New Jersey MVC Motorcycle Practice Test 22

  • Questions50
  • Correct to pass40
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age17 years

Minimum age: 17 years, with parent or guardian consent under 18

50 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 40 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. Why is it better for a passenger to hold the rider's waist or hips rather than the rider's shoulders?

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    Answer A: Weight held low is less likely to disturb the rider's steering

    Pulling on the shoulders feeds the passenger's movement straight into the rider's arms and handlebars, while a grip at the waist keeps that weight low and central.

  2. 2. Your group is turning left across oncoming traffic. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Wait until you personally have a large enough gap to turn

    Each rider needs a gap of their own, and turning on the strength of the rider ahead means turning into traffic you have not actually judged.

  3. 3. On a two-way street, where and how should you park at the curb?

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    Answer C: On the right side, facing the way traffic moves

    On a two-way street you must park on the right, headed in the direction of travel; parking facing traffic is prohibited.

  4. 4. Why do bridges and overpasses deserve extra caution when temperatures are near freezing?

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    Answer A: They lose heat from above and below, so they ice over before the surrounding road

    A bridge deck is exposed to cold air on both surfaces and has no ground beneath it to hold heat, so ice can form there while the connecting road is still only wet.

  5. 5. The route marker used for an Interstate highway is a shield with

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    Answer A: white numerals on a blue field under a red band carrying the word INTERSTATE

    The Interstate route marker is a cutout shield with a white border, the word INTERSTATE in white on red across the top and the route number in white on blue.

  6. 6. Where should a touring rider keep the rain suit?

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    Answer B: Somewhere it can be reached quickly without unpacking everything

    Rain gear only helps if you can get to it before you are soaked, so pack it where a quick roadside stop is enough to reach it.

  7. 7. What limits how much weight a motorcycle can carry?

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    Answer A: The load limit given by the manufacturer for that machine

    The manufacturer's figure covers the rider, the passenger and everything carried, and going over it overloads the tires, the brakes and the suspension.

  8. 8. In which crash must the police always be notified?

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    Answer D: Any crash in which somebody has been injured or killed, whatever the damage

    Injury or death always makes a crash reportable, whatever the amount of vehicle damage or the opinions of the drivers.

  9. 9. Why is wearing headphones over both ears a problem while driving?

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    Answer D: You may not hear horns, sirens or other warning sounds

    Hearing is part of your awareness of traffic. Covering both ears blocks emergency sirens, horns and the sound of an approaching vehicle you cannot yet see.

  10. 10. The trapezoid sign shape is associated with

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    Answer C: recreational and cultural interest area signing

    The trapezoid is used for recreational and cultural interest area guide signs and for national forest route markers.

  11. 11. How does alcohol change the time a driver needs to respond to a hazard?

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    Answer A: It slows it, so stopping takes longer

    Alcohol is a depressant that lengthens the time between seeing a hazard and acting on it, which adds directly to the distance needed to stop.

  12. 12. Your group arrives at a stop sign at a busy crossroad. How should each rider treat it?

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    Answer C: Stop and pull out only when there is an adequate gap of your own

    Following the machine ahead through a junction without looking is a common cause of group crashes, because the gap the leader used has already closed.

  13. 13. Why should you make sure your turn signal has stopped flashing after a lane change?

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    Answer A: A signal left flashing tells other drivers that you intend to move again

    Other drivers act on your signals, so one that is left on gives them false information about what you are about to do.

  14. 14. 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.

  15. 15. The green left-turn arrow ends and a steady red ball comes on for your lane, at an intersection where no turn on red is allowed. What must you do?

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    Answer D: Stop and wait, because no turn is allowed while the red ball is lit

    Once a red indication faces your lane and no turn on red is permitted there, the turn is over; only a vehicle already inside the intersection completes its movement.

  16. 16. In a work zone the temporary lane lines conflict with the old lines still visible on the pavement. Which do you follow?

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    Answer C: The temporary markings, which show the current traffic pattern

    Temporary markings define the traffic pattern in force, and the old lines are simply the layout that no longer applies.

  17. 17. You must slow down in a curve but there is no room to straighten the motorcycle. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Brake gently at first and reduce the lean angle as your speed comes down

    Braking and turning compete for the same traction, so brake pressure has to stay light while lean angle is high and can grow as the machine comes upright.

  18. 18. A pedestrian waiting at a curb faces a steady upraised hand. What does that indication mean?

