New Mexico MVD Motorcycle Practice Test 25

1. You turn from asphalt onto a loose gravel road. What should you do about your speed?

• A Keep it, because gravel gives the tires more grip than smooth asphalt does
• B Raise it slightly so that the tires ride over the top of the loose stones
• C Keep it, but brake harder than usual when you need to stop on the loose surface
• D Lower it, since grip is reduced and stopping takes longer

2. A driver who is passing you cannot complete the pass because a vehicle is coming. What should you do?

• A Hold exactly the same speed, because the other driver is the one who started the maneuver
• B Accelerate so that there is space for the passing driver to move in ahead of your vehicle
• C Ease off the accelerator and make room for them to drop back in
• D Pull onto the shoulder so that all three of the vehicles involved can pass side by side

3. How should a group decide how often to stop for fuel?

• A By the range of the machine with the smallest fuel tank
• B By the range of the largest touring machine, which sets the longest legs
• C By the average range of all of the motorcycles taking part in the ride
• D By whichever gas station the leader happens to notice along the route

4. What should the clutch be doing during a quick stop?

• A Released fully throughout, so engine braking adds to the braking effort
• B Slipped in the friction zone so that the rear wheel cannot lock at all
• C Pulled in as the motorcycle slows, so the engine does not stall
• D Left alone entirely, because the clutch has no part to play in stopping

5. A strong wind is blowing steadily across the road from your left. How should you ride?

• A Move toward the left of the lane and lean into the wind
• B Move to the right side of the lane and let the wind push you back to center
• C Ride in the center of the lane with a very loose grip on the handlebars
• D Speed up until the motorcycle becomes too stable for the wind to affect it

6. What do flashing yellow lights on a school bus mean?

• A The bus is about to stop to load or unload, so prepare to stop
• B The bus is being towed
• C The bus has finished loading and traffic may proceed
• D The bus is allowed to exceed the posted speed limit

7. A farm implement ahead of you on a two-lane road is wider than its own lane. What should you do?

• A Pass on the right using the shoulder, since the machine is over the left side of the roadway
• B Pass at once, because slow-moving farm machinery has to give way to faster traffic behind it
• C Flash your headlights until the operator pulls off into the field and lets the traffic go by
• D Hang back until you can see past it and pass only with a clear road

8. You are turning left at an intersection just beyond the crest of a hill. What is the added risk?

• A The gradient may make your vehicle roll backwards into other traffic
• B Oncoming vehicles appear with very little warning and close quickly
• C The turn takes longer because the engine has less power going uphill
• D Your headlights point too high for the oncoming drivers to notice them

9. You are stopped at a steady red arrow pointing right, and no sign or state rule permits turning on a red arrow. May you turn right?

• A No, you must wait until the red arrow goes out and a green signal appears
• B Yes, but only from the far right lane and only when the crosswalk is empty
• C Yes, after coming to a complete stop, exactly as you would at a round red light
• D Yes, provided that no pedestrians are present and the cross traffic has cleared

10. You are on a one-way street with two marked lanes. May you pass a slower vehicle on the right?

• A Yes, using the right lane, provided that the move is safe and signaled
• B No, all passing must be done on the left even on a street that carries one-way traffic
• C Yes, but only if the driver of the vehicle ahead has signaled a left turn beforehand
• D No, unless the vehicle you want to pass has stopped and is waiting there to turn left

11. What tells you that you are following the rider ahead of you too closely in a group?

• A Their exhaust noise is loud enough to drown out your own engine
• B You can read the model name written on the back of their machine
• C You have stopped being able to see the road surface ahead of them
• D You can no longer see the leader of the group from where you are

12. You are riding where fresh pavement meets an older lane that sits an inch or two lower. How should you move across that edge?

