Ohio Motorcycle Permit Practice Test

Correct answer: Comfortably, so you use your arms to steer rather than to hold yourself up

Position yourself comfortably 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

The single most important thing you can do to improve your chances of surviving a crash is to wear a securely-fastened, quality helmet. Head injuries account for the majority of motorcycle fatalities.

Correct answer: In the first few minutes, before the rain washes the surface

Oil and dust build up on the road, and the first rain lifts them into a slick film before washing them away. Those opening minutes are the most treacherous, so slow down and add space.

Correct answer: Both a knowledge test and an on-cycle skills test

Safe riding requires both knowledge and skill. To earn an Ohio motorcycle endorsement you must pass a knowledge test and an on-cycle skills test.

Correct answer: At intersections

Intersections are the single most dangerous spot for riders, largely because of cars turning across their path. Slow down and stay alert every time you approach one.

Correct answer: Never saw the motorcycle

A motorcycle's outline is far smaller than a car's, and most drivers are not even looking for riders. Your biggest safety job is to make yourself easy to see — ride as though you have not been seen.

Correct answer: Far enough forward 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: The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

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

Correct answer: Slow before reaching it, then cross gently with little steering or braking

Loose gravel offers poor traction. Get your slowing done first, then ride across smoothly and upright — hard braking or turning on the loose surface is what causes a slide.

Correct answer: A motorcycle endorsement added to a license, or a stand-alone motorcycle-only license

Ohio does not use the "M1/M2" classes. It adds a motorcycle endorsement to a Class D license, or issues a stand-alone motorcycle-only license.

Correct answer: Turns left across the rider's path

A driver turning left often fails to see an oncoming motorcycle or misjudges its speed. Approaching an intersection, watch every left-turning car as a possible threat.

Correct answer: Keep your headlight on, day and night

A motorcycle with its headlight on during the day is much more likely to be noticed. Most modern motorcycles turn the headlight on automatically once the engine starts.

Correct answer: Keep from accidentally using too much throttle

Hold the handgrips firmly and start with your right wrist flat. This helps keep you from accidentally using too much throttle.

Correct answer: Three-quarter and full face

There are two primary helmet types providing two levels of coverage: three-quarter and full face. Either can protect you well if it meets DOT standards, fits snugly, and has no defects.

Correct answer: Become slippery, especially when wet

Smooth surfaces like paint and metal offer far less grip than pavement and turn slick in the rain. Cross them upright, and avoid braking or turning while you are on them.

Correct answer: The BMV issues the license; Motorcycle Ohio (part of the Department of Public Safety) runs the training

The Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) issues the license or endorsement, while Motorcycle Ohio — a program of the Ohio Department of Public Safety — runs the rider training and publishes the Motorcycle Operator Manual.

Correct answer: Slow down, stay visible, and be ready to stop or swerve

Never assume the driver sees you. Reducing speed and keeping an escape route means that if they turn across your path, you already have the time and room to avoid them.

Correct answer: A bright, reflective jacket or vest and helmet

Your body is roughly half of the visible surface of the rider-and-motorcycle unit. Bright orange, red, yellow, or green gear stands out in daylight, and reflective material helps drivers spot you from the side and at night.

Correct answer: Keep them 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.

Correct answer: Lets you see as far to the sides as necessary

A DOT-compliant helmet lets you see as far to the sides as necessary. A study of more than 900 crashes did not find even one case where a helmet kept a rider from spotting danger.