Michigan SOS Motorcycle Practice Test 47
- Questions20
- Correct to pass16
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
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1. Which part of the body operates the gearshift lever?
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Answer B: The left foot
The gearshift lever sits ahead of the left footrest and is moved up or down with the left foot.
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2. A sign on a freeway restricts trucks to the two right-hand lanes. What should a car driver expect in those lanes?
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Answer A: More heavy vehicles and slower changes of speed
A truck lane restriction concentrates heavy vehicles on the right, and those vehicles accelerate, brake and change lanes far more slowly than cars.
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3. The school bus stop ahead sign is installed where
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Answer C: a school bus stop cannot be seen from far enough away by approaching drivers
This school warning sign is used in advance of a bus stop that lacks adequate sight distance and cannot be relocated, so drivers are warned before the stopped bus comes into view.
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4. 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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5. 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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6. What does Michigan law say about a motorcycle passing between lines of traffic?
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Answer C: It is prohibited
Michigan prohibits a motorcycle from passing between lines of traffic, although a motorcycle is entitled to full use of a lane and two motorcycles may ride abreast in one lane.
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7. How should a load be distributed between the two saddlebags?
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Answer B: Evenly, so the weight is balanced from side to side
An uneven load pulls the motorcycle toward the heavy side and makes it behave differently in left turns than in right turns.
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8. A high-occupancy vehicle lane is separated from the general lanes by a pair of solid white lines with a gap every so often. Where may you enter or leave it?
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Answer D: Only at the openings where the solid lines are broken
The solid lines forbid crossing, so entry and exit are limited to the designated openings where the marking is broken.
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9. The signal turns green as you approach an intersection. What is the safest practice?
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Answer B: Look left, then right, then left again, and make sure the intersection is clear before entering
A green light gives permission but does not guarantee the intersection is empty, and a quick scan catches a vehicle running the red or a pedestrian still crossing.
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10. What is true about driving away from a crash you were involved in?
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Answer B: It is a serious offense, even if the other driver has driven away too
Leaving the scene is a criminal offense in every state, and the behavior of the other driver does not excuse it.
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11. 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.
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12. How should braking and swerving be combined?
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Answer C: Brake before or after the swerve, never during it
Traction can be spent on turning or on braking, and asking for both at once during a swerve is very likely to cause a skid.
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13. Which headlight setting should you use in dense fog?
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Answer B: Low beams
High beams reflect off the water droplets in fog and bounce glare back at you, while low beams aim downward and light the road without that mirror effect.
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14. Which of these is an early warning that you are too tired to keep driving?
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Answer C: Not remembering the last few miles you drove
Memory gaps, repeated yawning, heavy eyelids and drifting are the body signaling that sleep is winning, and they mean stop rather than push on.
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15. Before making a right turn at an intersection, what should you check besides oncoming traffic?
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Answer B: Your right blind spot and the crosswalk, for cyclists and pedestrians
Right turns often catch a cyclist or a pedestrian coming up on the right, so check the blind spot and the crosswalk before you turn.
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16. What does the choke, or enrichener, do on a motorcycle that has one?
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Answer B: It gives the engine a richer fuel mixture so a cold engine will start
A cold engine needs more fuel in proportion to air, and the choke supplies that richer mixture until the engine warms up.
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17. What is the friction zone of the clutch?
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Answer A: The range of lever travel where power starts to reach the rear wheel
Easing the clutch lever into the friction zone lets the engine drive the rear wheel gradually, which is what makes a smooth start from a stop possible.
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18. You are inside a tunnel with no shoulder when an ambulance comes up behind you with lights and siren. What should you do?
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Answer D: Keep going at a safe speed and pull over once you are clear of the tunnel
Stopping in a tunnel or on a narrow bridge blocks the only lane, so continue at a safe speed to the first place where you can pull clear.
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19. You reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same moment as a vehicle approaching from your left. What should you do?
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Answer A: Proceed, but only once you see that driver slowing
You have the right of way over the vehicle on your left, but a right of way is something the other driver has to give, so confirm it before you commit.
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20. A bicyclist ahead of you puts the left arm straight out to the side. What is being signaled?
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Answer B: A left turn or a move to the left
The left arm held straight out is the bicycle signal for a left turn, so hold back and give the rider room to cross toward the center.