• A Slow down and cross the edge at as sharp an angle as the lane allows
• B Ride alongside the edge and let the front tire ease over it at a shallow angle
• C Speed up so that the front wheel skips over the drop before it can be deflected
• D Stand on the pegs and lean the motorcycle hard over toward the lower surface

13. At a railroad crossing with no gates and no flashing lights, the crossbuck is normally combined with which sign?

• A A speed limit sign showing the maximum speed for the crossing
• B A brown recreational area sign naming the nearest park entrance
• C A yield sign, or a stop sign where an engineering study calls for one
• D A blue motorist services sign listing the facilities available further on

14. A vehicle coming toward you has drifted into your lane. What should you do?

• A Steer left into the oncoming lane, because the other driver will move back into their own lane
• B Brake hard and stop in your lane so the other driver can see you clearly
• C Keep your speed and position, because the other driver will correct in time
• D Slow down, sound the horn, flash your lights and steer to the right if possible

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

• A A steady pull toward the truck the whole time you are next to its trailer
• B No air disturbance at all, because the truck pushes air only to the front
• C A single push away from the truck that lasts until you are well clear of it
• D Changing pushes and pulls as you pass the front, the side and the rear

16. A yellow diamond shows an arrow that doubles back on itself. What kind of curve lies ahead?

• A A curve that is banked steeply toward the outside edge
• B A pair of curves that bend in opposite directions
• C A turn of 135 degrees or more, nearly doubling back
• D A curve that tightens gradually over a long distance

17. A vehicle is sitting in your blind spot and you need to change into that lane. What should you do?

• A Change lanes anyway, because a driver traveling alongside you is expected to give way
• B Adjust your speed to open a clear gap, then check again and move over
• C Signal and drift over slowly until the other driver notices you and moves out of the way
• D Give up on the lane change and take a later exit instead of moving over at all

18. You are stopped in a line of traffic on a steep uphill grade. What should you do about the gap to the vehicle ahead?

• A Close right up, so that no other driver can move into the gap on the hill
• B Leave more room than usual, because vehicles can roll back as they pull away
• C Leave the same gap you would use on level ground, since the hill changes nothing
• D Move to the far side of the lane and stop level with the vehicle ahead of you

19. The added lane warning sign tells a driver that

• A an extra lane begins ahead, so entering traffic does not have to merge into an existing lane
• B all traffic must move into the left lane immediately and stay there until the closed lane reopens
• C the right lane is closed ahead because of roadwork in progress
• D a passing zone ends ahead and overtaking is no longer allowed beyond that point

20. Why is standing water across a road dangerous even when it looks shallow?

• A It cools the tires enough that the rubber loses its grip on the pavement
• B It can hide a washed out roadbed, a deep hole or a missing cover
• C It always contains chemicals that damage the brake pads within a few seconds
• D It reflects sunlight upward and makes the road markings impossible to follow

21. How does alcohol change the time a driver needs to respond to a hazard?

• A It slows it, so stopping takes longer
• B It speeds it up while making the movements less accurate
• C It leaves it untouched until the legal limit has been passed
• D It slows it only when the driver is also short of sleep

22. When should most of your braking for a turn be finished?

• A Halfway through the turn, once you can see where the new road goes
• B Before you begin to turn the wheel
• C After the turn, using the brakes to settle the vehicle into its new lane
• D There is no need to brake at all if the turn is wide and the road is dry

23. It is hot and a rider wants to ride without gloves. Why is that a poor idea?

• A Bare hands make the throttle harder to turn because of increased friction
• B The law requires gloves on any motorcycle ridden above 30 miles per hour
• C Riding without gloves increases fuel consumption on a long summer journey
• D Sweating hands slip on the grips, and bare skin has no protection

24. Two people drink the same amount of alcohol at the same time. Why might their blood alcohol concentrations differ?

• A The type of drink matters, because beer contains far less alcohol than wine
• B Only the time of day at which the drinks were consumed makes a difference
• C Body weight, gender and food in the stomach affect the concentration
• D The concentration is the same for everyone who drinks the same amount

25. What does a light drag of the rear brake do during a slow, tight turn?

• A It transfers weight onto the front tire so the steering becomes lighter and quicker
• B It disengages the clutch automatically so the engine cannot stall in the turn
• C It steadies the motorcycle and smooths out the power reaching the rear wheel
• D It shortens the turning radius by pulling the rear of the machine around faster