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North Dakota Motorcycle Permit Practice Test
20 real questions from our manual-verified North Dakota motorcycle bank · Updated July 12, 2026
The official North Dakota motorcycle knowledge test runs 25 questions at 80% to pass (miss more than 5 and you retake it). North Dakota offers the motorcycle knowledge test in Spanish. These 20 questions come from the same bank the PermitPal app ships — verified against the state's official motorcycle manual, covering the riding-specific material the car test never touches: lane positioning, counter-steering, braking distances, carrying passengers, riding impaired.
The real North Dakota motorcycle exam format — scored against the same 80% bar.
Answer each question to see the explanation. Your score is tallied against the real passing bar at the end.
1. When riding, you should position yourself so that your arms are used mainly to:
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Correct answer: Steer the motorcycle, 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.
2. The single most important thing you can do to improve your chances of surviving a crash is to:
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Correct answer: Wear a securely fastened, quality helmet
Wearing a securely fastened, quality helmet is the single most important thing you can do to improve your chances of surviving a crash.
3. To stop as quickly as possible on a motorcycle, you should:
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Correct answer: Apply both brakes at the same time
Both brakes together give the shortest stop. Squeeze the front brake lever firmly and progressively — don’t grab it — while pressing down on the rear brake.
4. To operate a two- or three-wheeled motorcycle on North Dakota roads, you must have in your possession:
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Correct answer: A Class M permit or license
North Dakota law requires you to carry a Class M permit or license when operating a two- or three-wheeled motorcycle. A plain Class D car license does not authorize a motorcycle.
5. In North Dakota, riding a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between rows of vehicles ("lane splitting") is:
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Correct answer: Prohibited by law
North Dakota law states that no person may operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles. Cars and motorcycles each need a full lane to operate safely.
6. In the riding strategy known as SEE, the three letters stand for:
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Correct answer: Search, Evaluate, Execute
SEE — Search, Evaluate, Execute — is a step-by-step way to spot hazards early, think through how they could affect you, and act with enough time and space to stay safe.
7. You should keep your knees:
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Correct answer: Against the gas tank to help keep your balance
Keep your knees against the gas tank to help you keep your balance as the motorcycle turns.
8. Compared with riders who are not wearing one, helmeted riders are how much more likely to survive head injuries?
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Correct answer: Three times more likely
No matter the speed, helmeted riders are three times more likely to survive head injuries than those not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
9. During a hard stop, most of a motorcycle’s stopping power comes from the:
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Correct answer: Front brake
As you brake, weight shifts forward onto the front tire, pressing it into the road for grip. That is why the front brake supplies most of your stopping power in a quick stop.
10. Operating a motorcycle in North Dakota without the required Class M permit or license results in:
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Correct answer: A $20 fine and a four-point assessment on your record
Driving without the Class M permit or license carries a $20 fine and a four-point assessment on your driving record.
11. How much of a traffic lane is a motorcycle entitled to use?
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Correct answer: The full lane
A motorcycle is entitled to the full use of a lane, and no other vehicle may be driven so as to deprive a rider of it. Take the whole lane you need to stay visible and protected.
12. The "Search" step of SEE means to:
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Correct answer: Aggressively scan ahead, to the sides, and behind for hazards and escape routes
Searching means keeping your eyes moving — ahead, to both sides, and behind — while focusing on escape routes, especially around intersections, shopping areas, and school and construction zones.
13. Keeping your feet firmly on the footrests, with toes not pointed downward, helps you:
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Correct answer: Maintain balance and reach the controls quickly
Keep your feet firmly on the footrests to maintain balance, and keep them near the controls so you can reach them fast. Don’t let your toes point down — they may get caught between the road and the footrests.
14. A common but mistaken reason some riders give for not wearing a helmet is that a helmet:
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Correct answer: Limits their view to the sides
Some riders skip a helmet because they think it limits their side view. A study of over 900 crashes found no case where a helmet kept a rider from spotting danger — a DOT-compliant helmet lets you see as far to the sides as necessary.
15. If your front wheel locks up during a quick stop, you should:
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Correct answer: Release the front brake immediately, then reapply it firmly
A locked front wheel can cause a fall almost at once. Release the front brake instantly to let the wheel roll again, then reapply it firmly and progressively.
16. To earn a North Dakota Class M license, you must pass:
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Correct answer: A knowledge test and an on-cycle skill test
You must pass the Class M knowledge test to get the permit, then pass an on-cycle skill test before the Class M license is issued.
17. Under North Dakota law, how many motorcycles may ride abreast (side by side) in a single lane?
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Correct answer: No more than two
North Dakota allows motorcycles to be operated two abreast in a single lane, but no more than two. This is a narrow exception to the full-lane rule and is different from cars sharing a lane.
18. The "Evaluate" step of SEE asks you to:
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Correct answer: Think about how hazards could interact to create risk, and have a plan
To evaluate is to anticipate how road conditions, traffic-control devices, and other vehicles could combine into a problem, so you already have a plan before a hazard becomes immediate.
19. The gearshift lever on a motorcycle is operated by:
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Correct answer: The left foot
The gearshift lever is located in front of the left footrest and is operated by the left foot. Lift to shift up, press down to shift down.
20. To offer the most protection, a helmet should:
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Correct answer: Fit snugly all the way around with no obvious defects
Whatever style you choose, get the most protection by making sure the helmet meets DOT standards, fits snugly all the way around, and has no obvious defects such as cracks, loose padding, or frayed straps.
📱 PermitPal in your browser has the full 146-question North Dakota motorcycle bank plus car and CDL tracks — mock exams in the real format, spaced repetition on what you miss. Free to start, $29.99 once. Also on the App Store and Google Play.