General Driving Knowledge — New York
New York motorcycle permit practice test: 84 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). Official test format: 20 Q, pass 14 incl. >=2 of 4 sign Qs. General Driving Knowledge: 23 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 York Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 23 (27% of 84 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
NY Motorcycle Operator's Manual (MV-21MC) ✓ Verified from official source
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Questions (23)
1. A properly-fitted motorcycle:
- Allows the rider to touch the ground with their feet while seated. ✓
- Has a seat even with the rider's waist.
- Has a seat that is 10 inches above the rider's waist.
- Has a seat that is 10 inches below the rider's waist.
Answer: A. Allows the rider to touch the ground with their feet while seated.
A properly fitted motorcycle allows the rider to touch the ground with their feet while seated. The manual says a motorcycle should fit you. It gives a simple seated test: your feet should reach the ground, and the controls should be easy to operate. The bank answer matches that guidance because touching the ground while seated is the stated fit check. The manual does not set a seat-height number or compare the seat with your waist, so the choices based on waist height are not supported by the passage.
2. 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.
3. Making eye contact with other drivers:
- Is the best way to know that they see you.
- Is not worth the effort it takes.
- Does not mean that they will yield to you when they should. ✓
- Guarantees that they will yield to you.
Answer: C. Does not mean that they will yield to you when they should.
Making eye contact with other drivers does not mean that they will yield to you when they should. The manual lists eye contact as a good sign that a driver sees you, but it treats that as only a sign, not a promise. The passage states plainly that eye contact doesn't mean the driver will yield. So you can use eye contact as one clue about whether you've been noticed, but you still have to watch the vehicle and be ready to act if it moves into your path anyway.
4. When riding in a group, motorcyclists:
- Do not need space cushions.
- Should increase their space cushions.
- Should reduce their usual space cushions by half.
- Should maintain adequate space cushions. ✓
Answer: D. Should maintain adequate space cushions.
When riding in a group, motorcyclists should maintain adequate space cushions while keeping the group close. The manual tells groups to keep close ranks but also to hold an adequate space cushion so every rider has the time and distance to react to hazards. A tight group takes less highway space, is easier to see, and is less likely to split up, but the manual says this has to be done properly. The staggered formation is described as the best way to keep the ranks close while still giving each rider a safe distance ahead, behind, and to the sides.
5. When you are being passed, you should:
- Ride in the center portion of the lane. ✓
- Ride in the left portion of the lane.
- Ride in the right portion of the lane.
- Weave among the three portions of the lane as the vehicle passes.
Answer: A. Ride in the center portion of the lane.
When you are being passed, keep to the center portion of your lane. The manual's rule for being passed says to stay in the center portion of your lane when a vehicle comes from behind. It warns that riding close to the passing vehicle can put you in a hazardous situation, and it lists sideswipes, extended mirrors, and objects thrown from windows as things to consider. Holding the center keeps your position steady while the other vehicle goes by, so that is the choice the manual supports.
6. When you are being passed by another vehicle, which part of the lane should you ride in?
- The left
- The center ✓
- The right
- It doesn’t matter.
Answer: B. The center
7. A motorcyclist can discourage other vehicles from lane sharing by:
- Riding in the left portion of a lane.
- Riding in the center portion of a lane. ✓
- Giving dirty looks if another driver moves into their lane.
- Riding in a zigzag pattern to fill up a lane.
Answer: B. Riding in the center portion of a lane.
Riding in the center portion of your lane discourages other vehicles from lane sharing. The manual warns that riding between rows of cars leaves you exposed to unexpected moves, such as a hand coming out, a door opening, or a car turning suddenly. It then gives a specific lane-position instruction: keep to the center portion whenever drivers may be tempted to squeeze by you. That temptation is described for heavy traffic, passing situations, intersection turns, and exit-lane or highway-leaving moves. So the center portion is the supported choice for discouraging lane sharing.
8. Small vehicles can appear ______ and seem to be traveling ______ than they actually are.
- Farther away, more slowly ✓
- Farther away, faster
- Closer, more slowly
- Closer, faster
Answer: A. Farther away, more slowly
Small vehicles can appear farther away and seem to be traveling more slowly than they really are. The handbook passage says smaller vehicles look farther away than they actually are, and it warns that drivers often pull out in front of motorcycles because they think they have plenty of time. That directly supports the farther-away part. The slower-traveling impression fits that same time misjudgment, but the passage does not state the speed wording outright, so this is a supported practical reading rather than a direct statement.
9. What is the best lane position for a motorcycle?
- The left position
- The center position
- The right position
- There is no single best lane position. ✓
Answer: D. There is no single best lane position.
There is no single best lane position; the manual says to change lane position depending on traffic, road conditions and the curve. The handbook does not name one side of the lane as always best. It says to change lane position depending on traffic, road conditions and the curve. It also says to choose a position that gives the best view and makes you more visible near intersections. Since the right spot changes with the situation, no fixed position can be the answer for every ride.
10. The center portion of a lane usually contains an oily strip. This part of the lane is:
- Never safe for motorcyclists.
- Usually safe, unless the road is wet. ✓
- Usually safe, unless it is sunny outside.
- Always safe, no matter the weather conditions.
Answer: B. Usually safe, unless the road is wet.
The oily center strip is usually safe unless the road is wet. The manual says the center third of a lane is where oil drippings and debris collect, but it also says the typical center strip still gives adequate traction unless the road is wet. It adds that you can ride to the left or right of the grease strip while staying within that center third. That supports treating the center as usually usable in dry conditions, with extra caution when water makes the oily strip slippery.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook