Tennessee TDOSHS Motorcycle Practice Test 46

  • Questions30
  • Correct to pass24
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age15 years

Minimum age: 15 years for the Class PM learner permit; 16 years for the Class M licence

30 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 24 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. How far ahead should you normally be looking as you drive?

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    Answer C: About 12 to 15 seconds ahead, well beyond the vehicle in front

    Looking that far down the road lets you see a problem developing and slow smoothly, instead of discovering it in time only for hard braking.

  2. 2. You are riding directly into a low sun that is glaring off your face shield. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Slow down and assume that drivers ahead of you cannot see you either

    Glare cuts what everyone can see, so lower speed buys reaction time, and a driver blinded by the same sun is even less likely to notice a motorcycle.

  3. 3. Is a helmet worth wearing on a short trip to a store a few blocks away?

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    Answer C: Yes, since many crashes happen close to home at ordinary street speeds

    A large share of motorcycle crashes occur on short, familiar trips at moderate speeds, and injuries at those speeds are still severe.

  4. 4. Why should a rider pull in the clutch at the first sign that the engine is seizing?

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    Answer B: So a locking engine cannot lock the rear wheel through the drive train

    A seizing engine can lock up, and with the clutch engaged that would lock the rear wheel, so disconnecting the drive keeps the wheel rolling while you coast off the road.

  5. 5. 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.

  6. 6. Why are dawn and dusk especially difficult times to be seen on a motorcycle?

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    Answer A: Low contrast light makes a small vehicle blend into the scene

    In the flat light of dawn and dusk a motorcycle blends into its background, so bright color, reflective material and the headlight matter most at exactly those hours.

  7. 7. Why does a motorcycle feel less stable at very low speed when a passenger is aboard?

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    Answer B: The passenger's weight sits high and to the rear, so balance is easier to upset

    A second person adds mass above and behind the rear axle, so slow speed maneuvers such as pulling away, walking pace turns and stops demand more care.

  8. 8. Why does the situation ahead of this sign deserve extra care from a motorcyclist?

    A yellow diamond showing two black lines joining into one as they go up
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    Answer C: Because a narrow machine is easy to overlook in a mirror or a blind spot

    A motorcycle fills very little of a mirror and disappears easily into a blind spot, so the rider should adjust speed and lane position to stay visible where the streams come together.

  9. 9. How many points does Tennessee assess for driving 16 to 25 mph over the limit inside a posted work zone?

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    Answer D: 5 points

    The 16 to 25 mph over band inside a work zone carries 5 points, one point above the equivalent ordinary road band.

  10. 10. You are on a two-lane road where a broken yellow line runs on your side of the center. What does that pattern allow?

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    Answer C: Passing when the way ahead is clear and it is otherwise legal

    A broken yellow center line marks a stretch where passing is permitted for traffic on that side when it can be completed safely.

  11. 11. A motorcycle in your group develops a mechanical problem on a busy highway. What is the best response?

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    Answer C: Signal the group off at the next exit or wide, safe pull off area

    A narrow shoulder beside fast traffic is a dangerous place to gather, so the group moves on to a spot where every machine is well clear of the roadway.

  12. 12. A sign on a long descent points to a RUNAWAY TRUCK RAMP a mile ahead. What is that ramp for?

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    Answer C: Stopping a vehicle whose brakes have failed

    An escape ramp climbs into deep gravel or sand to bring a vehicle with failed brakes to a halt, so no one should stop or park in it.

  13. 13. May you park across the entrance to a fire station?

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    Answer D: No, an emergency exit must never be blocked

    Emergency vehicles must be able to leave the moment a call comes in, so their entrances and exits are kept clear at all hours.

  14. 14. May you stop in a marked bicycle lane to let a passenger out?

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    Answer B: No, stopping there forces riders into the traffic lane

    A vehicle stopped in a bike lane pushes riders out into moving traffic, which is exactly what the lane exists to prevent.

  15. 15. You are approaching the entry of a modern roundabout. Who must you yield to?

