Sharing the Road — South Dakota
South Dakota motorcycle permit practice test: 299 free practice questions (Based on the official driver handbook). The official format is not yet verified; check the official site before your test. Sharing the Road: 16 questions.
Pedestrians, cyclists, school buses, emergency vehicles and heavy trucks.
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 | Sharing the Road |
| License test | South Dakota Motorcycle permit test |
| Topic questions | 16 (5% of 299 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
Not yet verified
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Questions (16)
1. When carrying a passenger, a motorcycle responds to directional changes:
- More slowly than usual. ✓
- More quickly than usual.
- Normally.
Answer: A. More slowly than usual.
When carrying a passenger, the motorcycle responds to directional changes more slowly than usual. The manual says the extra weight of a passenger or cargo affects how the motorcycle handles and calls for extra practice, preparation, and caution. It does not say the bike becomes quicker or unchanged. Because the added weight changes handling, the bank answer treats the motorcycle as responding more slowly than usual to directional changes. The passages support the general idea that a passenger changes handling, though they do not state the directional-change wording directly.
2. Before every ride, you should:
- Make sure your bike's brake lights work properly. ✓
- Make sure the paint on the bike is not peeling.
- Make sure your bike is completely clean.
Answer: A. Make sure your bike's brake lights work properly.
Before every ride, check that your motorcycle's brake light comes on when you apply each brake. The pre-ride check list in the manual covers lights and electrics, and it tells you to try both brakes and confirm each one turns on the brake light. It also has you test the headlight, taillight, both turn signals and the horn. These are the parts other drivers rely on to see you and read your intentions, so they belong in the check you do each time you head out.
3. When scanning the area around your motorcycle, you should:
- Look for potential escape routes near intersections, shopping areas, or schools. ✓
- See if you can travel faster than other vehicles.
- Stare at pedestrians.
Answer: A. Look for potential escape routes near intersections, shopping areas, or schools.
You should scan for potential escape routes, especially near intersections, shopping areas, and schools. The manual says that as you search, your focus should be on finding possible escape paths, particularly in or around intersections, shopping areas, school zones, and construction zones. It describes scanning ahead, to the sides, and behind so hazards are spotted before they develop. Looking for a way out in busy or crossing areas matches that guidance. The other choices are not search strategies the manual gives.
4. A passenger on a motorcycle should:
- Put their feet on the ground when the motorcycle is stopped.
- Not ride without a back rest.
- Sit as far forward as possible without crowding the operator. ✓
Answer: C. Sit as far forward as possible without crowding the operator.
A passenger should sit as far forward as possible without crowding or hindering the operator's control of the motorcycle. The manual's list of passenger equipment says the passenger should sit as far forward as possible without hindering your control of the bike. It also says the seat should be large enough for both people without crowding. So the passenger moves up close to the operator, but not so far that the operator's control is affected. The same section tells the passenger to hold onto the operator's waist, hips, belt, or the handholds, so that closeness also gives them something to hold.
5. When crossing angled railroad tracks, it is usually best to:
- Use the shoulder of the road to slow down before crossing the tracks.
- Walk your motorcycle across the tracks.
- Continue straight within your lane to cross the tracks. ✓
Answer: C. Continue straight within your lane to cross the tracks.
Continue straight within your lane to cross the tracks. The manual says that when you cross railroad tracks or pavement seams, it is usually safer to ride straight within your lane. It warns that turning to take the tracks at a 90-degree angle can be more dangerous because that direction may put you into another lane of traffic. Another passage adds to keep a steady speed and ride straight across; crossing at an angle makes riders zigzag to stay in the lane, and the zigzag is more hazardous. So the best choice is to stay in your lane and go straight over the tracks.
6. If you have a passenger aboard your motorcycle, you should do all of the following, except:
- Ride at speeds that are slower than usual.
- Allow more distance to stop than usual.
- Tell the passenger to hold onto the back of the bike. ✓
Answer: C. Tell the passenger to hold onto the back of the bike.
The exception is telling the passenger to hold onto the back of the bike — the manual directs passengers to hold firmly onto your waist, hips, belt, or the passenger handholds. The manual covers what you tell a passenger before a trip: mount only after the engine is started and in neutral, sit as far forward as possible without getting in your way, wear the same level of protective gear you wear, keep both feet on the footrests even when stopped, and hold firmly onto your waist, hips, belt or the passenger handholds for balance. Holding onto the back of the bike is not one of the holds the manual names, so it does not belong with the other passenger instructions.
7. When passing a truck on a two-lane road, you should:
- Not return to your original lane until you can see the front of the truck in your rearview mirror. ✓
- Return to your original lane as soon as the truck is behind you.
- Return to your original lane when you feel you have enough space.
Answer: A. Not return to your original lane until you can see the front of the truck in your rearview mirror.
8. If you will be carrying a passenger on your motorcycle, you will likely have to:
- Reduce the tire pressure.
- Make no tire pressure adjustments.
- Increase the tire pressure. ✓
Answer: C. Increase the tire pressure.
You will likely need to increase the tire pressure when carrying a passenger. The manual says a passenger adds weight, and you should make sure tire pressure and suspension settings match the weight you are carrying. It also says to check both tires and use the inflation specifications for your motorcycle; added weight usually sits mostly on the rear wheel. Because a passenger is extra load, the pressure should be adjusted upward to the setting recommended for that weight, not left alone or lowered. That is why increasing tire pressure is the best choice among these answers.
9. When riding near a truck:
- If you cannot see the truck’s mirrors, the driver cannot see you. ✓
- You should not be able to see the truck’s mirrors.
- You should concentrate on operating your motorcycle and not worry about the truck’s mirrors.
Answer: A. If you cannot see the truck’s mirrors, the driver cannot see you.
If you cannot see the truck’s mirrors, the driver cannot see you. The manual tells you to place yourself where the driver ahead can see you in the mirror, and it warns that side mirrors are checked less often than the inside mirror. A truck driver’s mirrors are how the driver checks blind spots, so if they are not visible to you, you have no sign the driver can see you. The manual also warns against riding beside trucks when avoidable because you may sit in a blind spot. The answer that links your view of the mirrors to the driver’s view of you fits that advice.
10. When riding with a passenger on your motorcycle, you should instruct the passenger to:
- Get on the motorcycle before the engine starts.
- Sit as far back as possible on the bike.
- Not talk or move unnecessarily. ✓
Answer: C. Not talk or move unnecessarily.
Tell your passenger not to talk or move unnecessarily, so they stay still and quiet while you ride. The manual lists what to tell a passenger before a trip. It says to avoid unnecessary conversation and avoid leaning or turning around, and to make no sudden moves that could affect the motorcycle's stability. Sitting still and keeping talk to a minimum is exactly what that instruction asks for, so instructing your passenger this way matches the manual's guidance.
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Last checked: 2026-10-17 · Verified from official source
Updated: · Based on the official driver handbook