Ohio BMV Motorcycle Practice Test 9

  • Questions40
  • Correct to pass30
  • Passing score75%
  • Minimum age15 years 6 months

40 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 30 correct answers to pass.

  1. 1. A rider signals that they need to stop, although nobody else in the group wants a break. What should happen?

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    Answer A: The group stops, because a rider who needs a break should get one

    A rider who is tired, cold or uncomfortable is a hazard to the whole group, and stopping costs far less than the mistake that follows.

  2. 2. You are very angry after an argument and about to drive. What should you know?

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    Answer A: Strong emotions can impair judgment and attention much like alcohol

    Anger, grief and stress pull attention inward and encourage risk taking. Give yourself time to settle down before getting behind the wheel.

  3. 3. You are about to accelerate hard to merge with traffic. What should you have arranged with your passenger?

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    Answer D: That you warn them beforehand so they can tighten their grip

    A passenger who is not expecting a burst of acceleration is thrown backward, and the sudden shift of weight upsets the machine just when the rider needs it settled.

  4. 4. On a long uphill grade a second lane opens on the right and a sign directs slower traffic into it. You are towing a trailer and holding up a line of vehicles. What should you do?

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    Answer A: Move into the right-hand lane and let the faster traffic use the left lane

    A climbing lane exists so that slow vehicles can be passed safely, and the slower vehicle is the one that belongs in it.

  5. 5. A steady red arrow is displayed for your left-turn lane at a two-way intersection. What must you do?

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    Answer C: Stop and remain stopped until an indication permits the turn

    A steady red arrow prohibits the movement it points to, so the driver stops and waits for a green arrow, a flashing yellow arrow or another indication that permits the turn.

  6. 6. Where does the restriction that starts at this sign come to an end?

    A yellow sign shaped like a horizontal triangle pointing right, with black lettering
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    Answer D: Where the centerline markings show that overtaking is allowed again

    The sign marks the start of the restricted section, and the centerline markings along the road show how far it runs and where overtaking becomes lawful again.

  7. 7. What is a marked loading zone for?

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    Answer A: Loading and unloading only, not for general parking

    A loading zone is reserved for actively loading or unloading goods or passengers; leaving a vehicle there for other reasons is a parking violation.

  8. 8. Why is the road often most slippery during the first few minutes of rain after a long dry spell?

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    Answer C: Oil and dust on the surface mix with the water into a slick film

    Oil drippings and road dust build up on dry pavement, and the first light rain lifts them into a slippery film before heavier rain washes it away.

  9. 9. A driver is following your motorcycle much too closely. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Ease off the throttle and open more space ahead so the driver can pass

    Slowing gradually and opening a bigger gap in front encourages the tailgater to pass and gives the rider room to stop gently instead of hard.

  10. 10. When is a wet road usually most slippery?

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    Answer C: Just after the rain starts, before the surface oil is washed away

    Oil and dirt lying on the pavement mix with the first water and cut traction badly until continued rain washes the residue to the side of the road.

  11. 11. At an intersection where turning on a red arrow is not permitted, the signal shows a red left arrow next to a steady green ball. What may you do?

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    Answer D: Go straight or turn right if permitted, but not left

    An arrow controls only the movement it points to, so here the red arrow stops the left turn while the green ball still allows the other movements.

  12. 12. Apart from giving you room to stop, what else does a longer following gap do for you?

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    Answer D: It widens your view of the road and the traffic ahead

    Sitting further back lets you see past and around the vehicle in front, so hazards reach your eyes seconds earlier.

  13. 13. You are about to slow down sharply for a turn. Which check comes first?

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    Answer A: A look in the mirror to see how close the traffic behind you is

    Any hard slowing needs a mirror check first, because the driver behind is the one who has to react to it.

  14. 14. You are about to pass a bicyclist on a narrow two-lane road. What is the correct way to do it?

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    Answer A: Wait for a clear gap and move well left, giving the rider wide space

    Pass a cyclist as you would a car: wait for clear road, change lane position to leave generous clearance, and return only when the rider is well behind you.

  15. 15. How should a driver respond to this sign?

    A yellow diamond with black lettering
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    Answer C: Slow down before reaching the rough spot and cross it at a steady, low speed

    Losing speed before a sharp rise in the pavement keeps the vehicle settled, while braking or accelerating on top of it unsettles the suspension and costs grip.

  16. 16. You are waiting to pull out of a driveway when a bicyclist comes along the bike lane in front of you. What must you do?

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    Answer D: Wait until the bicyclist has gone past

    A driver leaving a driveway yields to everything already on the road, and a bike lane is part of the roadway.

  17. 17. Why is dusk one of the harder times of day to drive?

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    Answer B: The failing light blurs shapes into the background

    In fading light there is not enough contrast to pick objects out, yet it is not dark enough for headlights to do the work, so pedestrians and cyclists disappear.

  18. 18. The green left-turn arrow ends and a steady red ball comes on for your lane, at an intersection where no turn on red is allowed. What must you do?

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    Answer D: Stop and wait, because no turn is allowed while the red ball is lit

    Once a red indication faces your lane and no turn on red is permitted there, the turn is over; only a vehicle already inside the intersection completes its movement.

  19. 19. At a railroad crossing with no gates and no flashing lights, the crossbuck is normally combined with which sign?

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    Answer C: A yield sign, or a stop sign where an engineering study calls for one

    At a passive crossing the crossbuck forms an assembly with a yield sign, or with a stop sign when an engineering study or engineering judgment supports it, so the driver knows who must give way to the train.

