Missouri DOR Motorcycle Practice Test 38
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years 182 days
-
1. You are overtaking in a short passing lane on a two-lane road and it is about to end. What must you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Finish the pass and move back to the right before it ends
The added lane ends and the traffic returns to a single lane in each direction, so the pass has to be complete before the pavement runs out.
-
2. The neutral light is on, but you are not sure the transmission is really out of gear. How can you confirm it?
Show answer
Answer B: Release the clutch and rock the motorcycle to see whether it rolls freely
A machine that rolls without resistance while the clutch is released is genuinely in neutral, which a burnt out or faulty neutral switch cannot tell you.
-
3. You are riding up an entrance ramp to merge onto a freeway. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer D: Build up to traffic speed on the ramp, then signal and check the blind spot
Matching the speed of freeway traffic before merging avoids forcing others to brake, and a head check covers the area the mirrors do not show.
-
4. You are about to descend a long steep grade. How should you control your speed?
Show answer
Answer D: Select a lower gear before starting down and use the brakes in firm, brief applications
Engine braking in a lower gear carries most of the load down the grade, while continuous brake pressure overheats the brakes and reduces their effectiveness.
-
5. Why is it dangerous to make a left turn from the second lane from the center?
Show answer
Answer C: Because a driver in the lane beside you is turning into the same space
Drivers in the proper turn lane are entitled to that space, and turning across them puts two vehicles into one path through the intersection.
-
6. It is cold and the road looks wet, but you notice the tires of vehicles ahead are throwing up no spray. What does this suggest?
Show answer
Answer B: The surface has frozen and is probably icy
Water throws spray, but ice does not. A shiny road with no spray in freezing temperatures is a strong sign of black ice, so slow down and avoid sudden inputs.
-
7. While you swerve around an obstacle, what should the rest of your body be doing?
Show answer
Answer C: Staying upright with the knees against the tank while the motorcycle leans
A swerve happens through the handlebars, and a body that stays still and anchored to the tank lets the motorcycle move quickly beneath the rider.
-
8. Besides impact protection, how does a light colored helmet help the rider?
Show answer
Answer A: It sits above surrounding traffic, so drivers pick it out sooner
A light or high visibility helmet sits above the traffic around the rider and is often the first part of a motorcycle a driver notices.
-
9. What matters most about the armor built into a riding jacket?
Show answer
Answer B: That it sits over the joints and stays there during a fall
Armor only works where it is, so the jacket must fit closely enough that the pads stay over the shoulders, elbows and spine when the rider hits the ground.
-
10. You have a steady green ball to turn left, and the oncoming traffic gets a green left arrow. What does that mean for you?
Show answer
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.
-
11. A sign at the start of an exit ramp shows a speed much lower than the highway limit. What does it apply to?
Show answer
Answer C: The curve of the ramp itself, once you have left the highway
The ramp speed is set by the sharpness of the ramp curve, so you slow to it inside the deceleration lane rather than out on the highway.
-
12. When should you enter a destination into a navigation device?
Show answer
Answer B: Before you start driving, or after parking in a safe place
Programming a route is a visual, manual and mental task at the same time, so it belongs to the moments before the vehicle moves rather than to any point in traffic.
-
13. Why is it useful to watch the vehicle two or three places ahead of you?
Show answer
Answer C: You get an earlier warning of slowing traffic than brake lights give
Trouble travels back through a line of traffic, so seeing it start several vehicles ahead gives you a head start on braking.
-
14. What should motorcycle footwear provide?
Show answer
Answer B: Sturdy support above the ankle with hard, slip resistant soles
Boots that cover the ankle support and protect it, while hard slip resistant soles keep the rider steady at stops, and laces should be tucked in so they cannot catch.
-
15. How does the crown of a road affect a turn made on it?
Show answer
Answer C: Turning toward the low side leaves less ground clearance for leaning
Leaning down the slope of the crown adds the slope to the lean angle, so the footrests and other parts reach the pavement sooner than they otherwise would.
-
16. This sign comes into view ahead of a driver who has already started along a ramp. What should the driver do?
Show answer
Answer B: Pull clear where it is safe, then turn around and leave the ramp traveling properly
The driver is traveling against the legal flow, so the safest response is to stop clear of the lanes, turn the vehicle around and get off the ramp before meeting traffic head on.
-
17. Children are playing close to the edge of a residential street. What is the right speed choice?
Show answer
Answer D: Well below the limit, slow enough to stop for a sudden dash
Children can step out without warning, so the safe speed is the one that lets you stop within the distance you can see to be clear.
-
18. You leave a brightly lit service area onto a dark rural road. Why should you slow down for a while?
Show answer
Answer C: Your eyes need time to adjust, so at first you see less
Eyes take a few minutes to adapt from bright light to darkness, and during that time you can see much less than your headlights actually show.
-
19. You must stop for a train at a highway-rail crossing. Where should you stop?
Show answer
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.
-
20. What is a driver being warned about here?
Show answer
Answer B: The pavement ahead carries vehicles traveling in the opposite direction
Beyond this point vehicles come the other way on the same pavement, which commonly happens where a one-way section or a separated stretch comes to an end.
-
21. Why is a pothole a bigger problem for a motorcycle than for a car?
Show answer
Answer C: A motorcycle has only two wheels, so an impact can deflect it off line
A car crosses a hole on four wheels and stays balanced, while a hole can knock a motorcycle off its line or damage a wheel, so scan the pavement well ahead and plan a path around holes.
-
22. Which is an early warning that fatigue is affecting your riding?
Show answer
Answer D: You miss turns and signs and have to think about routine actions
Fatigue shows up first as slower thinking and missed information, so treat lapses in attention as a signal to stop and rest.
-
23. A driver on the street this sign governs is preparing to turn left at the next corner. Which lane should the vehicle be in beforehand?
Show answer
Answer A: The lane closest to the left curb
All the traffic here runs the same way, so nothing is coming toward the driver and the turn is taken from the extreme left lane rather than from beside the middle of the roadway.
-
24. Is dictating a message by voice a safe alternative to typing one?
Show answer
Answer C: No, it still takes attention from driving
Composing and checking a spoken message loads the mind and usually pulls the eyes to the screen anyway, so research finds it no safer than other phone use.
-
25. Besides school signing, which warning signs may also use a fluorescent yellow-green background?
Show answer
Answer C: Pedestrian and bicycle warning signs
Pedestrian crossing, bicycle and playground warning signs may use either the standard yellow or the fluorescent yellow-green background, which draws extra attention where people outside vehicles are present.