Iowa DOT Motorcycle Practice Test 26
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. How long does the Iowa DOT revoke a license after a plea or verdict of guilty to a third operating while intoxicated offense?
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Answer D: Six years
Iowa Code section 321J.4 requires the department to revoke the license for six years upon a plea or verdict of guilty of a third or subsequent violation of section 321J.2.
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2. Why is an inexperienced rider a poor choice to lead a group?
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Answer C: The leader picks the pace, the gaps and the hazards for everyone behind
Every decision the leader makes is imposed on the riders behind, so leading demands more traffic judgment than any other position in the group.
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3. You want to turn left across the oncoming lane into a shopping center driveway. Who must you yield to?
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Answer B: Oncoming traffic and anyone using the sidewalk
A left turn into a driveway crosses both the oncoming lane and the sidewalk, so you give way to traffic and to pedestrians before completing it.
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4. Your vehicle stalls on railroad tracks and you see a train approaching. What should you do?
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Answer D: Get everyone out and run toward the train at an angle away from the tracks
Leave the vehicle at once. Running toward the oncoming train and away from the tracks keeps you clear of the wreckage, which is thrown forward in the direction the train is moving.
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5. With the engine off, a rider turns the handlebars fully to the left and to the right. What is being checked?
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Answer A: That the steering moves freely and no cable is pinched or binding
Cables and wiring that catch at full lock can hold the throttle open or stiffen the steering exactly when the rider needs a tight turn.
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6. A yellow diamond reading DIP warns a driver about
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Answer A: a short, sharp depression in the road surface
A dip is an abrupt low point that can jolt a vehicle or scrape its underside, so speed should be reduced before reaching it.
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7. The rider behind you is closing right up on your machine and crowding you. What is the best response?
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Answer D: Let them go past and take a position behind them instead
Speeding up to escape a rider who is following too closely usually brings them with you, while letting them past removes the pressure entirely.
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8. Four vehicles reach a four-way stop from all four directions at the same instant. How is the deadlock resolved?
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Answer C: Each driver yields to the vehicle on the right and they go one by one
Yielding to the right applies to every driver, so the group untangles itself as drivers take turns rather than moving together.
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9. Why are sign shapes and colors standardized across the whole country?
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Answer D: So a driver knows the kind of message before reading it
Uniform shapes and colors let a driver classify a sign as regulatory, warning or guide from a distance, before the legend can be read.
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10. A truck ahead of you is spreading salt or grit on the road. What should you do?
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Answer B: Drop back so the material does not reach your car
Spreaders throw material backward and sideways, and following close means stone chips and a screen full of spray, so leave extra distance.
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11. A deer crosses the road in front of you and disappears into the trees. What should you expect?
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Answer B: That other deer are likely to follow it across the very same stretch of road
Deer usually move in groups, so one crossing the road is a warning that more may follow.
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12. A law enforcement officer is directing traffic and waves you forward while the signal facing you shows red. What should you do?
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Answer A: Follow the officer's direction and proceed
Directions given by an officer controlling traffic take priority over signals, signs and pavement markings.
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13. Unless posted otherwise, what is the lawful speed in an Iowa business district?
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Answer A: 20 miles per hour
Iowa Code section 321.285 sets twenty miles per hour in any business district and twenty-five miles per hour in any residence or school district.
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14. A person with a guide dog is standing at the corner facing the street you are about to cross. What should you do?
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Answer D: Stop well back and wait quietly for them to decide
Blind pedestrians rely on engine sound to judge traffic, so stop back from the crossing and avoid the horn, which only confuses them.
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15. How much room should a rider try to leave when passing a line of parked cars?
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Answer A: Enough to clear an opening door, roughly the width of a car door
A door swings out about the width of a door, so ride at least that far from parked vehicles and slow down wherever you cannot leave that much space.
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16. About how far does a vehicle travel in one second at 60 mph?
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Answer A: About 88 feet
At 60 mph you cover about 88 feet every second, which is why a glance of only two or three seconds means driving the length of several vehicles blind.
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17. When may a passenger get off the motorcycle?
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Answer D: Only after the rider has stopped, braced the machine and said so
A passenger climbing off before the rider is ready removes weight from the back of a machine the rider is still holding upright, which can drop it.
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18. What is the best path through a curve where you can see all the way to the exit?
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Answer A: Start toward the outside, move toward the inside, then drift back out
Entering wide, cutting toward the inside and running back out straightens the path, which means less lean angle for the same speed and a better view.
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19. How should following distance change when you ride at night?
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Answer D: Open it up to three seconds or more
Less light means hazards appear later, so a rider should slow down and stretch the following distance to three seconds or more.
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20. What should a rider look for in rain gear?
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Answer A: A riding rain suit that fits close and will not balloon or tear at speed
Rain gear designed for riding stays sealed and stays put in the airstream, while loose garments can flap, tear or interfere with the controls.
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21. Your route crosses a long steel grid bridge deck. What should you do about braking and speed while you are on the grating?
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Answer B: Keep a steady speed and do any braking before the grating, not on it
A steel deck makes the motorcycle weave and offers less grip, so set your speed before you reach it, ride straight across, and brake on solid pavement.
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22. A sign on a long downgrade points to a runaway vehicle ramp. What is that ramp for?
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Answer C: Trucks that have lost braking ability on the grade
A runaway ramp is an escape lane of loose material that stops a heavy vehicle whose brakes have overheated or failed, so it must always be left clear.
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23. Why can an oncoming vehicle that looks comfortably far away leave you far less room than you expect?
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Answer D: You and that vehicle close the gap at the sum of both your speeds
Two vehicles approaching at 55 mph each close the distance between them at about 110 mph, so the gap disappears in half the time you would expect.
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24. How should a rider and passenger arrange to communicate during a ride?
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Answer A: By agreeing on simple signals or taps before the ride starts
Wind and engine noise make speech unreliable, so a short set of signals agreed in advance is the dependable way for a passenger to say they need to stop.
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25. When may an Iowa motorcycle rider overtake and pass within the same lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken?
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Answer B: Only when the vehicle being overtaken is itself a motorcycle or a motorized bicycle
Iowa Code section 321.275 forbids a motorcycle or motorized bicycle operator from overtaking and passing in the same lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken unless that vehicle is itself a motorcycle or motorized bicycle.