Massachusetts MOTORCYCLE DMV Practice Test 3

To reduce the risk of being involved in a crash, you should always ensure that you are visible to others. Communicate your intentions through proper use of your signals, brake light, and lane position. Maintain a space cushion around your motorcycle and consistently scan the road ahead of, behind, and next to your vehicle.

A riding jacket and long pants should still be worn when riding in hot weather. In addition to their other safety benefits, they can protect a rider from heat exhaustion and dehydration.

Taking a corner too fast may cause you to cross into another lane or go off the road. Be sure to decelerate before beginning to take a turn or curve.

If your throttle becomes stuck, try twisting it back and forth several times. If this does not free your throttle, immediately operate the engine cut-off switch and pull in the clutch at the same time.

Because of the extra weight placed on a motorcycle by a passenger, you may need to adjust the motorcycle's shocks before carrying a passenger. Because the motorcycle will sit at a different angle, you should also adjust the headlight and mirrors to compensate for the additional weight.

Most motorcycle crashes happen on trips shorter than five miles, just a few minutes after the rider starts out.

Oily drippings from cars and trucks collect in a strip in the center portion of a lane. This strip usually still provides enough traction for motorcyclists to operate safely, except when the road is wet. The strip is usually narrow enough that you can ride to its side and still be in the center portion of the lane.

During normal turns, the motorcycle and the rider should be leaning together at the same angle. In slow, tight turns, only the motorcycle should lean while the rider keeps their body straight up.

You should stay well behind the vehicle in front of you, even when you are both stopped. This will give you room to escape if the vehicle backs up unexpectedly or if another vehicle approaches too quickly from behind.

When riding on slippery surfaces, reduce your speed, brake using both brakes, and avoid sudden moves. Avoid the center of the lane and instead follow tire tracks left by cars. Always keep an eye out for hazards that may make a road surface especially slippery, such as oil spots and loose gravel.

You can make yourself easier to see by wearing brightly-colored, reflective clothing. Ride with your headlight on at all times and use your turn signals and brake light appropriately.

When passing parked vehicles, use caution. You may encounter vehicles pulling away from the curb or leaving parking spaces.

A properly chosen lane position should provide a number of benefits, including an increased ability to see others and to be seen. It should help you avoid wind blasts, other drivers' blind spots, and surface hazards. Your lane position should discourage other drivers from trying to share your lane and provide you with an escape route, should a hazard arise. Choose a lane position that maximizes your space cushion.

To reduce the risk of being involved in a crash, you should always ensure that you are visible to others. Communicate your intentions through proper use of your signals, brake light, and lane position. Maintain a space cushion around your motorcycle and consistently scan the road ahead of, behind, and next to your vehicle.

Drivers merging onto a highway and into your lane may not notice your motorcycle. Give them plenty of space to safely merge by moving into a different lane, if you can.

Passengers should lean as the operator leans. A passenger should sit as far forward as they can without crowding the operator and hold firmly onto the operator's waist, hips, or belt.

Frequent mirror checks should be part of your normal searching routine. Additionally, make a special point of using your mirrors before changing lanes, when stopping at an intersection, and before slowing down.

When riding in a group, you should maintain close ranks but still keep an adequate space cushion around each rider.

You should wear appropriate protective clothing when riding. Protective garments include sturdy pants and jackets that entirely cover your arms and legs, boots or heavy shoes that cover and support your ankles, and sturdy gloves.

The weaving motion that occurs when a motorcycle rides over rain grooves or bridge gratings is generally not dangerous. If you experience weaving when riding over one of these surfaces, simply relax and proceed straight across the grooves or gratings at a steady speed. Trying to compensate for the weaving motion by zigzagging is more dangerous than riding straight.

There is no one lane position that is always best and no one lane position that should always be avoided. Adjust your lane position in response to changes in road and traffic conditions.

If a tailgater is following you too closely, it is advisable to flash your brake light before you begin to decelerate. The tailgater may be concentrating on you and may not be aware of hazards farther down the road that you are slowing to avoid.

To stop quickly, apply both brakes at the same time.

An increased following distance is needed if your motorcycle will take longer than normal to stop. If the pavement is slippery, if you cannot see through the vehicle ahead of you, or if traffic is heavy and another driver may try to squeeze in front of you, open up to a minimum three-second following distance.

When approaching a blind intersection that is controlled by a stop line or stop sign, you must first stop where indicated. You may then edge forward and stop again just short of where the cross traffic lane meets your lane. From that position, lean your body forward and look around buildings, parked cars, or bushes to see if anything is approaching. Make sure your front wheel stays out of the crossroad while you are looking.