Maine BMV Motorcycle Practice Test 34
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. Which feature matters most in clothing meant to keep a rider warm?
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Answer C: A windproof outer layer, since moving air strips body heat fast
Wind blowing through clothing carries away heat faster than anything else, so a windproof outer shell over insulating layers is what keeps a rider warm.
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2. Which helmet style gives the rider the most coverage?
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Answer C: A full face helmet
A full face helmet covers the chin and jaw as well as the skull, protecting the area that open styles leave exposed.
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3. When should tire pressure be measured?
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Answer B: Before riding, while the tires are still cold
Riding heats the air inside a tire and raises the reading, so pressure is set cold to match the figure the manufacturer specifies.
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4. A truck ahead of you is spreading salt or grit on the road. What should you do?
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Answer B: Drop back so the material does not reach your car
Spreaders throw material backward and sideways, and following close means stone chips and a screen full of spray, so leave extra distance.
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5. Which of these makes you unpredictable to other drivers?
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Answer B: Changing lanes suddenly without signaling, to save a moment
An unsignalled, sudden lane change gives nobody time to react and is a common cause of sideswipe collisions.
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6. When should headlights be switched on besides during the hours of darkness?
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Answer C: Whenever rain, fog, snow or dust makes it harder to see or to be seen
Headlights are as much about being seen as about seeing, so they go on whenever visibility drops.
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7. The engine begins to lose power, makes a loud noise and starts to seize. What should the rider do?
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Answer C: Pull in the clutch at once and coast off the road to a safe place
A seizing engine can lock the rear wheel, and pulling in the clutch separates it from the wheel so the motorcycle keeps rolling under control.
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8. Why is a pothole a bigger problem for a motorcycle than for a car?
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Answer C: A motorcycle has only two wheels, so an impact can deflect it off line
A car crosses a hole on four wheels and stays balanced, while a hole can knock a motorcycle off its line or damage a wheel, so scan the pavement well ahead and plan a path around holes.
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9. You are riding a city street with embedded streetcar rails and it has just started to rain. What is the added risk?
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Answer D: Wet steel rails offer very little grip, and so does the pavement beside them
Steel rails give almost no traction when wet, so cross them upright at as close to a right angle as the lane allows, without braking or turning on the metal.
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10. What is true about the oily strip down the center of a traffic lane?
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Answer D: It usually gives enough traction, but heavy buildups where vehicles idle should be avoided
Passing tires keep the central strip largely clear, but the thick deposits that collect at busy intersections and toll booths really are slick.
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11. Your passenger keeps leaning out to one side to see the road ahead. What should you do?
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Answer B: Ask them to stay in line with you and look over your shoulder instead
Leaning out shifts the combined weight sideways and unsettles the machine, and a passenger can see far enough by looking past the rider's shoulder.
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12. Your face shield develops a crack across the middle. What should you do?
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Answer D: Replace the shield, because a crack scatters light and can fail
A cracked shield distorts your view, scatters light badly at night and can break apart in an impact, so it should be replaced rather than repaired.
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13. 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.
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14. A bicyclist in the bike lane ahead of you signals and starts to move left toward the turn lane. What should you do?
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Answer A: Slow down and let the rider move across
A bicyclist who needs to leave the bike lane to turn left is changing lanes like any driver, and following traffic should make room.
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15. You are on a one-way street with two marked lanes. May you pass a slower vehicle on the right?
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Answer A: Yes, using the right lane, provided that the move is safe and signaled
On a roadway with two or more marked lanes in your direction, moving into the free lane and going by is a normal lane change rather than an unlawful pass.
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16. 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.
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17. Which clue tells you that a parked vehicle is about to pull into traffic?
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Answer D: Exhaust smoke, brake lights, front wheels turned out or a driver in the seat
A running engine, lit brake lights, turned wheels or a person behind the wheel all mean the vehicle may move. Slow down and give it room.
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18. A yellow diamond reading DIP warns a driver about
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Answer A: a short, sharp depression in the road surface
A dip is an abrupt low point that can jolt a vehicle or scrape its underside, so speed should be reduced before reaching it.
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19. Why is following distance measured in seconds rather than in car lengths?
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Answer A: Because a time gap automatically grows with speed, while a fixed number of car lengths does not
A gap counted in seconds keeps the same margin of reaction time at any speed, whereas a fixed number of car lengths becomes far too small as speed rises.
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20. What does a tire with worn tread do on a wet road?
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Answer B: It loses grip and it hydroplanes at a lower speed than a good tire
Tread grooves carry water away from the contact patch, and a worn tire cannot do that, so it floats on the water sooner.
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21. Some crosswalks are marked with two transverse lines and others with a row of wide bars laid along the direction of travel. Why is the second pattern used?
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Answer B: It is far easier for an approaching driver to see
Longitudinal bar patterns are used where extra visibility is wanted, such as an uncontrolled crossing or one near a school, because they show up much better from a car.
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22. The temperature gauge climbs toward the red while you sit in slow moving traffic. What should you do?
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Answer A: Get out of the traffic as soon as it is safe and let the engine cool
A stationary motorcycle gets almost no airflow through the engine or radiator, so the cure is to stop creeping along in traffic and let it cool.
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23. You and an opposing driver reach a four-way stop at the same time and both of you are turning right. What should happen?
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Answer C: Both may turn at the same time into their own lanes
Two opposing right turns take drivers into different lanes without crossing, so both can proceed together once pedestrians are clear.
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24. The red lights on a stopped school bus go out and the bus begins to move away. What should you do?
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Answer B: Move off slowly and keep watching for children near the road
Children who have just left the bus may still be near the roadway or crossing behind it, so pull away gently and keep looking for them.
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25. What does a broken line indicate, whatever color it is painted?
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Answer C: That crossing it is permitted
A broken line always describes a permissive condition, and the color then tells the driver whether the traffic beyond it runs the same way or the opposite way.