New Mexico MVD Motorcycle Practice Test 54

1. You are hosting a party and a guest who has been drinking wants to drive home. What should you do?

• A Serve coffee and food for the last hour of the evening
• B Let the guest decide, since adults know their own limits
• C Ask the guest to wait thirty minutes and then drive home
• D Stop serving and arrange a ride or a bed

2. What is the main reason a rider should keep a generous following distance on a rough, broken road?

• A Because the law requires motorcycles to keep twice the distance that cars keep
• B So the rider can see and plan for holes and broken pavement in time to react
• C Because a motorcycle takes much longer to stop than the car in front of it
• D So the rider can be pushed along by the slipstream of the vehicle ahead

3. According to national crash research, how effective are helmets at preventing fatal injuries to motorcycle riders?

• A About 5 percent effective
• B About 75 percent effective
• C About 37 percent effective
• D About 95 percent effective

4. What does a pre-ride check of a hydraulic brake system cover?

• A Only the thickness of the pads, since fluid is sealed and cannot be lost
• B How far the wheel turns before the brake begins to slow it down
• C The fluid level and any sign of a leak at the hoses and fittings
• D The temperature of the disc immediately after the previous ride ended

5. Why does even a small reduction in speed matter so much where people are walking?

• A Because pedestrians can hear a slower engine and will always step aside in time
• B Because the horn carries much further when the vehicle is moving slowly
• C Because low speeds switch on the automatic braking fitted to every vehicle
• D Because a pedestrian struck at a lower speed is far more likely to survive

6. How many points within twelve months cause a New Mexico license suspension, and for how long?

• A Twelve or more points, suspended for one year
• B Eight or more points, suspended for six months
• C Twelve or more points, suspended for 90 days
• D Fifteen or more points, suspended for one year

7. Along a highway the reference markers count upward as you travel. Where does the numbering normally begin?

• A At the point where the highway was first opened to traffic
• B At the midpoint of the route, counting outward both ways
• C At the southern or western edge of the state
• D At the largest city that the highway passes through

8. What is the correct position for the feet while riding?

• A With the toes pointed down toward the road
• B Hanging off the footrests to help balance
• C Firmly on the footrests with the toes level
• D Resting on the rear brake pedal at all times

9. At many crossings the walk indication appears only after a button is pressed. What happens if a pedestrian does not press it?

• A The walk indication is shown on every second cycle instead
• B The signal may cycle without showing a walk indication
• C The walk indication appears anyway but lasts a shorter time
• D The signal holds traffic on red until someone presses it

10. Your vehicle has antilock brakes. What should you never do in an emergency stop?

• A Pump the pedal up and down
• B Keep steady pressure on the pedal while steering around the hazard
• C Press the pedal as hard as you can and hold it there until you stop
• D Look toward the gap you want to reach rather than at the obstacle itself

11. Loose gravel has been swept into the middle of your lane on a downhill bend. Which controls are affected most?

• A The parking brake, which cannot hold the vehicle on a loose surface
• B The wipers, which cannot clear the dust thrown up by the gravel
• C The horn, which cannot be heard above the noise of the loose gravel
• D Steering and braking, since the loose stones roll under the tires

12. A deer has just crossed in front of you on a stretch signed for animal crossings. What is the best assumption?

• A The animal will return along the same line it took before
• B More animals are likely to follow the first one
• C The rest of the herd will have been scared away by now
• D The area beyond the next curve will be free of animals

13. Why is a U-turn on a one-way street a problem?

• A You would end up facing the wrong way against all the traffic
• B The vehicle would need more than one lane in order to complete it
• C A one-way street rarely has the room needed to complete the turn
• D The turn would leave the vehicle facing a solid yellow edge line

14. How is a wheel bearing checked during an inspection?

• A Raise the wheel clear of the ground and rock it side to side to feel for play
• B Squeeze the brake lever and count how far the wheel rolls before it stops
• C Measure the depth of the tread on either side of the center of the tire
• D Push the motorcycle forward slowly and listen for a rattle from the chain

15. You are about to pass a slower vehicle on a two lane road. What should you do with the gears?

• A Shift up one gear first, because a taller gear pulls harder at higher speed
• B Downshift before you begin, so the engine can accelerate strongly
• C Slip into neutral until you are alongside, then select a gear to pull past
• D Leave the transmission alone, since gear choice has no effect on acceleration

16. Your lane is ending ahead in slow, heavy traffic and drivers in the next lane are already bumper to bumper. What is the recommended way to merge?

• A Stop at the end of the lane and wait until the queue has cleared
• B Force your way in early so nobody has to slow down for you later
• C Take turns, one vehicle from each lane at the merge point
• D Drive along the shoulder past the merge point and then cut back in

17. What does this sign require of the driver?

• A A complete stop before the intersection in every case, whatever the signal shows
• B Yielding to traffic on the crossing road at all times
• C Leaving the roadway at the next exit
• D Reducing speed and being ready to stop at the intersection ahead

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

• A Wait for a clear stretch and pass them as one group
• B Pass between them, because a bicycle is not a full vehicle
• C Move up close behind them and use the horn to signal a pass
• D Squeeze by inside the lane, since they have to ride single file

19. Why should pant legs be secured and bootlaces tucked away?

• A Loose fabric and laces can tangle in the chain, the controls or a wheel
• B A road test cannot be taken with any laces showing outside the boot
• C Trapped air inside loose trousers makes the rider colder in cold weather
• D Loose fabric raises fuel consumption by adding drag at highway speed

20. How do worn tires and worn brakes affect your ability to stop?

• A They have no effect until a warning lamp appears on the instrument panel
• B They shorten the stopping distance, because worn rubber grips the road harder
• C They lengthen the stopping distance, especially on a wet road
• D They only matter above highway speed, where air resistance becomes important

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

• A That a left turn will be permitted at the next intersection you come to
• B Move into the lane to your left
• C That the road curves to the left just beyond the equipment on the shoulder
• D That workers are present on the left-hand side of the roadway ahead of you

22. The traffic signal is green, but the crossing lights on the tracks inside the intersection begin to flash. What must you do?

• A Continue, because a green signal always overrides the crossing lights
• B Stop only if you can actually see a train approaching the crossing
• C Stop clear of the tracks and wait, even though the signal is green
• D Cross quickly before the gates come down and block your route

23. What is the function of a regulatory sign?

• A To inform road users of traffic laws or regulations that apply at that location
• B To warn of an unexpected condition on or beside the road ahead
• C To point out nearby fuel, food, lodging and rest areas available to travelers
• D To give the distance remaining to the next town and to the main destination on that route

24. What is the danger of releasing the brake too early when moving off uphill?

• A The engine floods with fuel because the throttle has been open for too long
• B The front wheel lifts off the pavement as the drive reaches the rear wheel
• C The motorcycle rolls backward before the clutch has taken hold
• D The rear tire spins and burns away a large part of its remaining tread

25. Partway through a tight turn in a parking area you realize the motorcycle will not come around in the space available. What is the safest thing to do?

• A Lean the machine further and add throttle so it turns more sharply
• B Straighten up and ride over the curb, since the machine will fit that way
• C Stop, put a foot down and reposition the motorcycle before trying again
• D Pull the clutch in and let the machine coast until the front wheel comes round