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    Answer C: Traffic already circulating in the roundabout, which approaches from your left

    Traffic in a United States roundabout circulates counterclockwise, so drivers entering must look left and yield to vehicles already in the circulating roadway.

  16. 16. What is a designated driver?

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    Answer A: Someone who agrees to drink nothing at all

    A designated driver drinks no alcohol whatsoever, because any amount begins to affect judgment and the whole point is a sober driver.

  17. 17. 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.

  18. 18. You enter a work zone where the top layer of pavement has been milled off, leaving a grooved surface. How should you ride?

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    Answer B: Hold a relaxed grip and steady speed, and expect the tires to wander

    Milled or grooved pavement makes the tires follow the ridges and the motorcycle feel unsettled, so relax on the bars, keep a constant speed and ride straight through.

  19. 19. You must slow suddenly on a highway and a vehicle is following close behind you. What helps prevent a rear-end collision?

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    Answer D: Tapping the brake pedal early so your brake lights flash a warning

    Early brake light flashes give the driver behind more time to react, and slowing gradually instead of suddenly reduces the chance of being struck.

  20. 20. You have shut the engine off with the kill switch because the throttle stuck open. What comes next?

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    Answer D: Keep the clutch in, brake to a stop off the road, and find the cause

    With the engine off and the clutch pulled in the motorcycle is only coasting, so brake to a stop clear of traffic and inspect the throttle cable and grip before restarting.

  21. 21. You are following another vehicle down a long, steep grade. What should you do about the gap?

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    Answer D: Make it longer, because both of you need more room to stop

    Everything takes longer to stop on a downgrade, including the vehicle ahead, so the gap that works on the flat is no longer enough.

  22. 22. You are entering a marked work zone. What should you expect?

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    Answer B: A reduced posted speed, narrowed or shifted lanes, and traffic that may stop suddenly

    Work zones change the geometry of the road and can bring traffic to a halt without warning, so the posted work zone speed and increased following distance both apply.

  23. 23. 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.

  24. 24. Where should you be looking as you steer through a turn?

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    Answer C: Toward the point on the new road where you want to end up

    Drivers steer toward what they look at, so looking through the turn to where you want to go keeps the path smooth and accurate.

  25. 25. You are waiting to pull out of a driveway when a bicyclist comes along the bike lane in front of you. What must you do?

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    Answer D: Wait until the bicyclist has gone past

    A driver leaving a driveway yields to everything already on the road, and a bike lane is part of the roadway.

  26. 26. Your route crosses a long steel grid bridge deck. What should you do about braking and speed while you are on the grating?

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    Answer B: Keep a steady speed and do any braking before the grating, not on it

    A steel deck makes the motorcycle weave and offers less grip, so set your speed before you reach it, ride straight across, and brake on solid pavement.

  27. 27. Why must the handlebars be kept square during a hard straight line stop?

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    Answer B: Because a front wheel turned under heavy braking can put the machine down

    With the front tire loaded to its limit, any steering input asks it to do two jobs at once and the front end can wash out instantly.

  28. 28. You are driving at night through heavy falling snow. Which headlight setting works better and why?

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    Answer C: Low beams, because high beams bounce off the falling flakes back at you

    Falling snow reflects light the way fog does, so high beams build a white wall of glare while low beams still give a usable view.

  29. 29. A curb sign reads 2 Hour Parking, 8 AM to 6 PM, Monday to Saturday. When may you stay longer than two hours?

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    Answer A: Outside those hours and on Sundays

    A time limit applies only during the days and hours printed on the sign; outside them the ordinary parking rules apply.

  30. 30. A pedestrian using a white cane or walking with a guide dog starts to cross the street ahead of you. What must you do?

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    Answer A: Yield and stay stopped until the person has finished crossing

    A white cane or guide dog identifies a pedestrian who may not be able to see your vehicle, so you must yield and wait rather than maneuver around the person. The horn can confuse the pedestrian or the dog.