook easily, and a lit headlight is one of the few things that makes it stand out at a distance.
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9. You are approaching a highway-rail grade crossing marked only with a crossbuck sign. What does that sign require?
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Answer A: Yield to any approaching train and cross only when the tracks are clear
The crossbuck is a regulatory yield sign, and a train can never stop or steer around a vehicle, so the driver must always give way.
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10. You are passing a line of slow traffic in the lane beside you and you notice a gap in that line ahead. What should you expect?
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Answer A: A vehicle may pull out of that gap into your lane
A gap in a slow line is an invitation to any driver waiting to turn out of a side street or to change lanes, and they are looking at the gap rather than at you.
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11. You are about to pass a bicyclist on a narrow two-lane road. What is the correct way to do it?
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Answer A: Wait for a clear gap and move well left, giving the rider wide space
Pass a cyclist as you would a car: wait for clear road, change lane position to leave generous clearance, and return only when the rider is well behind you.
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12. You are turning left from a one-way street onto another one-way street. Which lane should you use?
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Answer B: Turn from the far left lane into the far left lane of the new street
The general turning rule is to turn from the lane nearest the direction of the turn into the nearest lane of the new roadway, which on a one-way to one-way left turn means far left to far left.
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13. Why may the mirrors and the headlight need readjusting when a passenger is carried?
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Answer D: Because the added weight changes the angle at which the motorcycle sits
Weight on the rear of the motorcycle raises the front, which aims the headlight and the mirrors higher than the rider intends.
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14. Two people drink the same amount of alcohol at the same time. Why might their blood alcohol concentrations differ?
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Answer C: Body weight, gender and food in the stomach affect the concentration
Smaller people and, on average, women reach higher concentrations from the same amount of alcohol, and an empty stomach speeds absorption. Counting drinks alone does not tell you your level.
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15. How should a rider approach a curve whose radius keeps tightening the further you go into it?
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Answer A: Enter more slowly than the curve first appears to need, saving lean for the exit
In a decreasing radius curve the sharpest part comes last, so a slower entry leaves both speed and lean angle in reserve for where they are needed.
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16. A bag strapped to the back of your motorcycle works loose and starts to shift as you ride. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow smoothly, pull off the road, and secure the load before riding on
A load that moves changes the balance of the motorcycle and can foul a wheel or the chain, so stop as soon as you safely can and fasten it properly.
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17. A car is passing you on a two lane road. Which lane position is generally best while it goes by?
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Answer A: The center portion of your lane
The middle of the lane keeps distance from the passing vehicle and its mirrors while leaving room on the other side if the rider needs it.
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18. A pedestrian with a white cane draws the cane back and steps away from the curb as you approach. What does that usually mean?
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Answer B: They are signaling you to go ahead and drive on
Pulling the cane in and stepping back from the curb is the customary way a blind pedestrian tells drivers to proceed.
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19. Someone has stepped into a marked crosswalk in the middle of a block ahead of you. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down, stop before the markings and let the person cross the street
A marked mid-block crosswalk carries the same duty as one at a corner: give way to the person crossing, stopping if that is what letting them cross safely takes.
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20. Which action becomes clearly more risky beyond this sign?
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Answer A: Using the left side of the roadway to overtake
With vehicles coming the other way on the same pavement, overtaking on the left needs enough clear road to pull out, pass and return, which is often not available.
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21. Which of these is a known cause of a high speed wobble?
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Answer C: Incorrect tire pressure or a load carried too far back and too high
Wobble is usually traced to tires, wheels, loading or poorly mounted accessories such as a windshield or fairing, so check pressures and how the machine is loaded.
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22. An entrance ramp joins a highway just before an exit ramp leaves it. What should you expect in that short section?
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Answer D: Vehicles crossing paths as some enter and others leave
In a weaving section entering traffic moves left while exiting traffic moves right over the same short stretch, so lane changes there need extra room and extra care.
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23. What is sensible when you drive in an unfamiliar town for the first time?
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Answer C: Drive a little slower and give yourself more time to read the signs
In unfamiliar surroundings you need longer to take in signs, junctions and markings, and lower speed buys that time.
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24. 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.
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25. What should the operator do before a bump, a sharp turn or a sudden stop?
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Answer C: Warn the passenger so they can brace for it
A warning lets the passenger tighten their grip and prepare, which keeps the passenger weight from shifting unexpectedly at the worst moment.