Iowa DOT Motorcycle Practice Test 10
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. Why does the situation ahead of this sign deserve extra care from a motorcyclist?
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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.
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2. In which situation should you increase your usual following distance?
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Answer B: On wet roads, at night, in fog, when towing a trailer, or when following a motorcycle
Reduced traction, reduced visibility, a heavier load and a vehicle that can stop faster than yours all require extra space to keep the same margin of safety.
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3. 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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4. 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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5. Smoke and flames appear from the engine compartment after you stop. What should you do?
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Answer A: Get everyone well away from the vehicle first, and then call the fire service
A vehicle fire can spread within seconds, so people come out first and firefighting is left to the fire service.
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6. In the T-CLOCS pre-ride inspection, what does the first item cover?
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Answer C: Tires and wheels
T stands for tires and wheels, where the rider checks pressure, tread, damage, rims, spokes and bearings before anything else.
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7. Why do many crashes happen on routes the driver knows very well?
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Answer D: Familiar roads let attention slip into routine
When a route is automatic the mind wanders and hazards get missed, which is why a well known road deserves the same attention as a strange one.
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8. 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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9. Why should a rider glance down at the sidestand before pulling away?
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Answer A: A stand left down can catch the road and lever the rear wheel off the ground
A sidestand that is still down will dig into the pavement in a left turn and can lift the rear tire clear of the road.
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10. A car is passing you on a two lane road. Which lane position is generally best while it goes by?
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Answer A: The center portion of your lane
The middle of the lane keeps distance from the passing vehicle and its mirrors while leaving room on the other side if the rider needs it.
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11. How does Iowa word the duty that limits speed no matter what the posted limit says?
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Answer B: A driver must not exceed a speed that permits stopping within the assured clear distance ahead
Iowa Code section 321.285 requires a careful and prudent speed and forbids driving faster than will permit the driver to stop within the assured clear distance ahead.
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12. Is it safe to check your phone while stopped at a red light?
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Answer B: No, you may miss the signal change and hazards around you
Attention does not return instantly when the light changes, and emergency vehicles, pedestrians or a rear-end threat can appear while you are stopped. Stay focused on the road.
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13. You are calling 911 to report a crash. Which information matters most?
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Answer C: The exact location, how many people are hurt and any hazard such as fire
Dispatchers need to know where to send help, how much help to send, and what dangers the crews will meet on arrival.
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14. Two solid white lines are painted between your lane and the lane beside it. What do they mean?
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Answer D: Crossing from one lane to the other is prohibited
Double solid white lines separate lanes of traffic going the same way and may not be crossed.
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15. 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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16. A large group has been divided into smaller groups. What should be done between them?
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Answer A: Leave a gap big enough for other vehicles to move in and pass safely
A gap between sub groups lets other traffic pass or merge without cutting into a formation, which keeps drivers from making sudden moves around the riders.
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17. Which statement about standard drinks is correct?
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Answer C: A standard serving of beer, of table wine and of distilled spirits each contain about the same amount of pure alcohol
Roughly 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of table wine and 1.5 ounces of 80 proof spirits each contain about the same amount of pure alcohol, so the type of drink does not change the effect.
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18. Trees block the view along the tracks as a driver approaches this sign. What approach speed is correct?
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Answer B: Slow enough to stop before the nearest rail once a train comes into view
Where the view along the track is obstructed, the only safe speed is one that still leaves stopping distance after a train first becomes visible.
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19. Why is this restriction so common beside fire hydrants, crosswalks and intersection corners?
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Answer C: To keep sight lines open and leave access for emergency crews
A vehicle left in those places hides pedestrians from approaching drivers, blocks the path of turning vehicles and can keep firefighters from reaching a hydrant.
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20. Under Iowa's electronic device law, where must the vehicle be before the driver may use a handheld device?
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Answer A: At a complete stop off the traveled portion of the roadway
Iowa Code section 321.276 allows use of an electronic device only when the vehicle is at a complete stop off the traveled portion of the roadway, or as far from the center as practicable if it cannot be moved off.
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21. The handlebars begin to shake violently in a wobble at speed. What is the correct response?
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Answer C: Grip the bars firmly and close the throttle gradually, without braking
Braking or accelerating during a wobble usually makes it worse, so the rider holds on, rolls off gradually, and pulls off the road to find the cause.
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22. A yellow curve warning sign carries a yellow plaque showing a speed. What does that number mean?
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Answer D: The recommended maximum safe speed for the curve under ideal conditions
An advisory speed plaque on a yellow warning sign gives the recommended maximum speed for the hazard ahead when conditions are good.
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23. You have just driven through a deep puddle and your brakes feel weak. What should you do?
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Answer D: Drive slowly while lightly applying the brakes until they dry and work normally
Wet brakes grip poorly and may pull to one side. Gentle braking at low speed generates heat that dries the pads and discs quickly.
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24. How should your speed behave while you move from one lane into the next?
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Answer C: Keep it steady or adjust it smoothly to match the traffic in the new lane
A lane change works best as a smooth movement at the speed of the lane you are joining, since sudden braking or acceleration surprises the drivers around you.
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25. What does the choke, or enrichener, do on a motorcycle that has one?
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Answer B: It gives the engine a richer fuel mixture so a cold engine will start
A cold engine needs more fuel in proportion to air, and the choke supplies that richer mixture until the engine warms up.