Colorado DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 49
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. A wide crosswalk you are turning across has a refuge island in the middle. What should you assume about people standing on it?
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Answer D: They may step off the island into your path at any moment
An island is a pause in a crossing, not the end of one, so treat anyone on it as a pedestrian who is still crossing.
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2. What does a sign showing a bicycle inside a red circle with a diagonal slash prohibit?
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Answer D: Riding a bicycle on that roadway
This is a selective exclusion sign, used where bicycles are banned from a road such as a freeway or a tunnel.
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3. Where are signs of this kind placed at an intersection?
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Answer C: At the near right and far left corners, facing drivers on the intersecting street
They are installed at the corners of the intersecting street so that a driver about to turn in sees the restriction before committing to the turn.
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4. You are starting from a stop on a snowy, icy street and the drive wheels begin to spin. What should you do?
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Answer C: Ease off the accelerator and start again more gently
Spinning tires polish the surface and dig in. Very gentle pressure on the accelerator, and a higher gear if you have one, gives the tires the best chance to grip.
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5. Besides impact protection, how does a light colored helmet help the rider?
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Answer A: It sits above surrounding traffic, so drivers pick it out sooner
A light or high visibility helmet sits above the traffic around the rider and is often the first part of a motorcycle a driver notices.
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6. What matters most about the armor built into a riding jacket?
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Answer B: That it sits over the joints and stays there during a fall
Armor only works where it is, so the jacket must fit closely enough that the pads stay over the shoulders, elbows and spine when the rider hits the ground.
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7. How should a driver respond to this sign?
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Answer C: Slow down before reaching the rough spot and cross it at a steady, low speed
Losing speed before a sharp rise in the pavement keeps the vehicle settled, while braking or accelerating on top of it unsettles the suspension and costs grip.
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8. 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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9. Why are pedestrians and cyclists a special risk on unlit streets at night?
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Answer A: Dark clothing can make them invisible until they are very close
A person in dark clothing reflects almost no light and may not appear until they are inside your stopping distance, so cut your speed where people may be about.
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10. What should a rider confirm about the transmission before starting the engine?
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Answer B: That it is in neutral, or that the clutch lever is squeezed all the way in
Starting in gear with the clutch engaged can make the motorcycle lurch forward, so the machine must be in neutral or the clutch held in.
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11. How should a rider take curves while carrying a passenger?
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Answer A: More slowly than when riding alone
The extra weight raises the center of gravity and makes the motorcycle respond more slowly, so curves have to be taken at a lower speed.
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12. What is the basic rule for entering a roundabout?
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Answer B: Traffic already circulating goes first, and you wait for a gap
Entering traffic yields to vehicles already going around the circle, which is what keeps a roundabout moving instead of locking up.
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13. You are already inside an intersection when you realize you should be in the lane beside you. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stay in your lane through the intersection and change lanes afterwards
Drivers in an intersection are watching for cross traffic and turning vehicles, so an unexpected sideways move there is easily missed.
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14. What does this sign require of the driver?
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Answer D: Reducing speed and being ready to stop at the intersection ahead
The advance notice asks the driver to slow and be ready to stop, while whether a stop is actually needed depends on the indication displayed on arrival.
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15. A person using a wheelchair is waiting to cross at a corner ahead. How should you treat that person?
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Answer B: As a pedestrian with the right of way at the crossing
A wheelchair or a mobility scooter user has the rights of a pedestrian, so yield the whole crossing and wait until the crossing is finished.
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16. Why should two riders never travel side by side in the same lane?
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Answer B: Because neither rider has room to swerve if a hazard appears
Riding directly alongside another motorcycle removes the escape path each rider needs to avoid a hazard, a pothole or another vehicle.
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17. A vehicle ahead of you displays a reflective orange triangle on its rear. What does that emblem tell you?
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Answer B: The vehicle is built to travel at 25 mph or less
The orange triangle is the slow moving vehicle emblem used on farm and construction equipment designed for 25 mph or less, warning you that you are closing on it much faster than it appears.
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18. Which sequence describes a well-made turn?
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Answer A: Signal, move into the correct lane, slow down, check, then turn
Tell others first, take your position, lose the speed before the corner, take a final look, and only then steer through the turn.
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19. 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.
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20. Where is the no passing zone pennant sign installed?
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Answer A: On the left side of the roadway
The pennant is placed on the left side of the roadway at the beginning of the no-passing zone, in the field of view of a driver who is thinking about overtaking.
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21. Which warning sign keeps its yellow background even when it is used inside a work zone?
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Answer D: The grade crossing advance warning sign
The round grade crossing advance warning sign keeps its black legend on yellow inside temporary traffic control zones because the railroad hazard it describes is not temporary.
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22. Why is it worth planning your route before a long drive?
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Answer B: So that you are not reading a map or a screen while the car is moving
A driver who knows the route is not navigating at the wheel, which is one of the commonest sources of distraction.
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23. You are stopped in a line of traffic waiting at a red light. What is the safest way to wait?
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Answer A: Stay in first gear, keep watching the mirrors and leave a way out
A vehicle approaching from behind may not stop in time, and staying in gear with a gap ahead lets the rider move out of the way.
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24. 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.
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25. When are you expected to switch from high beams to low beams?
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Answer D: When a vehicle approaches from ahead or you come up behind another vehicle
High beams blind other drivers, both those coming toward you and those you follow through their mirrors. Dim them whenever another vehicle is within range.