Wisconsin WisDOT DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 43

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age16 years

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 20 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. A signal on an entrance ramp changes from red to green and lets one vehicle at a time onto the highway. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Stop on the red and go on the green, one vehicle for each green

    A ramp meter spaces vehicles out so they join the highway one at a time instead of arriving as a group, and it is a traffic signal like any other.

  2. 2. Why do experienced riders squeeze the clutch lever while starting the engine, even with the neutral light showing?

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    Answer A: In case a gear is engaged, so the motorcycle cannot lurch forward

    A neutral light can be wrong, and a disengaged clutch means the machine stays still even if the transmission is actually in gear.

  3. 3. Which clue best warns a rider that the door of a parked car is about to open?

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    Answer B: Someone visible in the seat, or exhaust showing at the tailpipe

    Occupied cars are the ones that open doors, so scan through rear windows and mirrors and look for exhaust or wheels turning as you approach.

  4. 4. Why is a sign reading BRIDGE ICES BEFORE ROAD worth heeding even when the road itself is merely wet?

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    Answer C: Cold air passes under a bridge as well as over it

    A bridge deck loses heat from below as well as above, so it can be frozen while the road on either side of it is only wet.

  5. 5. You are about to pass a long tractor-trailer on a two-lane road. What should you expect?

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    Answer B: You will need more clear road, since the vehicle is much longer

    A tractor-trailer can be 70 feet long, so passing it takes more distance and more time than passing a car at the same speed difference.

  6. 6. How far from a stopped Wisconsin school bus with flashing red lights must you stop?

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    Answer D: At least 20 feet

    Wisconsin requires drivers to stop at least 20 feet from a school bus showing flashing red lights, from either direction unless a divided roadway separates them.

  7. 7. A line beside your lane is painted about twice the normal width. What does the extra width convey?

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    Answer B: Greater emphasis on the restriction it carries

    Width is part of the marking code: a wide line carries more emphasis than a normal one, which is why it is used at gores and channelizing lines.

  8. 8. What should a rider check about the size of a motorcycle before riding it?

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    Answer C: That both feet reach the ground and the controls are within reach

    A motorcycle that fits lets the rider put both feet down at a stop and work every control without stretching, and a machine that is too tall or too heavy is hard to hold up in slow traffic.

  9. 9. In a work zone, the flagger's instructions conflict with the pavement markings still visible on the road. Which do you follow?

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    Answer B: The flagger, because a person directing traffic outranks the markings

    An authorized flagger controlling a temporary traffic control zone overrides signs, signals and markings, and drivers must obey the flagger's signals.

  10. 10. A white diamond symbol is painted in a highway lane. What does it identify?

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    Answer C: A lane reserved for high-occupancy vehicles

    The diamond symbol marks a preferential lane, most often one reserved for vehicles carrying a minimum number of occupants.

  11. 11. You have finished a distracting task and your eyes are back on the road. What is true?

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    Answer A: Your full attention takes a while to come back

    Studies of drivers show attention lags behind the eyes for many seconds after a phone or a screen task, so the danger continues after the task is over.

  12. 12. A rider notices scalloped, uneven wear across the front tire. What does that suggest?

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    Answer C: A suspension or wheel bearing fault that should be inspected

    Cupped or scalloped wear normally points to worn fork components or loose wheel bearings letting the tire bounce as it rolls.

  13. 13. You are overtaking a large tractor trailer on the highway. What should you expect as you ride alongside and then past it?

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    Answer D: Changing pushes and pulls as you pass the front, the side and the rear

    The air around a large truck moves in different directions along its length, so expect the buffeting to change as you go by. Keep a firm but relaxed grip and a steady throttle.

  14. 14. A broken white line separates your lane from the lane beside it. What does it indicate?

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    Answer C: Both lanes carry traffic in the same direction and lane changes are permitted

    White lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, and a broken white line means changing lanes across it is permitted when it is safe.

  15. 15. Your vehicle has broken down at night on a rural road and your phone has no signal. What is the safest thing to do?

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    Answer C: Stay with the vehicle, keep the hazard lights on and wait for help

    A lit vehicle is far easier to find than a person walking in the dark, and running the engine while you sleep risks carbon monoxide.

  16. 16. The queue for an exit ramp has backed up into the right lane of the highway. What should you do if you want that exit?

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    Answer B: Join the back of the queue in the lane instead of cutting in later

    Passing a queue and forcing in at the front stops the whole line, and using the shoulder puts you where broken-down vehicles are expected to be.

  17. 17. You are stopped facing uphill on a steep grade and need to pull away. What is the recommended technique?

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    Answer D: Hold with the rear brake, ease the clutch into the friction zone, then release

    The rear brake keeps the motorcycle from rolling backward while the clutch takes up the drive, and it is released as the throttle is opened.

  18. 18. When should you enter a destination into a navigation device?

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    Answer B: Before you start driving, or after parking in a safe place

    Programming a route is a visual, manual and mental task at the same time, so it belongs to the moments before the vehicle moves rather than to any point in traffic.

  19. 19. 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.

  20. 20. How much more energy must your brakes absorb if you double your speed?

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    Answer D: About four times as much, since energy rises with the square of speed

    Kinetic energy grows with the square of speed, so twice the speed means about four times the energy and a far longer braking distance.

  21. 21. The car ahead drifts across the lane line and back again several times. What should you do?

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    Answer C: Assume that the driver is distracted or impaired, and keep well back

    Drifting is a classic sign of a distracted, drowsy or impaired driver, and distance is your protection from all three.

  22. 22. You are the first driver on a road just after a storm. What should you plan for?

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    Answer B: Branches, mud and other debris hidden around the next bend

    Storm debris lands where nobody has cleared it yet, often just beyond a curve or a crest, so reduce speed and look much further ahead.

  23. 23. How much following distance should you keep behind a motorcycle?

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    Answer C: At least three to four seconds

    A motorcycle can slow or stop very quickly and is easily upset by a surprise, so allow three to four seconds instead of the usual car gap.

  24. 24. What is the safest way to deal with a vehicle sitting in your blind spot?

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    Answer A: Slow a little or move ahead so that it is no longer beside you

    You cannot control the other driver, but you can change your own speed so that the vehicle is no longer hidden beside you.

  25. 25. What is the normal Wisconsin school zone speed limit when children are visible?

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    Answer B: 15 miles per hour

    The normal Wisconsin school zone limit is 15 miles per hour when children are present.