Ohio BMV Motorcycle Practice Test 20
- Questions40
- Correct to pass30
- Passing score75%
- Minimum age15 years 6 months
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1. 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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2. You come up behind a group of cyclists riding two abreast on a narrow rural road. What should you do?
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Answer A: Wait for a clear stretch and pass them as one group
Passing a group as a single unit when the way ahead is clear is safer than several rushed passes, and cutting through the group leaves nobody any escape room.
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3. You realize you have just gone past your exit on a freeway. What should you do?
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Answer C: Carry on to the next exit and turn around there
A missed exit costs a few minutes, while backing up or cutting across the striped gore area puts you in the path of traffic that is not expecting it.
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4. A school sign combined with an AHEAD plaque, or with a plaque giving a distance in feet, forms an assembly that
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Answer B: warns of a school crossing located further along the road
The school advance crossing assembly is placed before the crosswalk to give drivers notice, while a different assembly marks the crossing itself.
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5. How long can cannabis affect a driver?
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Answer A: For hours after the strongest effects have passed
Slowed reactions, poor tracking and weak judgment of distance can last for hours, well beyond the point where the user believes the effects are over.
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6. To make a motorcycle lean into a turn at normal riding speed, the rider should:
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Answer C: Press forward on the handgrip on the side of the turn
This is countersteering: press left to lean left and go left, press right to lean right and go right.
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7. How should a face shield be cleaned?
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Answer C: With mild soap and water and a soft cloth, then dried gently
Plastic shields scratch easily and are damaged by solvents, and a scratched shield scatters light badly at night, so use mild soap, water and a soft cloth.
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8. You must park on soft ground or on asphalt softened by heat. What should you do about the sidestand?
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Answer A: Put a flat, firm object under the stand to spread the load
A sidestand concentrates the weight of the machine onto a very small area, and on soft ground it sinks in until the motorcycle falls over.
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9. Beyond this sign, cones and temporary signs lead traffic along a path that does not agree with the lines painted on the pavement. Which one must the driver follow?
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Answer C: The temporary arrangement, because it replaces the permanent layout while the work lasts
Temporary traffic control set up for the work takes precedence over the permanent signs and markings, which no longer describe how the road is being used.
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10. A pedestrian signal changes to a flashing upraised hand. What does that indication mean?
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Answer C: Do not start crossing, but finish a crossing already begun
The flashing upraised hand is the pedestrian change interval: nobody may start to cross, but a pedestrian already in the crosswalk may continue to the far side or to a median.
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11. Why are ordinary denim jeans a poor choice for riding?
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Answer C: They wear through in a slide, giving little abrasion protection
Light denim abrades away in a fraction of a second on pavement, while leather or purpose made textile gear stays intact long enough to protect the skin underneath.
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12. A sign with a yellow background and a black legend generally conveys
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Answer B: a general warning
Yellow is the background color used for general warning signs, so a yellow sign tells the driver to expect something ahead rather than to obey a rule.
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13. Why is it dangerous to make a left turn from the second lane from the center?
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Answer C: Because a driver in the lane beside you is turning into the same space
Drivers in the proper turn lane are entitled to that space, and turning across them puts two vehicles into one path through the intersection.
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14. The road ahead is broken up with potholes and rough patches. What should you do?
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Answer C: Slow down, since a hole hit at speed can wreck a tire or wheel
A lower speed cuts the impact on tires, wheels and suspension and gives you time to choose a line through the rough surface.
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15. A driver slows to walking pace at this sign, never stops rolling and eases into the intersection. How is that treated?
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Answer B: It is a violation, because the vehicle never came to a complete halt
What is required is a full halt with the wheels no longer turning, so slowing down, however carefully, does not satisfy it.
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16. 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.
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17. On dry pavement in good weather, what is the smallest following gap you should keep?
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Answer A: About three seconds behind the vehicle ahead
Three seconds is the accepted minimum on dry roads in good visibility, and the gap should be longer in poor conditions.
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18. You have started to pass and you see the no-passing zone beginning ahead. What should you do?
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Answer D: Ease off, drop back and return to your own lane
A pass must be completed before the no-passing zone starts. If it will not fit, abandon it and slot back in behind.
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19. Some crosswalks are marked with two transverse lines and others with a row of wide bars laid along the direction of travel. Why is the second pattern used?
