Colorado Motorcycle practice
Colorado Motorcycle: Hazards & Road Surfaces practice test
Gravel, wet pavement, grooved roads, and railroad tracks — reading and handling surfaces that matter far more on two wheels.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · August 12, 2026
14 questions · pass with 11 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
Study questions with answers
12 sample Hazards & Road Surfaces questions with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the official handbook reference. Read through them, then take the quiz above.
Show all 12 questions with answers
1. If a flying object strikes you or your face shield, you should:
Correct answer: Keep your eyes on the road and hands on the bars until it's safe to stop
Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the handlebars, and pull off to fix any damage as soon as it is safe.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 12.1, Flying Objects
2. When you must ride over bumps, potholes, or broken pavement, you should:
Correct answer: Slow down, keep the bike upright, and rise slightly off the seat
Slow down, keep the motorcycle upright, and rise slightly off the seat with weight on the pegs to absorb the shock.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 8.2, Uneven Surfaces and Obstacles
3. When metal bridge gratings or rain grooves make your motorcycle weave, you should:
Correct answer: Relax, hold your speed, and ride straight across
The weaving feeling is usually not dangerous, so relax, keep your speed, and ride straight across rather than zigzagging.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 8.2, Grooves and Gratings
4. If a small animal is in your path while you are in traffic, you should:
Correct answer: Avoid swerving out of your lane for it
Do not swerve out of your lane for a small animal, since hitting something small is less dangerous than hitting a car.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 12.2, Animals
5. If a dog chases your motorcycle, the handbook advises you to:
Correct answer: Downshift, approach slowly, then accelerate away as you reach it
Downshift and approach the animal slowly, then speed up quickly as you reach it to leave it behind.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 12.2, Animals
6. On a very slippery surface such as ice, the handbook advises you to:
Correct answer: Keep the bike upright, stay off the brakes, squeeze the clutch, and coast
Keep the bike straight up, stay off the brakes, squeeze the clutch, and coast while letting your feet skim so you can catch yourself.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 8.1, Very Slippery Surfaces
7. When you have to stop or park where oil has collected, the main danger is:
Correct answer: Your foot or tire slipping on the slick spot
The oily spot is slick, so your foot or tire may slip when you put a foot down to stop or park.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 8.1, Slippery Surfaces
8. Painted lane lines, steel plates, and manhole covers are hazardous mainly because they are:
Correct answer: Slippery, especially when wet
These smooth surfaces offer poor traction and become slippery, especially when they are wet.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 8.1, Slippery Surfaces
9. When you put a foot down to stop or park, you should watch out for:
Correct answer: Oil spots that could make you slip and fall
Watch for oil spots when you put your foot down; you could slip and fall on the slick surface.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 8.1, Slippery Surfaces
10. One advantage of a three-wheel motorcycle over a two-wheeler on slick pavement is:
Correct answer: Its inherent stability, since it can slide sideways without falling over
A three-wheeler has inherent stability and can slide sideways without falling, much like an automobile.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 8.1, Very Slippery Surfaces
11. A motorcycle can safely cross railroad tracks that lie across your path at an angle as sharp as:
Correct answer: 45 degrees
Tracks crossing your path can be taken at an angle up to about 45 degrees without much difficulty.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 8.2, Railroad Tracks
12. Before leaving the pavement to pull off the road, you should first:
Correct answer: Make sure the roadside surface is firm enough to ride on
Check that the roadside surface is firm enough to ride on; if it is soft grass or loose sand, slow way down before turning onto it.
Source: Colorado Motorcycle Operator's Handbook - Section 12.3, Getting Off the Road
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Every Colorado question is written from the official Colorado driver handbook and checked against its current edition. DMV Test Free is a free, independent study resource — not affiliated with any DMV or government agency. About DMV Test Free