New Mexico MVD Motorcycle Practice Test 51
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age13 years
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1. How should the mirrors be set before setting off?
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Answer B: So that each mirror shows the lane behind and part of the lane beside
Mirrors aimed too far inward show mostly the rider, wasting the view that is meant to cover the traffic behind and to the side.
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2. You see a shield for a three-digit Interstate whose first digit is even. What does that tell you about the route?
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Answer C: It loops around a city and rejoins its parent route
A three-digit Interstate beginning with an even digit is a loop or beltway that connects back to the main route at both ends, while an odd first digit marks a spur.
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3. What should riders expect from highway traffic when a group is merging?
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Answer C: Drivers will not hold a gap open for the group, so riders take real gaps
Other drivers do not treat a line of motorcycles as one vehicle, so each rider has to find a genuine gap rather than count on being let in.
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4. When should gear changes for a turn be completed?
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Answer A: Before entering the turn, so the machine stays settled through it
A clumsy shift while leaned over can jerk the rear wheel and break traction, so the right gear should be selected before the lean begins.
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5. Why is it risky to brake hard and steer sharply at the same moment?
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Answer C: The tires have a limited amount of grip that braking and turning must share
Each tire can deliver only so much grip, and asking it to slow the vehicle and change direction at once can exceed that limit and start a skid.
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6. The road is icy and visibility is poor, but you are driving at the posted speed limit. Is this acceptable?
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Answer A: No, because you may never drive faster than is safe for the conditions
Under the basic speed rule a driver must travel at a speed that is reasonable for the actual conditions, so a legal posted speed can still be an unlawful and unsafe speed.
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7. You have a steady green ball to turn left, and the oncoming traffic gets a green left arrow. What does that mean for you?
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Answer C: Oncoming vehicles will turn across your path, so you must wait
A green ball is permissive, so when the oncoming side receives a protected arrow those vehicles have priority and you must yield until they clear.
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8. Lights set into the pavement along both edges of a crosswalk start to flash yellow as you approach. What do they tell you?
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Answer D: Someone is crossing and has to be given way
In-roadway warning lights flash only when a pedestrian activates the crossing, so a flashing pattern means somebody is in or entering the crosswalk.
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9. An ambulance with lights and siren is coming toward you on an undivided two-lane road. What must you do?
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Answer A: Pull to the right edge and stop until it passes
On an undivided road, drivers in both directions clear the way, pulling to the right edge and stopping.
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10. The engine begins to lose power, makes a loud noise and starts to seize. What should the rider do?
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Answer C: Pull in the clutch at once and coast off the road to a safe place
A seizing engine can lock the rear wheel, and pulling in the clutch separates it from the wheel so the motorcycle keeps rolling under control.
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11. You must stop for a train at a highway-rail crossing. Where should you stop?
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Answer B: Behind the stop line, gate or signal and well clear of the nearest rail
Stop behind the stop line, gate or flashing-light signal and well clear of the nearest rail, because a train overhangs its track by several feet on each side.
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12. What is meant by keeping a space cushion?
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Answer C: Keeping open space on all sides of your vehicle so you always have somewhere to go
Open space ahead, behind and to the sides gives you time to react and an escape path when a hazard appears, which is the core idea of defensive driving.
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13. Where does a rider find the correct chain slack figure for a particular motorcycle?
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Answer B: In the owner manual for that motorcycle
Correct slack varies from model to model, so the manufacturer specification in the owner manual is the only reliable figure.
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14. What limits how much weight a motorcycle can carry?
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Answer A: The load limit given by the manufacturer for that machine
The manufacturer's figure covers the rider, the passenger and everything carried, and going over it overloads the tires, the brakes and the suspension.
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15. Where should you be looking as you steer through a turn?
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Answer C: Toward the point on the new road where you want to end up
Drivers steer toward what they look at, so looking through the turn to where you want to go keeps the path smooth and accurate.
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16. A sign at the approach to a bridge reads WEIGHT LIMIT 10 TONS. What does the figure set?
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Answer B: The heaviest vehicle the bridge may legally carry
A weight limit sign is a regulation based on what the structure can bear, and it applies to the loaded weight of the whole vehicle.
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17. You are in the middle of an intersection when you hear a siren and see an emergency vehicle approaching. What should you do?
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Answer A: Keep going, clear the intersection, then pull to the right and stop
Stopping inside an intersection blocks the emergency vehicle. Clear the intersection first, then pull over to the right and stop.
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18. Two drivers each have three drinks, one over three hours and one in half an hour. What is the difference?
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Answer C: The fast drinker reaches a higher peak level
The liver removes alcohol at a steady rate, so drinking faster than the body can clear it pushes the blood alcohol level much higher.
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19. What should you confirm about your saddlebags before riding away?
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Answer A: That both are latched shut and neither is overloaded
An unlatched or overstuffed bag can swing open or sag into the rear wheel or the exhaust, either of which can wreck the machine's handling at once.
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20. In near freezing weather, which part of an otherwise clear road is most likely to still be icy?
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Answer D: A shaded dip under trees or beside a rock cut
Sun clears most of the road, but shaded hollows never warm up and can hold ice long after the rest of the pavement is dry.
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21. How long can cannabis affect a driver?
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Answer A: For hours after the strongest effects have passed
Slowed reactions, poor tracking and weak judgment of distance can last for hours, well beyond the point where the user believes the effects are over.
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22. How should a motorcycle helmet fit?
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Answer A: Snugly all the way around, without shifting or lifting off the head
A snug helmet stays in place during a crash, while one that moves or lifts can come off at the moment it is needed most.
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23. How should you position your vehicle for a right turn from a two-way street?
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Answer B: As close as practical to the right curb or edge, then turn into the nearest right lane
Right turns are made from the lane nearest the right edge into the nearest available lane, which keeps the turn tight and prevents a wide sweep into other traffic.
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24. Low sun is shining onto the signal ahead and you cannot tell which light is lit. What should you do?
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Answer D: Slow down and be ready to stop until you can be sure
An unreadable signal has to be treated as one that may be red, so approach slowly enough to stop while you work out what it shows.
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25. Partway through a curve you realize you have carried in more speed than you wanted. What is the best response?
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Answer D: Look through the curve and lean the motorcycle further with steady throttle
Most motorcycles can lean further than the rider believes, and looking where you want to go while pressing the inside grip harder will usually bring the machine around.