South Dakota DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 50
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. Below a speed limit sign is a smaller panel with white numbers on a black background and the word NIGHT. What does it show?
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Answer D: The limit that applies after dark
A night speed limit panel sets a separate legal maximum for the hours of darkness, and its reversed colors mark it as the night figure.
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2. You realize you have driven several miles without remembering any of it. What kind of distraction is this?
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Answer C: Cognitive distraction, because your mind was not on driving
Daydreaming or being lost in thought is a cognitive distraction. Your eyes may be on the road, but your brain is not processing what they see.
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3. 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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4. On a multi-lane street, a yield line is painted well back from an unsignalized crosswalk rather than right at it. Why?
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Answer D: So drivers in the other lanes can see the pedestrian
Setting the yield line back keeps a stopped vehicle from hiding a crossing pedestrian from drivers in the next lane, which is a common cause of these crashes.
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5. When should you move into the lane you need for a turn?
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Answer D: Well before the intersection, as soon as you know your route
Getting into the correct lane early lets other drivers read your intentions and keeps you from making a sudden lane change at the corner.
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6. On loose gravel or deep fresh snow, how does an antilock system affect the stopping distance?
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Answer D: It can lengthen it, although you keep the ability to steer
On loose surfaces a locked wheel piles up a wedge of gravel or snow that helps it stop, so the antilock stop can be longer even though steering still works.
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7. Why is it harder to read the road surface at night once it has rained?
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Answer B: The wet surface throws light away and hides holes and markings
Light from your headlight bounces off wet pavement instead of coming back to you, and reflections of other lights mask the surface, so slow down and open up your following distance.
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8. When should a rider avoid a tinted face shield or tinted goggles?
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Answer C: At night and in other low light conditions
A tint cuts the amount of light reaching the eyes, which makes hazards much harder to pick out once daylight fades.
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9. Why is hard braking the wrong response to a tire blowout at speed?
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Answer C: Because it can pull the vehicle further out of line and start it spinning
With one tire gone the braking forces are uneven, so heavy braking increases the pull to one side and can spin the vehicle.
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10. You notice at night that one of your headlights has burned out. What should you do?
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Answer B: Get it replaced promptly, because other drivers may take you for a motorcycle
A single light makes your vehicle look narrower and further away, so other drivers misjudge you, and one light is also illegal.
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11. Many signs use a symbol instead of words. The main advantage is that a symbol
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Answer C: can be read from farther away and by more people
A symbol is recognized at greater distance than a line of text and does not depend on the reader knowing English.
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12. A minor drop has left the clutch lever bent, although it still works. What should be done?
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Answer B: Have the lever replaced before the motorcycle is ridden again
A bent lever has already been weakened and can break off in use, leaving the rider without that control at the worst possible moment.
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13. The street you are turning right onto has a bike lane along its right edge. Where should your vehicle end up?
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Answer B: In the first traffic lane to the left of the bike lane
A bike lane is not a travel lane for motor vehicles, so the nearest lane you may finish a right turn in is the first general traffic lane beside it.
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14. You are descending a long steep grade with a loaded truck close behind you. What should you do?
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Answer A: Hold a steady speed and let it pass when it can
Gravity pushes a loaded truck downhill and it cannot slow quickly, so give it a predictable speed and room to get by rather than braking in front of it.
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15. 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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16. What is the recommended way to park a motorcycle at a curb?
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Answer C: At an angle, with the rear wheel touching the curb
Backing the rear wheel to the curb at an angle keeps the motorcycle clear of traffic and lets the rider ride out forward instead of backing into the lane.
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17. What most often leads to an engine seizure on a motorcycle?
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Answer A: Loss of engine oil or coolant, so the moving parts overheat and grip
Seizure is normally a lubrication or cooling failure, which is why oil level and coolant are part of every pre-ride check and why a rising temperature reading deserves attention.
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18. What should a rider look for in rain gear?
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Answer A: A riding rain suit that fits close and will not balloon or tear at speed
Rain gear designed for riding stays sealed and stays put in the airstream, while loose garments can flap, tear or interfere with the controls.
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19. Which clothing offers the best protection for a rider?
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Answer D: Leather or sturdy synthetic gear covering the arms and legs completely
Leather and purpose built synthetics resist abrasion far better than ordinary clothing, and full coverage also guards against sun, wind chill and flying debris.
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20. A rider notices scalloped, uneven wear across the front tire. What does that suggest?
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Answer C: A suspension or wheel bearing fault that should be inspected
Cupped or scalloped wear normally points to worn fork components or loose wheel bearings letting the tire bounce as it rolls.
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21. What limits how much weight a motorcycle can carry?
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Answer A: The load limit given by the manufacturer for that machine
The manufacturer's figure covers the rider, the passenger and everything carried, and going over it overloads the tires, the brakes and the suspension.
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22. 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.
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23. Which combination best reduces the chance of hydroplaning?
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Answer D: Good tread depth, correct tire pressure and lower speed in the rain
Tread channels water away, correct pressure keeps the tire's shape, and lower speed gives the tire time to push water aside. Hydroplaning can begin at surprisingly modest speeds.
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24. Which of the four blind spots around a tractor-trailer is the largest?
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Answer A: The one on the right side of the truck
A truck has no-zones on all four sides, and the right-side blind spot is the largest because it runs back along the trailer and reaches across more than one lane.
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25. You reach a stop-controlled intersection at the same time as a driver on your left, but that driver is already moving through the crossing. Who goes first?
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Answer C: The driver who is already inside the intersection
A vehicle already in the intersection has the right of way, and the rule about yielding to the right applies only before anyone has entered.