Massachusetts RMV Motorcycle Practice Test 53
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. May you stop briefly across the sloped ramp that joins the sidewalk to the street at a corner?
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Answer B: No, that ramp must stay clear for people using wheelchairs
A curb ramp is the only way many people can get from the sidewalk to the crosswalk, so blocking it even briefly is prohibited.
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2. What should a driver expect a short distance beyond this sign?
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Answer C: Another road crossing the one being traveled
Traffic may enter or cross from either side at the intersection ahead, so the driver should ease off, cover the brake and check both approaches.
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3. How should a group decide how often to stop for fuel?
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Answer A: By the range of the machine with the smallest fuel tank
Planning around the smallest tank keeps the group from splitting up when one rider has to leave the route to look for fuel.
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4. How is a wheel bearing checked during an inspection?
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Answer A: Raise the wheel clear of the ground and rock it side to side to feel for play
A worn bearing shows itself as side to side play in a raised wheel, and it may also feel rough or notchy when the wheel is spun.
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5. A yellow diamond shows a horse with a rider. Besides slowing down, what else should a driver do?
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Answer C: Avoid using the horn or revving the engine
The equestrian crossing sign warns of horses on or across the road, and a sudden noise can startle an animal into the traffic lane.
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6. A NO LEFT TURN sign carries a plaque reading 7 AM TO 9 AM MON TO FRI. What does the assembly mean?
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Answer A: The turn is banned only during those hours on those days
A time plaque limits the restriction to the periods shown, so outside those hours and days the left turn may be made normally.
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7. What is a rider looking for when inspecting the control cables?
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Answer A: Kinks, fraying and stiff or notchy movement
A frayed strand or a kinked outer will eventually jam or snap, which can leave a rider without a clutch, a throttle or a front brake.
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8. A small plaque mounted under this sign shows a numeral such as 2 or 3. What does that numeral report?
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Answer A: How many sets of tracks the crossing carries
The plaque states the number of tracks at that location, which is a warning that a second train may be running on another track behind the first.
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9. Why is the front brake avoided during a very slow, tightly leaned turn?
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Answer D: It can upset the balance of a leaned machine and drop it at low speed
At low speed and full lock there is little momentum holding the motorcycle up, and the sudden weight shift from the front brake easily topples it.
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10. A driver who has been drinking has two cups of strong coffee. What has changed?
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Answer D: The driver is more awake but just as impaired
Coffee can make a drinker feel alert, but nothing except time removes alcohol from the blood, so a wide awake drinker is still an impaired driver.
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11. What happens if a passenger leans the opposite way to the rider in a curve?
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Answer B: The motorcycle becomes harder to steer and may run wide in the curve
A passenger leaning against the turn fights the lean angle the rider has set, forcing extra steering effort and pushing the machine toward the outside of the curve.
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12. 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.
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13. Which set of qualities should eye protection for riding have?
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Answer A: Shatter resistant, free of scratches, and sealed against the wind
Riding eye protection has to survive an impact, let you see clearly and keep the air out, which is why plastic face shields and goggles are used instead of ordinary glasses.
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14. You are traveling beside another vehicle on a multilane highway at nearly the same speed. Why is this a poor position?
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Answer B: You may be sitting in that driver's blind spot with nowhere to go if they move over
Driving alongside removes your side escape route and often puts you where the other driver cannot see you. Speed up or drop back to open space beside you.
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15. A driver hunting for an on-ramp meets this sign at the mouth of the pavement ahead. What is the correct action?
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Answer C: Keep out of that roadway and look for the proper approach elsewhere
The restriction is absolute and does not depend on how much traffic is present, so the driver has to reach the highway by an approach built for entering vehicles.
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16. Two solid white lines are painted between your lane and the lane beside it. What do they mean?
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Answer D: Crossing from one lane to the other is prohibited
Double solid white lines separate lanes of traffic going the same way and may not be crossed.
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17. How much following distance should you keep behind a motorcycle?
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Answer C: At least three to four seconds
A motorcycle can slow or stop very quickly and is easily upset by a surprise, so allow three to four seconds instead of the usual car gap.
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18. What is the correct body position for riding over a bump or an obstacle?
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Answer B: Rise slightly off the seat with your weight on the footrests, absorbing the shock with knees and elbows
Coming slightly off the seat lets your legs and arms work as extra suspension instead of transferring the impact through your body and the handlebars.
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19. A delivery truck is parked in your lane and you must use the oncoming lane to get around it. Who has the right of way?
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Answer D: The oncoming traffic, because their lane is clear
The driver whose own lane is obstructed waits, because using the other lane is a favor from oncoming traffic, not a right.
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20. A turn restriction sign at the corner shows a range of times below the symbol. What does that mean?
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Answer A: The turn is banned only during the hours shown on the sign
Times posted under a regulatory symbol set the period during which the restriction applies; outside those hours the movement is permitted.
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21. You are at a red light where right turns on red are allowed, you cannot see clearly, and the driver behind sounds the horn. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stay stopped until you can see that the turn is safe
Turning right on red is permitted, never required, so you wait until you can see that the way is clear no matter what the driver behind does.
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22. Driving at night you notice that the raised markers along the line beside you are throwing back red light. What does that tell you?
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Answer C: You are facing traffic and must get off that roadway
Red retroreflection is shown only toward traffic that should not be there, so a red return means the vehicle is heading the wrong way.
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23. According to the Massachusetts Driver's Manual, what is the highest speed limit posted on the state's smaller highways?
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Answer D: 55 mph
Smaller highways in Massachusetts are posted at 55 mph or lower, while limited-access highways run from 50 up to 65 mph.
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24. You need to leave the road and pull onto the shoulder. What should you check first?
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Answer A: Whether the shoulder surface is firm enough to support the motorcycle
Soft or loose shoulder material can grab the wheels or let the side stand sink, so confirm the surface is firm, signal, and then pull well clear of traffic.
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25. Why is dusk one of the harder times of day to drive?
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Answer B: The failing light blurs shapes into the background
In fading light there is not enough contrast to pick objects out, yet it is not dark enough for headlights to do the work, so pedestrians and cyclists disappear.