Minnesota MOTORCYCLE DMV Practice Test 14

In Minnesota, all motorcycles are required to be equipped with a rearview mirror, a horn, a muffler, one or two headlights, one red taillight, and at least one brake. If the motorcycle has a seat designed or suitable for use by a passenger, it must also have footrests or floorboards for the passenger.

Wet pavement; roads covered in loose gravel or sand; muddy, snowy, or icy areas; painted lane markings; and metal covers and plates in the road can be slippery surfaces. Motorcyclists should ride with extra caution when riding over slippery surfaces.

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.

The owner's manual should be your primary source of information about your specific type of motorcycle. Be sure to read the manual before operating your motorcycle for the first time.

If you are not riding slowly enough when shifting into a lower gear, the motorcycle will lurch and the rear wheel may skid.

You should use your low beam headlight when riding in foggy conditions. Do not use your high beams when riding near other vehicles.

Your horn can be a useful tool if you need to get someone's attention quickly. However, because a motorcycle's horn is not as loud as a car's, other drivers may not notice that you are sounding your horn. You should never rely only on your horn to deal with a hazard.

A well-chosen lane position should increase your ability to see and be seen and keep you out of other drivers' blind spots. It should help you avoid surface hazards, protect your lane from other drivers, communicate your intentions to others, help you avoid wind blasts from other vehicles, and offer you an escape route from any hazards that may arise.

Intersections present the greatest potential for conflict between motorcyclists and other drivers. Riders should use extra caution when approaching and riding through intersections.

You should not rely on eye contact to guarantee that a driver will yield to you. It is not uncommon for a driver to look directly at a motorcyclist and still fail to actually notice them.

Because of their size, motorcycles may seem to be traveling faster than they actually are.

There are several strategies you can use to prevent someone from riding their motorcycle while impaired. You can arrange another way for them to get home, involve them in other activities to slow the pace of their drinking, use any available excuse to stop them from leaving before they are sober, and get other friends involved to intervene as a group.

Make it a habit to always use both brakes when slowing or stopping, even for normal, non-emergency stops.

A sidecar is essentially an unpowered mass attached to the side of your motorcycle. Due to its inertia, it will feel like it is lagging behind when you accelerate.

Motorcycles, like any other vehicle, have blind spots. Therefore, you cannot rely only on your mirrors to know what is happening behind you. Frequent head checks should be part of your normal routine.

To prevent someone from drinking and driving, it is a good idea to arrange an alternative way for them to get home, involve them in other activities to slow the pace of their drinking, use any available excuse to keep them from leaving, and recruit friends to help apply peer pressure.

Hand signals are an important part of communication when riding in groups. If a lead rider extends their left arm straight down with their palm facing back, the group of riders should come to a stop.

A motorcycle may weave while riding over rain grooves or bridge gratings, but this is generally not dangerous. If your motorcycle begins to weave, simply relax and proceed straight ahead at a steady speed. Trying to ride in a zigzag pattern to compensate for the weave will only increase the hazard.

Because a sidecar sits on the right side of a motorcycle, riding too far to the right side of your lane risks the sidecar running off the road. Similarly, on a three-wheeled motorcycle, the rear right wheel may leave the road if you get too close to the right edge.

While riding in a staggered formation is usually best, a group should switch into a single-file formation when turning, taking curves, or entering or exiting a highway.

It is best to entirely avoid slippery stretches of road. However, if there is no way to avoid such an area, keep your motorcycle upright and proceed as slowly as possible.

If one of your tires goes flat, hold both handle grips firmly, ease off of the throttle, and maintain a straight course. If you must brake, gradually apply the brake of the tire that is not flat (if you are certain of which tire that is). As you slow down, edge to the side of the road, squeeze the clutch, and stop.

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

If you must swerve to avoid a hazard, apply a small amount of pressure to the appropriate handle grip. To swerve to the left, press the left handle grip, then press the right to recover. To swerve to the right, press the right handle grip, then the left.

The single most important measure you can take to reduce your risk of injury or death in the event of an accident is to wear a helmet.

Gloves should be made of leather or another durable material to provide proper protection for the wearer.

When hazards exist to your left, it is often best to ride in the right portion of the lane. Be prepared to adjust your lane position as road and traffic conditions change.

To increase your visibility, you can wear clothing that is brightly-colored or that contains reflective materials. Adding auxiliary lights to your motorcycle, using your turn signals, and flashing your brake light when appropriate are also good ways to get the attention of other road users.

To get maximum protection, use a motorcycle helmet that meets U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) standards.

While some people believe that a helmet will limit their vision, this is not the case. Any U.S. Department of Transportation-approved helmet will allow the wearer to see as far as is needed for safe riding.

Wet pavement is especially slippery when it first begins to rain. Deposits of oil left by cars will not yet have washed off the roadway. If it is raining, it is safest to ride in the tire tracks left by cars. The left tire track will often be your best choice, although this may vary.

On average, a person's body can eliminate the alcohol content of about one drink per hour. However, it is still possible for alcohol to accumulate in a person's system even if they consume only one drink per hour. This accumulation can still affect their ability to ride safely.

You are especially vulnerable as a motorcyclist, so it is very important to use your turn signals to alert others to your intentions. Always use them any time that you plan to change lanes or turn, even if you don't think anyone else is nearby.

The front brake of a motorcycle is more powerful than the rear brake. The front brake supplies at least 70 percent of a motorcycle's total stopping power.

Maintaining a cushion of space on all sides of your motorcycle helps to ensure that you have time and space to react if another road user makes a mistake.

Motorcycle headlights are generally smaller and less powerful than those of cars.

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.

Moving into the portion of your lane farthest from a passing vehicle is potentially dangerous because it could encourage the driver to return to your lane before it is safe to do so. It is safest to stay in the center of a lane when being passed.

Alcohol is a major contributor to motorcycle crashes, particularly fatal crashes. Studies show that nearly 40 percent of all riders killed in motorcycle accidents had been drinking.

When making a turn, look through the turn to where you want to go. Turn only your head, not your shoulders, and keep your eyes level with the horizon.