Massachusetts RMV Motorcycle Practice Test 33
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. You are approaching a driveway where a car waits to pull out and the driver is looking your way. What should you assume?
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Answer D: The driver may not have seen you, so cover the brakes and be ready to slow
Looking in your direction is not proof that a driver has registered a motorcycle, so cover the brakes and be ready to slow until the car is clearly staying put.
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2. What must a driver be ready to do along the stretch of road where this sign is posted?
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Answer D: Slow down and stop for a child who steps into the roadway
Children misjudge speed and distance and act without warning, so the driver reduces speed, covers the brake and scans the sidewalks and parked vehicles.
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3. When must a passenger keep both feet on the footrests?
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Answer C: At all times, including while the motorcycle is stopped
Feet stay on the footrests even at a stop, because a foot put down or swung out can unbalance the motorcycle or be caught by the road.
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4. Two vehicles meet on a steep, narrow mountain road with no room to pass. Which driver should back up?
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Answer C: The driver heading downhill, who has more control while reversing
On a narrow mountain road the vehicle facing downhill yields, because backing uphill gives better control than reversing down a grade.
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5. What matters most about the armor built into a riding jacket?
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Answer B: That it sits over the joints and stays there during a fall
Armor only works where it is, so the jacket must fit closely enough that the pads stay over the shoulders, elbows and spine when the rider hits the ground.
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6. 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.
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7. What do zero tolerance laws mean for a driver who is under 21?
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Answer B: They commit a violation at an alcohol level far below the adult limit
Drivers under 21 may not legally drink, so every state sets a limit far below the adult one and treats even a trace reading as a violation. The exact figure is set by each state, and the penalty usually includes losing the license.
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8. You are about to pull out of a driveway when someone on the sidewalk is walking toward it. What should you do?
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Answer D: Wait, because traffic on the sidewalk has the right-of-way
A vehicle entering the roadway from a driveway yields to people on the sidewalk as well as to traffic on the street.
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9. The rider ahead of you has just passed a slow vehicle on a two lane road. What does that tell you about your own pass?
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Answer C: Nothing, because you must judge the oncoming traffic yourself
Every pass uses up part of the gap, so the space that was ample for the rider ahead may be far too short by the time it is your turn.
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10. Which clue tells you that a parked vehicle is about to pull into traffic?
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Answer D: Exhaust smoke, brake lights, front wheels turned out or a driver in the seat
A running engine, lit brake lights, turned wheels or a person behind the wheel all mean the vehicle may move. Slow down and give it room.
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11. A lane is marked with a large white bicycle symbol and chevrons, but there is no separate bicycle lane. What does it mean?
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Answer A: Bicyclists may use the whole lane, so follow or pass with care
A shared lane marking shows that bicyclists and drivers use the same lane and positions riders away from parked car doors, so passing means changing lanes.
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12. In the T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection, what does the first item cover?
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Answer C: Tires and wheels
T stands for tires and wheels, where the rider checks pressure, tread, damage, rims, spokes and bearings before anything else.
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13. What is the main risk of buying a second hand helmet?
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Answer B: You cannot know whether it has been dropped or crashed already
A helmet's protection depends on a liner that may already be crushed by an impact you cannot see, and a stranger's helmet comes with no history you can trust.
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14. How can a rider check the action of the front suspension while the motorcycle is stationary?
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Answer D: Hold the front brake on and push down on the bars to feel the forks move and return
Compressing the forks against the front brake shows whether they move smoothly and return without binding, sticking or making noise.
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15. A strong wind is blowing across an open stretch of road. Besides the gusts, what else should you watch for?
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Answer A: Branches, dust and loose objects blown into your path
High wind strips branches, litter and dust onto the roadway and can push other vehicles out of their lane, so scan much further ahead than usual.
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16. How can you keep space at the sides of your vehicle in heavy traffic?
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Answer D: Drive in the gaps between the other vehicles rather than beside them
Travelling in the open spaces rather than alongside others keeps a way out open on at least one side.
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17. A vehicle in front of you has already begun turning left into a driveway when the gap you were waiting for opens up. What should you do?
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Answer B: Wait and let that driver finish the turn
A vehicle that has lawfully started a maneuver keeps the right of way until it is finished.
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18. Why does the situation ahead of this sign deserve extra care from a motorcyclist?
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Answer C: Because a narrow machine is easy to overlook in a mirror or a blind spot
A motorcycle fills very little of a mirror and disappears easily into a blind spot, so the rider should adjust speed and lane position to stay visible where the streams come together.
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19. A steady red arrow is displayed for your left-turn lane at a two-way intersection. What must you do?
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Answer C: Stop and remain stopped until an indication permits the turn
A steady red arrow prohibits the movement it points to, so the driver stops and waits for a green arrow, a flashing yellow arrow or another indication that permits the turn.
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20. Your car begins to lose power on a freeway and you must stop. Where should you try to bring it to a halt?
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Answer A: As far off the right side of the road as you can get, beyond the edge line
A disabled vehicle should be moved completely clear of the travel lanes, on the right, so that traffic can pass without changing course.
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21. Traffic is backed up beyond a railroad crossing. When may you start across the tracks?
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Answer B: Only when there is room for your whole vehicle on the far side
Never enter a crossing you cannot clear; a vehicle stopped on the tracks in a queue has nowhere to go if the signals start.
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22. You are circulating in the inner lane of a two-lane roundabout, your exit is next, and a vehicle is beside you in the outer lane. What should you do?
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Answer C: Keep circulating around the island and take that same exit on your next time around
You may not cut across a vehicle in the outer lane; if you cannot exit safely, continue around the circle and try again.
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23. How does eating a large meal before drinking affect impairment?
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Answer D: It slows absorption but the alcohol still reaches the blood and impairs you
Food delays how quickly alcohol enters the bloodstream, which can make the peak arrive later, but all of the alcohol is eventually absorbed.
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24. Which of these makes you unpredictable to other drivers?
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Answer B: Changing lanes suddenly without signaling, to save a moment
An unsignalled, sudden lane change gives nobody time to react and is a common cause of sideswipe collisions.
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25. What is the what if habit of a defensive driver?
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Answer C: Thinking through what you would do if a hazard ahead of you turned bad
Rehearsing an answer before the hazard develops means you act at once instead of spending time deciding.