New Mexico MVD Motorcycle Practice Test 5

Test 5 of 6. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 18 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real New Mexico test.

A desert road with mesas and adobe buildings, a typical landscape of New Mexico

Minimum age: 13 years with a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse for a Y or Z endorsement, 15 years otherwise

  1. 1. The temperature gauge climbs toward the red while you sit in slow moving traffic. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Get out of the traffic as soon as it is safe and let the engine cool

    A stationary motorcycle gets almost no airflow through the engine or radiator, so the cure is to stop creeping along in traffic and let it cool.

  2. 2. What happens to a New Mexico driver who refuses a blood alcohol test after a lawful request?

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    Answer D: The driver can lose the driver license for one year

    Under the New Mexico Implied Consent Act a refusal can cost the driver the license for one year, on top of any criminal penalty.

  3. 3. Where should a rider keep the knees while riding?

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    Answer B: Against the fuel tank

    Knees held against the tank anchor the rider to the motorcycle and improve balance, which matters most in turns.

  4. 4. You realize you have just gone past your exit on a freeway. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Carry on to the next exit and turn around there

    A missed exit costs a few minutes, while backing up or cutting across the striped gore area puts you in the path of traffic that is not expecting it.

  5. 5. What is the earliest age at which New Mexico may issue a motorcycle license?

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    Answer D: 13 years old

    A 13 year old who completes the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse through the New Mexico Motorcycle Safety Program may be issued a motorcycle license with a Y or Z endorsement, which limits engine size.

  6. 6. How long should a head check before a lane change last?

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    Answer D: A quick glance, so you do not lose track of what is happening ahead

    Traffic ahead can change in a second, so the blind spot check is a fast glance and the rider returns attention to the road immediately.

  7. 7. What does the Lights and Electrics step of T-CLOCS include?

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    Answer A: The battery, the headlight, the brake light and the wiring

    This step covers the battery and its terminals, the headlight, tail and brake lights, the turn signals, the switches, the mirrors and the wiring.

  8. 8. How should a rider take curves while carrying a passenger?

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    Answer A: More slowly than when riding alone

    The extra weight raises the center of gravity and makes the motorcycle respond more slowly, so curves have to be taken at a lower speed.

  9. 9. What is a microsleep?

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    Answer D: A few seconds of sleep, sometimes with the eyes open

    A microsleep is an involuntary lapse of a few seconds during which the driver is asleep and the vehicle travels blind, often without the driver knowing.

  10. 10. What blood alcohol concentration exposes a New Mexico driver under 21 to arrest?

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    Answer A: 0.02 percent or higher

    New Mexico applies a 0.02 percent limit to drivers under 21, and a finding at that level can bring a six month license revocation.

  11. 11. What is the correct swerving technique?

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    Answer D: Press the handgrip on the side you want to go and look toward the escape route

    A swerve is two quick countersteering inputs, and because the motorcycle goes where the rider looks, the eyes belong on the open space.

  12. 12. On a divided highway you see a median opening marked for authorized vehicles only. May you use it to turn around?

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    Answer D: No, those openings are for emergency and maintenance vehicles

    Official crossovers are reserved for emergency and highway maintenance use; turning there puts a slow vehicle across high-speed traffic.

  13. 13. You are turning left from a one-way street onto a two-way street. How should the turn be made?

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    Answer B: Start in the far left lane and finish just to the right of the center line

    Left turns begin from the lane nearest the left edge of the street you are leaving and must finish on the right-hand side of the center line of a two-way street.

  14. 14. What should a passenger be told about where to keep their legs?

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    Answer D: To keep them away from the muffler, the chain and other moving parts

    Exhaust pipes get hot enough to burn and exposed drive components can catch a loose leg, so the passenger must keep legs in and clear of them.

  15. 15. Who is New Mexico's Ignition Interlock License NOT available to, even though they were revoked for a DWI-related reason?

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    Answer A: Someone convicted of homicide by vehicle or great bodily injury by vehicle while intoxicated

    New Mexico's Ignition Interlock License is available to most drivers revoked or denied for DWI, but not to someone convicted of homicide by vehicle or great bodily injury by vehicle while intoxicated.

  16. 16. Which New Mexico motorcycle endorsement covers a machine with an engine of 100 cubic centimeters or more?

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    Answer D: Endorsement W

    New Mexico grades motorcycle endorsements by engine size, and W is the one that covers machines of 100 cubic centimeters and above.

  17. 17. A curb lane is marked BUS ONLY 7 AM TO 9 AM. What may the driver of a car do?

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    Answer A: Use the lane outside those hours

    A part-time bus lane is reserved only during the posted period, and outside it the lane serves general traffic like any other.

  18. 18. You come up behind a group of cyclists riding two abreast on a narrow rural road. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Wait for a clear stretch and pass them as one group

    Passing a group as a single unit when the way ahead is clear is safer than several rushed passes, and cutting through the group leaves nobody any escape room.

  19. 19. You are stopped at a stop sign waiting to turn onto a highway where traffic moves at 55 mph. How should you choose your gap?

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    Answer A: Wait for a much larger gap than the one you would accept on a city street

    Fast traffic covers ground while you are still accelerating, so the gap that feels adequate at 25 mph is dangerously short at highway speed.

  20. 20. Why is parking against the flow of traffic dangerous even when nobody complains?

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    Answer D: Because you had to cross traffic to get there and must cross again to leave

    Parking on the wrong side means driving against traffic at both ends of the stop, and your reflectors and lights face the wrong way while you are there.

  21. 21. How do strong emotions affect driving?

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    Answer B: They narrow your attention and make risky decisions more likely

    Anger, worry and excitement all take attention away from the driving task and push drivers toward decisions they would not normally make.

  22. 22. Where should the least experienced riders be placed in a group?

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    Answer C: Just behind the leader

    Placing newer riders just behind the leader keeps the pace manageable for them and lets the more experienced riders behind keep an eye on them.

  23. 23. A large panel mounted on a trailer at the roadside displays a flashing arrow pointing left. What does it tell you?

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    Answer B: Move into the lane to your left

    An arrow panel directs traffic out of a closed lane, so the arrow shows the direction you must move rather than the shape of the road ahead.

  24. 24. How far forward should a rider sit on the seat?

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    Answer D: Far enough forward that the arms are slightly bent on the grips

    Slightly bent arms let the rider steer with the handlebars instead of using the arms to prop up the upper body.

  25. 25. You have just been involved in a crash on a city street. Which sequence of first steps is correct?

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    Answer A: Stop where you are, check everyone for injuries, and then make the scene safe

    You are required to stop, and the first priority at the scene is people, followed by preventing a second collision.