Montana MVD Motorcycle Practice Test 24
- Questions33
- Correct to pass27
- Passing score82%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. Why do groups agree on a set of hand signals before setting off?
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Answer B: Because engine noise and helmets make speech useless between moving machines
Riders cannot talk to each other while moving, so agreed signals for hazards, stops, fuel and single file keep the whole group informed.
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2. You are fitting a tank bag to your motorcycle. What must you check?
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Answer B: That it does not foul the handlebars or block your view of the instruments
A bag that catches the bars at full lock or hides the instruments interferes with control of the motorcycle exactly where the rider needs it most.
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3. Traffic in your lane is backed up and the paved shoulder looks clear. May you drive along it to get past?
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Answer C: No, the shoulder is not a travel lane
Passing must be done within the roadway; driving on the shoulder to get around traffic is prohibited and surprises anyone entering from the right.
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4. What speed limit does Montana law set inside an urban district when no other limit is posted?
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Answer C: 25 miles an hour
Montana's speed restriction statute sets 25 miles an hour inside an urban district.
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5. What is the what if habit of a defensive driver?
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Answer C: Thinking through what you would do if a hazard ahead of you turned bad
Rehearsing an answer before the hazard develops means you act at once instead of spending time deciding.
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6. You are starting from a stop on a snowy, icy street and the drive wheels begin to spin. What should you do?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and start again more gently
Spinning tires polish the surface and dig in. Very gentle pressure on the accelerator, and a higher gear if you have one, gives the tires the best chance to grip.
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7. You are approaching a sharp curve. When should you reduce your speed?
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Answer D: Before you enter the curve, so you can accelerate gently through it
Braking hard inside a curve uses up the traction that is already being demanded for cornering, so the slowing must be finished before you enter.
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8. What is the job of the hard outer shell of a motorcycle helmet?
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Answer D: To spread impact force and to resist objects punching through
The shell distributes a concentrated blow over a wide area and stops sharp objects from reaching the head, while the liner underneath absorbs the energy.
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9. 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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10. 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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11. 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?
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Answer A: No, you must wait until the red arrow goes out and a green signal appears
A steady red arrow prohibits the movement it points to until a signal permitting it appears. Only a posted sign or a specific state rule allows a turn on a red arrow after a complete stop, so without one you must wait.
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12. How should your following distance change in heavy rain?
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Answer D: It should be increased well beyond what you use on dry pavement
Wet pavement lengthens stopping distance and rain cuts visibility at the same time, so a larger gap gives you the extra seconds needed to see a problem and stop for it.
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13. A signal stands part way up a freeway entrance ramp and turns green briefly again and again. How many vehicles does such a signal normally release on each green?
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Answer A: One for each lane of the ramp
A ramp control signal releases a single vehicle per lane on each green so that vehicles reach the merge one at a time instead of in a bunch.
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14. A steady downward green arrow is displayed over a lane. What does it indicate?
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Answer C: The lane is open to traffic in your direction
A steady downward green arrow means the lane it points to is open to traffic traveling in your direction.
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15. Where should a rider in the middle of a group direct their attention?
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Answer A: Well ahead through the group and around it, not just at the rider in front
Watching only the machine ahead hides the traffic and hazards further up the road, and it leaves the rider reacting late to everything the group meets.
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16. You are following a tractor-trailer so closely that its rear doors fill your windshield. What is the main problem?
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Answer D: You cannot see the road ahead and the truck driver cannot see you
A truck has a deep blind spot directly behind it, and tailgating also hides everything in front of the truck from you. Drop back so you can see and be seen.
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17. How should you handle a prescription or over the counter medicine before driving?
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Answer D: Read the label and ask a pharmacist or doctor whether it affects driving
Many common medicines, including allergy and cold remedies, cause drowsiness or slowed reactions, and the label or a pharmacist can tell you whether driving is safe.
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18. You are approaching a blind right hand curve. Which starting lane position gives the best view through it?