  20. 20. An Ohio driver is convicted of a first Move Over law violation, then commits a second violation within one year. What happens to the offense level?

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    Answer B: It rises from a minor misdemeanor to a fourth-degree misdemeanor

    A first Move Over violation in Ohio is a minor misdemeanor, but a second violation within one year raises the offense to a fourth-degree misdemeanor, and a third raises it further still.

  21. 21. Where should the weight of a load sit in relation to the rear axle?

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    Answer A: Over the rear axle or in front of it

    Weight placed behind the rear axle acts as a lever against the steering and can make the motorcycle wobble and handle and brake poorly.

  22. 22. 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.

  23. 23. The lights at a highway-rail grade crossing begin to flash red as you approach. What must you do?

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    Answer B: Stop short of the tracks and wait until the lights stop and no train is near

    Flashing red lights at a crossing require a stop clear of the tracks, and you may proceed only once the lights have stopped, any gates are fully raised and no train is approaching.

  24. 24. When should a staggered group change to single file?

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    Answer C: In curves, in turns, and when entering or leaving a highway

    Curves, turns and highway entrances and exits require the full width of the lane, so the group rides single file at those points.

  25. 25. How should a helmet sit on the head once it is fastened?

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    Answer C: Level on the head, with the eye port giving a clear view of the road

    A helmet worn level protects the forehead and gives full vision, while one pushed back leaves the forehead exposed in a crash.

  26. 26. Your motorcycle has a grab rail behind the passenger seat. What should the passenger know about using it?

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    Answer C: It is fine to hold, but they must still brace against acceleration

    A rail behind the passenger gives a secure grip but does nothing to stop them sliding backward, so they still need to expect the machine to pull away.

  27. 27. Two lanes at the corner are marked for right turns. What does that require of you?

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    Answer A: Keep your own lane through the turn and into the matching new lane

    Dual turn lanes work only if each vehicle stays in its own lane all the way round and finishes in the corresponding lane of the new street.

  28. 28. An exit ramp is separated from the highway by a triangle of pavement painted with white stripes. What may you do there?

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    Answer C: Nothing; keep off it and choose either the lane or the ramp

    The striped area between a ramp and the through lanes is not for driving, stopping or last-second changes of direction.

  29. 29. A white arrow painted in your lane points only to the right, and a sign above the lane shows the same movement. What must you do?

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    Answer C: Turn right from that lane

    Pavement arrows used with lane-use signs are regulatory, so a driver occupying that lane must make the movement shown.

  30. 30. In which crash must the police always be notified?

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    Answer D: Any crash in which somebody has been injured or killed, whatever the damage

    Injury or death always makes a crash reportable, whatever the amount of vehicle damage or the opinions of the drivers.

  31. 31. Who is best suited to ride as the sweep at the back of a group?

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    Answer B: An experienced rider who can handle a problem at the back

    The sweep has to notice a rider dropping back or stopping and deal with it away from the rest of the group, which takes judgment and experience.

  32. 32. Why is it better for a passenger to hold the rider's waist or hips rather than the rider's shoulders?

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    Answer A: Weight held low is less likely to disturb the rider's steering

    Pulling on the shoulders feeds the passenger's movement straight into the rider's arms and handlebars, while a grip at the waist keeps that weight low and central.

  33. 33. You are approaching a sharp curve. When should you reduce your speed?

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    Answer D: Before you enter the curve, so you can accelerate gently through it

    Braking hard inside a curve uses up the traction that is already being demanded for cornering, so the slowing must be finished before you enter.

  34. 34. You are about to leave a roundabout when a pedestrian steps into the crosswalk on your exit. What should you do?

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    Answer B: Yield to the pedestrian and wait for the crosswalk to clear

    Roundabout crosswalks sit on the entries and exits, and drivers must yield to pedestrians using them.

  35. 35. What does the RESERVE position on a fuel supply valve do?

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    Answer C: It draws on the small amount of fuel left at the bottom of the tank

    A fuel supply valve normally offers OFF, ON, RESERVE and PRIME, and RESERVE taps the last of the fuel so the rider can reach a station.

  36. 36. The signal ahead has a sign prohibiting left turns, and your route needs a left. What should you do?

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    Answer D: Go straight on and find a legal place to turn and come back

    A turn prohibition applies to every driver, so you continue through and reach your route by another legal turn.

  37. 37. Where is a road work ahead sign placed?

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    Answer B: In advance of the work space or detour, so drivers are warned before reaching it

    Advance warning signs are placed upstream of the work space or detour so that drivers have time to slow down and change lanes before reaching the activity.

  38. 38. You reach a T intersection where the cross street has a ONE WAY sign pointing to the right. What may you do?

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    Answer B: Turn right only, because the street carries traffic in that direction

    The arrow shows the only direction traffic may travel, so the only legal movement from the terminating road is a right turn.

  39. 39. What is the correct body position for riding over a bump or an obstacle?

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    Answer B: Rise slightly off the seat with your weight on the footrests, absorbing the shock with knees and elbows

    Coming slightly off the seat lets your legs and arms work as extra suspension instead of transferring the impact through your body and the handlebars.

  40. 40. You cannot avoid an obstacle lying in the road. At what angle should you try to cross it?

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    Answer D: As close to 90 degrees as possible

    Meeting the obstacle squarely keeps the front wheel from being deflected sideways as it climbs over the edge.