South Dakota DPS Motorcycle Practice Test 8
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age14 years
-
1. You are on a city street with two lanes in your direction, cars parked along the curb and driveways every few yards. Which lane is usually safer?
Show answer
Answer B: The lane farther from the curb, away from opening doors and vehicles pulling out
Most of the hazards on such a street come from the curb side, so the inside lane gives you more space and more time to react.
-
2. On a wet road, how should a driver adjust after passing this sign?
Show answer
Answer B: Start braking earlier, because a slippery surface lengthens the stopping distance
A wet surface lengthens stopping distance, so the extra warning distance should be spent braking gently and early instead of late and hard.
-
3. Why should reflective material be placed on the front, back and sides of a rider's gear?
Show answer
Answer D: A driver may approach the rider from any of those directions
Threats come from ahead, behind and from the sides at intersections, so reflective material should be visible from every direction a vehicle can approach.
-
4. When is a rider ready to start carrying passengers?
Show answer
Answer B: After enough solo experience to handle the machine without thinking
A passenger changes how the machine accelerates, brakes and turns, and only a rider who no longer has to think about the basics has attention to spare for that.
-
5. A yellow sign reading DEAD END is posted at the entrance to a street. What does it mean?
Show answer
Answer D: The street ends and there is no way through
A dead end street stops at its far end, so a driver who enters must come back out the same way.
-
6. You realize you have just gone past your exit on a freeway. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Carry on to the next exit and turn around there
A missed exit costs a few minutes, while backing up or cutting across the striped gore area puts you in the path of traffic that is not expecting it.
-
7. Why is it useful to watch the vehicle two or three places ahead of you?
Show answer
Answer C: You get an earlier warning of slowing traffic than brake lights give
Trouble travels back through a line of traffic, so seeing it start several vehicles ahead gives you a head start on braking.
-
8. You are moving at walking pace through a crowded parking area. Which combination gives the steadiest control?
Show answer
Answer B: Steady throttle, the clutch held in the friction zone and light rear brake
Slipping the clutch in the friction zone against a steady throttle and a light drag of rear brake keeps power smooth and the machine stable below walking speed.
-
9. Which shape is used for the school advance warning sign and the school crossing sign?
Show answer
Answer B: An upward-pointing pentagon
The five-sided pentagon with its point up identifies school signing, so the outline alone tells a driver that children may be present.
-
10. What happens to a motorcycle's ground clearance when a passenger is carried?
Show answer
Answer A: It is reduced, so parts touch down at a smaller lean angle
The extra load compresses the suspension and lowers the machine, so footrests and other parts can drag on the road sooner in a turn.
-
11. What is the function of a regulatory sign?
Show answer
Answer A: To inform road users of traffic laws or regulations that apply at that location
Regulatory signs state requirements that carry the force of law where they are posted, so disregarding one is a violation rather than a lapse of judgment.
-
12. What is a microsleep?
Show answer
Answer D: A few seconds of sleep, sometimes with the eyes open
A microsleep is an involuntary lapse of a few seconds during which the driver is asleep and the vehicle travels blind, often without the driver knowing.
-
13. What is the classification of the offense for failing to maintain financial responsibility on a South Dakota vehicle?
Show answer
Answer B: A Class 2 misdemeanor
Failing to maintain one of the approved forms of financial responsibility is a Class 2 misdemeanor under state law.
-
14. You are riding through a curve behind another rider in your group. Which line should you take?
Show answer
Answer A: The line your own machine and your own speed require
Riders enter a curve at different speeds and on different machines, and copying somebody else's line can put you wide or into the wrong part of the lane.
-
15. What does a shaft final drive need checked before a ride?
Show answer
Answer D: The fluid level in the final drive housing, and any sign of leaks
A shaft drive runs in its own oil bath, so the pre-ride check is the fluid level and any leak around the housing seals rather than tension or slack.
-
16. At a stop sign with a painted stop line and a crosswalk, where must you stop?
Show answer
Answer D: At the stop line, before it and before the crosswalk
You stop at the stop line first, and only if there is no stop line do you stop before the crosswalk, and only if there is neither do you stop before entering the intersection.
-
17. You enter a corner faster than the turn can be taken. What is the most likely result?
Show answer
Answer A: The vehicle runs wide and may cross into another lane
Excess speed uses up the available grip, so the vehicle follows a wider arc than intended and drifts out of its lane.
-
18. Why do drivers so often misjudge how fast an approaching motorcycle is traveling?
Show answer
Answer C: A narrow vehicle seems to grow slowly, so it appears further away
A small frontal area changes size slowly as it approaches, so drivers read a motorcycle as further away and slower than it really is. Never assume a waiting driver has judged your speed correctly.
-
19. You are riding a city street with embedded streetcar rails and it has just started to rain. What is the added risk?
Show answer
Answer D: Wet steel rails offer very little grip, and so does the pavement beside them
Steel rails give almost no traction when wet, so cross them upright at as close to a right angle as the lane allows, without braking or turning on the metal.
-
20. What should a pre-ride check of a belt final drive look for?
Show answer
Answer C: Correct tension, plus cracks, frayed edges and missing teeth
A belt is inspected for tension and for damage such as cracks, missing teeth and worn edges, and unlike a chain it is never lubricated.
-
21. A sign on a long downgrade points to a runaway vehicle ramp. What is that ramp for?
Show answer
Answer C: Trucks that have lost braking ability on the grade
A runaway ramp is an escape lane of loose material that stops a heavy vehicle whose brakes have overheated or failed, so it must always be left clear.
-
22. Why is being predictable an important part of driving safely?
Show answer
Answer A: Because other road users are able to plan around what you are doing
Other drivers make their decisions from what they expect you to do, so surprises are what produce collisions.
-
23. Where is this sign installed in relation to the hazard it announces?
Show answer
Answer A: Far enough before the hazard that a driver can slow down and stop short of it
This is an advance warning sign, placed on the approach so a driver has time to react before reaching a crossing that a curve or a crest may be hiding.
-
24. You are calling 911 to report a crash. Which information matters most?
Show answer
Answer C: The exact location, how many people are hurt and any hazard such as fire
Dispatchers need to know where to send help, how much help to send, and what dangers the crews will meet on arrival.
-
25. What should you expect while driving through a parking lot?
Show answer
Answer D: Pedestrians and vehicles moving from any direction, so drive slowly
Parking lots mix walking people, reversing vehicles and poor sight lines, so low speed and constant scanning are the only reliable protection.