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Answer C: The left portion of the lane, toward the outside of the curve
Starting at the outside of a curve opens up the line of sight through it, and the rider then moves toward the inside as the exit comes into view.
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19. At an intersection where turning on a red arrow is not permitted, the signal shows a red left arrow next to a steady green ball. What may you do?
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Answer D: Go straight or turn right if permitted, but not left
An arrow controls only the movement it points to, so here the red arrow stops the left turn while the green ball still allows the other movements.
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20. A rider adjusts the mirrors and finds each one mostly filled with a view of an elbow. What should be done?
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Answer D: Readjust them outward so that more of the lane behind becomes visible
Mirrors are useful only for the road behind, and half a mirror filled with the rider is half of an already limited view thrown away.
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21. You are driving through a neighborhood where several children are riding bicycles. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down and expect sudden, unpredictable moves
Young riders lack the judgment and the mirror habits of adults and may swerve or cross without looking, so lower speed is your only reliable margin.
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22. Why is passing another vehicle a bad idea in dense fog?
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Answer C: You cannot see far enough ahead to know the passing lane is clear
A pass needs a clear view of the road well beyond the vehicle you are overtaking, and fog takes exactly that away.
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23. How can loose spokes be found on a spoked wheel?
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Answer B: By tapping each spoke and listening for a dull sound instead of a clear ring
A correctly tensioned spoke rings when tapped, while a loose one gives a flat, dull note that stands out from the rest of the wheel.
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24. What should you avoid when a hostile driver pulls alongside you?
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Answer A: Making eye contact, or answering the gestures in any way at all
Any response, including a look, encourages an aggressive driver, so give none and let the vehicle go.
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25. What does a steady yellow traffic light tell the driver facing it?
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Answer A: The green movement is ending and a red indication is about to appear
A steady yellow warns that the related green movement is being terminated and that red will follow, so you should stop if you can do so safely.
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26. You are riding through a curve behind another rider in your group. Which line should you take?
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Answer A: The line your own machine and your own speed require
Riders enter a curve at different speeds and on different machines, and copying somebody else's line can put you wide or into the wrong part of the lane.
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27. On a hot summer day you notice long black strips of crack sealant snaking across the pavement. What should a rider know about them?
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Answer A: They soften in heat and can be slippery, especially under a leaned tire
Crack sealant gets soft and greasy in the heat, so treat those strips as a low traction surface and avoid braking or hard cornering on them.
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28. A freeway sign reads BUSES ONLY ON SHOULDER 6 AM TO 9 AM. Who may drive on the shoulder then?
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Answer A: Only the vehicles named on the sign, during the hours shown
Shoulder running is granted by the sign to the class of vehicle and the hours the sign names, and it does not turn the shoulder into a general travel lane.
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29. A strong wind is blowing steadily across the road from your left. How should you ride?
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Answer A: Move toward the left of the lane and lean into the wind
Riding on the windward side of the lane leaves room to be pushed without leaving the lane, and a slight lean into the wind holds the line.
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30. Why does a motorcycle with a manual fuel supply valve have an OFF position?
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Answer A: It stops fuel reaching the engine while the machine is parked
Shutting the valve keeps fuel from seeping past the carburetor into the engine or onto the ground while the motorcycle stands unused.
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31. A lane control sign over one lane shows both a straight arrow and a left arrow. What does it tell drivers in that lane?
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Answer A: Either movement may be made from that lane
An optional movement lane control sign lists every movement permitted from the lane, so a driver may choose any arrow shown.
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32. A traffic signal is displaying a flashing red light. How must you treat it?
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Answer D: Stop completely, then proceed when the way is clear
A flashing red carries the same meaning as a stop sign: come to a full stop, then go only when it is safe.
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33. What tells you that you are following the rider ahead of you too closely in a group?
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Answer C: You have stopped being able to see the road surface ahead of them
If the machine ahead blocks your view of the pavement it is about to cross, you will not see a hazard until you are already on it.