Maine BMV Motorcycle Practice Test 13

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age16 years

Minimum age: 16 years, with an 8 hour motorcycle education program required of every applicant

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

  1. 1. In normal operation, which indication always comes between a green and a red on the same signal face?

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    Answer C: A steady yellow

    The yellow change interval must follow every green or green arrow, so a signal can never jump straight from green to red.

  2. 2. You are turning left at an intersection and an oncoming bicyclist is approaching in the bike lane. What must you do?

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    Answer B: Yield and complete the turn only after the bicyclist has passed

    A bicycle in the roadway has the same right of way as a vehicle, so a left-turning driver must yield to an oncoming rider just as to an oncoming car.

  3. 3. Which combination best reduces the chance of hydroplaning?

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    Answer D: Good tread depth, correct tire pressure and lower speed in the rain

    Tread channels water away, correct pressure keeps the tire's shape, and lower speed gives the tire time to push water aside. Hydroplaning can begin at surprisingly modest speeds.

  4. 4. What happens in Maine if the parent who signed a minor's license application later files a notarized request that the license be suspended?

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    Answer C: The Secretary of State suspends the license without a hearing

    Whoever signed a minor's application may withdraw that consent by notarized written request, and the Secretary of State then suspends the license without a hearing.

  5. 5. A driver disregards this sign and turns so as to travel against the direction it establishes. What is the immediate danger?

    A black rectangle with a white arrow and white lettering
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    Answer D: The driver will face traffic head on, because every lane comes the other way

    Turning against the established direction puts the vehicle nose to nose with all the traffic on that street, which is why the mistake has to be corrected at once.

  6. 6. You have just passed a vehicle on a two-lane road. When may you return to your lane?

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    Answer B: When you can see the whole vehicle in your inside mirror

    Seeing the entire vehicle you passed in your rearview mirror shows there is room to pull back in without cutting it off.

  7. 7. What is the purpose of the engine cut-off switch?

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    Answer B: To stop the engine without letting go of the handgrips

    The cut-off switch, usually a red switch near the right handgrip, shuts the engine down while the rider keeps both hands in control of the motorcycle.

  8. 8. The low sun is directly ahead and glare makes it hard to see. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Slow down, use the sun visor or sunglasses, and increase following distance

    Sun glare can hide pedestrians, brake lights and signals. Reducing speed and adding space gives you time to react to what you cannot yet see.

  9. 9. At a freeway exit, the paved triangle between the ramp and the through lanes is filled with diagonal white lines. What do they mean?

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    Answer A: Stay out of that area, because it is not meant to be driven on

    Chevron and diagonal markings fill paved areas that traffic is not intended to use, so drivers should keep out of them.

  10. 10. There is a stop sign but no stop line and no crosswalk. Where must you stop?

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    Answer A: Before entering the intersection, where you can see cross traffic

    With no line or crosswalk, stop before you enter the intersection at the point where you can see traffic on the cross street.

  11. 11. How should cargo be carried on a motorcycle?

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    Answer D: Kept low, in saddlebags or at about seat level

    Keeping the load low preserves the center of gravity and the normal handling of the motorcycle, while a high load makes it top heavy and unstable.

  12. 12. Where should a passenger sit on the motorcycle?

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    Answer A: As far forward as possible without crowding the operator

    Sitting well forward keeps the passenger weight close to the center of the motorcycle, which helps it handle closer to normal.

  13. 13. On a school speed limit sign, the part carrying the word SCHOOL is shown

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    Answer A: in black on a fluorescent yellow-green background

    The SCHOOL portion of the school speed limit sign uses the same fluorescent yellow-green background as school warning signs, while the speed portion keeps the standard regulatory appearance.

  14. 14. A pedestrian with a white cane draws the cane back and steps away from the curb as you approach. What does that usually mean?

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    Answer B: They are signaling you to go ahead and drive on

    Pulling the cane in and stepping back from the curb is the customary way a blind pedestrian tells drivers to proceed.

  15. 15. A sign warns that the right lane ends ahead, and traffic is still flowing freely. What should you do if you are in that lane?

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    Answer C: Signal, adjust your speed and move left in good time before the lane ends

    When traffic is moving freely there is room to merge early and smoothly, which avoids the last-second lane change at the closure point.

  16. 16. What does this sign warn a driver about?

    A yellow diamond showing two black lines joining into one as they go up
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    Answer A: Traffic from another roadway will enter the same lane ahead

    Two traffic streams come together into one lane beyond this point, so drivers on both roadways have to adjust speed and spacing to fit together.

  17. 17. You reach a one-lane bridge and a vehicle is already partway across it coming toward you. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Stop before the bridge and let it come through

    A vehicle already on a one-lane bridge has the right of way, and the driver who has not yet entered waits at the approach.

  18. 18. A bicyclist ahead of you puts the left arm straight out to the side. What is being signaled?

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    Answer B: A left turn or a move to the left

    The left arm held straight out is the bicycle signal for a left turn, so hold back and give the rider room to cross toward the center.

  19. 19. Which rain suit is the better choice for a rider?

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    Answer A: A bright one with reflective panels, since rain cuts visibility

    Drivers see less in the rain, so rain gear is exactly where bright color and reflective material pay off most.

  20. 20. How should you use your mirrors while another vehicle overtakes you on a multilane road?

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    Answer C: Follow it from the inside mirror to the side mirror and then to your own view

    Handing the vehicle from one mirror to the next keeps it in sight through the blind spot instead of losing it there.

  21. 21. 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.

  22. 22. How should braking and swerving be combined?

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    Answer C: Brake before or after the swerve, never during it

    Traction can be spent on turning or on braking, and asking for both at once during a swerve is very likely to cause a skid.

  23. 23. Two lanes at the corner are marked for right turns. What does that require of you?

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    Answer A: Keep your own lane through the turn and into the matching new lane

    Dual turn lanes work only if each vehicle stays in its own lane all the way round and finishes in the corresponding lane of the new street.

  24. 24. Where should a rider keep the knees while riding?

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    Answer B: Against the fuel tank

    Knees held against the tank anchor the rider to the motorcycle and improve balance, which matters most in turns.

  25. 25. Which feature suggests that a helmet is an uncertified novelty helmet?

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    Answer D: A shell less than one inch thick with no firm foam liner

    Novelty helmets are typically thin and very light because they lack the stiff energy absorbing liner that a certified helmet uses to manage an impact.