Idaho ITD Motorcycle Practice Test 1

Test 1 of 6. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 20 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real Idaho test.

A highway through mountain valleys with a river and pine trees, a typical landscape of Idaho

Minimum age: Valid Idaho driver's license required; applicants under 21 must also complete an approved rider training course

  1. 1. A driver stopped at a red signal wants to turn right and this sign is posted at the corner. What is permitted?

    A white square showing an arrow turning right inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
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    Answer A: Nothing: the turn is barred whether the signal is red or green

    The restriction works independently of the signal, so the usual permission to turn right after stopping at a red light does not exist where this sign is posted.

  2. 2. Traffic safety experts describe three kinds of driver distraction. Which set is correct?

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    Answer A: Visual, manual and cognitive

    Distraction takes the eyes off the road, the hands off the controls or the mind off driving, and many activities do more than one of those at once.

  3. 3. You are riding alongside a car in the next lane at the same speed. What is the problem?

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    Answer B: You may be sitting in the driver's blind spot with nowhere to escape

    A driver who cannot see the motorcycle may change lanes into it, so riders adjust speed to move ahead of or behind the vehicle instead of staying beside it.

  4. 4. What should a passenger be told about moving around on the motorcycle?

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    Answer A: To stay directly behind the operator and avoid sudden or unnecessary movement

    Unexpected movement by a passenger upsets the balance of the machine, most of all at low speed and while the motorcycle is leaned over in a turn.

  5. 5. A rider signals that they need to stop, although nobody else in the group wants a break. What should happen?

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    Answer A: The group stops, because a rider who needs a break should get one

    A rider who is tired, cold or uncomfortable is a hazard to the whole group, and stopping costs far less than the mistake that follows.

  6. 6. What does Idaho law say about speed contests on public roads?

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    Answer C: Any race, speed exhibition or speed contest on a public road is illegal

    Idaho makes it illegal to engage in any vehicle race, speed exhibition or speed contest on any public road, street or highway.

  7. 7. A signal beside a fire station stays dark until apparatus is about to leave, when it shows yellow and then red. What must a driver do?

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    Answer B: Stop on the red and wait until the signal goes dark again

    An emergency vehicle signal is a real traffic signal, so its red indication must be obeyed while the apparatus pulls out into the street.

  8. 8. What makes a left turn protected rather than permissive?

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    Answer B: Oncoming traffic is held by a red signal while you have a green arrow

    A protected turn is one where the conflicting movements are stopped by their own signal, which is what the green arrow indicates.

  9. 9. How should a load be distributed between the two saddlebags?

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    Answer B: Evenly, so the weight is balanced from side to side

    An uneven load pulls the motorcycle toward the heavy side and makes it behave differently in left turns than in right turns.

  10. 10. What suspension follows a first failure of an evidentiary test under Idaho's administrative license suspension?

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    Answer B: 90 days, with absolutely no driving privileges during the first 30 days

    A first failed evidentiary test brings a 90-day administrative suspension, and the opening 30 days of it allow no driving privileges of any kind.

  11. 11. What does Idaho Code require of the fenders on a motorcycle ridden on the highway?

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    Answer D: Fenders on both wheels, reaching a point no more than 20 inches above the road

    Idaho requires fenders on both motorcycle wheels, running the full width from above and forward of the center of the tire to the rear of the wheel and down to a point not more than 20 inches above the highway.

  12. 12. Where must an open container of alcohol be carried in an Idaho vehicle?

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    Answer C: In the trunk, or behind the last upright seat if the vehicle has no trunk

    Idaho's open container law requires unsealed alcoholic beverages to travel in the trunk, or behind the last upright seat when the vehicle has no trunk.

  13. 13. You reach a T intersection where the cross street has a ONE WAY sign pointing to the right. What may you do?

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    Answer B: Turn right only, because the street carries traffic in that direction

    The arrow shows the only direction traffic may travel, so the only legal movement from the terminating road is a right turn.

  14. 14. Windblown sand has collected across the pavement at a rural intersection where you must stop. How should you handle the stop?

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    Answer A: Do your braking on clean pavement before the sand, then roll across upright

    Sand acts like ball bearings under the tires, so finish your braking on the clean surface ahead of it and cross the loose patch upright with no sudden inputs.

  15. 15. How much space should you hold behind the rider who is directly ahead of you in your own portion of the lane?

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    Answer D: At least two seconds

    Riders sharing the same track keep a following distance of at least two seconds so they have the time and the room to react to a hazard.

  16. 16. You are already inside a roundabout when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Continue to your exit, leave the roundabout, then pull over and stop

    Stopping inside a roundabout blocks the circulating roadway, so you should exit first and then pull over clear of the intersection.

  17. 17. Which restrictions apply to an Idaho motorcycle instruction permit?

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    Answer C: Daylight riding only, no freeway riding and no passengers

    An Idaho motorcycle instruction permit is valid for one year and limits the holder to daylight riding, keeps them off freeways and forbids carrying passengers.

  18. 18. In Idaho, how long does completing an approved motorcycle rider training course waive the skills test requirement?

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    Answer A: If the endorsement is obtained within 25 months of the training

    Successful completion of an approved Idaho rider training course waives the motorcycle skills test as long as the endorsement is obtained within 25 months of taking the course.

  19. 19. How does a rider judge whether the brake pads still have life left in them?

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    Answer A: By looking at how much friction material is left on the pad

    Pads are inspected visually for remaining thickness against the wear indicator, because a pad worn to its backing plate will destroy the disc.

  20. 20. On a regulatory sign, what does a red circle with a diagonal slash drawn over a symbol mean?

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    Answer D: The movement or action shown by the symbol is prohibited

    A red circle with a diagonal slash is the standard way of showing that the movement pictured inside it, such as a U-turn or a right turn, is not allowed.

  21. 21. A driver ahead brakes for no reason you can see, again and again. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Increase your following distance and be ready for yet another stop

    Unexplained braking tells you the driver is unsure or distracted, so the safe answer is more room, not less.

  22. 22. What actually lowers the amount of alcohol in a person's blood?

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    Answer D: The passage of time

    The body eliminates alcohol at its own steady rate, so only time reduces blood alcohol. Coffee or a cold shower may make a person feel more awake while still impaired.

  23. 23. How long do Idaho motorcycle endorsement knowledge and skills test results stay valid?

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    Answer C: One year

    ITD states that motorcycle endorsement knowledge and skills test results are valid for up to one year; if the endorsement is not added in that time the tests must be taken again.

  24. 24. A group has just stopped at a stop sign. How should the formation be restored?

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    Answer B: Riders should pull away one at a time and take up the stagger once moving

    Motorcycles need room to pull away and get up to speed, so the staggered formation is taken up again only after the riders are rolling.

  25. 25. You turn from asphalt onto a loose gravel road. What should you do about your speed?

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    Answer D: Lower it, since grip is reduced and stopping takes longer

    Loose gravel gives far less grip than pavement, so speed must come down for both steering and stopping.