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    Answer A: Do not start to cross in that direction

    A steady upraised hand forbids entering the crosswalk, while a flashing hand only forbids starting a new crossing.

  19. 19. A yellow diamond shows a car with wavy lines behind its rear tires. What is the warning?

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    Answer D: The surface loses grip badly when it is wet

    The slippery when wet sign marks a stretch where traction falls off sharply in rain, so speed and braking must be reduced well in advance.

  20. 20. The rider who was behind you has vanished from your mirrors. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Ease off and pass the word forward so the group can respond

    A rider missing from the line may have stopped or had trouble, and the group needs to know at once so it can slow down or pull over safely.

  21. 21. On an unlit road, about how far ahead do high beams normally let you see?

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    Answer D: About 350 to 500 feet ahead of the vehicle

    High beams light roughly 350 to 500 feet of road and low beams far less, which is why night speeds have to be chosen around the beam, not the limit.

  22. 22. You feel fine twenty minutes after your last drink. Why is that a poor guide to driving?

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    Answer B: Your blood alcohol level can still be rising

    Alcohol keeps being absorbed for some time after the last drink, so a driver who feels able at the door can be more impaired a few miles down the road.

  23. 23. You are driving on a road covered with a layer of wet fallen leaves. What should you expect?

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    Answer B: As little grip as on ice, plus hidden markings and hidden holes

    Wet leaves are as slippery as ice and they hide the lane lines and any potholes underneath, so slow well before curves and stops.

  24. 24. Rain is falling and the outside temperature reads close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Why is that dangerous?

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    Answer A: The rain can freeze on contact and glaze the road with ice

    Near freezing, rain landing on cold pavement can turn to a glaze of ice almost at once, so a road that looks merely wet may have no grip at all.

  25. 25. Why do safety agencies put head protection first among riding gear?

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    Answer A: Because head injuries are the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes

    Head injury is the most common cause of death in motorcycle crashes, which is why a certified helmet is the single most important piece of gear.

  26. 26. Once you are moving, which way of using a navigation device costs you the least attention?

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    Answer B: Listening to the spoken directions

    Voice guidance lets you keep your eyes on the road, while anything that needs the screen takes glances that add up over a trip.

  27. 27. At a rural intersection a beacon flashes yellow toward the main road and red toward the side road. How is each approach treated?

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    Answer A: The main road slows and proceeds, the side road stops

    An intersection control beacon assigns flashing yellow to the road with priority and flashing red to the approach that must stop and yield.

  28. 28. After completing a turn you notice your signal is still flashing. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Switch it off at once, before other drivers act on it

    A signal left on after a turn is a false message, and drivers waiting to pull out may move into your path because of it.

  29. 29. You know in advance that you will be drinking at an event. What is the most reliable plan?

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    Answer A: Arrange a driver who will not drink, or another way home, before the event begins

    A decision made before drinking is not affected by alcohol, while judging your own fitness afterward relies on the very ability alcohol impairs first.

  30. 30. You are stopped at a stop sign waiting to turn onto a highway where traffic moves at 55 mph. How should you choose your gap?

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    Answer A: Wait for a much larger gap than the one you would accept on a city street

    Fast traffic covers ground while you are still accelerating, so the gap that feels adequate at 25 mph is dangerously short at highway speed.

  31. 31. Approaching the point this sign refers to, which hazard is most likely?

    A yellow diamond showing a vertical black line with a shorter line joining it from the right
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    Answer A: A vehicle pulling out from the entering road into the driver's path

    The main risk is a driver on the entering road who misjudges the gap and pulls out, so covering the brake and being ready to slow is the sensible response.

  32. 32. What is the PRIME position on a fuel supply valve used for?

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    Answer D: To let fuel flow into the carburetor after the machine has stood unused

    PRIME bypasses the normal vacuum control and lets fuel refill an empty carburetor, which helps a machine start after sitting for a long time.

  33. 33. A bike lane on your right is marked with a dashed line for the last stretch before the corner. What does that dashed section allow you to do?

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    Answer D: Merge into the bike lane after checking, and turn right from there

    The dashed section is where drivers are meant to merge into the bike lane before turning, which puts cyclists behind the vehicle instead of beside it.

  34. 34. You have stopped on the shoulder of a busy freeway with a flat tire that you cannot change safely. Where should you and your passengers wait?

