Illinois SOS Motorcycle Practice Test 9
- Questions25
- Correct to pass20
- Passing score80%
- Minimum age16 years
-
1. As a center two-way left-turn lane reaches an intersection, the markings change into a single left-turn lane. What does that mean for you?
Show answer
Answer D: From that point it serves one direction only, so use it just to turn left
Where the shared lane becomes a marked turn bay it belongs to one direction of travel, and only vehicles making that left turn may occupy it.
-
2. Is it a good idea to shift into neutral and coast down a long hill to save fuel?
Show answer
Answer B: No, you lose engine braking and some control of the vehicle
In neutral the engine cannot help slow the vehicle, so the brakes do all the work and can overheat. Stay in gear so the drivetrain helps hold your speed.
-
3. A rider notices scalloped, uneven wear across the front tire. What does that suggest?
Show answer
Answer C: A suspension or wheel bearing fault that should be inspected
Cupped or scalloped wear normally points to worn fork components or loose wheel bearings letting the tire bounce as it rolls.
-
4. How much room should a rider try to leave when passing a line of parked cars?
Show answer
Answer A: Enough to clear an opening door, roughly the width of a car door
A door swings out about the width of a door, so ride at least that far from parked vehicles and slow down wherever you cannot leave that much space.
-
5. You are stopped at the yield line of a roundabout when an emergency vehicle comes up behind you with lights and siren. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Stay out of the roundabout and pull over to the right of your lane if there is room
Never enter a roundabout ahead of an emergency vehicle and never stop inside one; wait clear of the entry so the crew can get through.
-
6. The rider ahead of you has just passed a slow vehicle on a two lane road. What does that tell you about your own pass?
Show answer
Answer C: Nothing, because you must judge the oncoming traffic yourself
Every pass uses up part of the gap, so the space that was ample for the rider ahead may be far too short by the time it is your turn.
-
7. The temperature gauge climbs toward the red while you sit in slow moving traffic. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer A: Get out of the traffic as soon as it is safe and let the engine cool
A stationary motorcycle gets almost no airflow through the engine or radiator, so the cure is to stop creeping along in traffic and let it cool.
-
8. Why can an oncoming vehicle that looks comfortably far away leave you far less room than you expect?
Show answer
Answer D: You and that vehicle close the gap at the sum of both your speeds
Two vehicles approaching at 55 mph each close the distance between them at about 110 mph, so the gap disappears in half the time you would expect.
-
9. A large group has been divided into smaller groups. What should be done between them?
Show answer
Answer A: Leave a gap big enough for other vehicles to move in and pass safely
A gap between sub groups lets other traffic pass or merge without cutting into a formation, which keeps drivers from making sudden moves around the riders.
-
10. What happens to your field of vision as your speed increases?
Show answer
Answer C: It narrows, so you notice less at the sides of the road
The faster you travel, the more your useful field of view narrows toward the center, so a hazard coming from the side is seen late or missed altogether.
-
11. A pedestrian steps off the curb without looking your way. What should you assume?
Show answer
Answer B: That the person has not seen you at all, and be ready to stop for them
Defensive driving means assuming you have not been seen until there is clear evidence that you have.
-
12. Besides impact protection, how does a light colored helmet help the rider?
Show answer
Answer A: It sits above surrounding traffic, so drivers pick it out sooner
A light or high visibility helmet sits above the traffic around the rider and is often the first part of a motorcycle a driver notices.
-
13. There is a stop sign but no stop line and no crosswalk. Where must you stop?
Show answer
Answer A: Before entering the intersection, where you can see cross traffic
With no line or crosswalk, stop before you enter the intersection at the point where you can see traffic on the cross street.
-
14. Which set of qualities should eye protection for riding have?
Show answer
Answer A: Shatter resistant, free of scratches, and sealed against the wind
Riding eye protection has to survive an impact, let you see clearly and keep the air out, which is why plastic face shields and goggles are used instead of ordinary glasses.
-
15. While you wait for the ambulance at a crash, what is the most useful help you can give?
Show answer
Answer C: Keep the person still and warm, and press down firmly on any heavy bleeding
Keeping an injured person still and warm and controlling bleeding are among the few things a bystander can safely do.
-
16. A group in formation needs to change lanes. What is the safest way to do it?
Show answer
Answer A: The leader starts the change early enough for the whole group to complete it
Beginning the change early gives the entire formation the road and the time it needs to move over together instead of scattering across two lanes.
-
17. On a motorcycle with a standard shift pattern, where is neutral found?
Show answer
Answer C: Between first gear and second gear
The usual pattern is one down and the rest up, with neutral sitting half a click between first and second gear.
-
18. An object thrown up by another vehicle strikes your face shield. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer C: Keep both hands on the handlebars and your eyes on the road, then stop when it is safe to check
Letting go of the handlebars or looking away is far more dangerous than the impact itself, so keep control first and inspect the damage after you have stopped safely.
-
19. You are turning left from a one-way street onto another one-way street. Which lane should you use?
Show answer
Answer B: Turn from the far left lane into the far left lane of the new street
The general turning rule is to turn from the lane nearest the direction of the turn into the nearest lane of the new roadway, which on a one-way to one-way left turn means far left to far left.
-
20. You have started to pass and you see the no-passing zone beginning ahead. What should you do?
Show answer
Answer D: Ease off, drop back and return to your own lane
A pass must be completed before the no-passing zone starts. If it will not fit, abandon it and slot back in behind.
-
21. In heavy stop-and-go traffic, why does using both lanes right up to a merge point help?
Show answer
Answer D: It stores the queue in two lanes, so the backup is shorter
Filling both lanes halves the length of the queue and keeps it away from the traffic upstream, which is why alternating at the merge point works better when traffic is slow.
-
22. You are about to pull out from a stop sign. Which scanning habit is correct?
Show answer
Answer A: Look to the left, then to the right, then to the left again before moving
Traffic from the left reaches you first, and a second look left catches anything that arrived while you were looking right.
-
23. A driver holds a steady highway speed into the section this sign warns about. What is the most likely result?
Show answer
Answer B: The vehicle runs wide toward the outside and can cross into another lane or leave the pavement
Holding speed into a change of alignment asks the tires for more side grip than they can supply, so the vehicle runs wide and the driver is left with less room to correct.
-
24. An ambulance has just gone by and traffic starts to move again. Why should you wait a moment before pulling back out?
Show answer
Answer B: Another emergency vehicle may be following the first one
Emergency calls often bring several vehicles, so check that nothing else is coming before you rejoin the traffic lane.
-
25. Why should a rider avoid painting a helmet or cleaning it with strong solvents?
Show answer
Answer D: Chemicals can weaken the shell and the liner without showing it
Solvents and some paints attack the shell and the foam, so use mild soap and water and follow the maker's instructions to keep the helmet's protection intact.