North Dakota Motorcycle practice
North Dakota 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
15 questions · pass with 12 correct. You get instant feedback and an explanation after every answer.
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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.
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1. During a wobble, what should you do with your body weight?
Correct answer: Move it as far forward and down as possible
Along with a firm grip and gradually closing the throttle, moving your weight forward and low helps settle the front end until you can pull off.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — Mechanical Problems, Wobble
2. What should you do if a large animal such as a deer, elk, or cow is in your path?
Correct answer: Brake and prepare to stop, since such animals are unpredictable
Larger animals can move in any direction, so slow down and be ready to stop.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — Animals
3. You can't avoid riding over an obstacle in the road, and you have a passenger aboard. What does the manual say your passenger should do as you cross it?
Correct answer: Rise slightly off the seat
One instruction the manual says to give passengers before a ride is to lift a little off the seat whenever you go over an obstacle. You should also remind them to tighten their hold as you approach bumps or uneven pavement.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — Carrying Passengers and Cargo, Preparing Your Passenger to Ride
4. Something goes wrong with your motorcycle partway through a ride. Whatever the specific problem, what does the manual say to factor in as you deal with it?
Correct answer: The road and traffic conditions around you at that moment
The manual's section on mechanical problems begins by saying that whatever fails, you should handle it with the road and traffic conditions you are facing in mind.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — Mechanical Problems
5. What does the SEE strategy stand for?
Correct answer: Search, Evaluate, Execute
SEE is the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's three-step method for assessing traffic and choosing the safest action.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — SEE
6. An animal appears ahead while you are riding in traffic. What does the manual advise?
Correct answer: Stay in your lane, since hitting something small is less dangerous than hitting a car
Do what you safely can to avoid the animal, but in traffic, remaining in your lane is safer than risking a collision with a larger vehicle.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — Animals
7. The gates at a railroad crossing aren't working properly. Where does the manual say the Federal Railroad Administration posts the emergency phone number to report it?
Correct answer: On posts at the crossing or on the metal signal boxes beside the tracks
According to the manual's Emergency Notification System (ENS) section, these numbers appear on crossing posts or on the metal control boxes beside the tracks. Call one if you see something blocking the rails or lights or gates that aren't working.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — Handling Dangerous Surfaces, Emergency Notification System (ENS)
8. How will the steering feel if the front tire goes flat?
Correct answer: Heavy
You seldom hear a tire go flat, so notice the handling; a flat front tire makes steering feel heavy, which is especially dangerous.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — Mechanical Problems, Tire Failure
9. The manual ties one poor-traction surface to a particular time of year. Which one is it?
Correct answer: Sand on the road after the winter thaw
In its list of poor-traction surfaces, the manual includes sand on the road after the winter thaw. The same list covers wet pavement (worst just after rain starts), gravel, mud, leaves, snow, ice, and wet lane paint, manhole covers or steel plates.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — Handling Dangerous Surfaces, Slippery Surfaces
10. Riding over bridge gratings makes your motorcycle weave. What should you do?
Correct answer: Relax, keep a steady speed, and ride straight across
The wandering feeling is generally not dangerous; crossing at an angle forces you to zigzag, which is far more hazardous.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — Handling Dangerous Surfaces, Grooves and Gratings
11. Why is anything within about 4 seconds of your path considered immediate?
Correct answer: Four seconds is about the time and space needed to swerve or brake for a hazard
Scanning your 4-second path gives you time for a quick response to fixed hazards or anything entering your path.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — SEE, Search
12. You have slowed as much as you can before riding over an obstacle you can't avoid. What should the motorcycle itself be doing at the moment of contact?
Correct answer: Traveling straight and upright, not leaned or turning
The manual's steps for riding over an obstacle are to slow as much as possible first, make sure the motorcycle is straight, lift a bit off the seat so your legs take your weight, and roll on a little throttle just before contact to lighten the front end.
Source: North Dakota Class M Motorcycle Operator Manual — Handling Dangerous Surfaces, Uneven Surfaces and Obstacles
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Every North Dakota question is written from the official North Dakota 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