Iowa DOT Motorcycle Practice Test 22
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. The engine has warmed up and idles smoothly. What should be done with the choke?
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Answer C: Turn it off
A warm engine running on a rich mixture wastes fuel, runs poorly and can foul the spark plugs, so the choke is closed once it is no longer needed.
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2. Why is a wet road at night harder to read than the same road in daylight?
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Answer A: The wet surface reflects light away and swallows the lane markings
A film of water sends your headlight beam onward instead of back to you, so lines, edges and people in dark clothing almost disappear.
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3. Your exit from a three-lane highway is about a mile ahead on the right, and you are in the left lane. What should you do?
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Answer B: Start moving right now, one lane at a time
Plan ahead and change lanes one at a time well before the exit, so you never have to cut across several lanes at the gore.
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4. You are in a marked passing zone but a steady stream of oncoming traffic is coming toward you. What does the broken center line allow?
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Answer C: A pass only when the road is clear, so you have to stay behind
A passing zone marks where the sight distance is adequate, but it never gives permission to enter a lane that another vehicle is occupying.
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5. What should riders expect from highway traffic when a group is merging?
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Answer C: Drivers will not hold a gap open for the group, so riders take real gaps
Other drivers do not treat a line of motorcycles as one vehicle, so each rider has to find a genuine gap rather than count on being let in.
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6. School warning signs use which background and legend colors?
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Answer A: A black legend and border on a fluorescent yellow-green background
School warning signs carry a black legend and border on a fluorescent yellow-green background, a shade chosen so they stand out from ordinary yellow warning signs.
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7. Is it acceptable to drive far below the flow of traffic on an open highway?
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Answer B: No, driving too slowly can obstruct traffic and create a hazard
Traffic that is much slower than the surrounding flow forces other drivers into sudden braking and unnecessary passing maneuvers, and impeding traffic is itself a violation.
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8. What is meant by a crowned road?
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Answer B: A road built higher along its center so that water drains toward the sides
The crown is the built-in slope from the middle of the road down toward each edge, and it exists so rain runs off instead of standing on the surface.
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9. Why is parking next to a fire hydrant or in a marked fire lane prohibited?
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Answer D: It would delay firefighters who need immediate access to the hydrant or the building
Fire hydrants and fire lanes must remain clear at all times so emergency crews can connect hoses and reach a building without delay.
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10. Which clothing offers the best protection for a rider?
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Answer D: Leather or sturdy synthetic gear covering the arms and legs completely
Leather and purpose built synthetics resist abrasion far better than ordinary clothing, and full coverage also guards against sun, wind chill and flying debris.
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11. You are approaching a blind right hand curve. Which starting lane position gives the best view through it?
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Answer C: The left portion of the lane, toward the outside of the curve
Starting at the outside of a curve opens up the line of sight through it, and the rider then moves toward the inside as the exit comes into view.
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12. The rear tire loses air suddenly while you are riding. Which symptom should you expect and how should you respond?
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Answer D: The rear sways or feels heavy, so ease off and slow with the front brake
A rear flat makes the back of the motorcycle wallow or sway, so hold your line, close the throttle gently and slow mainly with the brake on the wheel that still has air.
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13. In a tight, slow speed turn such as a parking lot U-turn, the rider should:
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Answer C: Lean the motorcycle while keeping the body upright
Keeping the body upright while the motorcycle leans lets the machine turn tightly and helps the rider hold balance at very low speed.
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14. Where does loose sand and gravel most often collect on a paved road?
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Answer D: Along the edges of the road and on curves and highway ramps
Traffic sweeps loose material toward the outside of the travel path, so it builds up at the road edges and on curves and on entrance and exit ramps.
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15. A yellow diamond showing two vertical arrows, one pointing up and one pointing down, warns that
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Answer A: the road ahead carries traffic in both directions
The two-way traffic sign warns that the roadway ahead is not divided and that vehicles will be coming from the opposite direction.
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16. A city transit bus at a stop ahead of you switches on its left signal. What should you do?
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Answer D: Slow and let the bus pull back into traffic
A bus needs a long gap to rejoin traffic, and yielding to a signaling transit bus keeps the whole line of traffic moving safely.
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17. It is dusk and a jogger in dark clothing is running along the edge of the road. What should you do?
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Answer D: Slow down and scan the edges of the road
Dusk is the hardest light for spotting people, and dark clothing removes most of your warning, so lower speed and a careful scan of the roadsides are the answer.
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18. You have stopped on the shoulder of a highway and want to rejoin the traffic. What is the correct way?
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Answer D: Signal, build up speed along the shoulder, then merge into a gap
Entering a fast lane at a slow speed is what causes the conflict, so the shoulder is used to gain speed before the merge in the same way as an acceleration lane.
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19. A farm implement ahead of you on a two-lane road is wider than its own lane. What should you do?
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Answer D: Hang back until you can see past it and pass only with a clear road
Wide equipment hides the road ahead and may extend farther across the center line than it appears, so the pass needs more room and a much better view.
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20. The center line beside your lane is a broken yellow line. What does it allow?
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Answer D: You may cross into the opposing lane to pass when it is safe and clear
A broken yellow center line marks a passing zone where traffic in that direction may cross into the opposing lane to pass when the way ahead is clear.
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21. How long should a rider stay in the oncoming lane while passing?
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Answer D: Only as long as completing the pass safely requires
Every extra second in the oncoming lane is exposure with no benefit, so the rider passes decisively and returns as soon as the road behind is clear.
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22. Which clothing color is most likely to get a rider noticed in daylight?
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Answer B: Bright orange, yellow or green, which contrast with backgrounds
High visibility colors stand out against road, foliage and vehicles, which helps drivers pick a motorcycle out of a busy background during the day.
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23. A sign shows a lane joining from the right with no merge required. What does that mean?
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Answer B: The joining traffic gets its own new lane, so nobody has to merge
An added lane means the roadway gains a lane at that point, so entering vehicles have somewhere to go without anyone changing lanes.
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24. Which surfaces usually offer less grip than the pavement around them when wet?
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Answer B: Painted markings, metal plates and bridge decks
Paint, steel and bridge decks all shed grip when wet or cold, so brake before you reach them rather than on top of them.
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25. On an undivided two-lane road you meet a school bus coming toward you with its red lights flashing and its stop arm out. What must you do?
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Answer C: Stop and wait until the red lights stop flashing
On an undivided road drivers in both directions must stop for a school bus loading or unloading, because children may cross in front of it.