Indiana BMV Motorcycle Practice Test 56

  • Questions25
  • Correct to pass20
  • Passing score80%
  • Minimum age16 years and 90 days

Minimum age: 16 years and 90 days for a motorcycle endorsement; a valid Indiana driver's license is required for a motorcycle learner's permit

25 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why; you need 20 correct answers to pass.

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

    Show answer

    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.

  2. 2. What protective gear should a passenger wear?

    Show answer

    Answer C: The same protective gear recommended for the operator

    A passenger is exposed to the same crash forces, weather and road debris as the operator, so the same head, eye, hand, body and foot protection applies.

  3. 3. A yellow diamond shows a car with wavy lines behind its rear tires. What is the warning?

    Show answer

    Answer D: The surface loses grip badly when it is wet

    The slippery when wet sign marks a stretch where traction falls off sharply in rain, so speed and braking must be reduced well in advance.

  4. 4. Why does full riding gear matter on a short trip around the neighborhood?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Pavement takes skin off at 25 miles an hour just as it does at 55

    Serious injuries happen at ordinary street speeds and close to home, so gear that is worth wearing on a long trip is worth wearing on a short one.

  5. 5. You are already leaned over in a curve when you see loose gravel spread across the road ahead. What is the best response?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Slow gently, bring the bike more upright, and cross the gravel with steady throttle

    A leaned tire has little grip left for braking or for loose stones. Reduce speed smoothly, get the motorcycle as upright as the curve allows, and hold a steady throttle across the gravel.

  6. 6. What should a rider check about the size of a motorcycle before riding it?

    Show answer

    Answer C: That both feet reach the ground and the controls are within reach

    A motorcycle that fits lets the rider put both feet down at a stop and work every control without stretching, and a machine that is too tall or too heavy is hard to hold up in slow traffic.

  7. 7. A driver in the leftmost lane reaches this sign at an intersection. What must the driver do?

    A white square showing an arrow turning left inside a red circle with a red diagonal line through it
    Show answer

    Answer B: Go straight on or turn right, and reach the destination another way

    The restriction holds whatever the traffic or the signal is doing, so the driver has to pass the intersection and plan a different route.

  8. 8. A traffic signal separates you from the rest of your group. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Continue at a safe and legal pace and rejoin the group farther along

    Staying with a group never justifies breaking a traffic law, so a separated rider proceeds normally and the group regroups at a planned point.

  9. 9. What do two solid yellow lines down the middle of a two-way road mean?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Passing is prohibited for traffic in both directions

    A double solid yellow line marks a two-direction no-passing zone, so neither direction may cross it to overtake another vehicle.

  10. 10. Small green signs with white numerals posted at regular intervals along a highway are used to

    Show answer

    Answer B: show distance along the route and give a reference point for reporting a location

    Reference location signs, commonly called mileposts, carry white numerals on green and let a driver describe exactly where a breakdown or crash has occurred.

  11. 11. As speed rises, which part of the total stopping distance grows the fastest?

    Show answer

    Answer B: The braking distance, which grows far faster than speed itself

    Perception and reaction distances grow in step with speed, but braking distance grows roughly with the square of speed, so it dominates at higher speeds.

  12. 12. A large truck ahead of you swings toward the left just before turning right at an intersection. What should you do?

    Show answer

    Answer B: Stay back and never try to move into the gap between the truck and the curb

    Long vehicles need extra room and often swing wide to complete a right turn, so the space that opens on their right closes again as the trailer sweeps through it.

  13. 13. Without a depth gauge, how can a rider tell that a tire has worn out?

    Show answer

    Answer A: The tread has worn down level with the wear bars set into the grooves

    Wear bars are molded across the bottom of the tread grooves, and once the tread surface reaches them the tire has no usable depth left.

  14. 14. You are turning left out of a driveway onto a busy two-way street. What must you do?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Wait for a gap in both directions before you start to move

    The turn crosses one direction of traffic and joins the other, so you need a gap in both before leaving the driveway rather than stopping across a lane.

  15. 15. Why is the front brake avoided during a very slow, tightly leaned turn?

    Show answer

    Answer D: It can upset the balance of a leaned machine and drop it at low speed

    At low speed and full lock there is little momentum holding the motorcycle up, and the sudden weight shift from the front brake easily topples it.

  16. 16. It is very hot and a rider is tempted to take off the riding jacket. Why can that make the heat worse?

    Show answer

    Answer C: A bare arm in hot moving air loses fluid fast and burns in the sun

    In hot, dry air a covering layer slows the evaporation of sweat and blocks the sun, so ventilated gear can keep a rider cooler and better hydrated than bare skin.

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

    Show answer

    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.

  18. 18. At what alcohol concentration must an Indiana ignition interlock device stop a vehicle from starting?

    Show answer

    Answer D: 0.02

    An ignition interlock device must be set to render the vehicle inoperable when it detects an alcohol concentration of at least 0.02.

  19. 19. Where should the least experienced riders be placed in a group?

    Show answer

    Answer C: Just behind the leader

    Placing newer riders just behind the leader keeps the pace manageable for them and lets the more experienced riders behind keep an eye on them.

  20. 20. When should a rider add a layer on a ride that is turning cold?

    Show answer

    Answer D: Before you start to feel cold, at the next convenient stop

    Once a rider is chilled it takes a long time to warm up again, and cold hands and slowed reactions cost control, so add layers before the cold takes hold.

  21. 21. A vehicle ahead of you displays a reflective orange triangle on its rear. What does that emblem tell you?

    Show answer

    Answer B: The vehicle is built to travel at 25 mph or less

    The orange triangle is the slow moving vehicle emblem used on farm and construction equipment designed for 25 mph or less, warning you that you are closing on it much faster than it appears.

  22. 22. How should following distance change when you ride at night?

    Show answer

    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.

  23. 23. A driver disregards this sign and turns so as to travel against the direction it establishes. What is the immediate danger?

    A black rectangle with a white arrow and white lettering
    Show answer

    Answer D: The driver will face traffic head on, because every lane comes the other way

    Turning against the established direction puts the vehicle nose to nose with all the traffic on that street, which is why the mistake has to be corrected at once.

  24. 24. A yellow diamond shows an arrow that doubles back on itself. What kind of curve lies ahead?

    Show answer

    Answer C: A turn of 135 degrees or more, nearly doubling back

    The hairpin curve sign is used where the road changes direction by 135 degrees or more, and it is normally backed up by chevrons or a large arrow through the bend.

  25. 25. A left-turn bay opens ahead of the intersection with a solid white line beside it. Where should you enter the bay?

    Show answer

    Answer C: At the opening before the solid line begins

    The solid line marks where lane changes are no longer intended, so you move into the turn bay at its opening rather than cutting across the line later.