Maine BMV Motorcycle Practice Test 20
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. How does Maine change license validity for a holder who is 65 years of age or older?
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Answer C: It expires on the holder's 4th birthday following the date of issue
Once the holder is 65 or older, both noncommercial and commercial Maine licenses expire on the holder's fourth birthday following the date of issue.
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2. A yellow pennant, an isosceles triangle with its long axis horizontal, is reserved for which message?
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Answer D: No passing zone
The pennant shape is used only for the no passing zone sign, which marks the point where overtaking is no longer allowed.
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3. A disabled vehicle is blocking your lane on a two-lane road with a single solid yellow line on your side. What should you do?
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Answer C: Wait until the oncoming lane is clear, then go around carefully
The solid line prohibits overtaking a moving vehicle, but in most states a driver may go around an obstruction such as a disabled vehicle once the oncoming lane is clear and the move can be made safely.
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4. What should the clutch be doing during a quick stop?
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Answer C: Pulled in as the motorcycle slows, so the engine does not stall
Disengaging the clutch as the machine slows keeps the engine running, so the rider can pull away again immediately if that becomes necessary.
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5. Why would a restriction like this one be applied to a stretch of road?
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Answer A: Because there is not enough visible road ahead to complete a pass safely
Limits on overtaking are set where a hill, a curve or an obstruction leaves too little sight distance for a driver to pull out, pass and return before meeting oncoming traffic.
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6. You are at a red light where right turns on red are allowed, you cannot see clearly, and the driver behind sounds the horn. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stay stopped until you can see that the turn is safe
Turning right on red is permitted, never required, so you wait until you can see that the way is clear no matter what the driver behind does.
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7. 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.
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8. How does alcohol typically affect a driver's vision?
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Answer D: It blurs vision, weakens night vision and narrows attention to the sides
Alcohol slows the eye muscles and the brain's processing of what is seen, degrading focus, night vision, depth perception and awareness of movement at the edges of the field of view.
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9. How much of the suspension must be served before interlock reinstatement when a Maine driver has two OUI offenses?
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Answer C: 9 months
Maine requires 9 months of the suspension to be served before interlock reinstatement after two OUI offenses, rising to 3 years after three and 4 years after four or more.
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10. 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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11. An obstacle appears ahead and you can see there is no room left to stop before it. What should you do?
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Answer D: Swerve around it
Once the distance is too short to stop, changing direction is the only option left, and a motorcycle can change direction faster than it can stop.
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12. What does Maine law say about driving unusually slowly?
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Answer A: A driver may not impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic
Maine forbids operating at a speed so slow that it impedes the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except where reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or required by law.
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13. A delivery truck is parked in your lane and you must use the oncoming lane to get around it. Who has the right of way?
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Answer D: The oncoming traffic, because their lane is clear
The driver whose own lane is obstructed waits, because using the other lane is a favor from oncoming traffic, not a right.
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14. Why is the front brake avoided during a very slow, tightly leaned turn?
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Answer D: It can upset the balance of a leaned machine and drop it at low speed
At low speed and full lock there is little momentum holding the motorcycle up, and the sudden weight shift from the front brake easily topples it.
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15. A regulatory message is normally carried on a sign whose shape is
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Answer A: a rectangle standing taller than it is wide
Regulatory signs that state a law, such as speed limits and turn restrictions, use a vertical rectangle with a black legend on a white background.
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16. You park at the roadside on a hill, facing downhill. What keeps the motorcycle from rolling away?
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Answer D: Leaving it in first gear with the front wheel turned toward the curb
A motorcycle has no parking brake, so the transmission left in gear stops the wheel turning and the front wheel turned into the curb blocks any roll.
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17. How should riders in a staggered formation pass another vehicle?
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Answer D: One rider at a time
Passing one rider at a time keeps each pass short and prevents the group from occupying the other lane longer than necessary.
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18. You are turning left into a street that is divided by a raised median. Which side should you enter?
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Answer C: The right-hand roadway, so that you travel on the proper side
A raised median separates two directions of travel, so the turn must be completed into the roadway carrying traffic your way.
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19. What training does Maine require of every applicant for a motorcycle license?
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Answer A: A motorcycle driver education program consisting of an 8 hour block of instruction
Maine requires all motorcycle applicants to complete a prescribed 8 hour block of motorcycle instruction, and applicants under 18 must also complete basic driver education.
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20. 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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21. In the code that governs pavement markings, what does a double line stand for?
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Answer B: A maximum restriction
The marking code is consistent: a double line means the strongest restriction, a solid line discourages or forbids crossing, and a broken line is permissive.
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22. You are fitting a tank bag to your motorcycle. What must you check?
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Answer B: That it does not foul the handlebars or block your view of the instruments
A bag that catches the bars at full lock or hides the instruments interferes with control of the motorcycle exactly where the rider needs it most.
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23. You are stopped at a T-intersection and a driver on the through road is signaling a right turn into your road. What is the safe assumption?
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Answer B: The driver may not actually turn, so wait until the vehicle slows and starts turning
A blinking signal may have been left on by mistake or may be for the next street, so wait until the vehicle actually slows and turns.
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24. What most often leads to an engine seizure on a motorcycle?
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Answer A: Loss of engine oil or coolant, so the moving parts overheat and grip
Seizure is normally a lubrication or cooling failure, which is why oil level and coolant are part of every pre-ride check and why a rising temperature reading deserves attention.
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25. You are stopped in traffic at a red light when an ambulance comes up behind you with its siren on. What is the correct action?
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Answer D: Stay put until you can move aside legally and safely
You must not run a red light or make an unsafe move to yield; wait, then pull to the side once the way ahead lets you do it safely.