California DMV Motorcycle Practice Test 4
Test 4 of 6. Pick an answer for each question to see if it is right and why; your score appears at the end. You need 20 correct answers to pass, the same ratio as the real California test.
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age15 years 6 months
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1. Why must a tank bag be strapped down properly rather than simply laid on the tank?
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Answer D: Because a bag that slides can reach the controls or your hands
Braking pushes anything loose on the tank forward toward the handlebars, where it can jam the steering or interfere with the levers.
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2. What prima facie speed limit does California set when passing a facility used mainly by senior citizens that is posted with a SENIOR warning sign?
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Answer D: 25 mph
Section 22352 applies a 25 mile per hour prima facie limit when passing a senior center or similar facility contiguous to a street other than a state highway and posted with a standard SENIOR warning sign.
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3. How may California enforce the ban on phone use by drivers under 18?
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Answer A: Only after a stop made for some other violation
Section 23124 forbids an officer from stopping a vehicle for the sole purpose of determining whether the driver is violating the minor phone ban, although a stop under section 23123 or 23123.5 is allowed.
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4. In California, when are you not required to stop for a school bus flashing red lights?
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Answer A: When the bus is on the other side of a divided or multilane highway with two or more lanes in each direction
California exempts drivers when the bus is on the other side of a divided or multilane highway with two or more lanes in each direction; otherwise traffic must stop from either direction.
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5. What is the California speed limit at a blind intersection and in an alley?
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Answer B: 15 mph
California sets 15 mph both at blind intersections, meaning intersections with no stop signs at any corner, and in alleys.
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6. How long is a California Certificate of Completion of Motorcycle Training, form DL 389, valid?
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Answer A: 12 months from the issue date
California accepts the DL 389 for 12 months from the issue date, and the DMV will not waive the motorcycle skills test on the basis of an out-of-state training program.
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7. Lights set into the pavement along both edges of a crosswalk start to flash yellow as you approach. What do they tell you?
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Answer D: Someone is crossing and has to be given way
In-roadway warning lights flash only when a pedestrian activates the crossing, so a flashing pattern means somebody is in or entering the crosswalk.
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8. What is the maximum fine for a first California conviction of driving faster than 100 miles per hour?
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Answer C: $500
Section 22348 caps the fine for a first conviction of exceeding 100 miles per hour at $500, and the court may also suspend the driving privilege for up to 30 days.
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9. What does a California REAL ID driver license let the holder do that a standard license does not?
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Answer B: Board a domestic flight and enter military bases and most federal facilities
The California Driver's Handbook explains that a REAL ID compliant card is needed to board an airplane for domestic flights, to enter military bases and to enter most federal facilities.
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10. Windblown sand has collected across the pavement at a rural intersection where you must stop. How should you handle the stop?
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Answer A: Do your braking on clean pavement before the sand, then roll across upright
Sand acts like ball bearings under the tires, so finish your braking on the clean surface ahead of it and cross the loose patch upright with no sudden inputs.
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11. What is the illegal blood alcohol concentration in California for a driver under 21 years old?
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Answer D: 0.01 percent or higher
California sets the limit at 0.01 percent or higher for drivers under 21, and the same figure applies at any age to a driver on DUI probation.
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12. You are approaching the entry of a roundabout and a pedestrian is crossing the marked crosswalk on your approach lane. What must you do?
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Answer D: Stop before the crosswalk and let the pedestrian cross
Roundabout crosswalks sit a short distance back from the yield line, and drivers must yield there before they ever reach the circulating lanes.
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13. What fine range applies to a California driver convicted a second time within three years of driving without insurance?
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Answer C: $200 to $500, plus penalty assessments
Section 16029 raises the fine to not less than $200 and not more than $500 plus penalty assessments for a conviction within three years of a prior one.
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14. How is a wheel bearing checked during an inspection?
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Answer A: Raise the wheel clear of the ground and rock it side to side to feel for play
A worn bearing shows itself as side to side play in a raised wheel, and it may also feel rough or notchy when the wheel is spun.
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15. What do the grooves in a tire tread do on a flooded road surface?
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Answer B: They give the water a way to escape so the tread can touch the road
Tread grooves pump water out from under the tire so rubber can meet pavement. A worn tread moves less water, so hydroplaning starts sooner.
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16. After an hour on a hot highway your tire pressure reads higher than it did in the morning. What should you do?
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Answer D: Nothing, because pressure rises when tires heat up
Air expands as the tire warms, so a hot reading is normally above the cold setting. Bleeding air off would leave the tire underinflated once it cooled.
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17. Your vehicle breaks down on a busy highway. What is the safest course of action?
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Answer D: Get it as far off the roadway as possible, switch on the hazard lights and keep clear of the traffic lanes
A vehicle left in or beside a travel lane is a hazard, so move it well off the road, make it conspicuous with hazard lights and keep yourself away from passing traffic.
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18. Two drivers each have three drinks, one over three hours and one in half an hour. What is the difference?
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Answer C: The fast drinker reaches a higher peak level
The liver removes alcohol at a steady rate, so drinking faster than the body can clear it pushes the blood alcohol level much higher.
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19. What does California require a licensed driver to do with the driver license while driving on a highway?
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Answer B: Have it in immediate possession and present it on the demand of a peace officer
Section 12951 requires the licensee to have the valid license in immediate possession at all times when driving, and to present it when a peace officer enforcing the code demands it.
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20. Who must wear a helmet on a motorcycle in California?
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Answer B: Every rider and every passenger, regardless of age
California requires all riders and passengers to wear a U.S. DOT compliant motorcycle safety helmet certified to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218.
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21. You are already inside a roundabout when an emergency vehicle approaches with lights and siren. What should you do?
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Answer B: Continue to your exit, leave the roundabout, then pull over and stop
Stopping inside a roundabout blocks the circulating roadway, so you should exit first and then pull over clear of the intersection.
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22. What restrictions apply to a California Class M1 or M2 instruction permit?
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Answer C: No carrying passengers, no freeway driving and no nighttime driving
California limits motorcycle instruction permit holders to riding alone, off the freeway and during daylight hours.
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23. How should a rider and passenger arrange to communicate during a ride?
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Answer A: By agreeing on simple signals or taps before the ride starts
Wind and engine noise make speech unreliable, so a short set of signals agreed in advance is the dependable way for a passenger to say they need to stop.
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24. What does California impose for a second refusal of a chemical test within 10 years of a prior DUI incident?
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Answer D: A two-year revocation of the driving privilege
Section 23612 turns a second refusal within 10 years into a two-year revocation, and a third or later refusal into a three-year revocation.
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25. How should braking and swerving be combined?
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Answer C: Brake before or after the swerve, never during it
Traction can be spent on turning or on braking, and asking for both at once during a swerve is very likely to cause a skid.