Every topic on the DVS motorcycle knowledge test, organized so you can study one section at a time.
The Minnesota motorcycle knowledge test is built from the official Minnesota Motorcycle and Motorized Bicycle Manual. Score 20 of 25 correct (80%) to pass. The guide below walks through the 12 core topics the test draws from. Tap any section to expand it, then use the practice test to check what you have learned.
Before you ride, be able to find and operate the throttle, clutch, front brake lever, rear brake pedal, gear shift, turn signals, horn, headlight switch and engine cut-off switch without looking. Minnesota's manual stresses that a motorcycle needs more frequent attention than a car. The front brake provides 70% or more of your stopping power — always use both brakes every time you slow or stop.
Minnesota requires a DOT-approved helmet for operators and passengers under 18 and for anyone on a motorcycle permit; all other riders are strongly urged to wear one. Separately, every motorcyclist must wear protective eyewear — glasses, goggles or a face shield — even with a windscreen, and contact lenses do not qualify (MN Manual, Helmets / Protective Eyewear).
Sit so your arms steer the motorcycle rather than hold you up, keep your knees against the tank, your feet on the pegs and your right wrist flat. Always use both brakes; the front supplies 70% or more of your stopping power and is safe when you squeeze, never grab, the lever (MN Manual, Basic Vehicle Control / Braking).
Riders crash by taking curves too fast, then running wide or braking too hard. Use four steps: SLOW, LOOK, PRESS, ROLL. Slow before the turn, look through it, press the handgrip in the direction of the turn to lean — press left, lean left, go left — and roll on the throttle to stabilize the motorcycle (MN Manual, Turning).
Each lane gives a motorcycle three paths of travel — left, center and right — and no part of the lane, including the center, must always be avoided. Choose the path that helps you see and be seen, avoids blind spots and surface hazards, and leaves an escape route. Keep at least a two-second following distance, opening to three seconds or more in poor conditions (MN Manual, Lane Positions / Following Another Vehicle).
Experienced riders use SEE — Search, Evaluate, Execute — to spot hazards and act early. Search aggressively ahead, to the sides and behind; evaluate how road features, traffic-control devices and other road users could create risk; execute by communicating with lights or horn and adjusting your speed and position (MN Manual, SEE).
Intersections are the most likely place for a crash — over half of car/motorcycle crashes happen when a driver violates a rider's right of way, usually by turning left or pulling out. Keep your headlight on (a motorcycle with its light on is twice as likely to be noticed), wear bright clothing, and use your turn signals every time (MN Manual, Intersections / Increasing Conspicuity).
When you find yourself in a tight spot, two skills save you: stopping quickly and swerving. To stop quickly, apply both brakes at the same time, squeezing the front lever firmly and progressively — never grabbing. When there is no room to stop, swerve: press the handgrip on the side of your escape to lean the motorcycle quickly, then press the opposite grip to recover (MN Manual, Quick Stops / Swerving).
Wet pavement, gravel, mud, snow, ice, painted lines and metal plates all reduce traction. Slow down before you reach a slippery surface, avoid sudden moves, and use both brakes gently. When it starts to rain, ride in the tire tracks left by cars and avoid the oily center strip until surface oil washes away (MN Manual, Slippery Surfaces).
A T-CLOCS inspection — Tires, Controls, Lights, Oil, Chassis, Stands — should be done before every ride, as routine as checking the weather. On the road, account for traffic and surface conditions: if a tire goes flat, hold the grips firmly, ease off the throttle, keep a straight course, and edge to the side (MN Manual, T-CLOCS / Tire Failure).
Only experienced riders should carry passengers or large loads, because the extra weight changes how the motorcycle handles, balances and stops. A passenger may ride only on a permanent passenger seat with footrests they can reach with both feet, and should hold your waist, hips or the handholds and lean with you (MN Manual, Operating Rules / Carrying a Passenger).
Alcohol impairs a rider's skills sooner and more severely than a driver's, even below the legal limit. In Minnesota an adult is legally intoxicated at a BAC of 0.08%, with lower limits for riders under 21, and alcohol leaves the body at only about one drink per hour. Cannabis distorts your perception of time, space and speed — riding impaired by it carries the same penalties as alcohol (MN Manual, Alcohol and Drugs / Cannabis).
Source: Test details reflect the consensus of major rider-education sources — confirm with the state agency before your visit. The motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions — 20 correct (80%) to pass. The 40-question exam is for the standard Class D license, not the motorcycle test.