South Dakota DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 51
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
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1. What is a rider looking for when inspecting the control cables?
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Answer A: Kinks, fraying and stiff or notchy movement
A frayed strand or a kinked outer will eventually jam or snap, which can leave a rider without a clutch, a throttle or a front brake.
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2. What conditions apply to a South Dakota motorcycle instruction permit?
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Answer A: Riding between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., accompanied by a licensed motorcycle operator at least 18 with a year of experience riding another motorcycle, and no passengers
The motorcycle instruction permit limits riding to the hours of 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a qualified licensed motorcycle operator riding along, and the permit holder may not carry another person.
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3. A sign at the approach to a bridge reads WEIGHT LIMIT 10 TONS. What does the figure set?
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Answer B: The heaviest vehicle the bridge may legally carry
A weight limit sign is a regulation based on what the structure can bear, and it applies to the loaded weight of the whole vehicle.
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4. A driver extends the left arm out the window and bends it upward at the elbow. What does this signal mean?
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Answer B: A right turn
The left arm bent upward at the elbow is the standard hand signal for a right turn.
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5. A car is coming straight at you in your lane and there is no time for it to move back. What should you do?
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Answer A: Brake, sound the horn and steer to the right, toward the shoulder or ditch
Steering right takes you away from the other vehicle even if its driver corrects course, and the shoulder or ditch is survivable.
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6. How should a rider use the head and eyes in a turn?
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Answer A: Turn only the head to look through the turn, keeping the eyes level with the horizon
Turning just the head keeps the upper body from upsetting the motorcycle, and level eyes help the rider judge lean angle and direction.
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7. How can you keep space at the sides of your vehicle in heavy traffic?
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Answer D: Drive in the gaps between the other vehicles rather than beside them
Travelling in the open spaces rather than alongside others keeps a way out open on at least one side.
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8. On a two-lane road, a solid yellow line runs on your side of the center while a broken yellow line runs on the other side. What does this mean?
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Answer D: You may not pass, although oncoming drivers may
Passing restrictions are read from the line closest to your own lane, so a solid yellow line on your side creates a no-passing zone for you alone.
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9. Children are playing close to the edge of a residential street. What is the right speed choice?
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Answer D: Well below the limit, slow enough to stop for a sudden dash
Children can step out without warning, so the safe speed is the one that lets you stop within the distance you can see to be clear.
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10. A reduced speed limit posted with this sign and a plaque giving hours is in force
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Answer C: during the hours shown on the plaque, or while the beacon is flashing
A school speed limit applies during the periods stated on the plaque or while the attached beacon flashes, and the regular limit governs outside those periods.
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11. What do two solid yellow lines down the middle of a two-way road mean?
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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.
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12. What does black ice usually look like from the driver seat?
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Answer C: A patch of pavement that simply looks wet or slightly glossy
Black ice is clear, so you see the dark road through it and read it as a wet patch. In freezing weather, treat any wet looking patch as ice.
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13. How can you check that you are keeping a safe following distance?
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Answer A: Count at least three seconds between the vehicle ahead passing a fixed object and your reaching it
Pick a fixed roadside object, start counting when the vehicle ahead passes it and make sure at least three seconds elapse before you reach it, adding more time in poor conditions.
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14. You are about to pass a long tractor-trailer on a two-lane road. What should you expect?
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Answer B: You will need more clear road, since the vehicle is much longer
A tractor-trailer can be 70 feet long, so passing it takes more distance and more time than passing a car at the same speed difference.
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15. A yellow diamond showing a bicycle is posted on a rural road. What should a driver expect?
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Answer A: Bicyclists crossing or riding along the roadway there
The bicycle warning sign is used where a bikeway crosses the road or where riders are likely to be in the traffic lanes, so drivers should look carefully and pass wide.
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16. This sign is still standing late at night, and nobody is working. What should the driver assume?
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Answer B: The layout may still be altered, so the same care and reduced speed apply
Narrowed lanes, shifted alignments, dropped pavement edges and parked equipment remain overnight, so the hazard does not end when the crew goes home.
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17. A driver in the leftmost lane reaches this sign at an intersection. What must the driver do?
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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.
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18. When should most of your braking for a turn be finished?
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Answer B: Before you begin to turn the wheel
Slow to the right speed before the turn begins; braking hard while turning uses up the grip the tires need for steering.
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19. A tractor-trailer is backing slowly across the roadway to enter a loading dock. What should you do?
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Answer C: Stop and wait until the truck has finished the maneuver
A backing truck driver has a very limited view and the trailer can swing unexpectedly. Trying to squeeze past in either direction risks being crushed.
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20. Why is smooth, early braking better than hard, late braking?
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Answer D: It keeps you in control and gives the driver behind more warning
Braking early and gently keeps the tires well within their grip and gives following drivers time to react to your brake lights.
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21. You are turning left from a divided highway through a median opening into a business on the other side. Who has the right of way?
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Answer C: The traffic on the roadway you are crossing
Turning through a median opening means crossing the opposite roadway, so you yield to all traffic on it before you go.
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22. What should the operator do before a bump, a sharp turn or a sudden stop?
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Answer C: Warn the passenger so they can brace for it
A warning lets the passenger tighten their grip and prepare, which keeps the passenger weight from shifting unexpectedly at the worst moment.
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23. A yellow diamond in which one line joins another at an angle warns that
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Answer B: traffic from another roadway will merge into the driver's lane ahead
The merge sign warns that another traffic stream will join the same lane ahead, so drivers on both roadways must adjust speed and spacing.
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24. You have passed a large truck and want to move back into its lane. What should you see first?
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Answer B: Both of its headlights in your rear-view mirror
Seeing both headlights in your mirror means you are far enough ahead to be out of the truck's front no-zone before you move over.
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25. You are pulling out of a farm entrance onto a rural highway. What is your obligation?
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Answer C: Yield to every vehicle already on the highway before you enter the roadway
A driver entering a highway from a private road or driveway yields to every vehicle already on the highway.