General Driving Knowledge — New Mexico
New Mexico motorcycle permit practice test: 341 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: 98 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 | New Mexico Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 98 (29% of 341 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 (98)
1. When riding, you should:
- Turn your head and shoulders to look through turns.
- Keep your arms straight.
- Keep your knees away from the gas tank.
- Turn just your head and eyes to look where you are going. ✓
Answer: D. Turn just your head and eyes to look where you are going.
2. If the chain or belt of your motorcycle breaks, you will:
- Experience a sudden increase in power to the rear wheel.
- Experience a sudden loss of power to the rear wheel. ✓
- Experience a sudden loss of power to the front wheel.
- Experience a sudden increase in power to the front wheel.
Answer: B. Experience a sudden loss of power to the rear wheel.
3. The middle portion of the lane usually contains an oily strip. You should:
- Try to avoid the oily strip when it is raining. ✓
- Ride only on the oily strip, as it provides increased traction.
- Avoid the entire center portion of the lane.
- Not worry about oil or other items in a lane.
Answer: A. Try to avoid the oily strip when it is raining.
You should try to avoid the oily strip when it is raining. The manual says the center third of a lane is where oil drippings and debris collect. It also says the typical center strip gives adequate traction only when the road is not wet, which means wet conditions are when that strip is not a good place to ride. You do not have to avoid the whole center third; you can ride to the left or right of the grease strip and still be within that part of the lane.
4. Which formation is best for keeping the riders in a group close together?
- Pyramid
- Staggered ✓
- Single-file
- Compressed
Answer: B. Staggered
The staggered formation is the best choice for keeping a group close together while still leaving each rider a space cushion. The manual names staggered formation as the best way to keep the ranks close yet still give each rider an adequate space cushion. The leader rides the left side of the lane, the next rider stays at least one second back on the right side, and the pattern continues with riders at least two seconds behind the rider in the same lane position. Riding this way lets everyone keep a safe distance from the riders ahead, behind and beside them. The manual does say to switch to single file for curves, turns, and entering or leaving freeways.
5. When traveling on a motorcycle with a sidecar, the passenger should ride:
- On the motorcycle seat.
- In the sidecar. ✓
- Either on the motorcycle or in the sidecar.
- Neither on the motorcycle or in the sidecar.
Answer: B. In the sidecar.
6. When riding through a curve, a group of motorcyclists should:
- Ride in a staggered formation.
- Ride in a single-file formation. ✓
- Ride in a side-by-side formation.
- Use both lanes if possible.
Answer: B. Ride in a single-file formation.
Ride through the curve in a single-file formation. The manual tells riders to tighten up but make the turn single file, and it says plainly not to ride side-by-side. A curve is the same kind of situation: riders need room and time to react, and riding one behind the other gives each rider the full width of the lane instead of sharing it with a neighbor. Staggered spacing is described for freeway and interstate riding, not for turning, and the manual tells you to go single file at the end of an off-ramp for a better space cushion.
7. Where is the clutch lever usually located?
- On the left handgrip ✓
- On the right handgrip
- Near the left footrest
- Near the right footrest
Answer: A. On the left handgrip
8. A face shield:
- Provides protection for the eyes and face. ✓
- Is not recommended.
- Is required.
- Does not protect the face as well as goggles.
Answer: A. Provides protection for the eyes and face.
A face shield provides protection for your eyes and your whole face. The manual describes a plastic impact-resistant faceshield as covering your whole face in a crash, and it also blocks wind, dust, dirt, rain, insects and pebbles thrown up by cars ahead. It points out that these things are distracting and can be painful, so dealing with them keeps you from giving the road your full attention. Goggles are described as eye protection only, which is why the faceshield covers more.
9. In a normal turn:
- The motorcycle and rider should lean together. ✓
- The motorcycle and rider should lean in opposite directions.
- The motorcycle should lean, but the rider should not.
- The rider should lean, but the motorcycle should not.
Answer: A. The motorcycle and rider should lean together.
In a normal turn, the motorcycle and rider should lean together. The manual's regular-turn rule says you and the bike tilt as one at a matching angle. It then gives a separate method for slow, tight turns, where the rider keeps the body upright and leans only the motorcycle. Because the question asks about a normal turn, the together-lean rule is the one that applies. The other choices describe either an opposite lean or a one-sided lean, which the manual does not give for regular turns.
10. How can you discourage another vehicle from sharing your lane?
- Ride in the middle of your lane. ✓
- Ride in the left portion of your lane.
- Ride in the right portion of your lane.
- Swerve from side to side in your lane.
Answer: A. Ride in the middle of your lane.
Ride in the middle of your lane to discourage another vehicle from sharing it. The manual says lane sharing can expose you to surprises such as a hand coming out of a window, a door opening, or a car turning suddenly. It tells riders to discourage lane sharing by others and to keep a center-portion position whenever drivers might be tempted to squeeze by. It lists heavy traffic, passing, preparing to turn at an intersection, and moving into an exit lane or leaving a highway as times this can happen. That makes the middle of your lane the position to use.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook