Michigan SOS Motorcycle Practice Test 18
- Questions20
- Correct to pass16
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
-
1. The overhead signal above your lane changes to a steady yellow X. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer B: Prepare to move out of that lane
A steady yellow X warns that the lane is about to close, so drivers should get ready to vacate it in favor of an open lane.
-
2. What does the Lights and Electrics step of T-CLOCS include?
Show answer
Answer A: The battery, the headlight, the brake light and the wiring
This step covers the battery and its terminals, the headlight, tail and brake lights, the turn signals, the switches, the mirrors and the wiring.
-
3. You are stopped at a steady red arrow pointing right, and no sign or state rule permits turning on a red arrow. May you turn right?
Show answer
Answer A: No, you must wait until the red arrow goes out and a green signal appears
A steady red arrow prohibits the movement it points to until a signal permitting it appears. Only a posted sign or a specific state rule allows a turn on a red arrow after a complete stop, so without one you must wait.
-
4. When should tire pressure be measured?
Show answer
Answer B: Before riding, while the tires are still cold
Riding heats the air inside a tire and raises the reading, so pressure is set cold to match the figure the manufacturer specifies.
-
5. You must slow down in a curve but there is no room to straighten the motorcycle. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Brake gently at first and reduce the lean angle as your speed comes down
Braking and turning compete for the same traction, so brake pressure has to stay light while lean angle is high and can grow as the machine comes upright.
-
6. A broken white line separates your lane from the lane beside it. What does it indicate?
Show answer
Answer C: Both lanes carry traffic in the same direction and lane changes are permitted
White lines separate lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, and a broken white line means changing lanes across it is permitted when it is safe.
-
7. While you wait for the ambulance at a crash, what is the most useful help you can give?
Show answer
Answer C: Keep the person still and warm, and press down firmly on any heavy bleeding
Keeping an injured person still and warm and controlling bleeding are among the few things a bystander can safely do.
-
8. You have just ridden through a stretch of deep standing water. What should you do next?
Show answer
Answer B: Ride slowly and apply the brakes lightly to dry them out
Wet brakes can grab or barely work at all, and gentle pressure while moving slowly heats and clears them before they are really needed.
-
9. A driver is tailgating you. Why is it a bad idea to tap or stab the brakes to warn them?
Show answer
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.
-
10. You must park on soft ground or on asphalt softened by heat. What should you do about the sidestand?
Show answer
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.
-
11. You are stopped at a stop sign waiting to turn onto a highway where traffic moves at 55 mph. How should you choose your gap?
Show answer
Answer A: Wait for a much larger gap than the one you would accept on a city street
Fast traffic covers ground while you are still accelerating, so the gap that feels adequate at 25 mph is dangerously short at highway speed.
-
12. From which lane should a permitted U-turn be started?
Show answer
Answer A: The lane nearest the center line, the same one used for a left turn
A U-turn is begun from the far left lane for your direction, the same position used for a left turn, so you do not cut across traffic beside you.
-
13. When are you expected to switch from high beams to low beams?
Show answer
Answer D: When a vehicle approaches from ahead or you come up behind another vehicle
High beams blind other drivers, both those coming toward you and those you follow through their mirrors. Dim them whenever another vehicle is within range.
-
14. Why do safety agencies put head protection first among riding gear?
Show answer
Answer A: Because head injuries are the leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes
Head injury is the most common cause of death in motorcycle crashes, which is why a certified helmet is the single most important piece of gear.
-
15. What is meant by a crowned road?
Show answer
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.
-
16. You are riding alongside a car in the next lane at the same speed. What is the problem?
Show answer
Answer B: You may be sitting in the driver's blind spot with nowhere to escape
A driver who cannot see the motorcycle may change lanes into it, so riders adjust speed to move ahead of or behind the vehicle instead of staying beside it.
-
17. The engine has warmed up and idles smoothly. What should be done with the choke?
Show answer
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.
-
18. On a busy multilane highway, where is the best place to travel?
Show answer
Answer B: In a gap in the traffic, with space open on both sides
Travelling in a gap keeps escape routes open on both sides, while riding alongside other vehicles removes the room you would need to swerve.
-
19. An ambulance has just gone by and traffic starts to move again. Why should you wait a moment before pulling back out?
Show answer
Answer B: Another emergency vehicle may be following the first one
Emergency calls often bring several vehicles, so check that nothing else is coming before you rejoin the traffic lane.
-
20. Does this sign settle who has the right-of-way at the intersection ahead?
Show answer
Answer D: No, it only gives notice of the intersection; the control there decides priority
A warning prepares the driver for what is coming but grants no priority, so whatever stop control, yield control, signal or right-of-way rule applies at the intersection is what decides.