Iowa DOT Motorcycle Practice Test 23
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. A driver is tailgating you. Why is it a bad idea to tap or stab the brakes to warn them?
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Answer C: Because it cuts the little space they have and can cause a crash
Brake checking removes the small margin the tailgater has left and can provoke a collision; add space in front of you instead and let them pass.
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2. About how far behind a tractor-trailer does the driver's rear blind spot reach?
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Answer C: Around 30 feet
The area behind a large truck is hidden for roughly 30 feet, so a driver tucked in there cannot be seen at all.
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3. What is the function of a regulatory sign?
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Answer A: To inform road users of traffic laws or regulations that apply at that location
Regulatory signs state requirements that carry the force of law where they are posted, so disregarding one is a violation rather than a lapse of judgment.
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4. You want to turn left at an intersection with no signs or signals and a vehicle is coming straight toward you from the opposite direction. What must you do?
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Answer C: Yield and turn after the oncoming vehicle has passed
A driver turning left always gives way to oncoming traffic that is close enough to be a hazard, whether or not the intersection is controlled.
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5. Parked cars block your view of a cross street you are about to enter. How should you proceed?
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Answer A: Edge forward slowly until you can see along the cross street, then go
Creeping forward buys a view of the cross street a little at a time, and it keeps the rider slow enough to stop if something is coming.
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6. Why is a drive chain adjusted with too little slack a problem?
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Answer A: It strains the chain, the sprockets and the output shaft bearings
Suspension movement changes the distance between the sprockets, so a chain pulled tight at rest is stretched hard over bumps and wears everything it touches.
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7. Which clue suggests that a car waiting at a side street is about to pull out in front of you?
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Answer B: The front wheels are turned and the car is creeping forward
Turned wheels and a slow creep forward are the strongest signs that a driver is about to move, so cover the brakes and be ready to change your lane position.
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8. An Iowa crash caused apparent property damage of 2,000 dollars and no law enforcement agency investigated it. How soon must the driver send a written report to the department?
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Answer D: Within seventy-two hours
Iowa Code section 321.266 requires a written report to the department within seventy-two hours when a crash causes injury, death, or apparent total property damage of one thousand five hundred dollars or more, unless a law enforcement agency investigated it.
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9. You are already inside a roundabout when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren. What should you do?
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Answer B: Continue to your exit, leave the roundabout, then pull over and stop
Stopping inside a roundabout blocks the circulating roadway, so you should exit first and then pull over clear of the intersection.
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10. 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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11. What most often leads to an engine seizure on a motorcycle?
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Answer A: Loss of engine oil or coolant, so the moving parts overheat and grip
Seizure is normally a lubrication or cooling failure, which is why oil level and coolant are part of every pre-ride check and why a rising temperature reading deserves attention.
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12. How should a rider react to a deer or another large animal in the road?
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Answer B: Brake and prepare to stop, because large animals move unpredictably
A large animal can bolt in any direction at any moment, so the only reliable response is to slow down and be ready to stop.
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13. As a driver keeps drinking, in what order are driving abilities usually lost?
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Answer C: Judgment, then vision, reaction time and coordination
Alcohol reaches the parts of the brain that handle judgment first, and only later does it visibly affect sight, reactions and muscle control.
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14. 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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15. A traffic light ahead of the group turns yellow as the leader approaches it. What should the leader do?
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Answer C: Stop normally and let the group be split by the signal
Keeping the group together never outranks obeying the signal, and the riders left behind simply catch up at the next stop.
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16. You are driving through a long curve on a road with two lanes in your direction. What is correct?
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Answer A: Stay within your own lane all the way through, adjusting speed before you enter
Wandering out of your lane in a curve puts you into the path of a vehicle you cannot see, and the slowing belongs before the curve rather than in it.
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17. What should the clutch be doing during a quick stop?
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Answer C: Pulled in as the motorcycle slows, so the engine does not stall
Disengaging the clutch as the machine slows keeps the engine running, so the rider can pull away again immediately if that becomes necessary.
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18. A friend wants a ride, but their feet do not reach the passenger footrests. What should you do?
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Answer A: Do not carry them, since they cannot hold a stable position
A passenger who cannot plant both feet on the footrests cannot brace or stay in place, and dangling legs can reach the chain, the exhaust or the wheel.
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19. 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.
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20. How often should you check your mirrors while driving?
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Answer C: Every few seconds, so you always know what is around you
Traffic behind and beside you changes constantly. Frequent, brief mirror checks keep a picture of your surroundings current so nothing surprises you.
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21. You need to leave the road and pull onto the shoulder. What should you check first?
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Answer A: Whether the shoulder surface is firm enough to support the motorcycle
Soft or loose shoulder material can grab the wheels or let the side stand sink, so confirm the surface is firm, signal, and then pull well clear of traffic.
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22. You are traveling beside a solid white lane line. What does it tell you?
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Answer B: Crossing it is discouraged or prohibited, so stay in your lane
A solid white line separates lanes going the same direction where lane changing is discouraged or prohibited, such as where a through lane meets a mandatory turn lane.
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23. What is the correct way to secure a load on a motorcycle?
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Answer C: Fasten it with elastic cords using several attachment points and check it at every stop
Several attachment points hold the load tight so it cannot shift or fall into the wheel or the chain, and checking at stops catches a load that has worked loose.
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24. A flagger turns the paddle to the orange face reading SLOW. What does that tell approaching drivers?
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Answer D: Reduce speed and continue through the work area with care
The SLOW face keeps traffic moving at a reduced speed while workers or equipment are close to the travel lanes.
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25. You see a shield for a three-digit Interstate whose first digit is even. What does that tell you about the route?
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Answer C: It loops around a city and rejoins its parent route
A three-digit Interstate beginning with an even digit is a loop or beltway that connects back to the main route at both ends, while an odd first digit marks a spur.