General Driving Knowledge — Colorado
Colorado motorcycle permit practice test: 345 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. General Driving Knowledge: 115 questions.
Questions that do not fit a single topic: lane use, turning, signalling and other rules of the road.
This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines.
| Topic / Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Topic | General Driving Knowledge |
| License test | Colorado Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 115 (33% of 345 total) |
| Review status | This topic page is still being reviewed against the official handbook. Until review is finished it is hidden from search engines. |
Official handbook
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Questions (115)
1. When riding behind a car, you should:
- Ride in a position that will allow the other driver to see you in their rearview mirror. ✓
- Assume the driver sees you.
- Ride in the far left portion of the lane.
- Ride in the far right portion of the lane.
Answer: A. Ride in a position that will allow the other driver to see you in their rearview mirror.
Ride in a position that puts you where the driver ahead can see you in the inside rearview mirror — usually the center portion of your lane. The manual says that when you follow a car, you should ride where the driver can see you in the inside rearview mirror, and that the center of the lane usually puts you in that view. It also notes that the far side of a lane might let a driver spot you in a sideview mirror, but most drivers check the inside mirror far more often than the side ones. So the center position gives you the best chance of being noticed by the driver in front, and it helps keep others from crowding your space.
2. The best lane position:
- Is always the right portion of the lane.
- Is always the center portion of the lane.
- Is always the left portion of the lane.
- Varies based on road, weather, and traffic conditions. ✓
Answer: D. Varies based on road, weather, and traffic conditions.
The best lane position varies based on road, weather, and traffic conditions. The manual tells riders to vary lane position as conditions warrant and to change position as traffic situations change. It does not name one portion of the lane as the permanent best spot. In curves, it advises moving to the center before entry and staying there until exit, and it says your best path may not follow the road; adjust for traffic, road conditions and the curve. That supports the answer: the best position depends on what is happening around you, not a fixed left, center or right choice.
3. When riding in a group, the best way to keep ranks close while maintaining an adequate safety cushion is to ride:
- In pairs.
- In a staggered formation. ✓
- In a single-file line.
- In a passing formation.
Answer: B. In a staggered formation.
The best way is to ride in a staggered formation. The manual says a staggered formation lets the group stay close while each rider still has a safe space cushion. It describes the leader on the left, the second rider at least one second back on the right, and the third back on the left at least two seconds behind the first. That alternating pattern gives room ahead, behind, and to the sides. The manual also lists maintaining a staggered formation among its group-riding rules.
4. An advantage to keeping a cushion of space between your motorcycle and other vehicles is that:
- You can pass danger more quickly.
- You will have a more narrow view of the road so you can stay focused.
- You will have more time to react to the movements of others. ✓
- You can more easily follow the path of the next vehicle.
Answer: C. You will have more time to react to the movements of others.
Keeping a cushion of space gives you more time to react to the movements of others. The manual treats space as a margin of safety. It says other traffic can move into your path, so you should think about your time and space needs and give yourself time to react in an emergency. It also describes a cushion of space as separating you from other vehicles and giving you room to maneuver if someone else makes a mistake. The gap does not remove hazards; it buys you time and room, which is the benefit named in the answer.
5. When someone follows you too closely, you should:
- Speed up.
- Not worry about them and just focus on the road in front of you.
- Change lanes and let them pass. ✓
- Ride on the shoulder and let them pass.
Answer: C. Change lanes and let them pass.
When a driver is following you too closely, change lanes and let them pass so they end up in front of you. The manual treats tailgaters as a problem you solve by getting them ahead of you rather than behind you. It points out that speeding up to drop a tailgater often just leaves you being followed too closely at a higher speed, which is worse. The recommended handling is to change lanes and let the driver go by, so the close follower is no longer sitting off your rear. The manual's own review question on tailgaters matches this: change lanes and let them pass.
6. When making a turn:
- There is less traction available for stopping. ✓
- There is more traction available for stopping.
- Stopping is no different than making a stop on a straightaway.
- Stopping should never be attempted.
Answer: A. There is less traction available for stopping.
7. When riding with a passenger, you should:
- Maintain your usual space cushion.
- Brake later than usual.
- Ride a little more slowly than usual. ✓
- Ride a little faster than usual.
Answer: C. Ride a little more slowly than usual.
When you carry a passenger, ride a little more slowly than usual, especially through curves, corners, and bumps. The manual explains that a motorcycle handles differently with a passenger aboard: the heavier the passenger, the longer it takes to speed up, slow down, or turn. Because of that slower response, it tells you to ride a little slower, particularly in curves, corners, and over bumps. It also warns that if any part of the bike scrapes the ground while leaned over, you can lose steering control, which is another reason to ease off your speed when someone is riding with you.
8. When riding a motorcycle:
- It is a good idea to drag your feet.
- Your toes should be pointed downward.
- You should keep your feet firmly on the footrests. ✓
- You should try to keep your feet away from the controls.
Answer: C. You should keep your feet firmly on the footrests.
You should keep your feet firmly on the footrests, which is how the manual says you maintain balance. The handbook's riding posture section says to keep your feet firmly on the footrests to maintain balance, and it warns against dragging your feet. It explains that a foot catching on something could injure you and interfere with your control of the bike. The same section tells you to keep your feet near the controls so you can reach them easily, and not to let your toes point downward because they could get caught between the road and the footrests.
9. Riding alongside a car:
- Is encouraged.
- Can place you in a blind spot. ✓
- Is not an issue unless the roadway is wet.
- Can make driving easier for the other motorist.
Answer: B. Can place you in a blind spot.
Riding alongside a car can place you in a blind spot, so it is best avoided when possible. The manual's section on vehicles alongside says not to ride next to cars or trucks in other lanes unless you have to. It explains that you might sit in the driver's blind spot, and that vehicle could move into your lane without warning. Another passage tells riders not to linger in a blind spot, and a third says to avoid riding in another vehicle's blind spot. That support makes the blind-spot choice the right one.
10. Who should set the pace in a group of riders?
- The leader
- The riders just behind the leader
- The rider in back ✓
- The oldest rider
Answer: C. The rider in back
The rider in back, called the sweep rider, should set the pace for the group. The handbook says the sweep rider is the last rider in the group and sets the pace. It also says the lead rider looks ahead for changes and signals early so the message reaches the others, and that inexperienced riders are placed just behind the leader so they do not have to chase the group. That division of jobs puts pace-setting at the back, not at the front.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook