Louisiana Motorcycle Permit Practice Test

Correct answer: You use your arms to steer, not to hold yourself up

Sit so you can operate all the controls and use your arms to steer the motorcycle rather than to hold yourself up. This lets you react quickly to hazards.

Correct answer: Wear a securely fastened, quality helmet

Head and neck injuries account for a majority of serious and fatal motorcycle injuries. Wearing a securely fastened, quality helmet is the single most important thing you can do to survive a crash.

Correct answer: Apply both brakes at the same time

Applying both brakes together gives the shortest stop. Squeeze the front brake lever firmly and progressively — do not grab it — while pressing down on the rear brake.

Correct answer: With a motorcycle endorsement added to your basic driver’s license

Louisiana does not issue a separate motorcycle class. State law provides for motorcycle use by placing an endorsement on one of the basic license classes, so you add a motorcycle endorsement to your existing license.

Correct answer: Prohibited

Louisiana law is categorical: no person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles. Riding between rows leaves you no escape room and hides you from drivers.

Correct answer: Never saw the motorcycle

A motorcycle's outline is far smaller than a car's, and most drivers are not looking for riders. Because they so often simply do not see you, ride as though you are invisible until you know a driver has seen you.

Correct answer: Far enough that your arms are slightly bent when you hold the handgrips

Sit far enough forward that your arms are slightly bent when you hold the handgrips. Bending your arms lets you press on the handlebars without having to stretch.

Correct answer: U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

Choose a helmet designed to meet U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and state standards. A label from the Snell Memorial Foundation is a further assurance of quality.

Correct answer: Release the front brake immediately, then reapply it firmly

A locked front wheel means immediate loss of steering and balance. Release the front brake completely the instant it locks, then squeeze it back on smoothly — failing to release will cause a crash.

Correct answer: 5 horsepower

The endorsement is required to operate a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or motorized bicycle in excess of 5 horsepower, regardless of its top speed or engine size.

Correct answer: Full use of a lane

All motorcycles are entitled to full use of a lane, and no driver may operate a vehicle so as to deprive a motorcycle of the full use of its lane. You need the whole lane width to maneuver safely.

Correct answer: At all times, day and night

A motorcycle with its headlight on during the day is about twice as likely to be noticed. Keep it on at all times — most motorcycles turn it on automatically with the engine.

Correct answer: Knees against the gas tank and feet firmly on the footrests

Keep your knees against the gas tank to help your balance as the motorcycle turns, and keep your feet firmly on the footrests. Do not drag your feet or point your toes down.

Correct answer: A full-face helmet

The two primary helmet types are three-quarter and full face. The full-face helmet gives the most coverage, protecting the face as well as the top, back, and sides of the head.

Correct answer: Keep it locked until you have stopped, staying upright and straight

Once the rear wheel is locked and you are going straight, you can control the motorcycle to a stop that way. Releasing a locked rear wheel while it is out of line with the front can cause a violent high-side crash.

Correct answer: A knowledge test and an on-cycle skill test

To earn your endorsement you must pass both a knowledge test and an on-cycle skill test. The knowledge questions come from the Motorcycle Operator Manual; the skill test checks your ability to control the motorcycle.

Correct answer: Two

Louisiana permits motorcycles to ride no more than two abreast in a single lane. Riding two abreast is the one exception to a car being kept from a rider's full lane — three or more abreast is not allowed.

Correct answer: A bright orange, red, yellow, or green jacket with reflective material

Your body is half of the visible surface of the rider-and-motorcycle unit. Bright, reflective colors stand out in traffic far better than drab or dark clothing.

Correct answer: Hold the grips firmly and start with your right wrist flat

Hold the handgrips firmly to keep your grip over rough surfaces, and start with your right wrist flat. A flat wrist helps you avoid accidentally applying too much throttle.

Correct answer: Obvious defects such as cracks, loose padding, or frayed straps

A good helmet fits snugly all the way around and has no obvious defects such as cracks, loose padding, or frayed straps. Any of those defects means the helmet should not be worn.