Idaho ITD Motorcycle Practice Test 42

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum ageSee note

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

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 20 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. You are in the middle lane of a one-way street with three lanes when a police car approaches from behind with lights and siren. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Pull to the nearest curb and stop clear of the lanes

    On a one-way street you clear to whichever curb is closest, so the emergency vehicle gets a clear path down the open lanes.

  2. 2. You are approaching the crest of a hill and cannot see the road beyond it. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Slow down and keep well to the right

    Beyond a blind crest there may be a stopped vehicle, a cyclist or an oncoming driver crossing the center line, so reduce speed and hold your own side.

  3. 3. You need to reverse direction on a busy street. Which choice is usually safest?

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    Answer D: Driving around the block and using the intersections instead

    Going around the block uses normal turns at controlled intersections instead of stopping across live traffic lanes.

  4. 4. On a rainy road, where can a rider usually find the best traction?

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    Answer A: In the tire tracks left by the vehicles ahead

    Vehicles ahead push water aside and keep their tracks clearer of oil, so those tracks generally give better grip than the rest of the lane.

  5. 5. Why should riding boots come above the ankle?

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    Answer C: The ankle is easily broken and is left bare by a low shoe

    The ankle takes a lot of damage when a motorcycle goes down or a foot is trapped, and a low shoe leaves it completely unprotected.

  6. 6. The front brake lever feels soft and travels almost to the handgrip. What should the rider do?

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    Answer D: Leave the motorcycle where it is until the brake system has been inspected

    A spongy lever usually means air or fluid loss in the system, and a brake in that condition can fail completely under hard use.

  7. 7. You enter a work zone at night where one lane is closed and a flagger is on duty. What is the safest approach?

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    Answer A: Slow early, merge before the closure and be ready to stop

    Merging early at a reduced speed keeps the queue orderly and leaves you room to stop for equipment, workers or traffic that has halted ahead.

  8. 8. What kind of gloves are recommended for riding?

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    Answer A: Full fingered gloves of leather or similar durable material

    Full fingered leather or equivalent gloves improve grip on the controls and protect the hands, which riders instinctively put out in a fall.

  9. 9. The gates at a railroad crossing begin to come down as you approach. What must you do?

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    Answer A: Stop and wait until the gates are fully raised and the lights stop flashing

    Once the gates start down you must stop clear of the tracks and wait until they are fully raised and the warning lights have stopped.

  10. 10. A driver waiting to turn left appears to be looking straight at you. What should you assume?

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    Answer C: That the driver may still not have seen you, and may turn across your path

    Drivers look toward motorcycles without registering them, so eye contact is not evidence that the rider has been seen and no plan should depend on it.

  11. 11. Which set of qualities should eye protection for riding have?

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    Answer A: Shatter resistant, free of scratches, and sealed against the wind

    Riding eye protection has to survive an impact, let you see clearly and keep the air out, which is why plastic face shields and goggles are used instead of ordinary glasses.

  12. 12. Trees block the view along the tracks as a driver approaches this sign. What approach speed is correct?

    Two white crossed boards forming an X, with black lettering along each board
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    Answer B: Slow enough to stop before the nearest rail once a train comes into view

    Where the view along the track is obstructed, the only safe speed is one that still leaves stopping distance after a train first becomes visible.

  13. 13. You reach the end of the acceleration lane and there is still no gap in the traffic. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Slow down and merge behind the traffic rather than forcing your way in

    Merging behind the traffic costs you only a little speed, while forcing into a space that is not there puts you alongside a vehicle with nowhere to go.

  14. 14. Why should a load never be fastened to the handlebars or the front forks?

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    Answer D: The weight upsets the steering and makes the front end handle unpredictably

    Anything hung on the steering moves with it and changes how the motorcycle turns, which is why loads belong low and behind the rider instead.

  15. 15. 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.

  16. 16. You are behind a snow plow working on a highway. What is the correct way to drive?

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    Answer C: Stay well back and do not try to pass it

    A plow throws snow, runs wider than its body and works on the poor surface ahead of it, so the cleared road behind it is the safest place to be.

  17. 17. A group in formation needs to change lanes. What is the safest way to do it?

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    Answer A: The leader starts the change early enough for the whole group to complete it

    Beginning the change early gives the entire formation the road and the time it needs to move over together instead of scattering across two lanes.

  18. 18. Where should the rider be looking during a U-turn?

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    Answer B: All the way around toward the point where the turn will finish

    A motorcycle follows the eyes, so turning the head to the exit of the turn keeps the machine coming round instead of drifting wide.

  19. 19. A raised area crosses the roadway and carries a series of white markings on its face. What are those markings for?

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    Answer A: To make the hump visible so drivers slow for it

    Speed hump markings warn drivers that the pavement rises, which matters most at night or when the hump is in shadow.

  20. 20. What is a marked loading zone for?

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    Answer A: Loading and unloading only, not for general parking

    A loading zone is reserved for actively loading or unloading goods or passengers; leaving a vehicle there for other reasons is a parking violation.

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

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    Answer C: Stop clear of the tracks and wait, even though the signal is green

    Active crossing warning devices outrank the green indication, so you stop short of the rails and wait until the warning stops.

  22. 22. A yellow diamond showing the silhouette of a deer warns that

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    Answer D: large animals may cross the road in that area

    The sign marks a stretch where animals are known to cross, so drivers should reduce speed and scan both roadsides, especially around dawn and dusk.

  23. 23. A traffic signal ahead is showing a flashing red light. What does it require?

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    Answer C: Stop completely, then go when the way is clear, as at a stop sign

    A flashing red light has the same meaning as a stop sign: stop completely, yield to traffic and pedestrians, then proceed when it is safe.

  24. 24. You are backing out of a space in a parking lot. Who has the right of way?

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    Answer D: Traffic already moving in the lane, and pedestrians walking behind you

    A driver backing out must yield to vehicles and pedestrians already using the lane, because backing is the movement with the poorest view.

  25. 25. May you park across the entrance to a fire station?

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    Answer D: No, an emergency exit must never be blocked

    Emergency vehicles must be able to leave the moment a call comes in, so their entrances and exits are kept clear at all hours.