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    Answer A: Well away from the traffic side, behind a barrier or up the bank if there is one

    People struck on the shoulder are a common cause of roadside deaths, so wait away from the traffic side and behind any barrier.

  35. 35. It is very hot and a rider is tempted to take off the riding jacket. Why can that make the heat worse?

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    Answer C: A bare arm in hot moving air loses fluid fast and burns in the sun

    In hot, dry air a covering layer slows the evaporation of sweat and blocks the sun, so ventilated gear can keep a rider cooler and better hydrated than bare skin.

  36. 36. 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.

  37. 37. You are turning left across tracks that run along the center of the street. What should you do before crossing them?

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    Answer B: Look along the tracks in both directions and cross only when clear

    Rail vehicles running in the street can arrive from either direction and cannot stop quickly, so look along the tracks before you turn across them.

  38. 38. What is a rider looking for when inspecting the control cables?

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    Answer A: Kinks, fraying and stiff or notchy movement

    A frayed strand or a kinked outer will eventually jam or snap, which can leave a rider without a clutch, a throttle or a front brake.

  39. 39. Halfway through a curve you realize you are going too fast. What is the best response?

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    Answer C: Ease off the gas gently and look where you want to go

    Easing off transfers a little weight to the front tires without upsetting the balance, and looking through the curve keeps your steering smooth.

  40. 40. The street you are turning right onto has a bike lane along its right edge. Where should your vehicle end up?

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    Answer B: In the first traffic lane to the left of the bike lane

    A bike lane is not a travel lane for motor vehicles, so the nearest lane you may finish a right turn in is the first general traffic lane beside it.

  41. 41. What does a shaft final drive need checked before a ride?

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    Answer D: The fluid level in the final drive housing, and any sign of leaks

    A shaft drive runs in its own oil bath, so the pre-ride check is the fluid level and any leak around the housing seals rather than tension or slack.

  42. 42. A sign at the start of an exit ramp shows a speed much lower than the highway limit. What does it apply to?

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    Answer C: The curve of the ramp itself, once you have left the highway

    The ramp speed is set by the sharpness of the ramp curve, so you slow to it inside the deceleration lane rather than out on the highway.

  43. 43. A driver's blood alcohol concentration is below the legal limit, but the driver is visibly impaired. Can the driver be arrested?

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    Answer C: Yes, driving while impaired by alcohol is an offense at any concentration

    The per se figure, 0.08 percent in most states and 0.05 percent in Utah, is the level at which impairment is presumed. Impairment shown by driving behavior and field tests is enough on its own, because alcohol affects skills well before that number.

  44. 44. In a normal signal cycle, what comes after a steady red indication?

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    Answer A: A green indication that starts the next movement

    Yellow is a warning that a movement is ending, so it never precedes a green; a red is followed by a green or a green arrow.

  45. 45. A yellow diamond showing arrows arranged in a circle warns of

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    Answer B: a circular intersection such as a roundabout ahead

    The circular intersection warning sign announces a roundabout or traffic circle so drivers can slow down and prepare to yield to traffic already circulating.

  46. 46. At an intersection where turning on a red arrow is not permitted, the signal shows a red left arrow next to a steady green ball. What may you do?

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    Answer D: Go straight or turn right if permitted, but not left

    An arrow controls only the movement it points to, so here the red arrow stops the left turn while the green ball still allows the other movements.

  47. 47. Alcohol is classified as which kind of drug?

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    Answer B: A depressant that slows the central nervous system

    As a depressant, alcohol slows the brain and nervous system, which lengthens reaction time and dulls the coordination that driving depends on.

  48. 48. What fine range applies to a first New Jersey intoxicated driving conviction with a BAC of at least 0.08 percent but under 0.10 percent?

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    Answer D: $250 to $400

    The lowest first-offense band costs $250 to $400; a first offense at 0.10 percent or higher costs $300 to $500.

  49. 49. In near freezing weather, which part of an otherwise clear road is most likely to still be icy?

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    Answer D: A shaded dip under trees or beside a rock cut

    Sun clears most of the road, but shaded hollows never warm up and can hold ice long after the rest of the pavement is dry.

  50. 50. You have just returned to your own lane after passing. Why should you not slow down straight away?

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    Answer A: The vehicle you passed is close behind and needs room to stop

    Returning and then braking leaves the driver you just overtook with almost no following distance, which is how a pass turns into a rear-end collision.