Virginia DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 46
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years 6 months
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1. What happens when tires are driven underinflated for a long time?
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Answer D: They wear at the edges, they run hot and they are more likely to fail
An underinflated tire flexes too much, which wears the shoulders and builds up heat that can destroy the tire.
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2. Why is a wet road at night harder to read than the same road in daylight?
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Answer A: The wet surface reflects light away and swallows the lane markings
A film of water sends your headlight beam onward instead of back to you, so lines, edges and people in dark clothing almost disappear.
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3. 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.
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4. On a busy multilane highway, where is the best place to travel?
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Answer B: In a gap in the traffic, with space open on both sides
Travelling in a gap keeps escape routes open on both sides, while riding alongside other vehicles removes the room you would need to swerve.
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5. How should space management change with a passenger aboard?
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Answer B: Allow a greater following distance and wait for larger gaps in traffic
A loaded motorcycle accelerates and stops more slowly, so it needs more room ahead and bigger gaps to merge, to pass or to cross traffic.
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6. How should a motorcycle helmet fit?
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Answer A: Snugly all the way around, without shifting or lifting off the head
A snug helmet stays in place during a crash, while one that moves or lifts can come off at the moment it is needed most.
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7. Why does a passenger often feel the cold sooner than the rider on a long ride?
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Answer B: A passenger sits still and does not have the fuel tank to shelter behind
The rider has a screen or a tank to break the wind and is busy operating the machine, while a passenger sits exposed and inactive and chills faster.
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8. You are stopped in a line of traffic waiting at a red light. What is the safest way to wait?
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Answer A: Stay in first gear, keep watching the mirrors and leave a way out
A vehicle approaching from behind may not stop in time, and staying in gear with a gap ahead lets the rider move out of the way.
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9. A sign showing a walking figure carries a plaque below it with an arrow slanting down to the right. What does the plaque add?
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Answer B: The crossing is at that very spot
A downward-slanting arrow plaque marks the crossing itself, whereas an AHEAD or distance plaque would place it further along the road.
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10. What happens to a Virginia vehicle owner's driving and registration privileges if the vehicle is found to lack the required liability insurance?
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Answer B: Both the driving and vehicle registration privileges are suspended
Virginia suspends both the driving privilege and the vehicle registration of an owner whose vehicle lacks the required liability insurance.
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11. Where should a rider with a disabled motorcycle try to stop?
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Answer D: Well clear of the traffic lanes, off the shoulder where there is room
Getting completely away from moving traffic protects the stopped rider and anyone helping, and a shoulder alone is not a safe place to work on a machine.
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12. You are already inside an intersection when you realize you should be in the lane beside you. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stay in your lane through the intersection and change lanes afterwards
Drivers in an intersection are watching for cross traffic and turning vehicles, so an unexpected sideways move there is easily missed.
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13. You find yourself in a lane that must turn, you wanted to go straight, and you cannot change lanes safely. What should you do?
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Answer D: Make the required turn and find another route
Going straight from a mandatory turn lane surprises everyone around you, while a wrong turn costs only a few extra minutes.
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14. You are on a four-lane divided highway and a vehicle in your lane is stopped waiting to turn left across the median. What is the normal way past?
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Answer D: Slow down and go by in the lane to the right when it is clear
On a multilane road the free lane beside you is the lawful place to go past a vehicle waiting to turn, and the median is not part of the roadway.
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15. Why should riding gloves fit snugly?
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Answer C: So loose material does not dull your feel for the controls
Bunched or baggy material gets between your hand and the grip, so a close fitting glove keeps the feel for the throttle, clutch and brake lever.
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16. Traffic is entering the freeway from a ramp ahead of you and you are in the right lane. What should you do?
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Answer C: Move to another lane if it is safe, or adjust your speed to make room
Merging drivers may have little room to adjust. Helping them in by changing lanes or easing your speed prevents conflicts even though they must legally yield to you.
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17. You are driving through a residential area where parked cars hide the side streets. What is the safest approach?
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Answer C: Slow down and cover the brake as you pass each opening
Where parked vehicles hide side streets and driveways, lower speed and a covered brake buy the time you lose in sight distance.
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18. You have entered a work zone where crews are working close to the open lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down and be ready for workers and machines
Workers and equipment cross the open lane without warning in a work zone, so reduced speed and attention on the road ahead are what keep them safe.
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19. What must you be sure of before you pull out to pass on a two-lane road?
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Answer A: That the road ahead is clear far enough for the whole pass
You need enough clear road to pull out, pass and return before any oncoming vehicle arrives, and you must judge that distance before you start.
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20. Which clothing color is most likely to get a rider noticed in daylight?
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Answer B: Bright orange, yellow or green, which contrast with backgrounds
High visibility colors stand out against road, foliage and vehicles, which helps drivers pick a motorcycle out of a busy background during the day.
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21. An exit ramp is separated from the highway by a triangle of pavement painted with white stripes. What may you do there?
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Answer C: Nothing; keep off it and choose either the lane or the ramp
The striped area between a ramp and the through lanes is not for driving, stopping or last-second changes of direction.
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22. Which part of the body operates the gearshift lever?
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Answer B: The left foot
The gearshift lever sits ahead of the left footrest and is moved up or down with the left foot.
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23. What is the function of a regulatory sign?
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Answer A: To inform road users of traffic laws or regulations that apply at that location
Regulatory signs state requirements that carry the force of law where they are posted, so disregarding one is a violation rather than a lapse of judgment.
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24. When must a Virginia driver turn on the vehicle's headlights due to weather, according to state law?
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Answer B: Whenever windshield wipers are in continuous use because of fog, rain, sleet or snow
Virginia law requires headlights to be turned on whenever windshield wipers are in continuous use as a result of fog, rain, sleet or snow.
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25. What is wrong with slowing to a crawl at a stop sign and then rolling on through?
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Answer C: It is not a stop, and you may miss a pedestrian or cross traffic
A rolling stop is a violation and it also cuts short the moment you need in order to look carefully in each direction before entering.