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Answer B: It is far easier for an approaching driver to see
Longitudinal bar patterns are used where extra visibility is wanted, such as an uncontrolled crossing or one near a school, because they show up much better from a car.
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20. How may a two-way left-turn lane never be used?
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Answer B: As a through travel lane or a passing lane
The lane exists only for turning movements, so traveling or passing along it puts you head-on with vehicles turning from the opposite direction.
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21. You are waiting to turn left across two oncoming lanes when a driver in the near lane stops and waves you through. What should you do?
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Answer D: Turn only after checking the far lane yourself
The waving driver cannot give away the right of way of the traffic in the second lane, which may not be stopping at all.
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22. A NO LEFT TURN sign carries a plaque reading 7 AM TO 9 AM MON TO FRI. What does the assembly mean?
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Answer A: The turn is banned only during those hours on those days
A time plaque limits the restriction to the periods shown, so outside those hours and days the left turn may be made normally.
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23. 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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24. Which facility does this sign direct a traveler toward?
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Answer B: A hospital offering emergency care
This is the standard marker for medical care, used to lead a traveler to a hospital where emergency treatment is available.
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25. You are driving on the through road of a T-intersection and want to turn left into the side road. Oncoming traffic is approaching on the through road. What must you do?
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Answer C: Yield to the oncoming traffic before you turn
The vehicle waiting in the stem of the T yields to both of you, but you still owe the right of way to oncoming through traffic before turning across it.
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26. Why is reflective material more useful than bright color once it is dark?
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Answer C: It throws headlight light back toward the driver, while color goes unseen
Color needs daylight to be seen, while reflective material returns the beam of an approaching vehicle straight back to its driver.
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27. 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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28. How should a group plan its rest stops on a long day?
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Answer A: Around the rider who tires first, with breaks before anyone is worn out
Fatigue destroys judgment long before a rider admits to it, so the break schedule follows the least rested rider rather than the strongest one.
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29. 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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30. What must you check about a load before riding away with it?
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Answer C: That it does not cover the tail light, the brake light or the signals
Luggage that hides the lights leaves drivers behind with no warning that the motorcycle is slowing or turning.
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31. When is it safe to return to your own lane after passing a vehicle?
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Answer C: Once you can see the whole front of that vehicle in your mirror
Seeing the entire front of the vehicle in the mirror proves there is a full vehicle length of clear road, which the rider cannot judge by feel alone.
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32. How many BMV points does a second distracted-driving offense within a two-year period carry in Ohio?
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Answer C: 3 points
Ohio's point schedule assesses 3 points for a second distracted-driving conviction within a two-year period, one more than the first offense and one less than the third.
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33. When downshifting as the motorcycle slows, what keeps the rear tire from skidding?
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Answer A: Easing the clutch lever out smoothly instead of releasing it abruptly
Letting the clutch out gradually lets engine speed and road speed match, so the rear wheel is not forced to slow suddenly.
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34. What should the operator do before a bump, a sharp turn or a sudden stop?
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Answer C: Warn the passenger so they can brace for it
A warning lets the passenger tighten their grip and prepare, which keeps the passenger weight from shifting unexpectedly at the worst moment.
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35. 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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36. Why is smooth, early braking better than hard, late braking?
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Answer D: It keeps you in control and gives the driver behind more warning
Braking early and gently keeps the tires well within their grip and gives following drivers time to react to your brake lights.
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37. A shared-use path crosses the road ahead at a marked crossing and people are already crossing on it. What should you do?
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Answer C: Yield and let them finish crossing the road
People already crossing at a marked crossing have the right of way, and a path crossing is a crossing of the roadway like any other.
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38. Two drivers each have three drinks, one over three hours and one in half an hour. What is the difference?
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Answer C: The fast drinker reaches a higher peak level
The liver removes alcohol at a steady rate, so drinking faster than the body can clear it pushes the blood alcohol level much higher.
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39. How does alcohol affect a driver's ability to handle several things at once?
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Answer B: It cuts the ability to divide attention between tasks
Driving means watching the road, the mirrors and the instruments together, and alcohol narrows attention so that one of those tasks is dropped without the driver noticing.
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40. A clutch cable adjusted with no free play at all causes what problem?
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Answer B: The clutch may slip and never fully engage
Without a small amount of slack the release mechanism keeps a light load on the plates, so they slip instead of transmitting full power.