Virginia DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 26
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years 6 months
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1. What is the main source of the noise that damages a rider's hearing?
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Answer A: Wind turbulence around the helmet, which rises sharply with speed
Wind noise around a helmet is loud enough at highway speed to cause permanent hearing loss over time, which is why earplugs are recommended even on quiet machines.
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2. 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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3. A vehicle in the lane beside you has stopped at a crosswalk. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stop as well, because that driver may be yielding to a pedestrian you cannot see
The stopped vehicle hides the crosswalk from you, and passing it is a leading cause of collisions with pedestrians who are already crossing.
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4. You are descending a long steep grade with a loaded truck close behind you. What should you do?
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Answer A: Hold a steady speed and let it pass when it can
Gravity pushes a loaded truck downhill and it cannot slow quickly, so give it a predictable speed and room to get by rather than braking in front of it.
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5. Which rough check suggests that a helmet is a novelty shell rather than a certified helmet?
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Answer C: It weighs about a pound, far less than a certified helmet
A certified helmet weighs roughly three pounds because of its shell and thick liner, while a novelty shell is very light. Weight is only a clue, and the certification label is the real check.
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6. A bicyclist is riding in the middle of a narrow travel lane ahead of you. What is the correct response?
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Answer D: Slow down and wait until you can pass with wide clearance, changing lanes if needed
A bicyclist has the same right to use the lane as a driver, and a narrow lane may not leave safe passing room, so wait for a gap that lets you move over and pass with a wide margin.
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7. Why would this sign be installed on an approach?
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Answer B: Because the signal cannot be seen from far enough back for a driver to react in time
Advance notice of a signal is used where a crest, a curve, trees or a building keep the signal heads out of view until a driver is already too close to stop comfortably.
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8. A school crossing guard steps into the roadway and holds up a stop paddle. What must you do?
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Answer D: Stop and stay stopped until the guard and the children have left the road
A crossing guard directs traffic with legal authority; you must remain stopped until both the guard and the children are clear of the roadway.
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9. Traffic is backed up just past the exit you want to use at a single-lane roundabout. What should you do?
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Answer D: Wait at the yield line until you can pass through and exit
You must not enter a roundabout unless you can clear it, because stopping inside blocks every other entry.
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10. What should a group agree on before the ride begins?
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Answer A: The route, the fuel and rest stops, and the hand signals to be used
Settling the route, the stops and the signals before departure keeps the group together and avoids sudden, confusing decisions once it is moving.
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11. An oncoming car is waiting to turn left across your path at an intersection. What is the safest response?
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Answer D: Slow, cover the brakes and pick a lane position that keeps an escape path
A car turning left in front of a rider is one of the most common motorcycle collisions, so the rider prepares to stop or swerve rather than trusting the driver to wait.
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12. When should a staggered group change to single file?
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Answer C: In curves, in turns, and when entering or leaving a highway
Curves, turns and highway entrances and exits require the full width of the lane, so the group rides single file at those points.
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13. What does the solid white line running along the right side of a highway mark?
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Answer A: The right edge of the traveled way
A solid white edge line shows where the traveled way ends on the right, which is particularly useful at night and in poor visibility.
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14. What should the operator do while a passenger climbs on board?
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Answer D: Sit on the machine with both feet planted and the front brake held on
The added weight arrives suddenly and off center, so the operator braces the motorcycle with both feet down and the front brake applied to keep it still.
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15. A blue motorist service sign showing a fuel symbol and an arrow means that
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Answer D: fuel is available in the direction shown, and the sign imposes no obligation
Service signs are informational: they tell the driver what is available and in which direction, but they create no requirement.
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16. A United States numbered route is normally marked with
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Answer C: black numerals on a white shield
The U.S. route marker is a white shield carrying black numerals, which sets it apart at a glance from the red, white and blue Interstate shield.
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17. Besides fitting the machine, what else must a passenger be capable of?
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Answer B: Following the rider's instructions throughout the ride
Instructions such as staying still, holding on and not getting off until told are what keep the pair balanced, and a passenger who cannot follow them is unsafe.
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18. A small yellow plaque showing a speed number below a curve warning sign gives
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Answer C: the speed recommended for the condition being warned about
The advisory speed plaque belongs to the warning series and states the speed judged safe for the condition ahead under good circumstances, not a regulatory limit.
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19. What is the correct swerving technique?
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Answer D: Press the handgrip on the side you want to go and look toward the escape route
A swerve is two quick countersteering inputs, and because the motorcycle goes where the rider looks, the eyes belong on the open space.
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20. Where does loose sand and gravel most often collect on a paved road?
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Answer D: Along the edges of the road and on curves and highway ramps
Traffic sweeps loose material toward the outside of the travel path, so it builds up at the road edges and on curves and on entrance and exit ramps.
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21. An entrance ramp joins a highway just before an exit ramp leaves it. What should you expect in that short section?
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Answer D: Vehicles crossing paths as some enter and others leave
In a weaving section entering traffic moves left while exiting traffic moves right over the same short stretch, so lane changes there need extra room and extra care.
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22. The lights at a highway-rail grade crossing begin to flash red as you approach. What must you do?
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Answer B: Stop short of the tracks and wait until the lights stop and no train is near
Flashing red lights at a crossing require a stop clear of the tracks, and you may proceed only once the lights have stopped, any gates are fully raised and no train is approaching.
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23. Why may the mirrors and the headlight need readjusting when a passenger is carried?
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Answer D: Because the added weight changes the angle at which the motorcycle sits
Weight on the rear of the motorcycle raises the front, which aims the headlight and the mirrors higher than the rider intends.
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24. 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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25. An overhead sign shows that the right lane is EXIT ONLY. What does that mean if you intend to stay on the highway?
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Answer B: You have to move out of that lane before the exit
An exit only lane leaves the highway completely, so a driver continuing on the highway has to change lanes before it does.